I feel bad

[WGirl]

I am partly responsible for getting our downstairs neighbors kicked out of the building. From the day I moved in here, I smelled pot coming up through the vents. I told my roommate about it. She never realized what it was until I said something. Even though the smell wasn't pleasant, it didn't bother me all that much. My roommate decided to complain to the building authorities about the smell and now they are getting evicted. I wish I never said anything. They never really bothered anybody. They knew they weren't supposed to be doing it, i still feel bad that they are getting thrown out.

[Tony T]

Well, if you feel bad because your neighbors were breaking the law, probably having others who break the law come in and out of their apartment, maybe even sell that stuff to kids, then subscribe to a good newspaper. Every day you can read about dozens of lawbreakers who are caught and taken to justice and you can feel bad about them too.

 

If you know a law is being broken and you do not report it, this is a criminal offense called obstruction of justice. Most municipalities have the ordinance on the books as: failure to report a criminal offense.

 

In any case, you have a legal obligation under the law to report things like this. If you don't and later is is found you had knowledge of an activity, you can be arrested yourself.

 

Once your apartment owner was made aware of this activity, had he not acted and allowed continued use of illegal substances in this building, he/she could have been arrested and, in certain unusual circumstances, the government could seize the property under RICO statutes.

 

It is not rational to feel bad that people are getting their due. You may have even saved their lives. Maybe this will be the event that leads them to quit rather than going on to the stronger stuff like cocaine and heroine.

 

However, I wouldn't advertise around the building that your roommate is the one who reported this smell. Those people have a lot of nerve smoking pot, knowing full well that smell is going everywhere around them. The probably didn't care.

 

I hope you will chose to feel good that you and your roommate did what the law requires and what you should do as a resident who wants to breathe clean pot-free air.

[WGirl]

You have some good points. I normally wouldn't feel bad about someone getting busted for drugs. I don't use pot and never have but I guess I have been exposed to it so much that I don't always see it as a serious problem. An ex-roommate used to smoke it every day. His niece was a cop. Figure that. I am sure she knew it was going on. I did not choose that roommate and had no say over what he did.(long story) It was living arrangement I chose out of desperation.

Well, if you feel bad because your neighbors were breaking the law, probably having others who break the law come in and out of their apartment, maybe even sell that stuff to kids, then subscribe to a good newspaper. Every day you can read about dozens of lawbreakers who are caught and taken to justice and you can feel bad about them too.

 

If you know a law is being broken and you do not report it, this is a criminal offense called obstruction of justice. Most municipalities have the ordinance on the books as: failure to report a criminal offense. In any case, you have a legal obligation under the law to report things like this. If you don't and later is is found you had knowledge of an activity, you can be arrested yourself.

 

Once your apartment owner was made aware of this activity, had he not acted and allowed continued use of illegal substances in this building, he/she could have been arrested and, in certain unusual circumstances, the government could seize the property under RICO statutes. It is not rational to feel bad that people are getting their due. You may have even saved their lives. Maybe this will be the event that leads them to quit rather than going on to the stronger stuff like cocaine and heroine. However, I wouldn't advertise around the building that your roommate is the one who reported this smell. Those people have a lot of nerve smoking pot, knowing full well that smell is going everywhere around them. The probably didn't care. I hope you will chose to feel good that you and your roommate did what the law requires and what you should do as a resident who wants to breathe clean pot-free air.