Why would you steal my laundry basket from the laundry room down the hall? I know it’s one of you people from the new family that just moved in because in twelve years I have never had a problem. Didn’t it occur to you that I’d see it if you use it? You are an idiot and you’ve made things quite uncomfortable here now. —Me

This article appears in Aug 9-15, 2012.

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18 Comments

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  2. had my laundry stolen once while staying in an apt. brand new bedding set that i had just taken out of the packaging to wash before using. skirt, duvet cover, shams and sheets. royal blue paisley with pale gold piping. man i was mad. i couldn’t believe how angry it made me.

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  6. If you want to give them the benefit of the doubt… it could be a mistake. Especially if they just moved in. Maybe they own one that looks like it? You should go ask politely and say you have been asking around for the basket, no one seems to know where it is, do they know? Maybe they have a similar basket? Oh they aren’t sure, well could they check? Oh, well you will keep you eye out for it in case someone took it by mistake… you would recognize it right away since you had it for so long. It is just such a hassle to cart a new one back from the store.

    At that point, if they did take it on purpose, you might be able to shame them into returning it. Or at least turn the discomfort onto them instead of yourself.

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  7. Okay time to get to work (cracks knuckles)! First bitch-Me (not I) has their laundry basket disappear from the laundry room down the hall. Believes the new tenants very well could be responsible because, in the twelve years Me has lived there, the laundry basket has not disappeared.
    This is what you call circumstantial evidence, item disappears at the time somebody different arrives on the scene. An assumption based on coincidence. A shaky foundation in which to base an accusation.
    My solution would be a) to knock on the new tenants door welcome them to the complex, add some small talk and then politely ask if they have seen your laundry basket b) buy a new laundry basket or c) write a bitch about it on a local bitch board.
    Glad to be of help.

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  11. I’m not condoning people stealing and I can imagine that in this instance, it is quite aggravating, but accusing the new tenants of taking it based solely on a hunch, (cuz let’s face it, without proof, that’s all this is), is a bit flippant, don’t you think? Your basket going missing the same time that a new family moves into the building sure as hell is NOT proof.

    And honestly, if you’ve been using the same basket for 12 years, it was probably well past due to get replaced anyway.

    So, hows about instead of stewing over this and living in paranoid suspicion of your neighbours, you chalk it up to lesson learned, go to WallyWorld, shell out the $5 on a new basket, $1.49 on a Sharpie and write your name on it.

    Another solution would be to just not leave it in the laundry room unattended.

    Yet another solution would be to just cart your dirty clothes to the laundry room in a garbage bag. Nobody is going to steal that and if they do, who cares?

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  14. now you’ve done it! if MM and BlowMe look at that they will both get ERECTUS GIGANTICUS! maybe they can sword fight each other with ’em.

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  17. Because I live with a dug well, & because like many out here in the Elmsdale, Milford area our wells go dry when there is a decided lack of rain. I sometimes use one of our Laundry facilities. SO I have my name stencilled in several places on my baskets. My honey does as well. It makes it easy when we are at home to tell who’s basket it is when we are depositing soiled clothes (yes we each do our own laundry & split doing the linens)
    If your basket was clearly marked, chances are someone who lives in the same building as you wouldn’t be taking it !
    FYI , I’ve got our name and address on our garbage cans as well, in very large letters/numbers .

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