man i hate apartments, and cities, and yuppies (venting)

[hjalbert]

I moved into an apartment complex, down here in phoenix, and before i moved in i asked if there was unlimited parking, i told them all i had and they said sure no problem(69 gmc, 90 mazda, bmw bike, garden trailer, camry), as long as it is tagged and all that, so today, i go into the office to get a garage, cause i now have one that isnt tagged, and doesnt have a front clip, but i have had it on my trailer for about a week. so she tells me they dont have any garage openers, so i say, how long will it take? she says not sure, i say well, how bout i go ahead and unload my truck, and you call me when you gat an opener, i even offered to take the garage and just leave it open till tehy got there ahnds on one. she says no, that she will get on top of it and she will have one for me today. so i proceed to go and unload the truck, well im almost about to rool it down the ramos when this jackass maintenanc man asks me what i am doin,well i just wanted to say "heres your sign" but i told him and he said i couldnt do that. i explained to him about the garage thing. he said there were none, and if i unload my truck he is going to tag it. i said, well, why dont you call shmere (thats the office girl) i told here i was going to unload it till i got the garage. he said it didnt matter what scmere said, that he would tag my truck. then i (tryibng to remain calm) said i would leave it on the trailer then, at which point he told me " well i was gonna tag the trailer today and have it towed" iabout lost my ****, i started shaking iw as so mad. i wanted to pummel his head into the trailers fender, then back over his fat ass. but i didnt i said, " but the trailer is tagged and legal" he said but thats not (pointing to the truck) i said, but its on the trailer, this could ahve gone on forever, i told him to find me a garage, or to tell the office to find me one, he comes back about 10 mintues later witha garage key, problem solved. why did this happen? did he just want to push someone around, did he think he made some point about his authority as a maintenance man? what i dont get is they will crack down on my trucks, but trhey got people walking around smoking weed at night, the "security" gates dont work half the time, and they cant tell you if they have a garage available or not, i canty wait till i have a damn house. sorry for the loooong post,

[Longhorn Man]

This is why I would choose a nice trailer park over an apt complex any day of the week.

[68 Suburban]

This is why I would choose a nice trailer park

To much ammo Andy, to much ammo! lol

[kenele]

Wanna let me in on the name of your complex so we don't end up there in Oct.?

[68 Suburban]

kenele, I think you are going to find most Apartment Complex's are going to be pretty stricted on vehicles being stored. Most of them do not allow it. With the turn over rate a apartment complex's and people leaving car behind, it is hard for them to keep up on it.

I know my condo complex is real strict about storing vehicles, but the board president is very cool and makes sures that none of my vehicles are messed with. I make sure not to take advantage of the privilage that has been granted to me

[jku72]

I had to live in a similar situation once for about 6 months. Made me sure I never wanted to live in a socialist country.
My question is, do people ever stop and ask them selves "why am I being such an a-hole?" I mean, this country is not supposed to be like this. A petty tyrant is a petty tyrant, whether they are running a country or an apartment complex. There should be a special "hangingtree" provision in the law to deal with power mad lowlifes. I was never more p.o'ed than when the caretaker lady, who took "care" of nothing, started dictating my life. It was either shoot her, or move out. So, I moved out. If anyone tries to come and do the same thing to me now that I own my property, I will use the former option. This applies to anyone, or group that tells me how to paint my house, mow my lawn, or what I store there. I could not believe how many "pocket Nazis" there are in this country. I say if you want, grow hay in your yard, its your land. Grow poison Ivy if you like, just keep it on your land. Anyone who says otherwise is on my "list".
THIS IS A FREE COUNTRY, TAKE YOUR RULES AND....

[COBALT]

You know, you're experiencing something that all of us who USED TO live in the country growing up had to learn when they moved to the city. Everything is more expensive, people are rude, and no one will cut you a break, because that's the only expectations anyone has for anyone else. Be an a$$hole and fit right in.

I live in Seattle, and have lived here since '92. I used to live in a rural community where the smallest plot was 20 acres. No one cared what you did or how your place looked.

Before I got my house I had to put up with the apartment thing, which used to drive me F$%KING nuts. Places around here will flat-out refuse any more than exactly 1 parking spot. Most places won't even provide that unless you're on a wait list, and are willing to pay an extra $100 per month. Garages are WAY more expensive, and tiny and worthless anyway. You're not allowed to work on any vehicles either. You can't even open your hood to check your oil without someone from the main office strolling up to ask if your vehicle is "disabled", and asking you if they need to call a tow truck for you. You can't even wash your car or truck without having problems with people. Forget having a trailor with a vehicle on it. That's a mortal sin. They'd call the city and have your whole truck and trailor towed at YOUR expense.

Even after I bought my house I had problems. I was parking my truck around the block (our street opens the right lane up in the afternoons and mornings, and you'll get towed by the city if you're still parked there). This lady who lives in this house on the corner would GLARE at me whenever I would park in front of her house. If my truck is ever there more than 2 days I'll find a Notice of Abandoned Vehicle warning on my windshield.

Who is she kidding? The police don't patrol the neighborhoods looking for abandoned vehicles. You could probably park your truck for months without having a problem. So I realized this lady must have been calling the police and telling them I had abandoned my truck in front of her house to get me to move it. It's happened 3 times in the last year.

There's people like this all over the city. They've gotten used to paying for everything to be done for them and forgetting how to solve their own problems. They also expect the same dumb drone-like behavior from everyone else.

I just stay polite, do my work, and tell people to mind their own business when they get snotty. Simple as that.

[ckhd]

I'm with ya jku72!!!

IMHO, planning & zoning and those homeowners associations are just fascist organizations.

I finally wised up in PHX. I went to Gilbert and rented a house. Not as expensive as you would think. I paid about the same for a 3 bed 2 bath house in Gilbert as I did for a 2 bed 2bath apartment in Mesa. Then, I REALLY got smart and got the H3LL out of the valley! Gotta love a town that has a population of 8,000.

[hjalbert]

yeah, if i find a jo making at least 30 grand in one of the small towns far away form this hell hole i will move in a heart beat, but first i gotta finish school. oh well.

[oldyeller]

if its your first experience in an apartment, watch out for thet pest control guys, the last apartment I was at they had unrestricted access to everything, I had my keys tagged, note on the door, words exchanged with the manager, and even a written notice to the complex, not to enter my apartment with out my knowledge, concent and presence. reason, being 1. it's my space, 2. my wife was pregnant at the time and did not want unknown pesticides to come in comtact with her. Well, they learned the hard way, I work nights, so I sleep days, one day while the wife was gone, at about 1:30pm the pest guy came in the to the apartment. I woke up as the door opened, and kindly met the guy in the kitchen with a P226 in the back of the head. Poor bastard had the tagged key in his hand, yelled screamed and *****ed at him for a few minutes, and escorted him down to the office and commenced to rip the mgr a new a hole... Needless to say it was a little extreme, but sometimes thats what it takes. I went against their rules the next weekend and changed the locks to my own any ways, that really pissed'em off.

Damn, I am really glad I own my own house now... out in the sticks, town of 1000 people, and my street is the local atv trail. And best of all people have a brain and can think on their own...

[Spoof]

Holy crap, some people have hard time adapting to city living!

[Jmac05]

I want to be Old Yeller's neighbor! I like the quiet, and I can't imagine anything other than silence anywhere near his home, except when the bug guy somes over...

[jmanz69]

This post makes me laugh, you guys are all mad about zoning and planning and not being able to store your half built trucks in the parking lot. I live in the Detroit metro area, and NO apartment will let you store or park anything that isn't driveable. It's just the way it is. They don't want their complex looking like a junkyard, the same goes for the neighborhoods. I have my torn down 69 in the garage, but you can not have it sitting in the front yard. Other people pay a lot of money for their houses and don't want to look at your junk, or "work in progress". I can work and spread all my "stuff" out in the back yard where no one can see it. But you should take some pride in the apearance of your property. From the road you wouldn't know I have the truck torn apart in the garage. Or that I have a boat trailer in the yard next to the garage. I don't do it to comply with the neighborhood assoc, I do it because I care what my yard/house looks like. I didn't spend $150k to make it look like a dump. Even if I only spent $40k it should still look nice.

[68 Suburban]

I find the "Everyone adapt to me" mentality very interesting

PS> This coment was not meant for you hjalbert

[nu2-72]

Let me say that I am partly to blame for this. I have been looking for a nice bed for some time now and Harry was kind enough to let me know of a complete truck. He was needing the cab and I would take the bed. Match made in heaven, right ? Well, the truck on the trailer is part mine (verbal). Now I find that no one can haul it for who knows how long.
He needs a little time to do a cab swap and I need time to get the bed moved. Then the rest goes.
Is there anyone in the Phoenix area that can help us out ? We need short term storage. I would be willing to take all the rest after Harry removes the cab and sell the rest here for him.
I am working today on arrangements to move the bed. Crews says he is probably full on his next load so I am checking on other sources.
I have forty acres in the country and could do the same for someone here if needed. Please help a couple of board members if you can. Thanks, Kevin

[68 Suburban]

I would help out, but I am in the same situation living in a condo.

[sakohntr]

jmanz...... it seems you think your 150k bought the entire neighborhood and not just the roof you reside under. Please dont you or your zoning beliefs ever move out in the country.

[O'l Buck]

sure makes me glad to live where I live (middle of BFE)....I can pile up all the parts and cars, trucks, tractors, etc that I want and the only ones who get annoyed are the horse for loosing sommore pasture, and the wife for obvious reasons.

[hjalbert]

hmm, since i am shopping for a house right now, then i think the money i spend on my house will buy me the right to do what ever the hell i want. I see some people that put up statues made out of clay, others made out of metal, and other creative stuff, some built cute little gardens, well, my taste leans more towards 30 year old american metal, call it art, call it a chevy.

[sakohntr]

Damn straight!

[68 Suburban]

Make sure you check with the city before you assume something.

[hjalbert]

i know, believe me, i wouldnt do it, i am buying a house with a three car garage, thats the only thing i ask for, my wifer can have whatever she wants, but i get the three car.i am thinking about building a paint boothe in the back yard hehe, a temp one any way, just plastic cellufane and 2x4s. gotta love 8 foot tall block fencing. by the way, any one know where i can get one of those flame kits that shoots 12 feet? and how to install it, i think that would be a good way to wake the neighbors (jk) but really, 68 suburban, if you ever run out of room, come feb when i havea house, you are welcome to a slab of drive way, (but dont tell my wife, i dont know who is stricter, her or the scottsdale gov.)

[oldyeller]

sakohntr,

the sad thing is, is that type of people are moving to the country, hell, in my area, there are 4 sub 5 subdivisions going in, 4 are in the 100k range and 1 is 1/4 mil. range. I can see the local gov. being more of a pain as the high rollers start moving in.

Believe me, though, even if there is a truck sitting in my yard, its not trashy, all is picked up as best it can be, grass is trimmed, and garden weeded. If I could put things in the back yard, I would, but its only about 5 ft wide, not much room.

I find the "Everyone adapt to me" mentality very interesting

if this was fired at me, fine. would just like to say, I like my space, security, and privacy, and will do what needs to be to defend it.

[nu2-72]

I purchased my property for several reasons. Drive by my place sometime. It is the only place here in the country with the road maintained by guess who. Not the county. My yard, all 6 acres, are mowed. I just came in now from mowing borders around my hay field so the wife and I can walk our own place on a nice clean, neat path. There was no junk in the ditches, trash in the ponds.
Wait til the leaves fall. You will be able to see wash machines and hot water heaters for miles.
Yes my truck is in the drive. It's my drive. As the old metal comes off it goes to the scrap yard.
Last week, my wife and I took a load to the local yard. In the next town. We passed three loads coming out from the city to be dumped in someones ditch out here because they are too damn cheap to pay $13.00 at the landfill.
Work in process is just that. I'll bet when they built your home there was dirt, boards, insulation and other junk all over. It was eventually finished right ?
Loosen up on the pucker a little bit and hope you never need some time or understanding. Maybe if people spent less time on the phone calling in someone else and spent a little more time lending a hand, it would be a better place. What am I thinking ?

[jmanz69]

See I came from the country, I had over 25 acres to paly on and spread my stuff on. Strangely enough, I never did. It was always in the garage, or at least in front of it under a tarp. My 3 acre lawn wsa mowed and trimmed. Took forever to do, but I took pride in it. My neighbors on the otherhand didn't. They just gathered "stuff" in their yard. I didn't ever "call them in" or even raise a fuss. If they wanted to live like that, fine. Just don't let it get in my yard. I would just put up a fence, that way I didn't have to look at it. I don't think everyone has to be anal about their property, but c'mon, keep it nice at least. The $150K I spent just bought the house. I can junk it up, but my other neighbors will make my life hell for it. No need to be a prick just to show I can do what I want. Cities do have laws for a reason, and it's not to piss off guys who collect cars. They do want to atract other people to live there, which is easier if it's looks like a nice palce to live. Would any of you have bought your house if you nextdoor neighbor had things thrown all around his yard? Probably not. After all this is free country, you can do MOST things you want. Just something to think about.