Can You Believe?

DEAR WALDMANS: Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever face such asituation. I have been in this business for more than 10 years and thought I had witnessedeverything. I was taking my usual afternoon walk--I try to do that each day when it seemsquiet to check the lot for any debris and look for any problems. Sometimes I talk to thetenants and make sure they don't have any complaints. Usually, it is just a walk. I pickup a few pieces of trash and enjoy being out of the office. This one particular afternoonwas quite unusual and shocking.

On several afternoons, during my afternoon walk, I had noticed the same tenant cominginto the facility and going into his unit. In looking back, I remembered he was not thefriendly type. I never thought much of it; after all, there are some people that want totalk, then there are others that want to be left alone. After a while, you come to knowthose that want to be friendly and others that just wish to visit their unit. Thisafternoon was different.

I noticed as he drove up he seemed to be deep in thought, not even looking around. Isuppose I was being nosey, but something just didn't feel right with this guy. Why did hecome to the unit each evening? Why was he so unfriendly? It was as if he were checking ona relative in a nursing home or a hospital. I was curious. He jumped out of his truck andtook out a large bag of dog food and a container like one you would fill with a beveragefor a family reunion or fishing trip. He never noticed that I was standing across theparking lot, as I was hidden by several vehicles in between us. When he opened the door tothe unit, I realized why he had been so secretive. There stood a mother dog and severalpuppies. Gasping with absolute dismay, I was appalled that a person would lock up ananimal in a storage unit.

Without really thinking, I immediately crossed the parking lot and questioned hisbehavior. He was arrogant and very annoyed with me. At one point I knew he was going tohit me. Luckily, another tenant came in about the same time and asked me if there was aproblem. I asked him to please call the police. Have you ever had such a terriblesituation happen at your facility? I am still shocked, and know I did not handle theproblem appropriately. What would you have done?

--Shocked in Cleveland

DEAR SHOCKED: It is difficult to understand how people can be so cruel. We had ashocking event take place right here in a small town in South Carolina. It seemed that amother was actually locking her 17-year-old daughter in a storage unit every morning. Onthe morning she was caught, she was being watched by the police after a tip from awitness. The child had been kept out of school since second grade because the mother feltshe was a slow learner. For most of her life, she kept the child locked in the houseduring the day, where she would watch television and dream about becoming a model. Thentheir house was destroyed by fire and the mother and daughter were forced to move into amotel. The mother had a problem trying to hide her daughter in the motel room. At onepoint the maid found the girl locked in the bathroom. It was then that the mother thoughtof keeping her in a storage unit.

She took the girl to the unit each morning and left her with no electricity or bathroomand only warm soft drinks and a jar of peanut butter to eat. The mother was arrested forchild neglect. Today the girl has a different life. She is married, and her mother-in-law,a teacher, is helping her learn to read. Her biggest surprise in life outside was thatpeople interact with each other. Since the marriage, she has been seeing her grandparents,aunts and uncles more often, but she does not speak to her mother. When the motherappeared in criminal court, she plead not guilty by reason of insanity. She was orderedinto a state mental hospital.

My question is, where were the relatives when this abuse was occurring? Didn't anyonerealize there was a problem? What about the maid that found her locked in the bathroom?Strange events seem to be happening, and as a community we need to keep our eyes and earsopen and report any suspicious activities to the authorities immediately.