This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/a_dreamer on 2024-06-11 23:43:10+00:00.

A few years ago, I was living in an apartment complex on the third story with no balcony. At this point, I’d been living there for almost four years. The third story was the only floor that connected to the other half of the building for fire code access to two staircases. There are some steps about halfway to the other side that I’d smoke cigarettes sitting on. I’d always take the butts with me and swept every couple of days. I was a good neighbor: no noise, cat-sit for the guy across from me, taught the old Russian guy how to use his appliances, helped people move furniture in and out.

A new couple moves in. After smoking a cigarette on those stairs in-between, new neighbor guy comes to me and says, “Hey, sorry to bother you. Do you mind not smoking here; we can smell it in our apartment.” I say, “I’m so sorry - yeah, no problem. It won’t happen again.” We both go inside and that night I walk down to the first floor each time I wanted to smoke.

The next morning, I get a call from the apartment complex saying they received a complaint that I was smoking on the stairs in the connecting walkway. I admit that I did do that and have since started going all the way to the parking lot. He says, “Oh, you don’t have to do that. Any stair landing area is allowed smoking. Pretty much anywhere except where you were.” “Okay, thanks!”

I started smoking on the stair landing that forced them to walk past me and was closer to their apartment. Speaking to me as a person: I walk the three flights. Complain to the complex after I fixed the problem? Not going out of my way anymore.

EDIT: All outside door access apartments.