Laundry room ettiquette and racism.

[maveric]

Funny thing happened today.
We live in an 8 unit apartment complex that has a small laundry room with two washers and two dryers. I had two loads to wash to put in and noticed that one of the washers had a small load in it, almost dried, that had been sitting there for quite a while. So I considerately got a plastic trah bag (clean), and put the load from the washer on the bag on the clean folding table and put my wash in. When the loads were done, and as I was loading the dryers, the little princess from upstairs comes down and asks me if I put her clothes out on the table. I kindly told her yes and explained that they had been in the washer for hours and needed the machines. She went off on me, calling me rude for doing so. I then kindly told her that leaving clothes in the washer for hours,while going out is rude because there are only two washers and we all have to share them. She then pointed her finger at me called me rude again and then called me a racist for doing what I did.

I'm a white guy and she is half black/white.

Question: Was I rude for doing what I did? Am I a racist for doing so?

I cant figure some people out.

[eyesroll]

1. No, and no.

If you'd taken her things out of the washer while it was still on, you'd be rude. (I usually give a little grace period.)

I fail to see what race has to do with this (I'm sure you fail to see it, too, because unless you've left something out, there's nothing there.)

[JimmyJazz]

2. If you didn't know whose clothes they were and didn't know they

belonged to a person of color, how in the hell could you possibly be racist? She was rude for leaving her clothes in the washer. Stop dwelling on it. I hope you feel better now.

[AndyP]

hell no

I would have done the same thing. She she only be so lucky that you didn't let them get all wrinkled or anything. Just brush it off, she's a bitch.

[demnan]

3. Oh, come on!

You're intelligent enough to know the answer to this! What the hell does this have to do with racism? You just want to get your clothes washed and dryed. Tell her to get real! You have rights too!

[maveric]

8. I know. I threw in the racism question for humor value.

I was just wondering how you all would have done it in under the same circumstaces.

[SmileyBoy]

4. I live in a dorm with a laundry room, and I have to be honest...

At first I hated the idea of someone else taking my clothes out, but would not do anything to make sure that I took my load out on time. To my folly, I would leave the load sitting in the washer or dryer for hours, while totally forgetting the fact that others need to use the wash.

So now what I do is I pick one night every two weeks to stay up all night, and while everyone else is sleeping, I wash my four loads of laundry (I have a large 2-week wardrobe, BTW) during the wee hours of the morning when no one else is using it.

So I'm no longer a hypocrite.:) As for this woman, she clearly is.

[THUNDER HANDS]

5. maybe she thought you were seperating the whites from the colords

:shrug:

[bloodyjack]

7. zzzzzzzzzzzing

[salin]

6. given that this isn't something that one would think... "he would

never do that to a white girl..." (given the limited # of washers, and the amount of time it sat there)... I would just say that she was insulted that you moved her stuff (some folks, race regardless, are that easily "offended", even when they are in the wrong) and was pulling at the air for any way to bug you/insult you and make you feel bad.

Response: "Actually I would move anyone's laundry who abandoned it for x hours and made all washers unusable to all other people..."

[frylock]

9. you were polite to put them on the plastic bag..

I wouldn't have even given that courtesy. Some people in my complex must think that the washer/dryer is a place to store their clothes, not unlike a dresser. I left a note in the laundry room one day stating in no uncertain terms that any laundry left in the washer or dryer ten minutes past the finish of their respective cycle would be unceremoniously dumped on the "folding table".

I always set a timer, and usually have my clothes out within two minutes of the end of their cycle.

What you did was fine. It sounds like your neighbor is accustomed to drawing the race card as she sees fit.

[Scrooge]

10. ARGH!!!

Trying to find rascism where CLEARLY none exists, hurts the cause of those truly being discriminated against. Seriously, I dont understand why you would even ask the question. Its common sense.

[underpants]

11. Rule #1-don't touch anyone else's stuff

ESPECIALLY in the laundry room.

Racist or not I don't know but if you have to wait you have to wait.

[maveric]

12. Bullshit!

Would you just sit back and wait while some incondiserate idiot hogs the washer when you need it?
I would do it again every time.
BTW, its been done to me a couple of times and I didnt get fumed up over it.

[miss_kitty]

14. You know, I can't stand to have anyone else touch my laundry

to that end, I get to it before it stops. You are totally right.

[underpants]

15. Sit and steam

Don't touch my shit or yours might end up outside.

[miss_kitty]

17. If it's done, get it outta the machine before I need it then

I just lugged my shit down four flights of stairs. I don't know that these are underpants' things and the machine wasn't running when I came down. If ya don't like it, be there at the end. Or lump it. You aren't the only undies in the world.

[maveric]

18. Be thankful you dont live in my complex.

We'd be locking horns my friend.

[yardwork]

19. Hmmmm.....in my girl's dorm, sometimes nice people folded other's

There were times when I came back to find my forgotten laundry carefully folded and stacked on the folding table.

I don't recommend folding other people's laundry in an apartment laundromat, especially if you are a man and the laundry in question is obviously that of a woman.

My point is that most people understand that laundry sitting around for hours in the washer or dryer is going to get moved. It will either be moved nicely (as in this case) or unceremoniously dumped on the floor.

[miss_kitty]

13. She's weird. give her wide berth

She's also racist and paranoid for assuming you, a white person, would personally 'go after her laundry.

Look. If the laundry is done it's done. Even if you walked in as the machines were finishing, you could take the shit out. You don't have to wait around for someone you don't even know comes back.

I'd give the manager a little FYI on the incident before the asshat gets to him. People usually believe the first story they hear.

[Flammable Materials]

16. Do you even have to answer either question?

Of course not, and HELL NO.

The owner of the laundry in question is the racist.

[-..__...]

20. I love this kind of confrontational stuff.

She's a hosebag... plain and simple. Not even worthy of a response.

If it were me: give them that sideways/WTF glance and pretend that they're not even there or worth responding to.

I don't quite understand the "racist" angle you speak of. Sounds more like she played the "race card".

Sad or uncivilized as it might seem... there are people who need a fastball to the face.