Saturday, March 28, 2009

The Inability to Do Anything

If you know me personally, you probably know that I cannot stand the neighbors directly below me.  They play extremely loud music and yell constantly.  When I say constantly, I mean from about 9 am to 3 am every single day.  I've pretty much figured out that I live above the children's room, as I hear the older residents scream things like "Shut the fuck up!" to crying kids beneath my feet.  They have to scream this over the blasting music, and the kids don't generally stop crying until after a succession of slamming and banging noises.  Most of the tenants in the apartment use drugs.

I've called 311 literally over 30 times for noise complaints, and contacted the landlord to no avail.  As the sounds of child abuse/neglect have increased dramatically over the past few days, I decided to call Child Protection Services.  After explaining to the operator what I have just told you, including the sentence "Don't make me go behind the couch and get the machete," which I heard one night, the woman on the phone informed me that nothing could be done.  If a case is already open on the family, my report will be added to it.  I told her that I can't see through the floor, but I'm very concerned, and she said unless I see the parents "selling drugs in front of the children or getting so high that they can't take care of them," they can't do anything just because I've heard this.  "What can I do to help get an investigation going because I truly believe the children are being abused and neglected?" I question.  "You have to have evidence of neglect.  Are the children dirty?  Do they smell?" she responds.  Sorry, I just figured a threat with a two-foot blade would've been enough to open a case, but I guess they have to smell bad first.

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