August
24. Home after an exhausting day at the
office, I parked my carcass on my couch when the Lobby Door rang on my office cellphone. “Can you buzz me in? My mom’s visiting her friend and I don’t
remember the number,” said a teen girl’s voice.
“Who’s
the friend? What unit?” I asked.
“I
don’t remember,” she said.
Having
been the mother of a juvenile delinquent, I was suspicious. “Can you tell me something about the friend? Do they have a dog?”
No dog. “What floor?” I asked.
There
was a pause, then, “I just know where it is!”
Call
me cynical but I didn’t buy it, “I don’t know who you are, so I’m not letting
you in,” and I hung up.
About
five minutes later I was enjoying my pre-dinner snooze when I hear screams. “No! Stop! Don’t do it!
I don’t want you to die!”
That
got my attention. I scramble out onto my
balcony and there, dangling over the 12th floor catwalk railing is a
teenage boy doing his best Cirque du Soleil for the audience of six terrified
teenage girls. “Hey kid!” I yell, “Get back over that railing NOW!” I take this photo. He climbs back.
Soon he’s scrambling away with his gaggle of female fans. I pressed the button on my floor and hopped
on the elevator with the young perps. “What
the hell were you thinking!” said the Mom voice coming out of my mouth. No answer.
I pulled out my camera and started shooting video. They instantly buried their faces in their
phones.
The
voice of the Lobby Door Girl sing-songs, “Don’t you know it’s against the law
to take videos of minors?”
“DON’T
YOU KNOW IT’S AGAINST THE LAW TO TRESSPASS!”
I barked.
Soon
we were in the lobby and they high tail it down Wilbur.
I ran
the security camera back. Sure enough, just
minutes before, they were calling me from the Lobby Phone. The girls went
around trying the other lobby doors but the acrobat stayed behind trying every intercom
button. Soon, someone exited the
building and the sly miscreant quickly tossed his backpack in the opening and motioned
his rat pack in.
My
reason for recounting this story is to warn you - if you see strangers in the outer
lobby, please don’t let them in.
You might be saving a life!
Karyl Miller, Building Manager