Moving Nightmares

After a weekend of U-Hauls and the requisite moving truck jamming itself under a bridge, it gets harder to believe in the decency of human beings. When you hear about the way people treat tenants, apartments, and their neighbors, it’s enough to send us packing into the wilds of Alaska.

The madness of moving began well before September 1 for some people. A woman we talked to moved out of her apartment early, and received this email. The new tenant had gotten the old tenant’s phone number from the realtor, and then Googled the old tenant’s name to find her email address:

Hi [Old Tenant],

I’m not sure but I think you’re the same [OT] that is moving out of [the studio]. This is [NT], who will be moving in (we’ve been playing phone tag) and I just wanted to touch base with you again about when you’ll be returning the keys to [the property manager] so I can organize my move. I know he also is planning on having it painted so…if you could let me know when you think you’ll be able to give him to keys so I can get a move-in date from him, that’d be great. From your last message, you said you were leaving the curtains behind (which is fine, cause I’ll have them) and were still debating about the kitchen cart.

If you could call me at your earliest convenience, that’d be great.

Thanks so much and hope your move is going smoothly,
New Tenant

If someone is kind enough to even consider letting you move into a place early without paying, you really shouldn’t push it. Just ask nicely, and please, don’t stalk a random stranger. And realtors– don’t release a resident’s phone number unless you have their consent. OK?

In Allston, Stealth reports a street party at 4 a.m., and posts the pictorial evidence. Nothing makes friends with your neighbors faster than a jam session on someone’s discarded furniture. With the possible exception of the construction projects that disrupts traffic on already congested streets.

And finally, there is the dreaded moving van sign. The one they put up at strange hours. The one you didn’t notice before going to work in the morning. The one you realized was there when you went to get your car and found out it wasn’t there. That one.