This is a new weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 20 years that we've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 20 years here in a weekly blog post.
About two months ago the tree trimmers came by and trimmed up the tops of the palm trees. Only problem is they left palm fronds hanging down on two of the trees. There's one palm fronds each on the right tree and the far left tree.
The one on the right was harder to see so I enlarged it a bit. They have been pointed out to the manager by several people because these things have thorny spikes on them and if they fall and hit someone, they could potentially cause some damage. But the manager doesn't care. I was waiting to see if they would fall in the wind and one of them finally did so I took a picture of it from my bedroom window. Thankfully it didn't hit anyone on the way down.
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This week my city also passed an ordinance that makes it a misdemeanor for homeless people to sleep on sidewalks or the ground. They can now be charged and given a $1000 fine and /or up to 6 months in jail but only is there are open beds in established shelters. Here's the article about it.
While I feel bad for the homeless people out there. I also understand the people not wanting to see tent cities pop up in their neighborhoods. I've seen some tents in my neighborhood over the years. This week the homeless people in my neighborhood took a mattress out of our garbage can and threw it over this wall which is just behind my apartment complex. On several occasions I've been walking by this mattress and people have been laying here smoking who knows what out of their meth pipes. It makes me feel less than safe walking by this at night knowing they are doing drugs because druggies are unpredictable and you never know if they'll try and rob you for money. It happens around here all the time.
So while I understand wanting more shelters, more beds and more resources for the homeless, I see the other side of not wanting the drug addicts who won't go to the shelters, in our neighborhoods sleeping on the sidewalks and near where we live.
So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell Life! Be sure to come back next week for more.
The street beside ours has a pile of druggies in it and they come wandering into our gardens a few times a year looking for things to steal and have fights with each other on summer weekends. It used to be really bad but a few died or were rehomed so it isn't bad at all here now. I wish someone would sort out the area you live in so you get a bit more peace and security.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds terrible. Yeah I wish this neighborhood would get cleaned up too.
DeleteLooks like the that part of town needs a makeover. Hope it gets better.
ReplyDeleteI hope so too.
DeleteThe manager doesn't care... What else is new... Dammit. And I agree 100%, Mary, you don't want your neighborhood to look like a dump.
ReplyDeleteWell that was the old manager who said that. This new manager has only been here for a couple of weeks.
DeleteI was wondering about that. I hope the new one actually cares.
DeleteSo do I.
DeleteYou need to plant more palm trees and hire more incompetent tree trimmers so that the plummeting fronds will drive the homeless druggies away.
ReplyDeleteNow that would be interesting.
DeleteThanks.
ReplyDeleteThat's a sad situation with the homeless and it's not safe to be out at night. Hopefully something positive will happen soon.
ReplyDeleteI can only hope.
DeleteIt would be pretty scary walking through your neighborhood and seeing people doing drugs. I know I'd feel unsafe. It's so dicey, because you can't help but feel bad.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
True on both parts.
DeleteI saw a palm tree being trimmed for the first time this summer in San Diego. It was interesting to watch!
ReplyDeleteYeah it is. It's also easy to see the palm fronds that are hanging by a string so they shouldn't have left them hanging.
DeleteLike they could afford a fine like that :/
ReplyDeleteBut then the streets are no good either
I know. I hope they do better and build more shelters for them too.
DeleteWell, now you know where the new manager lives!
ReplyDeleteI sure do.
DeleteIt is so sad to see what happens to the homeless. While I agree about the tent cities, but fining them isn't going to work either. If they had money, they wouldn't be living on the streets. We need a better solution, though I'll admit I'm not sure exactly what that is.
ReplyDeleteMelanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
I don't either. But I shouldn't be made to feel unsafe walking my dog down the sidewalk because of the druggies. I do hope they build more homeless shelters and have more resources for them.
DeleteAmazing what people "live" in.
ReplyDeleteI know. I feel bad for them until I see them doing drugs.
DeleteI saw that on the news about that ordinance. I don’t blame you at all when it comes to the homeless. We have a big problem with it here in Portland. I have sympathy for someone who is homeless because of their circumstances but not so much for those who are strung out on drugs and now wanting to contribute meaningfully to society. I wish something could be done, we are all tired of the big problem.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you.
DeleteDealing with the homeless is such a tricky situation. I would not like anyone doing drugs out in the open near me like that though.
ReplyDeleteit's scary. We have a lot of drug houses and apartments around here so that's why they hang around.
DeleteI know it's just a vicious cycle of drug addiction, homelessness and more. I think they made this a law in Philadelphia too, because there was almost a small city in one particular area, and a portion of it was an open air drug market, including the sale of needles. I know it's definitely an eyesore for something like this in the neighborhood and can imagine being scared too, because there is that unpredictability and potential danger for those walking by, or who live in the neighborhood.. I agree, they just need more shelters, and more treatment facilities for those in need. Be careful and be safe. Hugs, RO
ReplyDeleteThere does need to be more resources and more shelters for them for this new ordinance to work.
DeleteI think what is needed is intervention and support services for people before they have absolutely nothing left and are forced onto the streets. Over here those services have been cut drastically over the past decade, yet our govt has the nerve to blame the resulting increase in homelessness on anything but their own policies! So shortsighted of them :-(
ReplyDeleteYeah that's not right. I wish our government would give more resources for them too.
DeleteYeah, having a neighborhood be a dump and letting the druggies roam about isn't good indeed
ReplyDeleteNo, it's not.
DeleteTwo sides of the coin.
ReplyDeleteVery much so.
DeleteThis just makes me sad but I understand people not wanting tent cities on their doorstep and wanting to feel safe in their own neighbourhoods.
ReplyDeleteThere's no easy fix for that. :(
No there's not. I do hope they do more for the homeless here though.
Delete