"Left 10 kopecks in the entrance, taped with scotch tape." An unusual conflict in a Minsk high-rise building
Residents of house No. 32 on Prytytskaha Street in Minsk encountered an unexpected (and unauthorized) decision by a neighbor. One of the residents got used to charging his electric scooter... right in the building entrance, from a communal outlet.
"Such entrepreneurship outraged some, while others consider the cost of charging too insignificant to cause a conflict," teases Roman, a resident of Minsk who has been observing the situation from the very beginning, writes Onliner.by.
— The scooter appears in the hall several times a week, usually in the evening, and disappears in the morning," says the Minsker. "The outlet belongs to common areas, which means the entire building pays for the electricity. It turns out that a person goes about their business, and we all chip in for it little by little. Today a scooter, tomorrow someone will connect a car through the window."
Initially, residents left a note on the handlebars asking to charge the vehicle in the apartment. The next day, a second note appeared next to it, this time from the scooter owner: "A full charge costs a few kopecks. I can put money on the windowsill."
He did indeed leave money: a 10 kopeck coin was taped near the outlet. This finally divided the neighbor's chat into two camps.
Some considered the act an insult, while others suggested using the left money to buy tea for a residents' meeting.
As it turned out, the scooter owner (a young man) does not bring his property home due to relatives' dissatisfaction. Apparently, after the rain, the scooter is dirty, and the apartment is small.
— The scooter owner's arguments are as follows: it doesn't bother anyone in the entrance, it doesn't block the passage, and one charge costs less than a cup of water in a cafe (a 500 watt-hour battery). He says that if the issue is a matter of principle, he is ready to compensate the expenses for a year in advance," conveys Roman, quoting his neighbor.
Where did the active outlet in the entrance even come from? Roman says it is intended for cleaning equipment and technical work carried out by the local housing and communal services. Residents are not allowed to connect personal equipment to such an outlet, regardless of the amount of electricity consumed.
— After my appeal, they promised to equip the outlet with a protective cover and a lock. However, there are concerns that the key might get lost, and during cleaning, employees will have to use an extension cord," worries the young man.
Today, the scooter has moved to the staircase landing on the second floor. Residents have not yet found out if it is connected to another outlet there.