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Thread: calming down idiots

  1. #1
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    Unhappy calming down idiots

    I was recently in a situation where my next door neighbor got mad at me for touching his laundry. (Given that this is common laundry space and the general custom is to take people's laundry out if they leave it too long, that was odd.) What was really annoying was the way his wife came out, throwing racial slurs and screaming. What I realized a little ways after the incident is that she wanted him to attack me. She goaded him into getting a tazer out and threatening me with it, into threatening me personally, etc. Every time I tried to be polite, she kept escalating him.

    After the incident, when he went back into the apartment, she stayed out there and screamed more insults. I don't mind being called a weakling for backing down. Don't have anything to prove, especially to a racist, bigoted moron in a superman bathrobe. However, is there a good way to deal with this? I am luckily leaving in August, and getting the heck out of dodge is the end solution. He lives right next to me, though, so avoiding him until then's a little difficult, and if he gets into another one with me, I was hoping to find a way to de-escalate that addresses the real problem, HER! Any ideas?
    Trevor Johnson

    Low kicks and low puns a specialty.

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    Call the cops , register a complaint only fight as a last resort , nothing good ever comes of it.

    Did anyone see him threaten you with the Taser? Sounds like you have a reason to press charges right there.
    Mark Chow-Young

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    I'm afraid that I did, and they were no help. He was clever enough to have no witnesses around. All I got is an order to never touch his laundry again and told that if I ever did that I deserved a beating. One of them went so far as to say that if I had touched his laundry, he would have beaten me himself. (They seemed to share his idea that my hands were filthy and shouldn't be touching the clothes of a person like my neighbor. I think they had the same racist bent as he does. It certainly seemed that way. )

    I certainly don't want to fight him. Nothing in it for me except hassle. I'm not afraid of him physically, certainly. I actually think that she's more dangerous because she's nuts.

    I should mention that building management's on my side, I've lived there for three years, him for a month. However, without witnesses they can't do much.
    Trevor Johnson

    Low kicks and low puns a specialty.

  4. #4
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    You've probably made things worse by calling them, whatever happens they'll side with your neighbour now. Involving the cops is usually a bad move in the real word.

    Personally, if he had threatened me with a tazer, I would have tried to batter him on the spot. the cops can say what they like but if he's on the deck with an illegal weapon they arent going to be able to spin things much in his favour .

    I guess stay out of his way and get legal advice on your options.

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    Sometimes there is just no calming anyone down. Sounds like they have already formed their opinions. And given that, inviting him in for a beer is probably not going to help. Maybe if you had been able to do that before the blow up it would have been okay, but things are not likely to change I'm afraid.

    Of course, just before leaving, you could drop a nice pair of new red panties into his wash. Let him explain that to his wife! Not to mention the pink tinge to all of his underwear. (Not that I would ever recommend a revenge tactic as being a solution to the problem.)
    Respectfully
    Mark W. Swarthout, Shodan

  6. #6
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    I LIKE that idea!

    (Bad Trevor, Bad, Bad, Bad! [slaps own wrist] )
    Trevor Johnson

    Low kicks and low puns a specialty.

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    It seems that all the options she wanted, she did not get. It seend your neighbor wanted to see a fight but never got one. So basically, you won them by doing that Bruce Lee fight without fighting.

    Next time they start and their are no witnesses, deck them. Their word against yours. After all, who can they call to the stand if no one is there to witness it?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Trevor Johnson
    After the incident, when he went back into the apartment, she stayed out there and screamed more insults.
    Was it clearly after the incident though? From the sounds of it, it isn't unreasonable to think that he may have gone inside to get a baseball bat/knife/gun to use on you.

    I don't think there was a good way to deescalate this situation, especially with a hysteric wife around, aside from profuse apologising and maybe (if it seems believable) saying that you thought it was your own laundry.

    The reaction of the police is very, very disconcerting.
    Joost van Schijndel

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    Quote Originally Posted by jest
    The reaction of the police is very, very disconcerting.
    To say the least. BTW, these are the GOOD cops. In some of the smaller towns in St. Louis county, they've got a really bad rep. I think it's mostly that they were just as bigoted as my neighbor.
    Trevor Johnson

    Low kicks and low puns a specialty.

  10. #10

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    I hate it when you touch my laundry!
    - ©Phil Elmore 浪人
    315.391.1626

    Publisher, The Martialist™
    For Those Who Fight Unfairly

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    Quote Originally Posted by Trevor Johnson
    To say the least. BTW, these are the GOOD cops. In some of the smaller towns in St. Louis county, they've got a really bad rep. I think it's mostly that they were just as bigoted as my neighbor.
    Yeah that is a bit scary. Is there any recourse? Is there any way to lodge a complaint against them? Although I admit it will take brass balls to do that.
    Mark Chow-Young

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ramirez
    Yeah that is a bit scary. Is there any recourse? Is there any way to lodge a complaint against them? Although I admit it will take brass balls to do that.
    Not sure about me. I know my apartment manager complained, said that she found their attitude rather unhelpful.

    Oh, and phil? Gimme your laundry. I'm gonna touch it.
    Trevor Johnson

    Low kicks and low puns a specialty.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Will Northcote
    Next time they start and their are no witnesses, deck them. Their word against yours. After all, who can they call to the stand if no one is there to witness it?
    There's physical evidence. :| And that'll be enough to rough up Trevor. :|

    Missouri is a funny state. The other day, I was in line at the grocery store and thsi old man was mad because there was only 1 lane open (the other lanes were training, and thus unavailable). As he turned to talk to me, he said "Man, these mexicans and chinks are so lazy. They should all be deported. Don't you think so?"

    I enjoyed the look on his face when he turned and saw a well-dressed "chink" with groceries. I just smiled, flashed him my work badge ( I work at a software company, and had gone shopping after work) and said "Sorry I'm so lazy. I've been working all day at my computer programing day job."

    He promptly ran.

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    Classic, Icewind! I love it!
    Respectfully
    Mark W. Swarthout, Shodan

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    "Dear Neighbors,

    It is common apartment ettiquette to remove your laundry at the earliest possible time upon it being clean/dry, otherwise it is also common practice to have it set aside, so that the machine can be used by others.

    Also, I have a police report filed for the incident involving your threat of attack against me with a taser. Next time a threat occurs, and the police are called, you are going to jail.

    Peace,

    Mr. Johnson"

    John Connolly

    Yamamoto Ha Fluffy Aiki Bunny Ryu

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