The Great Trash Room Rebellion of 2020: meanwhile, where do I fit in?

On November 23, this was hanging inside my building’s elevator:

Dear Tiffany Residents.

As of Monday November 30, 2020 all residents will be responsible for taking their own garbage to the dumpster.  The garbage rooms will no longer be accessible.  We have a new dumpster installed that has a sliding door on the side to make this an easier task.  Please be sure that ALL garbage is taken to the dumpster.  There should be no garbage left anywhere in the building.

When I moved here almost 4 years ago, the agent proudly showed me where each floor had it’s own laundry room (very nice) and it’s own trash room.  I said it sounded great, but wondered if living steps from a room filled with garbage was a good idea.

The agent (reading my mind) assured me the trash rooms were emptied twice daily, and their floors scrubbed once a week.  True to his word, our trash room has always been spotless (except on Sundays, the maids day off so to speak).

Anyway, right on schedule it happened.  Early in the morning of Nov 30 I heard rustling sounds in the hallway, followed by the WHIZZ WHIZZ of a drill.  When things got quiet again, I opened my door and ventured out into the hall. 

There was a strong smell of cleanser in the air, but nothing looked out of the ordinary.  I walked further down the hall and jiggled the trash room’s new doorknob—locked!  Goodbye Trash Room!

The trash room on my floor, right around the corner from the elevator

Janet (an older woman who lives directly across from it) opened her door and asked if they were done.  I said I guess so.  She asked me if I read the notes on the door, I said yes we had some angry tenants on our floor.  She said “Some?  And you’re not one of them?”  I said no, should I be? 

Janet said “Did you sign Theresa’s petition on the first floor?”  I said I was not aware of any petition.  She said “Okay… maybe Theresa doesn’t think you’re one of us”  and quietly shut her door. 

Huh?  Who’s “us”?

A few days later, I went downstairs to collect my mail and ran into Emily, the young Asian woman who lives on the first floor (I wrote about her before, here).  I asked Em if she knew Theresa and her petition.

Emily said “I know all about it, these seniors want Steiner to reopen the trash rooms and we want them to stay closed.” 

I asked, who is “we”?  Em said “I dunno… the half of the building under 50, I guess.”   I asked why she wanted them to stay locked.  She said “Douglas… they’re breeding places for stuff like Covid-19.  How do you think that got started?”

I said  “Maybe you’re right, but some of these tenants don’t get around so easy, like Sue with her walker or Mean Betty and her cane… and y’know, that floor in the parking garage is always wet!  How else are they supposed to get to the dumpster?”

Emily rolled her eyes and said “We’re living in pandemic times, c’mon.  You’re not going to sign Theresa’s petition, are you?”

I told her no one asked me, Janet made it sound pretty exclusive.  Emily asked if I knew Mike, the runner on the second floor.  I said sure, the young skinny guy, I see him all the time. She said “He’s pretty good explaining why those rooms need to remain locked, have you listened to his side of this?”

I said “No, because he’s never said a word to me.”  Emily said it was probably because he saw me as one of the older tenants who are being stubborn.  I said “Geez, I’m getting snubbed by the Over 65s and your side doesn’t care what I think either!” 

Emily said “Aw, poor Douglas feels all alone ‘cuz he’s in-between!”

Well, I guess I’ll be sitting this skirmish out.  But between you & me, my money’s on Theresa.  These young’uns don’t stand a chance!