Neighbors

HELP. I need advice. I fear that the likelihood of me catching a case (for those of you that don't know, that means doing something rash that in all probability will land me in JAIL/COURT) increases by the day if I don't get some help. As you may know I live on the ground floor of an apartment building. I have lived there for the last couple of years. I like my place and my building. A majority of the building's residents are people of the older persuasion, so it makes for a quiet existence. Well, it used to be a quiet existence.

About 3 weeks ago I noticed that the elderly couple that live above me were walking around with a much heavier foot than normal. I brushed it off as maybe guests that just weren't aware that I was downstairs. Well, who I came to name HEAVY FOOT did not go away after a few days. Their visit didn't seem to be ending. It was about that time that I realized that the dear elderly couple - the couple that I NEVER heard walk, talk, laugh, nothing - had moved away. They have been replaced by the newly named HEAVY ASS WALKER (HAW)!

HAW has become the bane of my existence over the last few weeks. When I mentioned my dilemma to some friends and family, their response was, "You're not used to it. Give it some time and you won't even notice it after a few days". UUUHH NO! I obviously have done a piss poor job of relaying the HEAVINESS of foot that HAW has been inflicting upon their floor/my ceiling!! This unseen being - for surely they are not human given the amount of force exerted with each step (see picture above) - does not merely walk around. They stomp. Each step generates the amount of force equivalent to a MAC truck slamming into a brick building at 70 MPH. And not only does this person stomp around but they never seem to stop walking around, no matter the hour. Maybe I am a little more sedentary than the average person but damn, sit down every once in a while, watch some TV, read a book. It's constant pounding, like some kinda WWII Japanese torture.

So, here in lies my problem. I would like to approach HAW and share with him/her/it my discontent with their lead feet. I would like to avoid any conflict but just wanted them to be aware that I am below them. If I allow this to go on much further I fear that I will meet them when they land in my lap after crashing through my ceiling or when I bust through their door wielding some instrument sharp enough to cut off lead feet! Any advice?