TheBanyanTree: Won't You Be My Neighbor?

[Margaret R. Kramer]

4/20/07
DID  TELL YOU THAT I LOVE YOU TODAY?????????????????
 Geo misses you too!
 Ray

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++

It was chilly and misty as I searched for a parking spot near Grand Ave.
Grand Old Day is the largest one day street festival in the country.  I've
run in its 5K for the last three years, so I know the drill.  I dressed
appropriately.  And I brought along the right equipment. 

It makes a HUGE difference to use my iPod during the race.  When I get tired
or bored, I just click on a new, perky song, and off I go.  I used my iPod
in March's Human Race and that convinced me listening to music while running
is a good thing.

I didn't struggle so much with the race this year, but I need to run more
outside to prepare for next year.  I'm too traumatized being outside and
running versus being in the gym and running.  With the two jobs, I don't
have the time to run outdoors except once a week, if that, so I felt the
lack of outdoor running  handicapped me a bit.

I finished the newspaper when I got home.  There was an article about family
and friends moving in together because of hard times.  I know all about hard
times, since my son and grandsons live with me.  The boys are here
part-time, but they're still here.


And then we have my neighbors.  There are seven adults crammed into a 984
square foot house.  There are five men and two women and two dogs - one is a
miniature Doberman and the other is a pit bull.  One of the women is
pregnant and looks like she's ready to drop the baby anytime now.

The landlord told me that the lease is only for three people and one dog.
I've had conversations with him and followed them up with emails about the
overcrowding conditions, but he's allowed them to stay.  I suppose because
the rent is paid and the house isn't burning down.

Well, along with seven people, there are six cars, which they jam into our
commonly shared driveway.  They were using my driveway to access their own
driveway and get around the parked cars and then they wouldn't have to move
their cars if someone had to leave.  But I pointed out to their landlord
that was trespassing on MY driveway, so they've stopped doing it.  Now they
move each other's cars when they want to get out of the driveway.

They've stopped leaving their beer and liquor bottles in the driveway and
are actually throwing them away.

They haven't had any parties, since I told their landlord I would call the
police if I heard a peep after 11:00 pm.

They're rude and arrogant and seem to think everyone owes them something
because they're breathing.

Obviously, I'm not home a lot, but from what I can tell, only one of them
works full-time.  Two of the others don't work at all, including the
pregnant one, so I assume my tax dollars will go to support her baby.  The
rest of them, I would say, work less than 15 hours a week.  They're in the
restaurant/bar industry, doing what, I don't know.  But I'm aware that the
pay isn't necessarily very high, and it's probably fairly low if an
individual doesn't work a lot.

But they seem to have money for late model vehicles and the high rates of
insurance that goes with them.  They have money for a large screen HDTV.
They have a very nice boat in the garage.  They have satellite TV.  They
were able to buy pure bred dogs.  And get pregnant.  And drink a tremendous
amount of alcohol.

Do Mommy and Daddy pay the bills?  I don't know.  My suspicions are that
they run a low level drug business out of the house.  They don't have
customers show up there, but I've noticed short 15 minute trips or so from
one of the individuals (one who isn't working), like he's making deliveries.

I also have noticed a very skinny black male who comes over the house and
stays for only 5 minutes or so, before he leaves.  I got his license plate
today.  Again, he drives a late model vehicle, yet looks like he couldn't
really afford something that nice.

My son and I think that they don't deal in the hard core drugs, like crack,
but probably sell marijuana.  But it's pretty obvious that they're doing
something outside of their normal jobs.

I haven't really done much with this.  Since the landlord hasn't kicked them
out for a lease violation (my neighbors and I believe that one of the young
people is directly tied to the landlord in some way, like a family
member/friend/child of a friend), so that might be why he doesn't do
anything.

They are violating city ordinances by having too many unrelated adults in
that small house.  They also let the pit bull out loose in the yard,
although they do watch it pretty closely, it's a ticking bomb before it runs
into our busy street and gets killed or takes a chunk out of someone.

I'm kind of waiting to report them to the city since they really haven't
done anything except annoy me by being alive.  Doesn't THAT sound arrogant?

I probably will make a report the police this week about my suspicions of
drug dealing.  I doubt the police can do much with this, but I don't want
drugs around me, so I have to at least make an attempt.  Dealing drugs is
too volatile and violent.  If someone thinks you screwed them over on a drug
deal, then you end up with a bullet in your head.   

Asher thinks they'll slip up and have a big party sometime this summer.  He
was surprised they didn't have one on Memorial Day weekend.  But I think
they're aware that most of this neighborhood is watching them, because they
just don't fit in.  They stick out like sore thumbs, especially because of
all the cars and the way they park them. 

When they do park in the street, they'll park right up on the edge of the
driveway, so it's difficult to get around them.  They're just jerks.  A
couple of my neighbors have complained to the police about their parking
habits, but because they're parking legally, although not being very
courteous, there's not much the police can do.

Thinking back on my 20s, I just can't imagine sitting around watching TV
24/7 and drinking and doing drugs.  I did some drinking and drugs, but not
to the extent these people do.  Oh, my gosh, I can't how believe much they
drink!  It's so sad, because they'll pay for it in their 40s and 50s.  Heavy
drinking is just like smoking, over time it wreaks havoc on your body.

Even though we were poor (because we were going to COLLEGE!), we found all
kinds of things to do besides sit in front of the TV set like zombies.

But times have changed . . .

And we're in a recession, and people band together.  I just wish these
people would find somewhere else to live.

Margaret R. Kramer
margaretkramer at comcast.net
margaret.kramer at polarispublications.com
www.polarispublications.com

If you're going through hell, keep going.
-Winston Churchill