I live in a neat little apartment very close to the beach. The place is cool and funky and is in a great location - but it has one major downside. Rob. Rob is the landlord's son, who also happens to live upstairs. Rob is in his late 40's and lives here rent-free in exchange for maintaining the building for his dad. Seeing how the building is only 4 units including his own, you'd think that'd be a pretty easy gig for Rob to handle. Not so.
Rob has the look and sound and work ethic of a burned-out, stoned-out surfer in his late 40's. He's not stupid; in fact I believe at one point in his life he was probably pretty smart and had a lot going for him. But now he seems happy to just float lazily along through life doing as little as possible. If that were Rob's only fault, I'd probably still like the guy - but that ain't it. Rob's major fault is an appalling lack of concern or empathy for the people around him. He could not care less about me or any of the other people who live here - it's his building, we just live here. It's this part of Rob that annoys me greatly.
Here's a great example of Rob and how he rolls. A little over a week ago, it started to get a little chilly here in LA. Not genuinely cold, but cool enough so that it seemed like a good idea to turn the heat on - overnight temps in the low 50s. I lit the pilot light on my rickety old furnace, but that's all it would do - for some reason it just wouldn't kick into gear and start the fan or the burners.
So the next day, I let Rob know that the furnace was non-functional. He immediately grills me to see if I'm sure I lit the pilot light correctly - as if I'm clueless and it's somehow a complicated affair requiring skill. That out of the way, he assures me he will be down to look at it the following day.
The next day, I came home late at night to find the thermostat pulled off the wall, next to an empty Starbuck's cup and a pile of random tools. Still no heat.
The next day, I came home at my normal time to find the thermostat still off the wall, and the tools in a slightly rearranged pile next to the empty Starbuck's cup. Still no heat. So I wandered up to his place to get the story. Rob is convinced that the thermostat is broken. I'm not so sure - the thermostat is old but ridiculously simple - all it controls is the furnace, and a quick peek at the guts of it with the cover off shows that the thing is working. But I defer to his superior repair skills (I didn't feel like arguing) and bid him adieu after he promises to get it working the next day.
The next day, I came home to find the thermostat still pulled off the wall, next to the empty Starbuck's cup and the now slightly rearranged pile of random tools. Still no heat. I was too tired to deal with him, so I let it go for the day.
The next day, I came home late at night to find a ridiculously complex electronic thermostat used for controlling combination heat and A/C systems dangling from the wires coming out of the wall. Still no heat, and the new thermostat does little more than blink "12:00". Random tools and Starbuck's cup still in attendance.
The next day (Friday), I came home to find the Nintendo thermostat has been replaced by what looks like my old thermostat, but dirtier. Starbuck's cup, check. Random pile of tools, check. Still no heat. I wander upstairs again. Rob explains that since his thermostat worked and it was the same as my old one, he brought it down to see if it worked with my furnace. No go. I asked what the plan of attack might be going forward, and he just shrugged. "I guess I'll have to call a technician on Monday" he says. Finally. This sounds good enough to me, so I head back downstairs.
Monday night, I came home late to find the thermostat pulled off the wall, again next to the empty Starbuck's cup and the same pile of random tools. Still no heat. My roommate (who has been staying with her boyfriend because of the lack of heat) informs me that Rob had been down earlier to collect the rent check but left mumbling about a late fee when she didn't give him anything. I call him and leave a message on his voicemail informing him that I will hold onto the rent check until the furnace is functional, and that I'm sure he understands.
Tonight, I come home and Rob is waiting for me impatiently as I get out of my car. He needs the rent check now. I ask about the furnace, he mumbles something about having a technician scheduled to come out tomorrow and again demands the rent check "or else there will be a late fee". I again tell him that I don't want to give him the rent until the furnace is repaired, and that I think it's only fair to have heat before I pay. He whines about not having enough money to pay for the repair technician unless I pay rent, so I give in and agree to have a rent check waiting for him tomorrow - but I make him promise to get the furnace working.
I will not be even a little bit surprised to come home tomorrow to a cold home, rent check gone.
