Yes, I'm the angry note lady now. Photo / Supplied
Yes, I'm the angry note lady now. Photo / Supplied
It is ok for someone to leave their personal belongings outside their apartment? Bikes, shoes, sometimes even garbage (which is en route to the bin) in the corridor of an apartment building?
That's right, the common corridor. Even if there's plenty of space in said corridor, are we all cool with communal living that spreads our items into shared areas?
My neighbours are cool with it. In fact, heaps are doing it in my apartment building and its causing owner WARS. One side saying it's not a fire hazard and who is it hurting? Others screaming: "GET YOUR CRAP INSIDE YOUR APARTMENT". Yep, should've been at the last Body Corporate meeting — Ramsay Street has got nothing on us, reports news.com.au.
As my capital letters suggest, I'm in the second identified party. I'm pleading with my neighbours that if it's not 'good enough' for inside your apartment, why leave it in the common area for others?
It started off as shoes that would sit outside other apartment doors. You'd know as soon as the elevator door opened at your level whether your neighbour had been for a run, as the smell of the sweaty joggers would dance up into your nostrils.
You'd turn the corner and see said smelly shoes and think maybe it's a visitor who kindly popped the shoes off before entering their friends home? No biggie, except a fungal infection. Play on.
Kristen Henry is furious about stuff left outside apartments. Photo / Supplied
The shoes multiplied overnight. Now a few pairs are living outside the door. The corridor is big enough you don't trip over them but I'd be lying if they didn't sh*t me to tears.
Cultural nod or devotion to keeping your rug white, your items are safest inside your pad. I get our apartments aren't the size of James Packer's but if your shoes are too smelly to be inside your apartment, out in the corridor for everyone to enjoy is not the spot for them either.
The shoes became a bike, the bike became rubbish. Soon, an epidemic had spread. My floor was putting anything that smelt, had dirt on it or didn't fit inside their apartment in the common corridor. In the space of a fortnight my floor transformed into the Canberra tip.
It was raised at a Body Corporate meeting and I was so surprised to see the room divided over it. It seems the items aren't technically a 'fire hazard' — many argued unless they were putting health or safety in danger, who cares? Also, some argued the items were outside for a 'short stay', so management turned a blind eye as at this stage they 'didn't see a pattern'.
Literal tip. There are bags of rubbish outside. Photo / Supplied
A pattern? I'm considering buying my neighbour a shoe rack for Christmas! At least then their sketchers and backpack will be tidy while outside.
Maybe I'm being uptight. Other than 'I don't like it' my argument is weak. The items aren't hurting anyone and I understand that our apartments are small and different people live differently. That's the agreement when it comes to communal living. My fiance told me to "suck it up, you don't like it then we should get a house with a big fence."
BUT when my friends or family come to visit, and they step out of the elevator into a corridor full of clothes racks, shoes and bikes I'm embarrassed. It feels untidy. I'm transported back to living on campus at university, minus the $2 goon and juice to soften the blow.
I've recently popped a little letter under the door of everyone on my floor. A note that says, "Holla team, I get our apartments can be squishy, but we'd appreciate if your personal items could stay inside, we'd hate for them to be stolen."
Kristen Henry is furious about stuff left outside apartments. Photo / Supplied
Despite the fact the note said 'we' my fiance has distanced himself from my letter and position. He thought it sounded threatening / annoying and wanted me to sign it "Kind Regards, Kimmy Gibbler from Full House"
I think he's worried I'm turning into a Nanna with her glasses sitting at the end of her nose, watching my neighbours every move and planning to nab their items just to teach them a lesson. Is this where I deny ever having such a thought?
