Apparently the sign Mr. K put up had no effect, nor having to trudge through the puke because it's still there. It makes me cringe just thinking about it, and the smell! Oh, the smell. I am so glad Mr. K covered it over with garbage bags, but when you get close it smells awful. I am also more sore than I originally thought; sort of like a minor case of whiplash, which wouldn't surprise me. I also think I bruised the side of my butt. Sitting is not comfortable! The worst part is, there doesn't seem to be anything we can do to get it cleaned up.
The way buildings are set up in the UK is very different from North America. All of the flats in this building, except ours, are owned outright by the people living in them, so there isn't a landlord or super intendant. That means, there is no way of forcing him to clean it up.
My next line of thought was to contact the Edinburgh Council as they have a helpline for noisy neighbours. I thought that perhaps it would apply to all disturbances, but apparently not. I was told that all they could do would be to tell him to clean it up with some warm water. I said that I would like it if they would do that and the girl said that she would let Public Health know and they would get back to me as soon as possible. That was over an hour ago and I still haven't heard anything. She also told me that Public Health would probably say the same thing because the communal stairway is the responsibility of the combined tenants to keep clean.
So, if you have a tenant who refuses to clean up his/her vomit that is covering an entire landing and a few steps, there is nothing you can do, but politely ask him/her to clean it up?
What if someone slipped in it and was injured?
Really?
Someone said that it's a good thing that I wasn't pregnant or an elderly person. I couldn't agree more. I am pretty flexible and healthy and I think I mostly bounced.
What if I had broken something? What if, God forbid, I landed on Hermione and she was injured?
Someone said I could call the police and report him for "anti-social" behavior, but I don't know if there is a time limit on that. He puked on Sunday morning. So does that mean, in order to charge him, would we have had to call the cops when he was vomiting? Or, can I still call the cops and report him because the vomit is still there and it is a safety hazard? I will probably call the police and find out.
I just don't understand. This country is obsessed with health and safety, to the point where it is ridiculous, but they don't have a way to deal with an issue like this? An issue that is not only a slipping/falling/breaking bones hazard but also a health risk? I don't really know what else to say but "grrrrrrr!"
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4 comments:
We have home owners associations here in the US. Mostly, they are a pain about keeping your lawn mowed etc etc. This is one case where it would be nice in your building b/c you could go to them and they could fine him or make him clean it up.
No fun.
From the mom - Oh no Jess - that is just awful.
I am surprised other tenants have not said something. It is not only a hazard due to falling but also a health hazard because it will spread germs and others, even your dogs, could easily get some kind of infection. I work in a hospital and we are preached to CONSTANTLY about washing our hands, cleaning up spills of ANY kind. Germs can easily become airborn. Or the germs can spread through the flooring. It won’t take long for that entire building to a become health hazard disaster just waiting for something to happen. For example, a simple paper cut could become infected just passing through the hall.
I wouldn’t wait for someone else to contact your Health Department over there – I know someone vomiting in the hall does not sound like that big of a deal but it could become one in the next couple of months. And also, if your physical discomfort continues, I would seek a medical opinion and who knows – are there legal options?
Kim
Sometimes having an official person -- like someone from the Health Dept. or a policeman -- ask someone to do something gets better results than asking yourself. Mom says you should ask the police if they will ask him to clean it up. Even if he hasn't committed a crime by vomiting in a public area and not cleaning it up, the police may be willing to try to help you by convincing him to clean it up. It's really inexcusable that he hasn't cleaned it up. It's a danger, a health hazard, and a public nuisance.
I just finished reading the entire saga. Once again, it is amazing to me how you manage to keep your cool. You actually finished the puppy potty time and even made happy voice for her? Amazing.
I agree with Garth that it won't hurt to call the police. You might also want to have your physician give a quick once over. You strike me as a fairly stoic person and you could have a more severe injury than you think.
Mango Momma
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