All in a Night's Work
May. 20th, 2006 10:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
superbadgirlWe've got one tenant who's AWOL - she's deteriorated both physically and mentally in the past six months. The pager just went off and it was Officer W. from the SPD, who asked me to call 911 and tell the dispatcher he told me to, and the dispatcher could connect us so we could talk about getting into the tenant's apartment. Nah, I thought, I fell for that the last time (fire at 3:30 AM). I went down stairs in search of the cop.
Another tenant directed him to the manager's apartment. I waited around anyway, even though S. was now on the job. Cop came down, S. did not. S. claimed he wasn't dressed properly to go into an apartment and had given the cop keys. Cop asked me to go in instead. There wasn't a telltale smell of death (which is permanently burned into my brain thanks to previous job), so I didn't feel too bad about doing that.
No tenant. She's out there somewhere, who knows where and who knows how to figure out where. If she's in the hospital, she won't remember how to contact us. I have no idea what we're supposed to do. The police know something's up now, so I suppose give them her car make, model and license plate number?
In other depressing tenant news, the old dude in 112, bless him, is on the fast track as well. He's more and more confused and earlier this week it was discovered that his apartment was full of shit. Literally. Such a sweet man. It breaks my heart.
Another tenant directed him to the manager's apartment. I waited around anyway, even though S. was now on the job. Cop came down, S. did not. S. claimed he wasn't dressed properly to go into an apartment and had given the cop keys. Cop asked me to go in instead. There wasn't a telltale smell of death (which is permanently burned into my brain thanks to previous job), so I didn't feel too bad about doing that.
No tenant. She's out there somewhere, who knows where and who knows how to figure out where. If she's in the hospital, she won't remember how to contact us. I have no idea what we're supposed to do. The police know something's up now, so I suppose give them her car make, model and license plate number?
In other depressing tenant news, the old dude in 112, bless him, is on the fast track as well. He's more and more confused and earlier this week it was discovered that his apartment was full of shit. Literally. Such a sweet man. It breaks my heart.
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no subject
Date: 2006-05-20 11:48 pm (UTC)This is why I'm against the whole "nuclear family" thing everyone thinks we should worship. Not that many years ago, people were so much more communal - you had this extended family of generations and cousins living with you, and the whole community was a bit more aware. People dying alone in apartments or being missing somewhere in town just wasn't nearly so likely as it is now. We're all so isolated. Kids grow up hardly knowing their grandparents and cousins. Why would they care if Grandma's alone in the world?
Don't mean to go all soapbox there.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-21 05:56 pm (UTC)I sometimes wonder how long it would take people to figure out if something happened to me. I'd like to think at the very least the people I work with would have enough heart to check on me. Several know where I live along with phone number...
Gah. Grim.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-21 07:07 pm (UTC)(I think I'm just missing the point you were trying to make. I'm not trying to say you shouldn't make it, I just don't understand it. *g* I sometimes feel I have to point out that I'm just being stupid and curious and not criticizing. *g*)
no subject
Date: 2006-05-21 10:43 pm (UTC)Years ago, "family" included grandparents, cousins, second-cousins-half-removed who had to come live with you because their parents had died. You took care of your own, rather than relying on foster care, social security, etc.
The nuclear family - Dad, Mom, kiddies, dog, two cars in every garage - actually isolated us from that sense of family and community. Now people complain that one parent isn't as good as two, and I agree but add that two parents aren't as good as two parents plus some aunts, uncles, cousins or grandparents.
The nuclear family is easier for businesses to transfer with jobs. It has less commitment to family land, and to family. It's really cut down on how many times businesses hear, "I can't work 80 hours this week; my elderly mother needs tending" and other such family-oriented bullshit that doesn't help make American bigger and better than Japan. God forbid anything come between us and that goal! ;)
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 12:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-21 07:08 pm (UTC)I hope they find the old lady. Maybe she doesn't have any family. :-(
no subject
Date: 2006-05-22 11:43 am (UTC)The manager for being too lazy to put pants on.
The cop for doing the voicemail-directing-me-to-dial-911 thing (Seriously, that only takes extra time. Tell me where you are and I'll come find you.).
The nosy neighbor for butting in. I'd be really annoyed to have a knock on my door from SPD with no advance notice.
Still no sign of the lady. I fear the worst.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 12:53 am (UTC)