December 21 2009: Hallway Clutter
This is a hallway in my house that leads from the bedrooms/bathroom to the kitchen. It has been like this for six months – and everything there belongs to my female housemate. In that time, she has made no attempt whatsoever to clear her personal belongings out of what should be a communal hallway, and other people in the house are forced to go the long way around to the kitchen, going through the living room and dining room. Regular hints from both my male housemate (whose family owns the house) and myself haven’t worked at all.
Now imagine that clutter in a bedroom. What you’re now thinking of is her bedroom. She has to literally climb over bags and boxes of things in order to get into bed. I had to strong-arm her in order to get her to throw out six months worth of old newspapers that were nearly waist-height. Did she want to keep the newspapers? Yes. Did I have to bully her to get her to throw them out? Yes. Was I justified? Yes. Combined with the dozen or so oil burners and candles scattered around her room, it was simply an unnecessary fire hazard. Could she clear out three year old magazines and other unnecessary papers that are also a fire hazard? Yes. Will she? No.
Is it that she needs all her possessions? She hasn’t touched it or even looked at anything in the hallway in six months, so one would presume not. Is it a time issue – does she simply not have the time to clear it up? Clearly not – she works hospitality (primarily weekends), but is free throughout the week. Watching television for six or seven hours each day does take up a lot of time, and I guess watching daytime soap operas is serious business.
Now this is the first time I’ve ever lived in a share house, but logic would dictate that though she might also be paying rent, a standard rule of house-sharing should be that one’s activities and actions should not hinder other people’s living spaces and lifestyle. Communal areas should be kept communal. You can do whatever you want with your own space/bedroom (within reason, e.g. fire and other hazards should be removed), but communal areas should be kept in a live-able and usable state by all members of the household. That hallway doesn’t fit the criteria.
So, when I buy her organisational stuff for Christmas? Sure, it might be blunt and somewhat of an insult, but if it acts as a kick up the pants and gets her to get her act together and recognise that it is socially unacceptable to hinder other people’s living space, then I really don’t give a shit. It was either that or my other house mate cracking the shits and asking her to leave and find somewhere else to live within two weeks (which he was on the verge of, and could still possibly do if she doesn’t get the message). Between either insulting her, or kicking her out to find another share house…lesser of two evils. She can deal with it.
I could have, of course, bought her things she would probably like a lot more. I could have bought cosmetics or body stuff (soaps, lotions, etc.). I could have bought candles, essential oils, oil burners. I could have bought clothes or accessories. But when she already has that many material possessions (and buys more of the same junk every week though she’s always complaining that she doesn’t have enough money and that it’s a struggle to get the $100 rent together each week), I don’t feel sympathetic enough to contribute to that level of mindless consumerism.
15 Responses to “Hallway Clutter”
Leave a Reply
I reserve the right to edit or delete your comment as I see fit, though I only delete comments from anonymous commenters, or people with multiple aliases. Using a genuine name/email combination will ensure that your comment is approved.
You’re too nice. I’d just start chucking her shit out.
Jem on December 21 2009 #
She might need some help.. I mean hoarding 6 months worth of old newspapers isn’t normal by any standards. I mean, my house is cluttered, and even my dad throws out his newspapers.
(Ps. by help I mean professional help of the shrink variety)
Emsz on December 21 2009 #
Sounds like your housemate has a hoarding complex. I’d move all her junk into her room and if she complained, I’d tell her where to go.
Oh and that’s another reason why I never subscribed to the newspaper (The Age or Herald Sun) in uni – even though it was only $20 for a years worth of news, I didn’t want to have to deal with the accumulating paper!
Candles + paper = DANGER!
Linh on December 21 2009 #
Wow.
She’s a Hoarder(TM)! My dad is like this. It is unbelievable. He only gets rid of his useless junk that he never uses (ever) after one of us really gets on his back about it. Or sometimes we just throw stuff out and he doesn’t notice, thus proving our point :P… I’m not suggesting you do that, but I doubt she would notice if some of her needless junk went missing!
Melinda on December 21 2009 #
Looks like I’m not the first one to say this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsive_hoarding
Leila on December 22 2009 #
Chica has an illness. People don’t do this.
Stephanie on December 22 2009 #
muahaha welcome to having roommates!
If she does indeed have an illness, then yeah. You probably won’t get it because it would not just be limited to “mindless consumerism”.
I’d check out the show Hoarders for a little sneak peak.
Jennifer on December 22 2009 #
ugh, i’m with you. i’m not the tidiest of people, but i keep it to my room. shared areas should definitely be kept clear, and CLEAN! (but there’s another whole battle..)
eemusings on December 22 2009 #
Haha. Welcome to share housing.
No, seriously, it’s all like that. There’s nothing “wrong” with her and she will never, EVER change; the more you push it the less she’ll do.
People have different standards for house liveability; “neatness” is the exception, not the rule.
*someone who’s learnt this the hard way, both with roommates and with her husband*
Dee on December 22 2009 #
Oh wow its still as bad as it was! She needs to get her act together…
Alexandra on December 22 2009 #
I told you this on MSN, but this is why I convinced Sam that we needed to move into our own place instead of moving to another share house when the last one split up.
The chances of finding a share house in which all flatmates have the same ideas about… everything are very slim.
Darnielle on December 22 2009 #
“Was I justified? Yes.”
Nope, she pays rent on that room. You don’t own the house/rent it to her, you don’t get to say how tidy she keeps her own room. The corridor thing would totally piss me off though and I would do far more than make hints. But if you came into my room (and this is from a clean, tidy freak too!) and started telling me how to keep it, I would not be amused.
Reply: When it becomes an actual hazard to others living in the house, yes, they have a say. That much unnecessary newspaper hoarding and consistent use of oil burners and candles is just a recipe for disaster.
M on December 22 2009 #
Yikes. Very likely a mental problem as many others have suggested.
By the photo of the hallway, your decision to buy her organizational aids was quite friendly indeed.
Erin on December 23 2009 #
I would have gone absolutely ballistic by now. I crack the shits if a neat pile of clothes sit on the dining table for more than a day…! I always through out food that sits around for way too long even if it isn’t mine; maybe you could just start throwing out belongings that sit around for way too long??
Paddy on December 23 2009 #
Urgh, she puts me and my mess and clutter to shame! A rule established about halfway into adolescence at our household is that, any mess i made must be kept within the confines of my room. And any mess any friends of mine that are guests at our house makes must be cleared up by me, etc etc… pretty simple and logical – seeing as i’m only 18 and still live at home – but surely a flatting woman like her should know better about taking up a communal hallway?! And the newspapers… well the worst stack i ever get is a week and a half if i get busy and haven’t read them, but dont want to feel like i’m wasting money… then its skim read and out to the paper recycling. Maybe you should’ve gotten her some big black rubbish bags too ;)
Amanda on December 23 2009 #