I sighed, knowing that the Porter was going to have his hands full once again.
When I opened the elevator door, the fresh all too familiar odor of urine smacked me in the face like a bus. Yeah… Isn’t that special… So I had a choice. Either walk up the stairs or take a ride in the urine stanched elevator. Like I said before, I am lazy, so I got in that elevator stepping over puddles of what I hope was pee and held my breath. This was disgusting. Why would some one pee in the elevator? I tired to avoid any of the walls just in case there was some kind of residue on them. In the few hours since I left for my “morning run”, some one posted new gang graffiti on each of the elevators walls. As I exited on my floor, taking a good deep breath and that proved to be another problem occurred. The incinerator was over stuffed once again with garbage and several mice were running back and forth from the filth and into an apartment across the hall. Is it such a strange concept to actually put your garbage INSIDE the incinerator and closing the door?
It was just another stench, another headache for the Potter and another issue that will be complained about to those with deaf ears. Yes, the Landlords are greedy people who never want to spend a dime on improvements to this building. I understand that fact, but look on how the building is treated by those that live here! How can people put up with this? I asked myself. Hell, how can I put up with this? I’m not a dirty person and our apartment is kept clean so why is it so hard for other people to do the same. Does anyone have some morsel of home training these days? When I was a kid, my mother showed me how to pick up after myself, general cleaning, show pride in my appearance and other essential things that every kid should know. What happen? I finally made a pact with myself that I will not be here by the end of 2009. I need knew horizons or neighbors that I know what the functions of a toilet are. Neighbors that exhibit some form of respect to the place they are living and not just going through the motions.
In the almost 7 years since this buildings has been under new management, they spent money adding brick walls to the lobby and foyer (a useless feat to say the least), raised the rent to the point where there was a mass exodus of people moving out and many were here over 20-something years (Thank God for rent control), moving in anyone on a government program since they know that is a guaranteed payment (many of those people have serious criminal, mental and medical problems, which has lead to many police visits. Something that was never the case BEFORE the building was sold), fired the Super so we now have to hunt down the Super in the adjoining building for anything to be done. At least with our last Super, we had some sense of security because he would not allow people to make a lot of ruckus in hallways during the day and night. If there was any graffiti up… it was washed and/or painted over within an hour. If kids were running around he would tell talk to there parents about letting them go outside. There are plenty of things I can blame the Landlord for, but I can’t blame them for everything that goes on.
Here is my conclusion…
Some people just do not respect the places they live these days. The worst part about that is instead of facing the problem head on, they complain about nothing being done. I am no different here either… I am still learning that when I see litter on the steps, I shouldn’t just walk pass it… I need to pick it up and throw it away. It starts with one person and until I leave, this building is a reflection of the people who live here. I no longer want to be disgusted with walking around in this place.
Kenny.
