Re: FN-FORUM: [OT] Finding a new house...

date posted 28th January 2005 21:46

On 28 Jan 2005 10:08:05 -0000, Nicola Dunn [EMAIL REMOVED] wrote:
>
> > Reading West station was the 'attraction' - I was working in
> > Maidenhead at the time. I got lucky and found a place in Maidenhead
> > in the end.
>
> Ugh.
> I feel sorry for people who haven't a clue what they're getting
> into... estate agents must get quite a few of them!
>
So many posts today, I missed this.

A good story (OK, I have many stories ... I know)

Many moons ago, I broke up with my wife. I spent a week in a hotel
while setting about finding a place to live. I was living in Toronto
at the time. I was well sorted, so I looked for a nice furnished flat
in the city centre and I found one quite quickly.

I went to view it during the day. The place was great - perfect for me
and I signed a 6 month lease on the spot, went and fetched my bags
from the hotel etc. A couple of nights later, I came home very late
from the office and found my street choc-a-block with traffic. I had
to blow the horn to get someone to move from the entrance to the
underground parking. I couldn't understand what was going on, so I
took a walk outside. That's when I discovered my street was part of
the 'track' - i.e. the area where ladies of the night plied their
trade.

OK - no big deal - it was a very nice building and I'm liberal minded.

On the weekend, I had gone out for the night and at the end of the
evening, hailed a cab and gave him the address. "OK, that's Tranny
Row, buddy?" I didn't follow, thought he'd misunderstood and so
repeated the address. "Heard you the first time, buddy". So I asked
"What do you mean 'Tranny Row'?" He laughed "Well, you didn't think
they were girls, did you?"

The building was a couple of blocks from the gay area of the city, (I
did know that when I chose the place) so it sort of made sense! I
remember also there was a big fuss in the media about a university
lecturer writing an article in a gay paper that where he apparently
admitted to enjoying the company of minors. So I discovered he lived
in that building when I came home one night ... again I couldn't get
into the car park because of the TV crews and they weren't going to
move for the likes of me!

Finally, one night I popped out at 1am to buy ciggies (I had a habit
of drinking scotch and playing Leonard Cohen songs late at night while
contemplating the meaning of life - not much has changed [ ;-) ]
though I lay off the scotch these days) and was approached by a
solitary 'lady' who wanted to know if I'd like some company. I
declined politely and then she asked if she could 'bum' a smoke - it
was a miserable, bittery cold night (remember - this is Toronto) and
she was the only one on the street. I bought her a pack and a coffee
from the all night shop on the corner. She had to have been pretty
desperate for the money to have been standing outside in that weather.

I did - by the way - relate this to the landlord who professed
ignorance. I do wonder if he mentioned it to the next tenant.

Needless to say, I was much more careful chosing my next place (which I bought).

Dave


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