Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[pmcd9]

What, we've abandoned the burn 'em out solution so quickly?

[side_show]

I just called the police again because there were four people back there huffing and smoking meth.  By the time they arrived only a man and a woman remained.  To my horror they discovered that she was pregnant and both were huffing.  I heard the police mocking her, because of her "bun in the oven" and "clearly this was a planned pregnancy."  While they searched her bag they found condoms and asked her why she had so many since she was pregnant and she told them she was a prostitute.  They released her after a search, one telling her she was "free to go and make some money," another responding "Yeah Sweetie, go make some money."  Upon searching they found substances in the man's bag and took him in for questioning.  They inspected the yard and were exclaiming in disgust about the "shit rags" and pointing out "that is human shit!"  They came in to tell me they will now be investigating the situation with the house, and hopeful that there will be some action.  They've also told me to contact my city councilor, the regional health authority and the city housing authority, which I will do.

As for the cure by fire, the house is less than 6 ft from mine, which is way too close for comfort.  The shed itself is aluminum, so no go there.  If a fire happens, it will not be our doing.  There are three other houses on our street that were abandoned and subject to arson, and all three still stand vacant 2 years later, nothing being done at all, and one was set on fire a second time in the fall.  Looking at these post-arson houses, they too show evidence of people squatting, lighting smaller fires, etc.  Torching it is not a solution.  The entire property would have to fully burn to the ground, which is unlikely to happen and even if it did, its unlikely we'd avoid significant damage our own home.  While it would alleviate the squatter problem, this would just open the door to all the wonders of living next to an empty lot. There's a house three down from ours next to an empty lot and the side facing the empty lot is covered in 8ft tall gang graffiti and has had the windows smashed in repeatedly.  Did I mention we have a gang problem.  Oh yes, we do.  Sigh.

I am under a huge deadline for my next play right now, but in one month I'll have all the time in the world.  Nevermind the awfulness - it's hella distracting to have this problem because it happens right under my office window where I write.

[Nabubrush]

As for the cure by fire, the house is less than 6 ft from mine, which is way too close for comfort.  The shed itself is aluminum, so no go there.

You can burn an aluminum shed with a road flare. Well, you can't really catch it on fire, but you can burn holes in it.

[jaydub]

Grind up some iron oxide and aluminum powder, cover the top of the shed with a quarter inch or so of it, toss up your road flare and enjoy the pyrotecnic extravaganza of thermite.

[Doc]

God bless thermite.
Strong enough for industrial demolition, simple enough to make in your backyard.

[side_show]

I was in such despair over the recent development:  "She was pregnant!  And huffing!  And a prostitute!"  that I forced the SO to take me out of the house for a while.

The shed is right against an old rotting wooden fence which is the only thing keeping the whole scene from spilling into our yard.  What about just punching enough holes in the roof so that the roof is no longer providing shelter?  Although I think we might get hepatitis from just entering the yard...

[linnea]

I just called the police again because there were four people back there huffing and smoking meth.  By the time they arrived only a man and a woman remained.  To my horror they discovered that she was pregnant and both were huffing.  I heard the police mocking her, because of her "bun in the oven" and "clearly this was a planned pregnancy."  While they searched her bag they found condoms and asked her why she had so many since she was pregnant and she told them she was a prostitute.  They released her after a search, one telling her she was "free to go and make some money," another responding "Yeah Sweetie, go make some money."  Upon searching they found substances in the man's bag and took him in for questioning.  They inspected the yard and were exclaiming in disgust about the "shit rags" and pointing out "that is human shit!"  They came in to tell me they will now be investigating the situation with the house, and hopeful that there will be some action.  They've also told me to contact my city councilor, the regional health authority and the city housing authority, which I will do.

As for the cure by fire, the house is less than 6 ft from mine, which is way too close for comfort.  The shed itself is aluminum, so no go there.  If a fire happens, it will not be our doing.  There are three other houses on our street that were abandoned and subject to arson, and all three still stand vacant 2 years later, nothing being done at all, and one was set on fire a second time in the fall.  Looking at these post-arson houses, they too show evidence of people squatting, lighting smaller fires, etc.  Torching it is not a solution.  The entire property would have to fully burn to the ground, which is unlikely to happen and even if it did, its unlikely we'd avoid significant damage our own home.  While it would alleviate the squatter problem, this would just open the door to all the wonders of living next to an empty lot. There's a house three down from ours next to an empty lot and the side facing the empty lot is covered in 8ft tall gang graffiti and has had the windows smashed in repeatedly.  Did I mention we have a gang problem.  Oh yes, we do.  Sigh.

I am under a huge deadline for my next play right now, but in one month I'll have all the time in the world.  Nevermind the awfulness - it's hella distracting to have this problem because it happens right under my office window where I write.

Oh my god. That is the worst thing I've read. Your situation fuck*ng sucks. Another arson attack in the neighborhood would be awful, plus it would put your house at risk.

Those police officers are pieces of shit. Sadly, I can totally imagine them talking to someone that way. It doesn't matter that she's in dire straits and obviously has little control over her situation. GOD.

Women who are addicts are extremely vulnerable. There is a dude in my town who is in his 20s or 30s...and he forced high school girls to have sex with him or prostitute themselves in exchange for drugs. Who knows, maybe the guy in your backyard who was with that pregnant woman was forcing her to do prostitution work in order to get drugs for himself. What's going to happen to the baby? Even if it makes it through delivery, there's no way that she's going to care for him or her. And very few people will adopt a baby who has a disability.

I wish I could scrub out my brain to get that image out of my mind.  Even the best-intentioned social services programs probably could not help those people.

[pmcd9]

I'm afraid to say, what those people need is a bullet in the head .

[Nabubrush]

I'm afraid to say, what those people need is a bullet in the head .

inev ain't gonna like the sound of that.

Hey, we've all become republicans!

[theinevitable]

wow. I was just thinking "man, I'm just glad no one has said she should brutally murder the squatters."

...

[side_show]

I did make a joke tonight to the SO about serving them up some steak nice and tender, laced with poison.  I was, of course, joking, but you know... poisoning slowly vs poisoning quickly... Holy hell, what am I saying?

Anyway, I took some really disturbing photos of the area tonight, while the SO stood by to guard me.  I'll be uploading them tomorrow, so a link is to follow.  Fortunately for you, smell doesn't translate to film.  You will see the shit sock, but not smell the shit sock.  The SO used a pair of pliers to remove a few items stashed in the yard, including a jagged piece of mirror with cut marks, and it's friendly partner, a razor blade.

One thing I forgot to note in the previous post was how hard the policemen were laughing at the ladies various condoms, and one exclaiming that she didn't have the right kind for him since she didn't have the Trojan extra larges.

[Nabubrush]

I'm often surprised about how some cops are total fuckers, and then I feel really uncomfortable about the potential that I might need to call on them for help (cops in PDX kill an awful lot of people).

I wish this was not happening to you.

[linnea]

One thing I forgot to note in the previous post was how hard the policemen were laughing at the ladies various condoms, and one exclaiming that she didn't have the right kind for him since she didn't have the Trojan extra larges.

Hurr hurr hurrrr. I hope that fuck*ng asshole rots in hell. Seriously, what the fuck.

I'm often surprised about how some cops are total fuckers, and then I feel really uncomfortable about the potential that I might need to call on them for help (cops in PDX kill an awful lot of people).

I wish this was not happening to you.

Quoted for truth. Man, smells...I would say that you could come live with me but at this moment in time, I am in my crappy one-bedroom apartment, which I am leaving soon. I don't have a place in Denver yet. I wish that I could get you out of your lease somehow. The alert-the-media sounds like a good option.

Also...this is not even in the same universe of shittiness as to what's happening to you... but that was so precious I had to share it with y'all. my neighbors tied a DEER HEAD to the roof of their TRAILER so that the bald eagles and ravens will come pick it clean for them.

[side_show]

Called the cops again, turns out the squatters have also broken in to and begun squatting in the garage as well as the shed. 

[pmcd9]

wow. I was just thinking "man, I'm just glad no one has said she should brutally murder the squatters."

For the record, I didn't advocate actually carrying out this prescription, but it seems like the best solution to their problems.  When people become this degraded there are usually only two things that can change thier situation.  They either die or they find Jesus and become hardcore Christians.  Haven't these poor folks sunk low enough already?  Think of me as a sort of Dr. Kevorkian for these squatters.  It's too late for them to die with dignity, but shouldn't they be put out of their misery?  It's the most humane thing to do.