The Three Plagues of Pearl Street

There is an expected lack of control in life. Accepting the expected is the challenge. Life in Brownsville is no different. We are living through the Three Plagues of Pearl Street.

First there are the criminals. Specifically, the drug activity has sky rocketed with the new neighbors. They live on the next block, but why deal drugs out of your house when you can use other people’s property? They are brazen and aggressive. Just yesterday, I saw two men in an old white pick-up truck with tow equipment… the passenger gets out and meets a third man exchanges drugs for money about 10 feet from where I am sitting in my car (if you are with the drug task force, license plates detailed descriptions on names are available). That is just the most recent incident in a long string this summer.

Second are the bats. They have been breeding in the attic of the townhouses and one escaped into the living area. A tenant woke up with one sitting on her chest. Apparently bats aren’t as cute up close. We think there are less than 10 in the attic and at the quotes I’ve been receiving from the exterminator, I think I could pay someone $250 per bat to catch them with their teeth.

Third are the fleas. Not only did I have to evict a tenant for not paying their rent for three months, they left behind a gift. I walked into the unit the other day and was swarmed with over 100 hungry and lonely fleas. One day I will write about our state regulations and judicial system that protects tenant rights. At the moment, I’m either too angry or too accepting (stage two or five in the tragedy model).