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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 20 of 20. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by kara lynne on December 2, 2003, at 1:09:35
Asked punk not to smoke near window.
Punk said he'd try, but don't call landlord.
Saw punk smoking by other window, on bench--where he's not supposed to.
Called landlord.
Landlord told punk to move bench away from my bedroom window.
Punk moves bench as near as possible to my window on the original side, the more legal side to smoke, but back to the original place I asked him if he could not smoke so near.
Punk is messing with me.Do I ask punk directly to move the bench further down the pathway...where it would OBVIOUSLY not be so close to me, or...
Assume punk knows he's messing with me and call the landlord again, to tell them that they're making this impossible for me.My entire house reeks of stale cigarettes. I have all the windows closed. I cannot open any windows on the side of the house where they do the most smoking, or I'd literally be smoking with them.
I don't want to talk to them directly, but talking to the landlord might incite them more.
On the other hand, they are doing everything in their power to be as inconsiderate as they can possibly be to me.
There is plenty of room for that bench to be away from my window.
I'll put up with listening to them at 4am every morning, swearing, shouting, co-mingling. I just don't think I should be required to smoke to live here.
Don't make me talk to them directly.
Posted by sienna on December 2, 2003, at 1:59:06
In reply to Neigh-Boors, posted by kara lynne on December 2, 2003, at 1:09:35
UGH how frustrating. my solution to eveyrthing right now is to break dishes. Can you smash a bunch of dishes at their feet when they are smoking there? Maybe they havent noticed that they are being annoying? Oh, you can get dishes really cheap at the thrift store.
on a more serious note, sorry for beng punchy its late and im delirious....id probably write a letter. how are you otherwise?
sienna
Posted by kara lynne on December 2, 2003, at 2:16:34
In reply to Re: Neigh-Boors » kara lynne, posted by sienna on December 2, 2003, at 1:59:06
Oh you're up! How sweet.
I like your idea of vomiting on someone's shoes. I could just walk out there and look like I'm going to be very helpful, and then just let it fly...
So you've talked about breaking dishes at people's feet, vomiting on shoes, looking at brown pumas and crushing on a shoe salesman. Do you think it has any significance?
I wished you lived near enough to smash plates with me. We could have a party.
Posted by Elle2021 on December 2, 2003, at 5:20:42
In reply to Sienna!, posted by kara lynne on December 2, 2003, at 2:16:34
Hmm, I once lived in apartment with very, *very* thin walls. When I slept at night, I could hear the people in the apartment next to me snoring. My solution was to bang on the wall until they quit. Unfortunately, that usually woke them up and started their family on a nightly bathroom trip...flush, flush, flush. In my own apartment, across the hall from me, my former roommate could be heard making sounds realted to, ahem, sex. So, it was usually on the couch for me. I finally moved out, but not just because of the above reasons. Is moving out a possibility for you? I wouldn't think it would be very safe to go face to face with this punk. I would stay away from him, and keep my doors locked. God bless you.
Elle
Posted by Dinah on December 2, 2003, at 8:48:40
In reply to Neigh-Boors, posted by kara lynne on December 2, 2003, at 1:09:35
I know you've moved a lot lately, but if your landlord doesn't bring them into line or oust them soon, perhaps you should bite the bullet and do it again. There's too many sources of irritation and stress in any life. If you can avoid extra ones, it's bound to be better for you.
Posted by Poet on December 2, 2003, at 9:56:53
In reply to Neigh-Boors, posted by kara lynne on December 2, 2003, at 1:09:35
I like the idea of throwing dishes at Punk and his gang, it's kind of like when Sharon Osbourne threw the ham at the obnoxious neighbor. The problem with dishes is you'll get stuck cleaning it up.
I would put a heavy duty fan in the window, and blow the smoke back into the Punk's face. Oops, you must have put it in backwards so it's blowing out instead of in.
Poet
Posted by fallsfall on December 2, 2003, at 10:04:07
In reply to Neigh-Boors, posted by kara lynne on December 2, 2003, at 1:09:35
If you haven't finished unpacking yet from your move into that place, then this might be a good time to move out. 8^) (((((Kara)))))
Posted by Susan J on December 2, 2003, at 12:23:49
In reply to Neigh-Boors, posted by kara lynne on December 2, 2003, at 1:09:35
Posted by Penny on December 2, 2003, at 13:24:36
In reply to Set the bench on fire. :-) (nm) » kara lynne, posted by Susan J on December 2, 2003, at 12:23:49
Ooooh....I like that one.
Yah know, maybe if you went totally crazy on them, it would scare them straight. A combination of bench-burning and plate-breaking...
I surely hope things improve soon, kara.
P
Posted by Rach on December 3, 2003, at 0:45:51
In reply to Neigh-Boors, posted by kara lynne on December 2, 2003, at 1:09:35
Could you move the bench yourself to somewhere suitable for you? Then put up a sign - No smoking within 5m of the windows. (or building)
If they still don't get the hint, talk to the landlord and threaten to move out unless something is done. Is there a tenants union in the US? We have one in Australia that will help you sort this stuff out with your landlord. Know your rights. Over here, you could break lease and be well within your rights to do that. Try putting it all in writing to the landlord. Send them a letter demanding they do something about it, and then call them letting them know that a letter is on its way about the matter, and when are they planning to do something about it?
Good luck.
Posted by sb417 on December 3, 2003, at 1:05:28
In reply to Re: Neigh-Boors, posted by Rach on December 3, 2003, at 0:45:51
In the past week there have been several posts here about bad neighbors and bad landlords. These types of posts appear fairly frequently. I wonder whether there is a message boards on the Internet that is devoted to this sort of thing? A while back I searched for a message board for complaints about bad landlords, and all I could find was an old Usenet newsgroup that was no longer archived and seemed defunct. I think it was alt.flame.landlord. I think it would be great if a moderated message board existed for those of us who have to deal with intrusive landlords, noisy neighbors, smoking neighbors, etc. It would be even better if the message board had a lawyer- in-residence who could advise us on these matters.
Posted by kara lynne on December 3, 2003, at 13:46:22
In reply to Re: Neigh-Boors, posted by Rach on December 3, 2003, at 0:45:51
I've certainly thought about moving the bench, but it's their's and it might provoke them. I'm trying to avoid the moving out part--I'm sure they wouldn't stop me, but I'm not in any position to move at the moment.
I'm going to try to find out exactly what the laws are, and the health ordinances if there are any applicable.
Meanwhile I can feel myself wanting to quietly collapse instead, which I constantly have to fight against.
thanks Rach
Posted by kara lynne on December 3, 2003, at 13:47:14
In reply to Neigh-Boors and Slumlords, posted by sb417 on December 3, 2003, at 1:05:28
Posted by Liligoth on December 3, 2003, at 21:37:39
In reply to Re: Neigh-Boors / Rach, posted by kara lynne on December 3, 2003, at 13:46:22
unless the landlord is prepared to take action to stop this I dont think you can win this war. It may be best to backdown if you intend to stay & the landlord wont do anymore than he already has. If it gets so bad with them you feel scared all the time it's going to be a hell of a lot worse than smelling cig smoke I fear.
Alternatively you could start acting like you are in the grip of a very deep psychosis, mutter to yourself loudly enough for them to hear when they are under the window smoking about the fire & brimstone you can smell & that the 4 horsemen of the lord's apocalypse is a comin down ... you get the drift - & scare the &^%$ out of them.
Posted by Rach on December 4, 2003, at 0:07:15
In reply to Re: Neigh-Boors , posted by Liligoth on December 3, 2003, at 21:37:39
Hey kara lynne, I found this site where you can browse for tenant resources by your state.
http://directory.tenantsunion.org/
Hopefully you will find something of use. I understand about not wanting to move the bench yourself. I have my fingers crossed for you. As a fanatical non smoker, I know how foul second hand smoke is, and how utterly despicable and filthy it is to find it in your own home. All the best, hon.
Posted by sb417 on December 4, 2003, at 0:30:07
In reply to Re: Neigh-Boors , posted by Rach on December 4, 2003, at 0:07:15
Wow, Rach, thank you for posting that link!!
Posted by kara lynne on December 4, 2003, at 2:03:26
In reply to Re: Neigh-Boors , posted by Rach on December 4, 2003, at 0:07:15
Thanks Rach, for the link and the understanding. If it were a little smoke now and again it would be one thing, but I might as well be smoking a pack a day myself by the stench of my apartment and everything in it.
Posted by sienna on December 4, 2003, at 18:08:26
In reply to Sienna!, posted by kara lynne on December 2, 2003, at 2:16:34
hiya
hmm, i wonder if it does have any significance... feet shoes....hmmm...yes
maybe we could meet somewhere and have a plate smashing party. that would be awesome. and we could listen to music for airports hehe. it would be very mellow and dramatic all at the same time. and we could make a movie about it and call it "look what they've done"...oh the injustice of it all. thats what i keep saying to myself anyway.
Hope you feel a litlte better soon. Oh and i would set the bench on fire too actually.
Sienna
Posted by sienna on December 4, 2003, at 18:19:35
In reply to Re: Sienna!, posted by sienna on December 4, 2003, at 18:08:26
Posted by kara lynne on December 4, 2003, at 19:41:26
In reply to Re: Sienna!, posted by sienna on December 4, 2003, at 18:08:26
And I was going to suggest exactly that-- music for airports. I get the whole visual you've described and I love it. I think we could pull it off...smashingly ; ).
You're so cute.
This is the end of the thread.
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