College Laundry Story

Parent Cafe
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<p>um, i grew up using laundry rooms, and yes, we sat there, and did our homework…</p>

<p>my mom went through college and kids sat in laundry rooms reading, doing homework, as did I</p>

<p>Here is a trick-do MORE laundry once a week, wear clothes more than once, like sweatshirts, towels</p>

<p>this is wrong your laundry should be safe, but its not, so students need to give up an hour or two a week…not the end of the world to do that</p>

<p>when I was in school, a few girls would do laundry at same time, and each week, one was in charge of putting in dryers, etc, and next week, someone else turn…worked well, and often machines were shared…</p>

<p>I am not blaming anyone but the thiefs, however, we have to be smart and not leave valuables laying around, and clothes are valuables…they should be safe, you should trust your dorm mates, but they have friends, peole sneak in, etc…</p>

<p>I hope D puts up wanted posters for her clothes, to show the entire dorm what happened, and when things are lost or stolen it needs to be reported asap, be late for a class if need be, cause I bet D was not the only one that day with missing garments…</p>

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<p>okay, D needs to do something, and I am serious…make a list of what was stolen and fax or call or drop off to all the used colthing stores in walking distance…I would bet those stores don’t want stolen property…at least make it difficult for them</p>

<p>mom, if she emails you list asap, you can help her with contacting shops…I would do it cause I wold be so mad</p>

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<p>Susan,
I am so sorry for your D and I apologize on behalf of the people of the State of New York. :wink: This does remind me, however, of a funny story from back in the Dark Ages when I went to college. It seems that my roommate (5’3", 112 lbs) had some very distinctive clothing stolen from the laundry room. Lo and behold, she spotted it being worn by someone else in the dorm (small dorm) 5’9", 150 lbs. (Don’t ask.) She prevailed on me to help her and we got into the girl’s room and “reposessed” it. Seriously though, I can only imagine how aggravating this must be with your daughter’s busy schedule. But we were always told that if you must leave the laundry room, keep track of the time. Perhaps she can work out a “sentry” system with friends.</p>

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<p>You guys are great, thanks for all of your thoughtful posts. I don’t usually start a thread but she called very late last night and I was on CC and so I just vented it here and actually all your kids are in a situation where this can happen. It does stink. Last year, she had her wallet stolen from her room/apt in her dorm and that was a royal PITA replacing all the credit cards and IDs. Now this. It is always something. </p>

<p>To address some other posts…</p>

<p>Yes, we have homeowner’s insurance but we have a $500 deductible and so I don’t think it is worth making a claim. I have yet to get a run down of what was stolen though I am sure it is worth over $500 (anyone with teen girls knows the cost of clothes these days). It was a week’s worth of laundry. She had arrived on campus seven days prior. She had been coming from a summer job out of state (we moved her from state to state with no stop at home) and she even had some dirty clothing brought with her to campus. She called so late last night and wasn’t in the mood to run down and figure out all the stolen items and I still want her to. But the ones she already told me about include a lot of new clothing bought in the past two months and some of this clothing are things she needs to wear in class (for those who don’t know, she is in a BFA in Musical Theater program) and we had bought some of these things specifically to wear to class. Then there were things like some new dresses she had just bought, regular clothes, even the good 'ole $50 NYU sweatshirt (bought the day of the Tisch accepted students event in April which was a big deal as it was her first day out of a hospital bed where she had received the acceptance and she was in a wheelchair in NYC after suffering major injuries in a serious car crash), underwear (the cost of VS bras and sports bras these days adds up alone), etc. I have yet to talk to her since late last night. Her availability is very marginal and she often calls when walking in the city from one thing to another. She is not picking up. </p>

<p>She knows and I know that ideally one should stay in the laundry room when doing laundry though none of the kids do, she says. While it is easy to say give this or that activity up to stay in the laundry room, many here do not realize the schedule that someone in a BFA program like hers at Tisch keeps. Many days she has class from 9-6. Other days are less hours but even today she had to take her private voice lesson through school at the teacher’s studio in another part of NYC by subway. Yesterday was one of the 9-6 days at her theater studio. Her studio is in one area and her liberal arts are in another spread over about a 20 block radius. Besides many more hours of class time than a BA student would have, she is out every night and weekend. For instance, right now she is the musical director for Into the Woods and so she has rehearsals every night and on weekends. She also is in an a capella group (and is Asst. Mus. Dir for that as well) that rehearses two nights per week as well. This past week ,she was casting both things and was out every night til midnight and all day Sat. and Sunday as well just running auditions and casting. Even then she had missed an all day retreat she was supposed to be at for Tisch Scholars, which is in. She is not in her dorm that much and on top of that, like any college student has homework, papers, prep, etc. So, I can see why she can’t sit in the laundry room but will have to come up with some idea to do things differently now. As far as asking a friend, all of her friends are also in the BFA program, including her roomies and so they are barely ever available either. Maybe they can figure this out. I have hardly spoken to her. </p>

<p>I truly hope she has reported it by now and I wish she did right away yesterday though I realize she wasn’t in all day other than when she discovered this. I don’t know if the tapes caught it or are still viewable. I hope she calls me back. It is weird to think someone took WET clothes. My D said there ought to be a way to swipe your card in order to get your stuff out of the machine, not just to put it into the machine (maybe she should be an inventor?) It is weird that when she went back later, someone had brought back a small pile of wet stuff that she figures they rejected, underwear and stuff like that. </p>

<p>It is not like my D has nothing else to wear. I feel she has a substantial wardrobe. But she does want and truthfully needs many of the items that were taken. I will talk to her about replacing them, not that she has much time to shop but then again, she lives right in Manhattan. Just next store to her dorm is American Eagle and across the street is Forever 21 and stores like Urban Outfitters are close by. The dance stuff she could go and buy again. One new item I had just gotten in a catalogue and had just given to her. She didn’t want us to have to “waste” money. </p>

<p>Yes, she has had stuff stolen before, but that usually is one item, not an entire pile of a week’s worth of clothing, which is much more costly and difficult to replace. </p>

<p>As far as how identifiable it is…well for 8 years, I had ironed her name into everythng she owns but winter clothing as she went away every summer to a camp. But the last time I did that was about 15 months ago as she is now a soph in college, no more camp. So none of her newer clothes have her name in them and it sounds like a lot of what is gone was bought in recent months. Yeah, she could see someone wearing the stuff but remember she lives in a high rise apartment style dorm in NYC, so, um, not like you know everyone at all or see them all. I recall once at our dance studio at home, I saw a g irl wearing my D’s tank top that she obviously had taken from the dressing room and I asked her politely about it and was able to prove it because my daughter’s name tape was ironed right into it and it wasn’t an item sold in our state. </p>

<p>Bookiemom, about the drying racks…funny you mention it…when we did dorm shopping for college for freshmen year (last year), we bought one of those drying racks. Came to pick her up at the end of the year, it was still in the wrapper and never used. She knows when I did her laundry at home (which I did until the day she left for college), I drip dry almost everything but underwear, PJ’s, etc. to keep her clothes nice. I didn’t expect her to do that but I thought she’d drip dry leotards and dance clothing or real good stuff but apparently “everything can go in the dryer mom!” So, the drying rack is in our basement here all in its wrapper! Funny coincidence, but I just talked to older D who is studying in Florence, Italy this semester and has an apartment there. I asked how she can do laundry. She said she has her own washer but not dryer. The washer is on her balcony and there are drying racks (she had the same situation in France this summer) and so SHE is drip drying everything! Now my mom just called that she is waiting to hear from the NYC D who doesn’t pick up her phone as if my mom doesn’t realize that my D ain’t sitting around. Most of my calls with her are either when she is walking down the street and wants to share stuff with me or very late at night like last night. Not normal people’s routines!</p>

<p>CGM, I doubt the girl who took the clothes took it to a used clothing store. My D has nice clothes and I am sure the kid wanted them. I still don’t quite get what happened if the clothes were all wet but maybe she dried them and then took 'em, who knows. </p>

<p>Anyway, a costly mishap and also a pain to replace and take the time as it is not like it was all from one store. </p>

<p>Once I was shopping with the girls at a mall and I had just purchased about $500 worth of clothes for them from a few stores. We were in The GAP and I set the bags down as we were standing by a shelf looking for sizes. Someone must have been watching and when I turned around, the shopping bags were gone. Now these are clothes never ever worn before still with the tags on 'em! Reported it to security. I felt badly and we went from store to store re-purchasing the same items that we had spent all day picking out. Very costly day. </p>

<p>Whomever posted that they are sorry on behalf of the people from NY, that made me laugh, thanks. Hey, the college “thief” likely isn’t even FROM NY! </p>

<p>Anyway, what can I say, my small town girl (there are probably almost as many people living her in dorm/apt. building as our entire town), has gotten an education. Luckily this should be the worst that ever happens, right?</p>

<p>Thanks everyone.</p>

<p>PS, oh yeah, she bothered to mention, “even the boxers that (high school boyfriend’s name) gave me that I sleep in and I can never replace those!” :D</p>

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<p>We once had three bags of family laundry–including many sentimental baby items–stolen from the back of our station wagon while it was parked/locked outside our office for 15 minutes.</p>

<p>Soooo frustrating. I looked for the clothes in the sidewalk vendor stalls for weeks and weeks.</p>

<p>Nada.</p>

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<p>Sue, I read your post first thing this morning, went to work and had hoped that there would be a happy ending post this afternoon. I bet your daughter is so frustrated. We didn’t have a washer and dryer for the first several years of our marriage and I remember spending many Sundays in the laundrymat with the sunday paper and a book. Reading your daughters schedule though, makes my head spin. I think you are just going to have to get her enough clothes so she won’t have to wash any until she comes home - Thanksgiving?!</p>

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<p>Kathie, I still haven’t spoken to her. Husband just called and says that earlier today he got a call from her as she was walking some place and that she didn’t want us to go to the expense of replacing the stuff and he told her he wanted to at least replace the necessary items. I asked him if she reported it and he had no idea and I have no clue why he didn’t ask or implore her to take care of it. I had left her an IM while she was sleeping and a voice mail though I know she had planned to go to the gym very early in the AM to work out before classes, then voice in another part of the city and all the other stuff she is at and is not at her dorm or anything. So, I have no idea on that score. I also think that posters could have gone up ASAP in the laundry room explaining the time of day and if anyone saw anything to call such and such security number, whatever. I realize she is not in but I hope she reported it. </p>

<p>I don’t know yet if she will be home at Thanksgiving, but otherwise next time will be XMAS. She was only home this past year in Jan., late May/early June and then again likely XMAS, possibly Thanksgiving, not sure on that. </p>

<p>If I hear more, will let ya know!</p>

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<p>Just a quick update. She finally called but not really about this! She was walking down the street and called to tell me some good news about placing out of something, not worth getting into here. So, I did ask about the theft. She said she did report it to the people in the building you report these things to. She filled out some forms and they said they would consult with the security camera person though she didn’t get any vibes that were too positive. I asked her to check back again and find out if they did review the tapes and possibly a poster could go up reporting the incident and time of day if anyone saw anything to report it to the same desk. Nothing to get too hopeful about but it is worth a try. She was in a hurry of course. She again said that when she checked again later that day that the person then had placed the “rejects”, all wet, back in the room…underwear, a pair of ripped PJ pants and a shirt she had written on that nobody else would want. I coudn’t imagine taking all wet clothing but she said they could have taken it into a different tower of her apt. building’s laundry room to dry it. I asked her to call me at her convenience when she could actually tell me a long list of all that was taken. Right now, she was in a happy mood cause of the other news. Such is life. </p>

<p>Susan</p>

<p>PS, the schedules these kids keep are insane…rehearsals tonight BEGIN at 9:30 PM. :eek:</p>

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<p>Soozie: when my mom was in college in the late '40s (this was at Michigan State), everyone sent their laundry home in a special laundry packing case! You actually mailed your stuff home and then your mom did the laundry and ironing and mailed it back to you. Maybe she could UPS a box home to Vermont every week? ;)</p>

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<p>Does the laudnry room have signs up saying to not leave things unattended?
D would be doing a favor by posting a sign to warn others, and in EVERY laundry room in her building…theives should be shunned and somebody saw something, but post it-</p>

<p>BEWARE</p>

<p>Slimey thief stole the following items on Monday between 4-6pm</p>

<p>DO NOT LEAVE LAUNDRY ALONE, and IF ANYTHING OF YOURS IS TAKEN REPORT IT RIGHT AWAY</p>

<p>We need to be able to trust our dormmates…so lets watch out for each other and each others stuff</p>

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<p>That stinks. Here, the washers lock once you start a load and don’t unlock till it’s done so that makes it hard to steal anything out of the washer. It would be easier to steal from a dryer because they don’t lock.</p>

<p>I haven’t heard of anyone getting clothes stolen, which is sort of surprising considering the clothing labels some of the kids here wear…but people will take your load out of the washer and leave it in a dripping wet lump on the table if you don’t move your stuff to the dryer quick enough, of course.</p>

<p>I don’t feel the need to actually WATCH my laundry the whole time, but I do try to come back to take it out right when it’s done to be courteous. We have this sweet program now, LaundryView (<a href=“http://www.laundryview.com%5B/url%5D”>www.laundryview.com</a>) that can tell us which washers are open and how long the cycles have left so we can know exactly when to go down and get things. :)</p>

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<p>Juba, that sounds cool about it locking up which is what my D wished the washer did so that only the person who swiped the card could open it back up. The laundry view thing is interesting. My D put the load in, went to her studio class and came back on a break to get her laundry out and that is when it vanished. This was in the morning. </p>

<p>CGM, in my quickie convo with her, I did suggest a poster that mentions what happened and at what time on Monday and asking if anyone saw anything to inform the security desk, plus just a general warning to others. I hope to talk to her again when she is not in a rush (when is that???) and I still want a run down of all those clothes she lost and so we can discuss which we will replace. In all these instances, it is just a matter of a young girl losing a sense of innocense and learning ways to avoid things. Same with how her wallet was stolen last year from her apartment. I’m not blaming her but there are ways to lessen this risk. Luckily these things are not SO bad, considering true safety concerns of her going all over NYC, including late at night. She has managed very well in NYC but life there is not like in rural VT! However, the laundry thing could have happened anywhere. Her apartment building is very large so it is not as likely that people know one another and in this instance, they all just moved in pretty much too. These kids are so busy that it is hard to even deal with this as she has enough to do all the way until midnight tonight. She also is not on a meal plan so has to deal with getting food, her choice. Not hard to do in NYC of course. Her call was about excitement over something unrelated so I don’t think she is exactly crying or anything but it is a big pain and a big loss. She really JUST bought some of these things, which makes it tough.</p>

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<p>If she just bought all of the clothing, perhaps a purchase protection plan on a credit card will help you recover the amounts paid for the items that were stolen? You may need a police report for that purpose, though.</p>

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<p>The laundry room at my son’s dorm opened with a key card, so a record was kept of who went in when. Another dorm had a web cam in the laundry room so that you could see the washer/dryer status. Perhaps the dorm management could implement one of these solutions.</p>

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<p>Phone rang, picked it up, and I hear all this excitement, “Guess what? Guess what??? My clothes are all found!!” </p>

<p>I’m laughing a bit now cause if you just knew my daughter, this is not far fetched the way this just happened. </p>

<p>She said that her close pal, a boy who lives in her building went to the security guard and asked to watch the tape (which my D was going to check back in there herself but had not been there yet to do that). Friend watches tape with the guard and sees that someone took D’s wet clothes and moved them all to a dryer. My D had told me that she had checked every machine looking for her load and now says she must have skipped one (this is believeable in HER case). All along I thought it was odd for someone to steal WET clothes, an entire load. She said she has called and that the guard has all her clothing waiting for her and she was ecstatic about it. I asked how come, then, later yesterday she had found a few items like underwear all wet that wasn’t there earlier and she said that maybe someone moved those items to one place and all the rest to a different machine. So…good ending, eh?</p>

<p>I can’t explain it but I never felt 100% certain it was all stolen because I just felt there could be some other explanation. I may be a bad mom but sometimes I get doubts. Last year when her wallet was stolen from her apartment, I begged her to do searches all over and I just didn’t totally believe the story but it never did turn up there. I can’t say…she is there, she is on her own…she has to deal with this stuff. I realize she isn’t lying about it but I also sometimes wonder if there isn’t another explanation. This time, there was. I realize someone did move all of her things and so I can see how this happened. By the same token, when she can’t find something (which happened a LOT when she lived here), she is not good at looking for it. She should have c hecked EVERY machine many times. Live and learn. Thankfully, I just saved hundreds of dollars. I guess she has caring friends who would bother to go the extra mile to look into this! She was calling me as she was heading to the dorm to get the stuff from the guard before she goes out for the next activity that starts at 9:30! </p>

<p>So, thanks for the advice…story has an odd twist. If you knew this kid, this is not so odd though. She is extremely organized at some things and gifted intellectually, can lead and direct entire groups of people, but is disorganized with belongings. This time, I can see that it isn’t like she misplaced things (as she is prone to do), but still she didn’t search as well as she might have or as well as I would have! :rolleyes:</p>

<p>Thanks for “listening”, LOL. Who am I gonna tell this drivel to?:D</p>

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<p>Soozievt, lol, I wasn’t going to post this, as I assumed that your D had everything 100% down, but, now that I see this result (and am very happy at the outcome), could you check with her to make sure NYC doesn’t provide a free laundry service for her, if dance falls under athletics? Just asking, just in case it may be provided for her and she isn’t aware of it yet…</p>

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<p>That is good news for both of you! It could have been stolen though. I think that people would steal good clothes and sell them for whatever they can get, perhaps at a resale shop. Well just a snafu with a very happy ending.</p>

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<p>yeah! happy ending! I’m watching a show on global warming - so little happy things help the dismal prognosis…</p>

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<p>LTS…NYU (nor NYC which is likely just a typo?) provide free laundry service! For one thing, she is not a dance student and it certainly doesn’t fall under athletics even if she was. This is not an EC like athletics. She is in a professional BFA degree program in Musical Theater. Tisch also has a BFA program in Dance. These are academic programs, not dance groups, etc. She takes dance as just SOME of her classes. She has about nine classes. Dance is not outside of classroom time. But even my D who is a varsity sport athlete, which IS an EC, doesn’t get any laundry service!</p>

<p>OK, kid just called again for one of these 30 second calls that get interrupted with “gotta go gotta go, someone else is calling me!” This is pretty funny. This time she was calling to say she felt very stupid and thinks everyone will think she is so dumb. She said she just watched the security tape. Someone did move her clothes (not sure about the few loose wet items found elsewhere) to a dryer and that it was the ONLY one that she had not checked. I asked why someone would dry her clothes and she said she doesn’t know except the reason she may not have checked that one machine is because the dryer was running and so she would not have thought it was her stuff. She is happy with the outcome but thinks it will be hard to save face! Hubby just walked in and he is laughing with me because not being able to find things is this child’s claim to fame, though this time it wasn’t like SHE misplaced them but still. Another day in the life…</p>

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<p>Hee hee hee - great ending to the story! So glad her stuff turned up.</p>