oil change + apartment living

[Dakota1820]

the handicap spot is wider and is generally used as a spare spot for someones guest. that's why i used it so i wasn't in the way . the guy is just a lazy do nothing [censored] starter. i didn't intentionally hurt his car but i wasn't upset that it happened either. he was being a punk because about a week before that happened he was in the parking lot waving his rifle around like a moron. we just got back from grocery shopping and we are carrying groceries in and he is flailing it around like a rabid monkey . i was pretty heated with my two year old around and what not . i went in to angry dad mode pretty quickly. i started out asking him to stop and ended up with telling him if he didn't i was going insert firearm into unpleasant places and make him very unhappy. needless to say he listened. i am pretty sure they will be kicked out soon neither of them work they just sponge off of the govt. last week he was complaining because food stamps wouldn't cover burger king and a case of beer. you do the math on the guys worth to the world. if the landlord doesnt mind you servicing your car and you take precautions and respect the area i don't see an issue. and if someone parks on top of you and you ask them to move its an unwritten law that you can smack there car and call it an ooooops!

 

[Virtuoso]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
I'm guilty of having worked on vehicles in an apartment complex parking lot, against the terms of the lease. So did a lot of my neighbors. Nobody ever complained, and management did not enforce the rule unless someone made a mess, which to my knowledge never happened.


Same here, pretty much. I did a brake job in my car port, and an ATF pan drop in a parking spot. I think perhaps an oil change or two, when my in-law's driveway wasn't available. Luckily when they were home, it was never a problem (and preferred) to take it there for maintenance.

I drove a pretty nice car at the time, and intended to keep it that way. Compared to what some people did there, I think an oil change was the least of their worries..

 

[Zako2]

I personally can't have a huge respect for the "no oil change rule" in apartment complexes, because to me this restriction doesn't make much sense. I understand that dropping your car's transmission in apartment parking lot is bad, but what's so bad about changing oil? If there was no such restriction, pretty much almost no one would have been changing oil anyways. Besides, have you checked how much oil is dripping onto the ground through old oil pan gaskets in cars parked in front of your apartment? Is there a rule that your engine can't leak oil? What about ATF? Why not?

 

[PF52]

If it was me, I'd do the oil change in the parking lot where I work, such as on the weekend or before going home after work.

 

[Kruse]

Originally Posted By: Zako2
I personally can't have a huge respect for the "no oil change rule" in apartment complexes, because to me this restriction doesn't make much sense. I understand that dropping your car's transmission in apartment parking lot is bad, but what's so bad about changing oil?



For the apartment owner's point of view, I can see the rule. If they don't enforce it, you will have people that just drop the plug and let the oil run out all over the pavement. You would also have somebody who takes off the filter and leaves it laying there without ever picking it up. To the people who would be courteous enough to use a catch pan, they would probably bring the oil inside their apartment....only to spill it. Or dump it down the bath tube drain.
I've seen plenty of damage done to apartments from angry residents and using used oil as revenge could easily get some action by the EPA, a costly expense.

 

[supton]

Yeah, it's a pain, but the rules are as much to protect you from others there as it is to protect them from you. Just the way it is.

Can you find a friends house to do this at? Family member? Rent a garage? Do you do the rest of the work on your car? I wonder if an independant shop, who knows you and knows that they will be doing the TB/wheel bearings/etc with them would be willing to let you spin the wrenches for a small nominal fee.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: supton
Rent a garage?


A storage facility may be an option too. There's a guy who has a unit in the local Public Storage that he uses to work on his 1950s Ford project car. I have changed the oil on a generator there, and another guy washes his truck there. The manager doesn't really care what you do as long as you are a paying customer and don't tear anything up. A lot of these places also rent out parking spots. There is a rule though...no storage of flammable/hazardous materials.

 

[DBMaster]

Wow. I can see that I'm not the only one who believes "common courtesy" is an oxymoron. I could only stand living in an apartment for a couple of years. Maybe I should have gone with something more expensive. I had neighbors with multiple dogs (against the rules) that were right above me. They would leave their sliding door open so the dogs would go through intermittent barking fits, including 6:00am on weekends plus any time a car drove through the parking lot. The ones living next to me would get into screaming fights at odd hours subjecting me to their top volume expletive filled rants. The ones above me before the ones with the dogs used to make as much noise as possible in their kitchen every evening. Another "good neighbor" would chain a dog to a tree on the grounds (also, against the rules) and said dog would bark at anything that moved.

If we want to get started on driving habits that is material for a novel. I guess whatever else is going on in the car - phone calls, texting, makeup, GPS - is far more important than actually paying attention to driving.

It's a sign of the times. I think it may be beyond the capacity of the "normal" human brain to factor in how one affects others. It's far more than people being selfish, though. The whole model of capitalism is really another failed system. It's just taking longer to fail. When people are victims of long term abuse, in this case by the very companies they work for and respect, they begin taking out their frustrations on one another. Also, as the number of rules increase a backlash of rule breaking is to be expected. We ALL break rules. Think about it.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

I'm also 'guilty' of doing oil changes and minor maintenance in our apartment lot. I'd be lying if i said that I had no other option, but truth be told, oil changes are on the short list of jobs I simply refuse to pay someone else to do. That isn't the apartment complex's concern, of course, but I make [censored] sure I don't bother anyone.

I'll try to get out there before 8am on a weekend morning, park in a spot in a corner that's away from everyone else and out of the flow of traffic, and not against the building. Any tools, supplies and parts I may need are kept in the trunk until I need them, and the trunk stays closed as do the doors. No radio. Tools are not clanged together or dropped. Dirty rags are immediately bagged for disposal. Cardboard is used to protect both me from the ground and the ground from my car. The oil drop pan is cleaned up right after use and put in my car for immediate disposal at the recycling center. I don't make any noise, any mess, and I don't draw attention to what I'm doing. I'm done in less than an hour.

Now, can anyone really complain about that? Absolutely, since I'm not supposed to be doing it and some neighbors may not like that I'm breaking the rules and may assume i'm going to leave a mess. I can understand that. But I can guarantee that what I'm doing makes less of a mess than the dog poop leavers and cigarette butt throwers, makes less noise than the barking dogs, playing kids and too-loud and too-late music, and is less of an eyesore than some of the heaps people drive and the junk they keep out on their balconies every day. Is that justification? No, but I'm a model renter and would appreciate some credit and some slack. It's not expected but it is appreciated.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

All that said, I've replaced brakes in the lot when I literally HAD to (unsafe to drive) and I refused to pay to have it towed somewhere. Same goes for the battery I replaced last weekend.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: DBMaster
Wow. I can see that I'm not the only one who believes "common courtesy" is an oxymoron.



It's a sign of the times.


I doubt it. It's human nature, and I'm 99% sure it's been going on for a long time. Be it prostitution, poaching, preaching--the list goes on. If one thinks they can get away with it, they will try. The only difference now is the extent we are "connected" together.

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: stroked93
AutoZone parking lot like everyone else

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: FirstNissan
What about office parking lots on the weekends? Thats been my goto spot for a while



Around here most pf those places have security guards, camera`s etc.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: DBMaster
Wow. I can see that I'm not the only one who believes "common courtesy" is an oxymoron.



It's a sign of the times.


I doubt it. It's human nature, and I'm 99% sure it's been going on for a long time. Be it prostitution, poaching, preaching--the list goes on. If one thinks they can get away with it, they will try. The only difference now is the extent we are "connected" together.

I'm 50 years old (almost). Lived in apartments off and on since about 1981. It has gotten worse. People are FAR less decent and ethical than thirty plus years ago. Yes, a small percentage of people have always been jerks....but these days the percentage is huge.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: DBMaster
Wow. I can see that I'm not the only one who believes "common courtesy" is an oxymoron. I could only stand living in an apartment for a couple of years. Maybe I should have gone with something more expensive. I had neighbors with multiple dogs (against the rules) that were right above me. They would leave their sliding door open so the dogs would go through intermittent barking fits, including 6:00am on weekends plus any time a car drove through the parking lot. The ones living next to me would get into screaming fights at odd hours subjecting me to their top volume expletive filled rants. The ones above me before the ones with the dogs used to make as much noise as possible in their kitchen every evening. Another "good neighbor" would chain a dog to a tree on the grounds (also, against the rules) and said dog would bark at anything that moved.

If we want to get started on driving habits that is material for a novel. I guess whatever else is going on in the car - phone calls, texting, makeup, GPS - is far more important than actually paying attention to driving.

It's a sign of the times. I think it may be beyond the capacity of the "normal" human brain to factor in how one affects others. It's far more than people being selfish, though. The whole model of capitalism is really another failed system. It's just taking longer to fail. When people are victims of long term abuse, in this case by the very companies they work for and respect, they begin taking out their frustrations on one another. Also, as the number of rules increase a backlash of rule breaking is to be expected. We ALL break rules. Think about it.

Being decent and having character has nothing to do with what you call 'failed capitalism'. We are responsible as individual human beings. As a society, we have more 'stuff' these days....not less. We are not suffering. It's not failed capitalism....it's failed civility. We often celebrate being a bad-*ss more than we do being a gentleman. It's our culture that has failed. We've not kept ourselves in check and are becoming more uncivil....it has ZERO to do with big business, politics, or capitalism.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: Bottom_Feeder
I'm also 'guilty' of doing oil changes and minor maintenance in our apartment lot. I'd be lying if i said that I had no other option, but truth be told, oil changes are on the short list of jobs I simply refuse to pay someone else to do. That isn't the apartment complex's concern, of course, but I make [censored] sure I don't bother anyone.

I'll try to get out there before 8am on a weekend morning, park in a spot in a corner that's away from everyone else and out of the flow of traffic, and not against the building. Any tools, supplies and parts I may need are kept in the trunk until I need them, and the trunk stays closed as do the doors. No radio. Tools are not clanged together or dropped. Dirty rags are immediately bagged for disposal. Cardboard is used to protect both me from the ground and the ground from my car. The oil drop pan is cleaned up right after use and put in my car for immediate disposal at the recycling center. I don't make any noise, any mess, and I don't draw attention to what I'm doing. I'm done in less than an hour.

Now, can anyone really complain about that? Absolutely, since I'm not supposed to be doing it and some neighbors may not like that I'm breaking the rules and may assume i'm going to leave a mess. I can understand that. But I can guarantee that what I'm doing makes less of a mess than the dog poop leavers and cigarette butt throwers, makes less noise than the barking dogs, playing kids and too-loud and too-late music, and is less of an eyesore than some of the heaps people drive and the junk they keep out on their balconies every day. Is that justification? No, but I'm a model renter and would appreciate some credit and some slack. It's not expected but it is appreciated.

I appreciate your honesty. It doesn't make it right in that you break the rules....but you sound like you would accept responsibility if you were to get caught...at least that is something.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Originally Posted By: andrewg
but you sound like you would accept responsibility if you were to get caught...at least that is something.

Thanks?

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: Bottom_Feeder
Originally Posted By: andrewg
but you sound like you would accept responsibility if you were to get caught...at least that is something.

Thanks?

Lol...

 

[rjundi]

If you live in a large complex it looks quite trashy to have car on jack stands wheels off etc. Smaller places like houses with a few apartments more the norm.

I remember a real estate agent quite unhappy when I said this place is not for me when I saw an older junky car left on jack stands and the owner not anywhere to be found.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: rjundi
If you live in a large complex it looks quite trashy to have car on jack stands wheels off etc. Smaller places like houses with a few apartments more the norm.

I remember a real estate agent quite unhappy when I said this place is not for me when I saw an older junky car left on jack stands and the owner not anywhere to be found.

Good call.