For once I was speechless!

[bammertheblue]

Background: This happened when I was working at the front desk of *Nut House* Apartment building. Under Fair Housing laws, we are not allowed to talk about the demographics of our apartment buildings. If someone asks "Do a lot of young/black/white/rich/Hispanic people live here?" or even "What kind of people live here?" we are, BY LAW, only allowed to say "Everyone who qualifies can live here." This happened one Sunday when the leasing office was closed and I was the only member of staff on duty.

Me=Me=Concierge (front desk)
SC= White 50ish male

SC comes to the front door and says he's interested in some information about our building. I buzz him in and he comes up to the desk. I give him pricing information and a packet and chat with him a little about the building.
SC= "Does this building participate in *Program X*? [A program that helps low-income people with rent reductions, help with utility payments, etc.]
Me= "I don't think so, but I'm not 100% sure. The leasing agents will definitely know, though, so you can call or stop by on Monday and they can tell you for certain."
SC= "Well, the place I live now does, and it's horrible! All these IMMIGRANTS! They come here and don't want to work and the government just gives them free money and they don't speak english and -insert every racist, anti-immigrant stereotype here-!"
Me=
I was literally speechless. He went on and on about how awful immigrants are, and I just sat there in silence. I couldn't even look at him. Finally he shut up and left. I just said "Goodbye."

Funny, he didn't look Native American...

[bainsidhe]

You make an interesting point about the demographic question, which I never really considered. When I was apartment hunting, I did ask what the demographic was in the building/community. Mostly I wanted to know if I'd be living in a building full of college kids (I sick of listening to parties every single weekend and the aftermath of destruction), elderly (I'm tired of being told to "quiet down" when using my indoor voice and otherwise not making a peep-stupid thin walls), lots of families (a noise issue, but otherwise not bad), or more working class/single/professional folks such as myself. I never really considered the bias that went with such a question, and you're right. Hmm, just something to think about.

[Athaelia]

Personally, I kinda check out the demographics of any apartment/community,etc. when shopping for a new place. It's nice when you speak the language of your neighbors, and have something in common with them.

But the guy didn't have to be such a douchwaffle about it! It sounds like he blurted out what he was thinking in his head. Sounds like a real gem of a human being.

[ralerin]

Sounds like something my dad would do.

But as a side note, I had no idea you couldn't ask about the demographics. Hm.

[blas]

Wow....when I asked about demographics where I live, I was not even worried about races....I was thinking more along the lines of am I going to be the only person under 80 who lives here?

[PepperElf]

oddly enough there is a website that you can get that information from, but it only goes by the zip code, not the complex.


and it doesn't really tell you the details you want to know like...

Apartment complex in VA Beach: your neighbors are candidates for Jerry Springer episodes.
Apartment complex in upstate NY: You have quiet neighbors.

[Arm]

yeah, it's one of those problems you get when apartment hunting... You want to know demographic information like that- but because of assholes like bammer mentions, now the complexes can't give it out.

Honestly, I don't think that rule really helps, though. If that guy rents somewhere and discovers that there ARE people there he doesn't like, somehow I don't think it's gonna come up roses for his neighbors or anyone else there.

Personally, I like living in places that have younger kids; I figure parents with pre-teens are like canaries in coal mines. You're not going to find too many of them that stick around in a not-nice neighborhood, if they can at all afford to move. Similarly, parents aren't as likely to let their kids play outside if they think they live in a bad area. So if you go apartment hunting after school lets out, on days with good weather, you can get a feel for what sort of neighborhood you'd be living in, even though the agents can't tell you.

Of course, then I live on the upper floors so that the little bastids can't peek in my windows
Kids are a good measure of the quality of the neighborhood, but that doesn't mean I actually want them around *me*.

[bammertheblue]

He's the only person I've ever had flip out on me because I couldn't give him an answer. Mostly when people ask about the demographics, it's not out of racism, but rather things like a family with young kids wants to know if there are other young children in the building for their kids to play with. It does suck that I can't answer innocent questions like that.
On the other hand, I've watched some hidden camera videos where people (government agents?) posing as prospective residents DID ask racist questions. I remember one:

Fake Prospect: "So what kind of people live here? Is it, you know, a safe place to live?"
Leasing Agent: "It's very safe."
FP: "I mean, are there a lot of...black...people living here?"
LA: "Oh, no. There was one guy, but we kinda...got rid of him".

BUSTED. It's because of morons like that that I can't tell Mr and Mrs Nicepeople if there are kids in the building for little Mary to play with.

[tropicsgoddess]

The only demographics I want to know about are how safe the neighborhood is and how close it is to any major areas (i.e. school, airport, etc). Wow, what an asshole.

[Stryker One]

Asked and answered

Sounds like something my dad would do.

But as a side note, I had no idea you couldn't ask about the demographics. Hm.

You can ASK anything you want....

[Andara Bledin]

Funny, he didn't look Native American...

That's one funny thing about looks; they can be deceiving. You'd say the same thing about Theresa Yellowhair.

Personally, I like living in places that have younger kids; I figure parents with pre-teens are like canaries in coal mines. You're not going to find too many of them that stick around in a not-nice neighborhood, if they can at all afford to move. Similarly, parents aren't as likely to let their kids play outside if they think they live in a bad area. So if you go apartment hunting after school lets out, on days with good weather, you can get a feel for what sort of neighborhood you'd be living in, even though the agents can't tell you.

I currently live in a place with a ton of younger children. They like to skateboard all over the place, including over the spot of our most recent gang-related shooting (about 200 feet from our door). The most obvious of the drug dealers moved out sometime last year, though. But the skate punks have a habit of taking things like concrete parking bumpers to skate on. And a good number of the kids in the complex also tend to be out very late. Sometimes this means after midnight.

^-.-^

[blas]

I live in a part of town where average joes and janes and still working elderly people and really CHEAP retired/widowed elderly people live.

And then there's people like Sheriff who have some sort of ties with the owner of the property management company.....because if they didn't, there'd be no way that bozo could afford to live here or still be a tenant after all the complaints filed against him.