Vandalism causes concern

Dear Harriette: For the past few weeks, my apartment has been the focus of somebody’s wrath. Someone has been running up to my door and crashing into it. The sound is frightening, but I have yet to see who’s doing it. By the time I get to the door, the person is long gone, and we don’t have security cameras. Recently, someone spray-painted my door, and on another occasion, someone sprayed what looked like fire extinguisher fluid all over it.

I am getting a security camera to see if I can catch the person. Meanwhile, I thought it was a guy in my building who is always lurking around. I had a neighbor speak to his mother, and he came down to tell me that he hasn’t done anything. I feel bad if I have accused the wrong person, but I don’t know what to do. I do know for a fact that this young man has harassed other neighbors. So I’m not sure if he is telling the truth. — Vandalized

Dear Vandalized: It’s good that you are getting a security camera. Now you will be able to see firsthand who the culprit is if he or she does it again. Keep your eyes open. Be extra-vigilant when you go outside. If someone is targeting you, it’s important to pay attention to everything and everyone around you. You should call the police and report the incidents as well. But without evidence of who may be doing it, the police will not be able to help you very much.

Dear Harriette: My mother and brother both live in my house with me. I told my mom last year when they moved in that I was going to run the air conditioning all summer, and I did not want the windows or doors open — period. My mom likes to have her window wide open all year. We ended up arguing about the windows being open while the air conditioning is running pretty much all summer long. I told her this year that I’m going to run the air, windows shut, no discussion about it. She already has been arguing that it shouldn’t affect the temperature in the house and has opened her windows anyway. I have a ranch-style house, so it’s not like she is in an upstairs bedroom where it is particularly hotter than the rest of the house. I keep the air at 70 degrees.

I don’t want to fight with her, but I feel disrespected by her blatant disregard for my simple request. And as far as my brother is concerned, I asked him not to stink up his room with smoking, and his room now reeks of stale cigarette smoke. He has a nice deck attached to his room, so this is really irritating. Am I wrong for feeling this way? How can I ask them both to move out without causing World War III? — Follow My Rules

Dear Follow My Rules: For your brother, you should put your foot down — hard. No smoking in your house, period. Tell him that if he continues to smoke, he will have to move. I don’t think you should even allow him to smoke on the deck because the smoke will still waft back into the house. Secondhand smoke is deadly.

It’s trickier with your mother. Some people aren’t comfortable without fresh air. Instead of trying to force her to close her window, request that she keep her door closed at all times. In this way, the air conditioner won’t be working so hard to cool off her room.

I say the deal breaker is the cigarettes, not the open window.