“Whoever one is, and wherever one is, one is always in the wrong if one is rude.” ~Maurice Baring
Scene: Basement laundry area. I’m waiting for two dryers to become available so I can put my stuff in. Earlier, I had waited 20 minutes to get to the washer before the owner of said clothes in the washer sauntered down. I only felt slightly bad but hey, people do it all the time – it’s happened to me – it happens to everyone. Annoying? Yes. But teaches you to get your ass downstairs in time.
The drying cycle ends and I have no pants for later. I open the door.
Two girls walk down. Blondie is carrying the pint sized brunette on her back.
Brunette (not looking at me): Could you really please not do that…
Me (looking right at her): Um, your stuff had been done. I was waiting and people are behind me waiting for dryers as well…
B (still avoiding eye contact) (possibly because I’m so menacing): Just don’t do that. It’s gross.
Me (guffaw): I’m so sorry to have put my germy hands on your clean clothing.
B: Ugh. It’s just RUDE. We knew it was you before so don’t do it.
Me: It wasn’t a secret!
B: …
Brunette and Blondie leaves while nary a word comes from Blondie’s mouth. Brunette is still huffing and puffing wanting to blow my condo down. She walks away.
Me: Sorry once again! I’M OFF TO BLEACH MY HANDS NOW!
I’ve lived quite a bit of time in buildings with public washers/dryers and even when I had a unit in my actual apartment, my roommate and I would take out each others things as they finished because it’s rude to monopolize the laundry area when it’s pretty clear that there are others who are waiting to use it. I’ve forgotten to remove my clothing multiple times and each time someone else has removed it for me. Yeah the first time I got huffy (to myself, of course) and then I realized that hmm, if I go down when my laundry is ready then maybe I can remove it myself thus keeping the line of laundering going smoothly. But then this half sized bitch comes down and has the audacity to not even be polite about it but then say “it’s gross”. And if she had just said, can you please not do that, I would’ve been like “Ok, whatever” and let it go but the added emphasis on how utterly GROSS it is to have someone’s hand on your stuff is what sent me into a tizzy.
This means that from now on, if I ever see her in the elevator, I’ll be sure not to touch the buttons for her or to hold the door open because I don’t want my disgusting germs infiltrating her pristine, immaculately clean space. P.S. For a girl so concerned with the cleanliness of others perhaps she should try a little Spray and Sash on some certain garments of clothing. Ahem.
23 Comments
I am so sorry she was rude. My God- that last line literally made me laugh out loud!
Oh how hindsight is 20/20! Because if you had mentioned the Spray and Sash to her I bet she would’ve kept her idiotic trap shut.
This really takes me back. I’ve taken many a load out of many a washer and dryer back in the day, and though some people were not pleased, not ONE of them actually said it was gross. WTF? Next time tell her it is grossly RUDE to leave your laundry unattended for so long, particularly if you expect that no one will touch it, beeeeyotch.
This story reminds me of this story:
http://www.alittlepregnant.com/alittlepregnant/2008/07/morning-everyon.html
Also, I would let you touch my underwear anytime- I mean… What?
They are wrong, move your clothes when they are done.
I definitely don’t miss the shared-laundry-room days! You were totally right.
i think in this case the girl was the one out of line.
there’s nothing gross about you touching her clothes. there’s nothing wrong with you. i would totally feel free to touch whatever you want in her presence–her issue, not yours.
I have SO MANY opinions on this topic! What pisses me off is when people DON’T take it out. Because then they bitch and stew about how I forgot my laundry (even if only for 10 minutes) to everybody on the block and then corner me when I come to get it. I’m always like, “my GOD! Just put it on top of the dryer!”
I’d let you take my clothing out of the machine with yr teeth. That girl is a stupidhead. xo
If that were me, I’d probably do something bad like eat Cheetos before taking Brunette’s clothes out of the machine.
I think she meant that it was Gross for you to have to touch her *stained* garments because she couldn’t get off her ass in time to take them out herself. Seriously-the unspoken rules of a shared laundry room is if you leave your clothes unattended and the washer or dryer is finished then they are fair game to be removed.
WTF!… In this situation I would probably not answer back when she would have spoken to me ( Yes I tend to ignore people.. a lot when they are B…) I guess I would pretend that I dont speak english… QUE NO HABLO….
Wooowww. I agree with Travis. Cheetos FTW.
I will totally, absolutely take out people’s clothes from both the washer and dryer if they cycle is done and I need to use it. How rude!
I’m back to say something more–since I was a wee bit drunk on the last comment. I really hope you do the elevator thing–but in the most aggressive way possible.
“What floor do you want?? OH! Actually, you should probably push it yourself, it would be gross if I did it.”
I’m surprised she said anything, considering she wouldn’t look at you. What a jerk!
OMG you brought up her need for Spray and Sash. lovesit.
Good grief. Something tells me those girls need to get laid.
Did I just type that?
The fact that she kept saying it was rude of you to take her laundry out shows her stupidity and lack of concern about other people. She should have taken her laundry out…and then she tried to “scare” you by saying she knew you had done it before. Boo on her, I would have given her the finger quick fast and in a hurry.
That is my PET PEEVE. I set the timer on my microwave because I hate when people do it to me, so I try not to do it to them. Yeah, it happens. I’m never mad if someone takes my shit out because it is my fault for leaving it in there.
I would have bitch-slapped that ho.
I wish you had pushed her down. What a bitch.
We have shared laundry in our building too, and seriously only two washers and two dryers for 30+ units. So if you dally, your stuff gets touched, period.
Which is in no way “gross,” but is more annoying for the person who has to move it. I set timers, too, so that I’m down there and grabbing my shit before anyone else can. Not because I don’t want people touching my clothes, but because I don’t want to make them deal with my clothes when they just want to get in and do their own laundry. People can be such jerks. And why the eff was she riding piggy back on her friend? (Am I the only one that thinks that’s odd?)
Delurking to say hello! Found you through Slynnro.
I’m agreeing with everyone here, be there on time or prepare for someone else to move it! I’ve only been mad once when someone took my laundry out of the dryer and that is because it was my bedding and I somehow came out of that whole situation minus one pillow sham (and therefore wound up with one piece less than a matching set) – PISS OFF.