How do people live like this?

I'm delivering around a fairly large council estate the other day, and mostly it's quite nice. It's all been recently redeveloped/tarted up and it's a pleasant place really. But I get to a couple of blocks of 4 flats, and the smell of stale urine is overwhelming. I mean I cant breathe it's so bad. I'm dying of manflu and my nose is so bunged up I could not smell anything for a few days before, still quite bad now even but this made me sick. Behind a bush!
Fair enough I know a lot of people are unwell and suffer from 'leakages' and I suppose after a while they would probably get used to the smell and not notice it, but surely the neighbours and even people in blocks nearby must be concerned. I can't imagine you could eat or sleep or anything in these conditions. There was columns of flies in said blocks.
It's not a one off, or even blocked drains as I've been here a few times over several months and it's always the same.
You could still detect the odour on my clothes when I got home that day and before anyone starts IT WASN'T ME despite my ill chosen username!

errrr dat doesnt sound very nice are you learning to hold your breath for a long time?

Maybe take a mask with you next time, they might get the hint when they see you then lol. Sounds horrid, but to be fair it mightn't be through any fault of their own, they could just be physically incapable of doing anything about it Have you tried mentioning it to the people living there? There's every possibility they're so used to it they just don't think about it any more, disgusting and unhealthy though it is...

Originally Posted by missyorkie_chris

Maybe take a mask with you next time, they might get the hint when they see you then lol. Sounds horrid, but to be fair it mightn't be through any fault of their own, they could just be physically incapable of doing anything about it Have you tried mentioning it to the people living there? There's every possibility they're so used to it they just don't think about it any more, disgusting and unhealthy though it is...

I think one lady saw me barf! That'd give a little hint!

Originally Posted by captainsmelly

I think one lady saw me barf! That'd give a little hint!

Are the people that live there elderly then? Surely not kids there?

I don't really know. Most of the estate is mixed ages so I guess this part is too..

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For most of them its free, so they take what they can get......unless they are young enough to climb the property ladder (have a few kids)

Sounds quite tame... you should come with me into some of the houses I go into! I`ve been into houses that don`t just stink of stale urine but there`s faeces all over the floor too. One of my patients feeds all the local stray cats... she just throws cat food out of a tin onto the floor and encourages the cats to eat up, they then obv spray/wee/poo onto the carpet too.

I`ve been into houses where there`s children crawling amongst beer cans, cigarette ash and human poo.... believe me i`ve complained but nothing can be done about it. The stance appears to be "just cos they`re your hygiene standards it doesn`t mean everyone has to abide by them"!

The people in those blocks of flats are probs fighting a losing battle.... sometimes residents try their very best to keep their environment clean but drunks/foul kids urinate their every night and the "decent/clean" people end up giving in.

[keith_d]

Probably drunks/kids using the stairwell as a public (in)convenience. Only thing the locals can do is try to get the council to fit locks & intercom, but in the current climate they've got no chance.

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Off topic slightly I know....BUT

I was in the bullring in birmingham saturday/sunday and parked in the NCP/Selfridges car park......and it really did smell nice. Not even the stair wells smelt of pee......amazing I tell you