22 June 2008

Like a good neighbor...

Remember Joe, the good guy who lives in our driveway? Yeah, me too.

Yesterday, I was coming back into the house from hanging laundry on the line, and noticed something odd. I decided to take pictures for your viewing enjoyment.

This is the north (far) side of the Trailer in Our Driveway Where Random Homeless People Have Been Living. See the orange cord coming through the window?

This is the hitch on the east side of the TiODWRHPHBL. See the orange cord looping around there? That red Buick on the left belongs to us. The little line of greenery coming through the pavement? That's the property line. (See, technically, the trailer is not in our Driveway, but in our neighbor's, which abuts ours).

Anyone see where this is going? Here is a large amount of orange cord on the south side of the TiODWRHPHBL. Across the property line. That hopscotch board? Yeah, Joe doesn't much play hopscotch, I'm guessing. At any rate, that hopscotch board under all that orange cord is V's. And it's all in OUR driveway.

This? This is the other end of the orange extension cord. That outlet? That's our house.

My first thought was utter disbelief. Seriously? We call the cops on these people and a week later they are STEALING OUR ELECTRICITY? SERIOUSLY? My second thought? "Where're my pruning shears." But instead, I showed Shaun, and he unplugged it. We called our neighbor, the one who owns the house and the trailer and apparently allows and/or encourages homeless people with alcohol and anger management issues to live inches away from us. We left a message on what may or may not be her answering maching. I figured that would be it (because I am a simple woman. And I don't want to have to dull my pruning shears).

This morning? This morning it was plugged in again. Like, Joe came home last night, noticed we had unplugged his STOLEN ELECTRICITY, and thought, huh, wonder how that happened, and pluggedit back in. So I sent Shaun out, and he unplugged it, and knocked politely on the door to the TiODWRHPHBL. Luckily (?) Joe (and a bonus lady friend) was still home. "Yeah," Shaun said, diplomatically. "Don't plug your power cord into our house." "Well, this house [whose driveway the trailer is actually in] lost power a couple of days ago." Really, Joe? Really? Because you saying that makes it sound like you think it's okay to just steal people's electricity, or at best borrow it without asking, and I don't care how long you've been homeless and/or drunk, but WHY WOULD YOU THINK THAT WAS OKAY? Shaun said, "Yeah, well, don't plug your power cord into our house." He made me put away my pruning shears.

So...ish-da. I mean, maybe we should've called the cops the second time. Maybe we should've .... cut the cord with pruning shears. But we're trying to maintain some semblance of a relationship with the woman who owns the property next door (who, granted, continues to hire RHP to live in our driveway), since we may be here for another decade or more. Any suggestions? Because I'm starting to get really really annoyed with this whole deal.

4 comments:

Michael DeAntonio said...

wow, i just randomly stumbled upon your blog and all i can say is: wow. I wish I had some advice other than no one would miss a couple dead homeless people, but that's not very realistic. Have fun.

www.MikeValentino.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

If it's your power cord (or for that matter theirs) you could hide it. When they ask for it back you could say you stole it like they are stealing your electricity. Or make them pay for their own power cord which hopefully they can't do because of financial problems. Too bad you can't move.

Tenessa Glee said...

I have several comments:

1. This aggression will not stand.

2. Mike Valentino has a point.

3. CALL THE POLICE. DO NOT PASS GO. DO NOT COLLECT $200.

You have taken patience to new levels. You are good and kind. Live an let live. We devoted Languishing readers understand your gentle ways, but this situation calls for a serious smackdown. I'm talking a metal folding chair to the forehead, sister.

Sam Kaiser said...

I'm going to have to agree with everyone else... err besides killing them. That might not go over so well. But I'd call the cops on your neighbor, they're probably breaking zoning laws or something by making a homeless shelter out of the driveway.

Compassion is one thing, but one of these days you might lose it and torch their trailer and get into trouble. Better safe than sorry. Worse case scenario: you torch their trailer and the neighbor's house catches fire. Maybe you wouldn't get caught? Blame it on a bad power cord.