Bianca Knows Best ... And Helps a Wuss
by Bianca Phillips
My friend recently lost the house he shared with several other roommates. He asked if he could move in with me, and I stupidly agreed.
On moving day, he drug not one, but three couches into my living room. Bear in mind that I already have a perfectly good couch. He's also filled my small apartment with loads of old, rotting wooden furniture that he swears he'll "fix up" to sale very soon.
Then yesterday, he almost killed my cats by leaving toxic roach motels in easy-to-reach places around the house. I caught one cat actually carrying one in her mouth yesterday. When I asked him to move them, he said he would. But one day later, the traps hadn't been moved.
Now I’m regretting my decision to let him move in. What should I do?
-- Guy with Three Couches
Dear Guy,
I'd suggest holding a big neighborhood couch giveaway while he's not home. When he arrives at your place and his sofas are gone, just tell him you heard there's a couch thief on the loose. Or you could take advantage of the situation and sign up to host multiple travelers on CouchSurfing.com.
Seriously though, you need to sit this guy down and set some rules. You're doing him a favor and he needs to know his place. Tell him he can only stay if he ditches the junk and respects your home.
Give him a deadline to find homes for his couches and his crappy furniture. Anything that doesn't fit in his bedroom (if you're even giving him one) must go as soon as possible. He's used to sharing a place with several people, so surely he knows a thing or two about living with others.
As for the cats, he may not have known that roach motels were dangerous to your feline friends. But once you set him straight on that, he should have immediately removed them. His stubbornness is a sign that living with this guy could be a rocky ride.
Let him know that reluctance to abide by your rules could put him on the street in a hurry. And if things continue to go downhill, don't hesitate to kick him to the curb. If he's a true friend, he'll respect your wishes and clean up his act.
Got a problem? Send your questions to Bianca at bphillips@memphisflyer.com.
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