Prams blocking apartment hallway - my goat is got

Hey y'all!

So a little vent that's been bugging me, especially over the holidays and being at home more.

In my apartment block, I've noticed recently right at the entrance people are leaving their prams. Like next to the bottom of the stair and it's not a wide walkway at all. I think they must be people who live upstairs, so are carrying the loaf upstairs and just leaving the pram there.

Now, it's only been happening in the last month or so. I never see the people... It seemed to be one pram that started it, but last night there was a double pram blocking the hallway! So think other people are starting to think this is the perfect new pram spot when you CBF carrying your personal belongings up the stairs.

I had to sidle sideways past it to get my bins out (am of slim build) and my foot caught on the wheel. Stumbled, but recovered (klutzy, so not precious about falling but still!) Then I took my dragster out for a ride and had to park bike in hall, push double stroller outside, push bike outside, then place stroller back to its original position.

It's annoying. I wouldn't just leave something in this spot full time like this. It's not a pram bay FFS.

I don't want to cause a scene because it's a friendly apartment block and don't want to make enemies. But will be riding after work today and if it's still there feel like:

a) leaving it outside it just on the porch (undercover) and not returning it back to the hallway

b) leaving note on pram

Both are passive aggressive. But you don't see me using a small corridor as my own personal space.

I'm leaning towards A because if anyone put that back on me I can play clueless/ditzy type and be all 'oh! Is that yours? Was wondering who that belonged to....just left it there so I wouldn't keep tripping over it and could get my bike into and out of my flat'

I don't wanna make enemies, but it really gets my goat.

It is usually against the apartment rules.
It is almost certainly against the fire codes.

A couple of ideas come to mind:

1. "disappearing" the pram and then selling it
2. Leaving it on the porch for someone to steal
3. "Tripping" over the pram, falling in the hall and then suing the owner
4. Leaving a pile of dogshit in the pram
5. Calling the landlord and complaining

I personally hate when people block cafe entrances, etc with their dumb giant strollers!

In your place I would wait until three in the morning when there's likely nobody to see me and move all prams, or strollers as they're called here, to the nearest dumpster.

Anything blocking a stairwell or hallway is definitely against fire codes. We've had people leave prams, bicycles, grocery carts and much more in our hallways and I have knocked on their doors and told them to remove these items. Not only is it a fire hazard, but anyone in a wheelchair or a walker would have a heck of a time getting around them.

It sucks to feel like you have to "make enemies" in order to keep things right in an apartment building. I don't care anymore, after some of the bullshit that's happened in my building after nearly eight years of living here. I don't really care if someone doesn't like me, if they are going to be rude and block the hallways or create a hazard for others, then they should be reminded about the rules.

I'm sorry you're going through it. I have lived in buildings my entire life and know that there are always a few assholes who will push the boundaries of what's acceptable behavior in the common areas. One single moo who just recently moved down the hallway, kept dumping garbage in the halls...even dropping her junk mail down the hall...in a trail all the way to her door.

After making complaints and nothing getting done (they knew she was responsible, but claimed that nobody saw her doing it, so there's no proof...even though I practically caught her red-handed) I just started "returning" the garbage to her welcome mat in front of her door. It's all but stopped now. If i did nothing, her inconsiderate actions would only get worse with time.

It would be best to avoid a confrontation, because that can escalate in a building..however there's no reason why you should have to live with prams blocking your exits, hallways or stairways. Write a note to management. If they don't do anything, just let your friendly neighborhood Fire Hall know what's going on....they'll write the Landlord a juicy citation for allowing people to block the halls.

I vote you chuck it outside with as little care as possible.

Quote
satansbitch
In your place I would wait until three in the morning when there's likely nobody to see me and move all prams, or strollers as they're called here, to the nearest dumpster.

As a night owl, this is exactly what I would do. When they think their strollers are getting "stolen," they won't leave them out anymore.

Yeah my first thought was that if they're leaving them outside their apartments, doesn't that make it easy for them to be stolen? Do they just assume no one would steal these?

Thanks for the ideas/replies everyone, just had a good chuckle. Good point on the fire code breach too! Didn't even think of that.

Quote
elaphe_guttata
Yeah my first thought was that if they're leaving them outside their apartments, doesn't that make it easy for them to be stolen? Do they just assume no one would steal these?

it's a security building, so someone living there would have to steal it. It feels like a friendly place, but there's no way I'd leave my precious bike where these prams are, for fear of it getting stolen.

I wouldn't even care so much if they bothered to collapse it, don't they usually fold up! Actually, that'll make it nice and easy to wheel out the front tonight. As it just so happens, am a night owl/semi-insomniac

Quote
mumofsixbirds


I have lived in buildings my entire life and know that there are always a few assholes who will push the boundaries of what's acceptable behavior in the common areas. One single moo who just recently moved down the hallway, kept dumping garbage in the halls...even dropping her junk mail down the hall...in a trail all the way to her door.

After making complaints and nothing getting done (they knew she was responsible, but claimed that nobody saw her doing it, so there's no proof...even though I practically caught her red-handed) I just started "returning" the garbage to her welcome mat in front of her door. It's all but stopped now. If i did nothing, her inconsiderate actions would only get worse with time.

Good on you! Who does that, can you imagine was it's like INSIDE her apartment?

Quote
nightshade

Quote
mumofsixbirds


I have lived in buildings my entire life and know that there are always a few assholes who will push the boundaries of what's acceptable behavior in the common areas. One single moo who just recently moved down the hallway, kept dumping garbage in the halls...even dropping her junk mail down the hall...in a trail all the way to her door.

After making complaints and nothing getting done (they knew she was responsible, but claimed that nobody saw her doing it, so there's no proof...even though I practically caught her red-handed) I just started "returning" the garbage to her welcome mat in front of her door. It's all but stopped now. If i did nothing, her inconsiderate actions would only get worse with time.

Good on you! Who does that, can you imagine was it's like INSIDE her apartment?

Our building conducts occasional unit inspections, which is when I first brought up the garbage issue to the manager regarding this particular tenant. He told me that he had seen the inside of her apartment, and it was very messy. I don't doubt it, since she has treated the building like her own personal garbage dump.

My biggest fear is catching some sort of infestation: Rats, cockroaches, bedbugs, etc. from a filthy tenant like her. Needless to say, I'm a very clean person myself, and do my part to keep my environment as clean as possible.
It would freak me out if a hoarder or some such shit moved in next door to me...I wouldn't sleep a wink at night!

I have taken photos, including pics of multiple prams blocking the hallway by her door. If she continues to disrespect our building, I will have no problem letting the Fire Chief know what's going on.

Posts like this make me so glad that the last apartment complex I lived in was super-strict about leaving stuff out in the common areas and hallways. They weren't just strict about strollers but about bikes or anything else being parked outside or even on the porches. It made the complex look junky and they didn't want that. I also loved it because they didn't suck up to breeders. In fact, their target market was either single adults, couples without children or seniors whose kids had moved out. We had some families but they were expected to follow the same rules as everyone else. If a stroller was left out, they got the "polite" reminder stuck in their door, second offense was the stern warning and third offense was an eviction notice for violating the lease. Not that any of this helps you . . . .

What I would do first is take a picture of the strollers and then report it to the landlord. You now have documentation if needed. If this doesn't help, I would suddenly become very worried that the strollers would get "stolen" since somebody "forgot" them in the hallway. As a concerned neighbor, you want to "help" your neighbors by securing the stroller in your apartment so nobody will steal it. Stick in an out-of-the way place in your apartment for a week and if nobody complains about the missing stroller take it the trash. If somebody does complain about it being stolen, then you, helpful neighbor, give it back them and mention in casual conversation what a big lawsuit it would be if somebody were to fall over it. If that doesn't work, I'd start knocking on their doors early in the morning/late at night to ask them to move the things.

Hear ya mumofsixbirds - would hate to have to move because someone else brought vermin into the building, due to their own unhygenic living quarters.

Good tip about the photos too.

Lived in a sharehouse once where people would leave their plates in their room/living areas till I begged them to put them in the sink. One housemate moved in with a microwave that had a society of german roaches living inside. I lsaid the microwave had to go and offered to buy him one (exact same brand) but this 'offended' him. They said it was okay as microwaves kill the roach germs (!). The infestation became so bad they started sauntering through the microwave during the day while it was on. When you see roaches during the day, you know it's out of control, they're nocturnal.

I was at this stage eating exclusively takeout/at home with parents/keeping any food items in sealed containers. They would make fun of me and say I was a 'germaphobe'.

I bought one the same brand and put his in the garage, when I came downstairs one night, turned on kitchen light and there were approx 50 of them having a party on the kitchen bench. When I moved out, they just brought it back in again, filthy pigs.

I left the house, but those people still live there and I bet those roaches still do. My flat is a sanctuary and I LOL whenever I drive past that old house.


But it was just this little vermin fellow that came round, would be cool with that.

Oh, love how this went from prams to filthy neighbours/flatmates - BUT one more story about these same pigs.

I once went away on holidays, came back and the bins were crammed too full to close, with maggots writhing about inside. I lost my shit at them for not taking garbage out for weeks and they insisted they did take the bins out and to stop being germaphobe, everyone gets maggots (!). Using Google, I researched 'life cycle of fly' and proved via science they had not taken bins out once.

Moved out shortly after and we all ignore each other if I see them out. I point them out to friends and they're like 'OMG they're the filthy pigs? You'd never know!'

It's scary how some people live.

Put a sign on the pram saying "for sale, £20, please see Flat 3". Better still say "free to good home"

On one hand I'd be inclined to take the damn things and donate them to the nearest goodwill, but that means they'd still be taking up space somewhere. There would definitely be a magical disappearing act, though.

I would post a listing on Craigslist giving the complex location and telling people there were free prams available for the taking. Let a few get stolen and the problem should take care of itself. Post from a free public wi-fi spot.

i wouldn't put the prams in a dumpster, although i would be very tempted. there may be nasty repercussions, such as dog poop in front of your door, etc.and you do have to live there with these people. is your building manager friendly? if so, i would talk with him/her and just say they are blocking the doorway. that IS a safety issue, and the manager should deal with it. otherwise i would leave a note asking people to please not block the doorway.

the really obnoxious thing is you know if you left your bike or grocery cart or whatever there they would be having a hissy fit because little bratleigh could hurt herself on it.

our building has the same problem, but also every door is on CCTV... if you do choose to "remove" the prams please be careful you do not get caught!

Quote
nightshade
I had to sidle sideways past it to get my bins out (am of slim build) and my foot caught on the wheel. Stumbled, but recovered (klutzy, so not precious about falling but still!) Then I took my dragster out for a ride and had to park bike in hall, push double stroller outside, push bike outside, then place stroller back to its original position..

I would have left the stroller outside, with a note on it telling the owner to stop "parking" it there.

______________

- The human gene pool could use a little chlorine

Cassia got me thinking about fire codes.

Have a printer and some tape, Nightshade?

Do some quick research on your fire code, or make up a code paragraph about unobstructed exit requirements and preface it with a few random numbers. Type up a plain yet official-looking page, including the fire code excerpt and a blurb saying that if the owners of the hazardous property do not remove the blockage, the property will be confiscated. Tape sign above prams.

No more prams, no new enemies.

Quote
curleh
Cassia got me thinking about fire codes.

Have a printer and some tape, Nightshade?

Do some quick research on your fire code, or make up a code paragraph about unobstructed exit requirements and preface it with a few random numbers. Type up a plain yet official-looking page, including the fire code excerpt and a blurb saying that if the owners of the hazardous property do not remove the blockage, the property will be confiscated. Tape sign above prams.

No more prams, no new enemies.

Actually the real fire code laws and fines may be available online for your municipality.
Usually, such items do not need to fully block an exit to be a hazard. If several people had to stumble through the public area in smoke and confusion, that stroller could cost lives.
If all of the information is not online, a couple of quick phone calls to the code enforcement people will set you on the right path.
This information could be obtained, printed out and attached to stroller anonymously.

nightshade - is that critter yours? so cute! looks kind of like despereaux.

I like the idea of printing up a paragraph citing the fire codes and taping it to the prams. Be sure to include what fines, consequences, etc can result.

Or if you feel like going the snarky passive-aggressive route--andw ho doesn't entertain these thoughts sometimes? I know I've dealt with my share of neighbors who don't even seem housebroken, and all normal attempts at direct communication are met with hostility, or lip service, or grunts and glassy eyes. I prefer going with normal, rational, adult methods of correcting neighborly issues. But if they flat-out refuse to comply, and management doesn't help? Might as well have some fun! Previous posters have outlined some great ones (posting them on CL as 'free' is an especially nice one!), here are a few more:
1. start putting random stuff into the prams as you walk by. Empty any bits of paper, candy wrappers, and lint from your pockets. Any stray items sitting around the hallway or lobby? Include those too.
2. Decide it's time to take out the trash from your flat. Tie up the bag and start out the door. Oops, can't get through because of the pram. Guess the bag can just sit in the pram until it's clear.
3. If it has a cupholder, pop in a beer can. Preferably half-empty.
4. Mess with any adjustments the stroller might have. Lock the wheels, loosen straps, fold it up halfway so that when the adult comes to get it, they can't just roll it away.
5. Leave porn, empty condom wrappers, and a rumpled printout of some random personal ad off craiglist.

Of course, all of these depend on timing, and whether your living area has security cameras. Not worth getting caught over a stupid pram.

Move them to the roof.