My Chinatown grandma being harassed by tenant

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Jonogunn

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Sup gaf wondering if I get some input on what to do.

So my Chinese grandma lives in a apartment building in Chinatown in Vancouver, Canada. The apartment is primarily old Chinese seniors but there's has been a rise of low income and unemployed tenants over the years.

The story is my grandma has been being harassed by one of the tenants where she would come home to find that her keyhole has been filled with glue. This has happened 3 times so far and there was even a note left during the second time:

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My mom was there a few months ago helping my grandma nail some photo frames to the wall and said tenant came up stairs to complain about the noise.

So I understand the two obvious course of actions to do is to complain to the building manager (which isn't in until Monday) and file a police report.

I'm worried that such a low profile case with no hard evidence of who did it that they wouldn't be able to stop the harassment. We consider putting a warning sign on the door threatening to call the police but i don't think that would work and may just entice the perp even more.

I'm a nonviolent person and I considered putting a note letting them know that we can discuss the problem they have in a civilized manner but even that I don't think would work.

My other thought was camping in my grandmas place during the day while she goes out in hopes to catch the perp in the act with video evidence or something. (I watch too many movies and tv shows)

Anyways we are most likely gonna wait it until Monday and hope the manager does something about it.

But what do u gaffers think?

TL;DR: Chinese grandma in low income apartment has someone fill her doorlock with glue and leaving racist notes.
 
Can you get a cheap security camera for the front door?

When the asshole does something, use that as evidence.
 
give the note to the police and file a complain, at this moment the tenant is already too invested in conflict to simply back off with some pep talk. Don't try to tape him, if Canada law is similar to any other western democracy you can't covertly film anyone and use the recording in court.
 
Tugatrix said:
give the note to the police and file a complain, at this moment the tenant is already too invested in conflict to simply back off with some pep talk. Don't try to tape him, if Canada law is similar to any other western democracy you can't covertly film anyone and use the recording in court.
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?

Security camera's don't hold up in court? You aren't specifically filming him, he just happens to come in view. Maybe you can put up a 'you can be recorded sign' but idk if that is OK with the property owner.
 
Is she cutting vegetables on a chopping board? I ask becuse I live I in China and that's always the sound that travels to the other apartments, some old people get up early to do this and that makes the problem worse. My roommates bedroom was below the kitchen was below the apartment above and it used to drive him crazy when the old woman would start chopping vegetables at 6AM.
 
dreamcastmaster said:
Is she cutting vegetables on a chopping board? I ask becuse I live I in China and that's always the sound that travels to the other apartments, some old people get up early to do this and that makes the problem worse. My roommates bedroom was below the kitchen was below the apartment above and it used to drive him crazy when the old woman would start chopping vegetables at 6AM.
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Sounds like his problem. It's totally reasonable to be chopping vegetables in the morning. The note seems to be complaining about her using a cane, which is more fucked up
 
NeOak said:
Can you get a cheap security camera for the front door?

When the asshole does something, use that as evidence.
Click to expand...

Thought bout it. Not sure about the building policies but cameras aren't cheap and there's no wifi at that building. I wouldn't be fully sure how to set it up and chances are it'll easily be stolen.
 
Tugatrix said:
give the note to the police and file a complain, at this moment the tenant is already too invested in conflict to simply back off with some pep talk. Don't try to tape him, if Canada law is similar to any other western democracy you can't covertly film anyone and use the recording in court.
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in many places *audio* is not legal, but video usually is.
 
Sapiens said:
Get your grandma out of there. There's no winning against canadian redneck idiots.
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Well a bit f background on why there's that racist remark.

Chinatown is located in the downtown east side of Vancouver for those of you who don't know is a dump. Easily the most unflattering part of our city. It's full of homeless people, drug addicts, dealers, low income citizens. You can google images to get a better picture.

Most Chinese elders come from a poor background and learn not to be wasteful. A lot of them (including my other grandma) are hoarders. Neither of my grandparents are poor and we support them fully but it's basically ingrained in their DNA to get whatever free stuff they can. It's like a hobby for some.

So whenever shelters or non-profit organizations are giving out free stuff or free food it's always a battle between the homeless/low income people and old Chinese grannies which in turn causes a lot of turmoil and racism.

My girlfriend works for a non-profit women's center in downtown so she's seen it all. Racism from not just homeless people but staff members as well.

So yah. That's where that racist remark came from
 
dreamcastmaster said:
Is she cutting vegetables on a chopping board? I ask becuse I live I in China and that's always the sound that travels to the other apartments, some old people get up early to do this and that makes the problem worse. My roommates bedroom was below the kitchen was below the apartment above and it used to drive him crazy when the old woman would start chopping vegetables at 6AM.
Click to expand...

Yah I had this thought moments before posting this thread.

I should also clarify she does not use a cane which is likely what the perp meant in their drawing.
 
Jonogunn said:
Yah I had this thought moments before posting this thread.

I should also clarify she does not use a cane which is likely what the perp meant in their drawing.
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Is this like extreme vegetable chopping in the x games or something? How does chopping vegetables make so much noise it carries to the next apartment unless you're slamming a butcher knife down as hard as you can? When i chop vegetables the sound of them coming apart is louder than any sound between the knife and the board?
 
This kind of thing is infuriating and I understand the feeling of powerlessness that you might be having. It's very difficult to get something done about these things and the perpetrators often get away with it.

I would suggest contacting CBC and CTV with it. They'll probably do nothing with it but the small chance that they do something is worth it, imo. If other elders in thr Chinese community are experiencing similar issues, that would certainly help your case. Also, file a police report as you said.

But none of that deals with the immediate issue of an aggressively racist neighbour living near your grandmother. If she has any friends on that floor, maybe you could place a hidden camera there that is watching her door. Even if that video is inadmissible, you could leave the perpetrator a note that he or she has been recorded and will be reported if they don't back off. That could escalate things though... Sigh. Situations like this are tough. Maybe someone that has had some success can chime in.
 
Jonogunn said:
Well a bit f background on why there's that racist remark.

Chinatown is located in the downtown east side of Vancouver for those of you who don't know is a dump. Easily the most unflattering part of our city. It's full of homeless people, drug addicts, dealers, low income citizens. You can google images to get a better picture.

Most Chinese elders come from a poor background and learn not to be wasteful. A lot of them (including my other grandma) are hoarders. Neither of my grandparents are poor and we support them fully but it's basically ingrained in their DNA to get whatever free stuff they can. It's like a hobby for some.

So whenever shelters or non-profit organizations are giving out free stuff or free food it's always a battle between the homeless/low income people and old Chinese grannies which in turn causes a lot of turmoil and racism.

My girlfriend works for a non-profit women's center in downtown so she's seen it all. Racism from not just homeless people but staff members as well.

So yah. That's where that racist remark came from
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Wait, your grandma goes and gets free food intended for the homeless when she can afford all the food she could want? That is really rude.

Of course not rude enough to call her or anyone a racial slur, but still.....that food is for the needy.
 
Jonogunn said:
Well a bit f background on why there's that racist remark.

Chinatown is located in the downtown east side of Vancouver for those of you who don't know is a dump. Easily the most unflattering part of our city. It's full of homeless people, drug addicts, dealers, low income citizens. You can google images to get a better picture.

Most Chinese elders come from a poor background and learn not to be wasteful. A lot of them (including my other grandma) are hoarders. Neither of my grandparents are poor and we support them fully but it's basically ingrained in their DNA to get whatever free stuff they can. It's like a hobby for some.

So whenever shelters or non-profit organizations are giving out free stuff or free food it's always a battle between the homeless/low income people and old Chinese grannies which in turn causes a lot of turmoil and racism.
Click to expand...

Well...tell your grandma to stop doing that...
 
xxracerxx said:
Wait, your grandma goes and gets free food intended for the homeless when she can afford all the food she could want? That is really rude.

Of course not rude enough to call her or anyone a racial slur, but still.....that food is for the needy.
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No my Chinatown grandma doesn't do that but my other grandma won't doesn't live in Chinatown does.

It's free stuff given to anyone and everyone and yes I have spoken to my grandma about going easy on taking free stuff especially stuff she and us really don't need (like socks) that is meant for the homeless.

But it's a thing that's engrained in their DNA. Like I said most grannies including my own grew up very poor while living in China. My grandfather passed away very early and she had to raise 3 sons on her own in a poor communist country. To this day even though my grandma is very old and needs a walker and everything she goes up and down alley ways hoarding stuff people throw out. Nothing we do or say stops her from doing that.

Like f there are parades or street events where venders and restaurants are giving out free samples and stuff she would grab as much as she can. Often brings them home to give to us. We have yelled and tried to tell her to stop but she lives like a poor person and hat just won't change in her. Also she's just hardwired to provide as much as she can to her family especially grandkids because that's all she knows (as most grandparents do?)

My grandma personally doesn't need any of that stuff but she goes down there a lot and meet other grannies they do what they like to do. There are however legit poor grannies living in poverty because their asshole sons and daughters neglect them.
 
Before I make this thread more confusing I went off on a tangent and included my OTHER grandma in this thread.

So to clarify:

Chinatown grandma is the one being harassed and not the one hoarding or gettin free food ad stuff.

My Non-Chinatown grandma is the one who does but has no relevance to the topic at hand. I was just trying to paint a picture of what it's like in that area of Vancouver and where the racism comes from.
 
If it's the food chopping, I would consider trying to add like a foam pad or something under the cutting board, to see if that might muffle the sound a bit.

I'd consider the security camera and police reports too, but if theres a fairly simple step that might helps with what is antagonizing him, it's worth a try.

Also, go glue the motherfuckers door lock.
 
Jonogunn said:
Before I make this thread more confusing I went off on a tangent and included my OTHER grandma in this thread.

So to clarify:

Chinatown grandma is the one being harassed and not the one hoarding or gettin free food ad stuff.

My Non-Chinatown grandma is the one who does but has no relevance to the topic at hand. I was just trying to paint a picture of what it's like in that area of Vancouver and where the racism comes from.
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Wait...this is still confusing. Does food taking Grandma go into Chinatown to take food from the homeless and that is why the homeless have a bad view of elderly Chinese in the area?
 
I liked think I'm a reasonable non violent person but if my grandma showed me a note like that I might end up in legal trouble.
 
xxracerxx said:
Wait...this is still confusing. Does food taking Grandma go into Chinatown to take food from the homeless and that is why the homeless have a bad view of elderly Chinese in the area?
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Chinatown is in the heart of the downtown east side so the seniors and homeless clash a lot.

There are a lot of places that give out free stuff and it is often a mix of old grannies and low income people. So occasionally situations break out where arguments would happen between the two groups f people. Of course they dont Speak English so racism kicks in easily. My gf works there as runs a program for chinese seniors with practically no budget because her non-profit organization head people are racist against them as well. Once a old grannie came in distruaght because she was robbed and because of the difference of cultures, language barriers and misunderstanding the staff members treated her as hostile because she would be gently grabbing their arm as she plead for help in Chinese and/or speak loudly which can be interpreted as agressision.
 
as someone who has dealt with racist neighbors harassing family, catch them in the act know where they live and call the police to say your family is being harassed by a racist neighbor. A visit from the cops should do the trick.
 
On one hand, asking another tenant to stop making noise and seeing if a compromise can be reached is totally reasonable.
But instead this person decides to harass your grandma and leave racist notes. so fuck them. call the cops on their ass.
 
Maximus. said:
You won't be able to reason with that idiotic racist trash. They are low income or unemployed for a reason.
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wamberz1 said:
On one hand, asking another tenant to stop making noise and seeing if a compromise can be reached is totally reasonable.
But instead this person decides to harass your grandma and leave racist notes. so fuck them. call the cops on their ass.
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Admiral Woofington said:
as someone who has dealt with racist neighbors harassing family, catch them in the act know where they live and call the police to say your family is being harassed by a racist neighbor. A visit from the cops should do the trick.
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Yah I figured this too. But captain America and all other heroes that I love would tell me to try a peaceful solution first.
 
Jonogunn said:
Yah I figured this too. But captain America and all other heroes that I love would tell me to try a peaceful solution first.
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peaceful solution went out the fucking window the second he decided to call your grandma a racist name. This has gone from 'I'm annoyed' to 'I'm a shitty human being'
 
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