Hood Problems: Part 2, Retaliation

Here is Part 1:

http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2015/06/hood-problems-part-1-strangers-with.html

This past week I was assigned to perform maintenance duties at an apartment complex in the hood/ghetto.  Yesterday, I was told to get off the property, and just leave by my staffing supervisor.  This is what happened.

I started work on Tuesday at the Oakhurst Apartments in Tampa.  When I was picking up trash I saw a repairman replacing a window.  I later learned it had been shot out.  On Wednesday when I was running heavy equipment a shootout happened at the complex.

I'm not sure why there was beef, but this was the fourth time there were shots fired at the complex.  However, this time someone shot back at the car that drove by.  It seems that there were ongoing problems between the guy who lived there, and whoever kept driving by and shooting at him and/or the complex. 

Anyway, the security cameras around the apartment complex caught video of the guy shooting back at the car.  Needless to say, he ended up at the Hillsborough County Jail that day (Wednesday.)  That pissed off his homies, and they blamed the management and workers for "snitching" the shooter out. 

Now, myself and my fellow staffer Robert, had nothing to do with this.  We were both running heavy equipment at the time of the shooting, and never heard the shots.  However, in "The Hood," a prison mentality takes place, and it doesn't really matter if we had anything to do with it or not.  We were considered "snitches."  And in prison, snitches get stiches. 

On Wednesday night I sent a e-mail to my staffing supervisor a list of my concerns.  While I was out working on Thursday she called me and said that I could leave the property if I wanted, and she would back me up.  I told her I would stick it out the rest of the week.

However, in-between that phone call and the next time I talked to my co-staffer Robert, something serious happened.  A car pulled up with friends of the guy who was in jail, and they started smack talking and making threats.  They were going to get even with the people who snitched out their guy, and since Robert and I were the most visual workers there, we were first on their list. 

Robert got on the phone with our boss, and let her know what was going down.  He found me, and said we needed to go, now.  Just drop our stuff, don't worry about getting our paperwork signed.  Just get out.  Since Robert took the bus, I told him to just jump in my car, and I would drive him home.  And that's what we did.  Afterwards, I called my boss, and let her know that we were out of there, and that I drove Robert home, and we were both safe. 

I have to say, I am really impressed with my boss.  She knew she would take flak from those above and below her, as well as the apartment complex manager.  And I also have to give her credit as she said she was not going to send anyone else back there.  Period. 

It almost seems surreal to write this story out.  What we encountered showed a complete lack of respect for human life.  They get mad so they shoot at people, and even after the police are called, they still want to shoot at people who had nothing to do with their situation.  It's really beyond belief.  This incident was just the pickle on top of a crap sandwich that was working there.  There were so many irritating things that happened during those three days, I am just flabbergasted.  All I know is that, the next time I am offered an assignment, I am going to check the map a little closer before I accept it.  I don't want to end up in the middle of a war zone. 

Salvage Day: The Best Day There Is

So for the last year I have been working as a maintenance man.  Actually, I am the low rung on the maintenance ladder, a Porter.  That means I usually deal with garbage, other people's garbage.

One thing I am asked to do is clean out apartments after people have left.  I have had some in horrible condition.  I've seen some in okay condition.  But never have I found one in acceptable condition.  That's due to them not needing me if it's clean.  I get called in when it looks like a hurricane hit the apartment.

So today I really got to have fun.  The apartment is on the second floor.  So I end up walking up and down steps for half the day.  Most of the garbage was already bagged.  I just had to move the garbage outside the door, down the steps, to the golf cart, and drop it off at the compactor.  Since the cart only holds so much garbage I ended up making something like eight trips. 

The one good thing about being the clean out guy is that, the spoils go to you.  If you see something you like, you can salvage it.  Since it's going in the trash anyway, they are completely okay with you taking things you might like.

So I was able to salvage a few things. 

1.  A half full (not half empty) bucket of exterior satin (somewhat blaze) orange paint.

2.   Some lavender soap for Mom.  She loves the soap.  Just can't get enough of it.  So I figured soap in a package couldn't possibly go bad, so I brought it home, and she loves it.

3.  This really fancy looking clock.  I just didn't have the heart to throw it out.  I figure there's a use for it around here somewhere.

4.  Then I noticed what might be the strangest thing that was left behind.  A pair of old fashioned tea pots. 

Of course, I knew they couldn't be real silver.  No one would be crazy enough to leave real silver teapots behind.  That's when I turned it over and noticed this:

That my friends, is tarnish.  Silver tarnish.  That comes on a silver teapot.  Well, now I am really surprised.  I do admit, that I'm sure they aren't solid silver as that kind of silverware is usually marked on the bottom.  These don't have any such markings.  But I am at least pretty sure that they are silver plated.  So that's not too bad. 

Dad was joking with me about having a yard sale, but I think Mom is in love with the tea pots.  The soap was meant for her.  And I'm sure she will find a place for the clock.

As for the paint?  Well, it can be used for a few things.  Namely for painting parts of our tree stands.  It can also be used to paint parts of Dad's trailer.  The trailer is supposed to be painted red some time, but it may look good with orange highlights.  That will help people see it on the road. 

So I had a good salvage day.  Again, one person's skipped apartment is a clean-out dude's treasure.

The Green Recliner

We all have things we miss from our previous relationships.  In fact, I wrote about something that I missed in one of my previous posts entitled, "I still miss someone."

http://angjellockheart.blogspot.com/2011/12/i-still-miss-someone.html

That of course, was about the guinea pig named Punky who I missed.  Well, there was something else left behind from that relationship that I miss.  That would be the green recliner.

It all started when my former girlfriend Roxy moved into a new apartment.  We were moving things in, and then throwing the moving boxes away in the dumpster.  Well, low and behold.  Someone threw out a perfectly good Lay-Z-Boy recliner by the dumpster.  It just needed some Febreze, and boom, it was great and born again.

So when we broke up there was the exchanging of the stuff.  In the exchanging of the stuff I didn't get the recliner.  I should have because Roxy never liked it.  I imagine that she went ahead and threw it out.  That just bothers me in so many ways.

You see I have this friend Josh who just moved into an apartment.  I'm not sure if he is "Spartan or poor."  I think it's a little of both.  Anyway, I think that he could have really used such a great, green recliner.  I know he would appreciate it's fine comfyness, and the way it just seems to hug you when you sit in it.  In fact, I'm sure he would be 50% less productive with that recliner in his apartment.

A find like this is just a one in a lifetime find.  I liken it to the guys who find the perfect dinosaur bones.  Maybe one day I will be in my own place, with nothing.  And out of that nothing, I will find the perfect recliner.  Cause really, no one likes to actually pay for something that good.  The trick is getting it for free.