Will this magical shaker leave you shooketh?
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Pictured here is a zhèn lóu shénqì 震楼神器 ("magical floor shaker"):
From:
Noisy upstairs neighbors? The zhenlouqi is a way more effective revenge than hitting your broom against the ceiling.
By Manya Koetse in What's on Weibo [microblogging website] (January 25, 2022), China Memes & Viral
Here are selections from the long, detailed article, which includes many photographs and videos:
…
Due to various local Covid-related lockdowns across China over the past weeks, many people have again been spending a lot of time at home. For those living in residential apartments, neighbors making noise can be a real nuisance – especially if it is the upstairs neighbors who can leave you feeling powerless and annoyed with their heavy walking, stomping, pushing chairs, or loud music.
…
One video posted on Weibo recently showed security footage from a residential building where one man angrily came to the door of his downstairs neighbor with a long knife, asking if they had installed a ‘floor shaker.’ The woman at the door then answered that there’s always noise coming from his apartment, with him responding that all they hear every day is the vibrating of the floor shaker. The man’s partner then suddenly appears out of nowhere and the altercation turns into a physical fight.
…
[Z]hènlóuqì has now been flagged as a ‘sensitive word’ on Taobao [online shopping platform], although the device can still be bought under other names for approximately 168 yuan ($26). The device is often not advertised as ‘taking revenge on neighbors,’ but as an effective method to create a quiet home, picturing a sleeping baby or someone relaxing in bed while the zhènlóuqì is turned on.
For those who are interested in the repercussions (!) from the installation of such devices, follow this Twitter thread to the (quite surprising) end.
Selected readings
- "Shooketh, rattleth, and rolleth" (1/25/22)
- "Blocked on Weibo" (8/23/13)
[h.t. Don Keyser]
Thaomas said,
January 26, 2022 @ 5:55 pm
SitCom material! :)
julie lee said,
January 27, 2022 @ 7:32 pm
Couldn't help laughing at the post. I've lived in apartments. In one,
my (bad) piano playing drove my neighbor nuts. In another one,
my toddler running around in her leather shoes drove my
downstairs neighbor nuts.
Diana Shuheng Zhang said,
January 30, 2022 @ 2:52 pm
How I wish I had one of these during my last traumatic and tragic year learning remotely from home!!!! I suffered for 14 months straight, from my upstairs neighbor whose 4-year-old boy kept running, stomping, jumping, and throwing balls and toy all day and night long. The parents did not stop him or educate him at all, and uttered cursive and dirty words when I went up to politely negotiate with them — no apologies, of course. Their famous saying to me: "We only care about our son doing something that he likes (which means jumping and playing basketball at home). Who on earth are you and why should we care about you're living downstairs?" No joke!!! A family of two Penn post-docs in the civilized society literally said the above thing to their disturbed downstair neighbor.
I have been advised to "take my revenge" by hitting the broom against the ceiling but eventually as a female international student who lives alone, I was too concerned for getting further "revenges" from them, as they were a family of four. Also I didn't have much time but that kid did. How I wish this zhenlouqi could also be sold on Amazon (or anywhere in the States) so that its sole existence acts as an effective "threat" to keep reminding that wretched upstair family that they must mind their behavior and its impact on others.
julie lee said,
January 30, 2022 @ 4:30 pm
The neighbors came and said: 'Cease and desist!" I desisted.
Stopped the piano-playing and removed the toddler's leather shoes.