Apartment Living

I appreciate that security is provided for the college program. I cannot even imagine the creeps that would lurk around the apartment complexes knowing that there is just large concentration of stupid college kids that are left largely unprotected. What I am not looking forward to, though, if I were to do another program is how security acts as if YOU are the enemy.

I understand that they, by and large, have a shitty job. They have to stand around outside for eight to ten hours a day taking a lot of shit from college kids trying to pull one over on them. They have to field calls about everything from noise complaints to roommates narcing each other out for the smallest rule infraction. I get that they have to deal with the attitudes of the overly entitled who look at them as lesser people. I get all of that. But still, they are dicks.

I flew home for a few days on my first program, and the taxi driver who drove me from the airport back to the apartments on my first program even said to me "You know, your security guards here are NASTY. I feel bad for you guys having to deal with them." My taxi driver, a middle aged immigrant with broken English felt bad for ME because of security. But he wasn't wrong. 

On the second day of my program, the day after check in, my mom and aunt were still in town and they were dropping me off for the last time before they were to leave for home. First of all, it was my second day so I knew nothing of the routine of checking guests in, so that irritated them. Then, my poor aunt could not find her driver's license for the life of her. She was digging around in her purse and just could not find it. The guy was getting so mad at her disorganization. In her defense, she had no idea she was going to be asked to produce it! She wasn't driving, so why would she have ever thought about it?! Since she couldn't find it, she had to sit at the front gate along a bench while my mom drove me in, helped me unload my groceries, and said goodbye to me. 

I know they have to be strict on the rules, but they have to know when to be lenient, or at the very least, patient.

But it's not just security, it's the inspections, and how much we pay in rent considering the fact that we live double (or triple) occupancy in rundown apartment. For inspections, you get docked points IF YOUR BED IS NOT MADE. I shit you not. How fucked is that? These people are always like "We are not your parents, we allow you to live your life. You are adults." And then suddenly, you are at risk for failing your inspection (and receiving a fine) if YOUR BED IS NOT MADE. And you cannot, in theory, move any of the furniture (although it's easy to get away with as long as you don't move your chairs somewhere stupid). You cannot have ANY trash in your trash can at all during inspections. And you don't know when they are coming, you just get a two week window. So for TWO SOLID WEEKS you cannot leave a single tissue in your trash can without risking getting points on your inspection.

Some inspectors are more lenient than others, as is most things in life. We nearly failed our penultimate inspection except our one roommate was in the apartment at the time and literally sweet talked us out of a fail. We were so close to failing that on the form (which they leave you a copy of) they had marked that we failed, then scratched it out and gave us a pass. But our last inspection, we did not give a single fuck about failing or not. None of us got along, no one would pick up after themselves, we all just wanted to be done. And we passed with flying colors. Erin and mine trash was full in both our bedroom and bathroom, we had dirty clothes EVERYWHERE, and our shower had a weird stain from hair dye (that appeared mysteriously seven months into our program and neither of us dyed our hair). Our beds weren't made, nothing. Our roommates rooms were in worse condition because Erin and I were considered the "clean ones" and we passed, no problem. The only thing they docked us for was having not vacuumed. That's it. 

Housing is ridiculous. I am not looking forward to it at all.