Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Relocation: Plan A, Plan B, and a Lie

That title comes from a quote from a former colleague: "I've always got a Plan A, a Plan B, and a lie."

I don't have a lie to tell, but when it comes to this year's relocation, I've got a Plan A, B, and maybe a C and a D.

As usual, I began my new housing search immediately upon my arrival in South Louisiana on Sunday. My Plan A relocation city is Opelousas, but yesterday, I heard the sad news that my competition for rental property in that small city is fierce, as is the competition for my price range. A real estate agent told me that you pretty much have to see the rental sign go up and knock on the door immediately or it'll be grabbed from your hands overnight.

Therefore, I've got to think in terms of Plans B, C, and D.

But before I get to those plans, this: Since Sunday, I've ruled out a number of potential residences, and I will tell you that some landlords should be ashamed of themselves for offering such wretched shelters at the prices they do. A cultural informant proposed to me that some renters, if they are tied to a particular community and have no independent transportation, are at the mercy of wolves. .... I see that. ..... And I see, too, that the towns apparently turn a blind eye to such disgrace, allowing it to continue without demanding  minimum standards of structural decency. Anyone who thinks the poor have a sense of entitlement - please. The poor are prey.

Plans B through D have me considering locales significantly more rural than originally planned.

As fictional character Bones said, "... in ignorance, I await my own surprise."

In the meantime, I'm in a comfortable airbnb house in a central Lafayette neighborhood, and I've made arrangements to move to another airbnb over the weekend.

No comments: