My socks!

March 26, 2008 7:11 PM

Why did someone steal my socks?

So there's this question. I'm in a similar situation. I live in a big building, probably about 50 apartments. I was home during the day today, a Wednesday, unusual for me, and I was doing some laundry. It seems that most, but not all, of the people in my building are on a nine-to-five schedule and it's pretty deserted in the early afternoons. I did one load of laundry in the communal facilities. I moved the clothes from the washer to the dryer in a timely manner and I even went to check on my clothes halfway through the drying cycle. There are about ten each of washers and dryers. At the time that I checked, everything was okay- the socks were there- I remember some falling out that I had to put back in- when I opened the door. Then when I brought my clothes upstairs I noticed that all of my socks were gone. (my socks!) I was also missing an undershirt. There is a security camera that looks at the entrance to the building. And the manager's office looks out into the lobby. There isn't however, a security camera in the laundry room. These were four pairs of nice (10$ each pair) socks, and the undershirt was a women's tank top from American Apparel, also not inexpensive. All of these garments were fairly new. I've only been living in this building for about three weeks. I immediately talked to the manager about this and she says it's never happened before.

Is it unreasonable for me to expect the building to compensate me for the missing clothes? About 60$. Sitting down there to watch my clothes wash is not practical (I've done this in other places I've lived) because the garbage is also kept nearby. (Garbage from 100+ people doesn't smell all that great).

Is this something that I could use to get out of my lease? I had no intention of moving beforehand- but laundry in the building was a reason I chose this place. If I had known that I'd have to go to a laundromat I likely would not have moved here.

I've also thought of posting some signs in the lobby. What should I say in these sign? Should I pussyfoot around the issue and say that I "lost" my socks, when it is very obvious that I was robbed? What will this accomplish? Maybe if this has happened before we could get management to put a camera in the laundry room?

posted by Brachiosaurus to grab bag (14 answers total)

Yes, it's unreasonable to expect the building to compensate you for the missing clothes. No, you can't use it to get out of your lease. Asking the management to increase security, and/or to let you know when the trash is taken away (to minimize the stench while sitting and waiting) would be reasonable.
posted by katemonster at 7:31 PM on March 26, 2008 [1 favorite]

No, I don't think you should expect to be reimbursed by the building. If they lay out any money at all in this situation, it would be on security cameras as a measure of prevention. Yes, put up a few signs, and be straight-forward in your sign-making, do not pussyfoot. Offer amnesty, however- you want your stuff back, and a cessation of the behavior, not a witch-hunt and burning, I assume. Your sign may lead others to come forward, and if it's a recurring problem that's gone unmentioned, perhaps your solidarity will provide more impetus for management to begin monitoring the laundry facilities.

Is there some kind of monthly residents' meeting where you might bring this up? I've never lived in a building the size of the one you describe.
posted by mumkin at 7:31 PM on March 26, 2008

When you live somewhere with communal laundry, and you don't sit there and watch your stuff, you risk it getting stolen. That's going to be the case anywhere you live.

I advise against putting up a sign. Your new neighbors are just going to think you're a wacko. They might even steal another sock just to see how you react (I probably would).
posted by bingo at 7:45 PM on March 26, 2008 [2 favorites]

You're not getting your clothes back, signs or not. The building isn't liable for somebody else's thieving. It's not grounds for getting out of your lease. I'm sorry it happened, sugar

The one thing you mention that might be worth something, though still a longshot, is to find out whether anyone else has ever had their stuff stolen. You could put up a sign asking people to email you if they have. You could set up a gmail address just for this and forward it to your regular email, just in case of pranksters. If it has happened to enough people, that might might be some kind of leverage. Really it's at-your-own-risk otherwise.

It's an opportunity to practice nonattchment. That's not satisfying, but it's a a good life skill. Release!
posted by kookoobirdz at 8:10 PM on March 26, 2008

A recommendation from the other thread you linked that is applicable to the sign-posting part of your question:

Rather than writing it off, put a letter under everyone's door (or in the laundry room) describing the articles and asking them to check their laundry for them as you're sure it was a simple mistake. Little lies are good here - it gives parent's of teens doing stupid things an easy out. And now everyone will be looking for the clothing and have your contact info if they should see it on someone.
posted by jwells at 8:43 AM on August 8 [+] [!]

posted by nzero at 8:35 PM on March 26, 2008

No, you can't get the building to reimburse you. No, you can't use it to get out of your lease. It's a communal area of the building, that's the kind of issues you just have to deal with in a situation like that.

It sucks, but the best you can do is probably to put up a sign in the laundry area asking if anyone else has been having issues with disappearing laundry. If you get a lot of people saying that their laundry is being stolen, then you would definitely have grounds for asking management for a camera in the laundry room.

And kookoobirdz? If you said "I'm sorry it happened, sugar" to me, I'd call you on it being an extremely condescending way to phrase it. Calling someone you don't know "sugar" is pretty dismissive and sexist, at least in my world. Just fyi.
posted by gemmy at 9:04 PM on March 26, 2008

It's an opportunity to practice nonattchment. That's not satisfying, but it's a a good life skill. Release!

Pseudo-enlightenment works for people wealthy or foolish enough not to give a damn that they have ripped off. Not everyone has the luxury of either a trust fund or ignorance. OP specifically mentioned the dollar amount she lost, indicating that it was a sum that mattered to her.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 9:23 PM on March 26, 2008

Calling someone you don't know "sugar" is pretty dismissive and sexist, at least in my world. Just fyi.

Just fyi, your world sounds pretty darn touchy to me, gemmy. I don't see how it is sexist; I'm Southern and call men and women "hon" sometimes, and Sugar as well, indiscriminately. I can't tell from the profile page whether kookoobirdz is male or female, either, so I think you are very quick to cry sexism there.

I'm sorry to say that you won't be reimbursed for the socks, Brachiousaurus, because this is really a situation where you are responsible for keeping an eye on your own things--not saying that is right, and I can understand this may be a financial hardship for you, that's just the way it is. You could, of course, go to a laundromat next time, or try to go when there are more people present, or take turns with another tenant watching each other's things once you get to know the people in your building better. You could also put nametags on your more valuable things, but really the best solution will probably be to stay in the laundry area, unfortunate garbage smell aside.
posted by misha at 10:09 PM on March 26, 2008 [1 favorite]

I think a sign in the laundry room asking if anyone else has been stolen from sounds okay. Signs in the lobby are probably too much; people will think you're crazy. Notes under doors are definitely too much.

Seconding katemonster's idea about finding out when the trash is taken out.
posted by equalpants at 10:44 PM on March 26, 2008

Is it unreasonable for me to expect the building to compensate me for the missing clothes?

Nthing that you're out of luck (sugar). It's part of the risk of using public laundry services.

Signs and notes and such are okay, and it doesn't seem unreasonable to try to get something done about the garbage location/smell/timing, either.
posted by rokusan at 11:00 PM on March 26, 2008

This doesn't address specifically the resolution of the missing-items problem, but would washing your clothes downstairs and then air-drying them in your apartment be a considerable option for you? This way you could wash your clothes, then take them back upstairs without worrying about anything being stolen. For someone who's grown accustomed to using a clothes dryer, this may seem tedious, but I've been doing this for about a year and actually like it. There are few items that fare better in a dryer, and most fare worse--heat drying takes a serious toll on clothing, esp. natural fibers. For wrinkle-prone stuff you can toss in the dryer for a few minutes to de-wrinkle (or shrink back to shape) and then hang up. Most bed/bath superstore-type places have clothes drying racks that can be folded up and shoved in the closet when they're not in use.
posted by the luke parker fiasco at 12:19 AM on March 27, 2008

This really bugs me (not your question, the laundry theft). And it just adds more credance to my theory that PEOPLE SUCK.

In my opinion, leaving notes will do nothing. The person stole from you! A note asking (directly or indirectly) him/her to do the right thing will have no effect (except make them feel a little more satisfied that he/she got away with it). And I'm highly doubtful that management will reinmburse you, but ask anyway. If enough people have been victimized, maybe something will happen.

I've been in this situation, and the only solution is when you do your laundry, bring a book, and sit sentry duty. It sucks, but that's what the thief has forced you to do. Maybe a more tech-savvy person can suggest a hidden remote web-cam solution?
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 6:16 AM on March 27, 2008

[comment removed - any metadiscussion about the "sugar" reference needs to go to metatalk]
posted by jessamyn at 6:56 AM on March 27, 2008

I can't speak to the building-management question, but as to why someone stole your socks...it's not unheard-of. I recently spent a year living in close quarters with a small group of people, one of whom had an easily-medicated obsessive condition (I don't know the exact diagnosis) which apparently was manifested as small-scale theft--mostly of socks--which the others attributed to her inability to do her own laundry and (thus) her need for fresh clothes, regardless of where they came from. If that's at all like your situation...cold comfort, I guess.
posted by kittyprecious at 8:04 AM on March 27, 2008