My apartment building has only four washers and four dryers. Since I moved in on Thanksgiving last year, I’ve never really had a problem. Most people are courteous enough to move their laundry in a timely fashion. I’ve had to wait once or twice, but that’s because it’s been busy.
Today, I write to you from my Blackberry after having waited 30 minutes, 20 of which I’ve been seated in this chair,for the person who has taken up three of the washers and has not bothered to show. How do I know the timing you might ask? Because the fourth washer read 30 minutes remaining when I first came down. All the others read zero, meaning they were done.
Okay, so I’ll go up and get my third load since I know they’ll all become free at once, so I might as well do it and get in before the rush. They’ll probably be here by the time I come back. Nope.
Well, I’ve been meaning to take the recycling out, so I’ll go do that and give them a few more minutes. Still nothing.
By this time the lone running washer reads 20 minutes remaining. Surely 10 minutes grace period is reasonable, much like at a parking meter. I decide to wait until the person shows up because it’s bound to be any minute now.
The lone washer has now stopped and for the last five minutes or so, I’ve been staring at four occupied washers and I could have had my stuff in the dryer already.
I know what you all must be thinking: why don’t you take their stuff out and start doing your own? Well, there are a few good reasons why I don’t:
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- I don’t like the idea of going through someone else’s, albeit clean laundry;
- I’m lazy;
- I’m going to make them feel guilty as sin;
- And if not for their ignorance, I would not have had time to write this wonderful blog post.
I just spoke with the girl who was using the lone washer, who just brought down another load and she can’t believe my patience. At least she asked if I would mind putting in another load. Of course not! She was there before me and at least had the decency to move her stuff within 10 minutes of it finishing. I told her that if I finish this post before they come down, I might consider moving it. And for those of you keeping score, it’s been at LEAST 45 minutes since they finished. I will not be responsible for their things…
UPDATE: Finally did move the laundry of the offending tenant. Even used one of my baskets to contain most of it. Decided not to put laundry in dryer because knowing my luck, I’ll go back and they still won’t have moved it to the dryer. Considering when I go back down putting their stuff back in the washing machines just to see if they’d notice! And yes, I did set a timer to go back and get my laundry when it’s done.
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