Ms. Demeanor's Vertical Etiquette

Dear Ms. Demeanor: My hallway is a beach

By Jamie Lauren Sutton  | June 29, 2011 - 10:50AM
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Dear Ms. Demeanor,

Summer is here and so is the sand.  Whether from the playground or beach or God knows where, a family with young children on our floor change their sandy children outside their apartment and leave the mess for the building staff to clean up.  Once in a while I have cleaned it up myself if it is not taken care of in a timely fashion.  I think this is incredibly rude but don't know how to approach the issue or with whom.

Signed,

Blood Boiling

 

Dear Blood Boiling,

Of all the many apartments I have seen, large and small, the room/amenity/space I most covet is a mud room.  I completely understand the family's desire to keep the sand out of their own aparment; once in, it is nearly impossible to get out. (I like to think of it as always having a little bit of Atlantic Beach with me). 

Using a common space as a de facto mud room is fine IF AND ONLY IF one takes responsibility for returning said common space to its proper state.  I would first speak directly with the family in question and let them know that their convenience is incoveniencing both you and the buidling staff. 

If that does not solve the problem, speak with the building staff for their take on the issue. (Are they being paid extra for the extra work?)  If this family cannot extend common courtesy to the common spaces, the management or board should be made aware and this family asked to de-sand inside their own four walls.

Summer in NYC is hot enough without boiling blood. 

Stay cool,

Ms. Demeanor


Ms. Demeanor is channeled by a longtime Manhattan vertical dweller and real-estate voyeur who writes under the pen name Jamie Lauren Sutton. She is here to commiserate, calm and correct. Please email your quandaries to [email protected] and put "Dear Ms. Demeanor" in the subject line.

 

See all of Ms. Demeanor's advice here.

 

 

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