The internet is divided over how a Black renter dealt with an elderly white neighbor who blocked her from entering her own building.
An unidentified woman, who goes by no60510766 online, took to Instagram to share a recent run-in in her apartment building lobby, where a white neighbor intercepted her and abruptly said, “Don’t smile at me. I’ve been here seven years.”
The Black resident explained it was a hot day and she was simply trying to go home, but the older woman kept blocking her at every turn.
“I’m not trying to be rude to you. It’s hot out here; you’re in my way. I’m gonna need you to back up cause I rent in this building, so excuse me,” she said, nudging the elderly person out of the way.
The older woman refused to budge and said she’d call the police — a threat she later followed through on. As the younger resident held the senior back with one arm, she laughed, seemingly in disbelief.
“I’m laughing ’cause you out your mind. Let me go,” she told her. As she finally walked upstairs to her home, she yelled: “I don’t give a f*ck, call the police. Call your brother, your mama, your sister, your daddy… Shut the f–k up, b–ch, or I’ll whup your a–.”
Some commenters on the Sept. 22 video defended the younger woman, while others believed she shouldn’t have reacted as harshly to an elderly person.
One commenter wrote on the post, “Old lady was trying to protect people in the building. Including that girl. If she let in someone who was dangerous, you’d be questioning her sanity as well. Try to show grace.”
Another added, “Yea the old person in the wrong, but that’s not a flex… just ignore and move on.”
However, many argued that age doesn’t excuse rude behavior. “Everyone here feeling bad for that old lady, but what is she supposed to do? She has every right to go into HER home that she PAYS for. Just because someone is old doesn’t mean the rest of us have to walk on eggshells,” one commenter wrote, adding, “I would have pushed her crazy ass out of the way.”
Another person empathetic to the woman’s situation wrote: “People need to realize they’re not excluded from the consequences of their actions just cause they’re old.”
Officers eventually arrived and spoke with both women, mediating the dispute without making any arrests.
“It sounds like she was blocking you from coming into the building,” the officer told the Black resident, urging patience. “I talked to her about not doing that. She’s elderly and a little freaked out. If that happens again, just work through things with her.”
Some people took issue with the police response, arguing the officer’s advice put the burden on the renter rather than the woman who blocked her. “Them telling you to be patient with her irritated me,” one wrote, “because how long were you supposed to stand there trying to get into the building you pay rent at?”
