Yogurt ladies forced to take the stairs

Posted on : 2012-08-09 11:46 KST Modified on : 2012-08-09 11:46 KST
In sweltering summer, residents at high-end apartment complex forbid deliverers from using elevators

By Heo Jae-hyun, staff reporter

With a stack of newspapers in hand, Park Un-ja, 43, surveyed the entrance to Eunma apartment complex. Slinking past a sleeping security guard, she carefully got on the elevator. At the same time, Jung Young-ja, 53, turned up covered in sweat. Struggling with her boxes containing 30 milk cartons, she scanned the area around the entrance. She also got on the elevator when she felt the coast was clear.

Park and Jung have been hiding from security and residents around the apartment for 10 days. On July 27th, the administration office posted a warning at every entrance of the apartment saying “limited use of the elevator for deliverers”. They mentioned that the people who deliver newspapers, milk and other items must use the stairs.

The deliverers used to take the elevator from the top floor, getting off at every floor to deliver their goods. Residents took issue with this. The warning says, “The deliverers cause inconvenience and high electricity bills by using the elevators.” As electricity bills increase with the heat wave, residents are putting some blame on the deliverers.

Due to the current heat wave, where temperatures rise well above 30 degrees during the day, it is extremely tough for the deliverers to walk up flights of stairs in the 14-story building carrying their goods. Time is also an issue: the deliverers will be late if they are prevented from using the elevator. 

“A few days ago, I got on the elevator with my milk cartons. Someone then asked me if I paid the building’s electricity bill. I had to say ‘sorry’ with my head bowed for the rest of the ride,” said Jung.

Jung has been delivering milk in the district for more than ten years. “Most of the deliverers have bad knees which makes it hard to work without the elevators,” she said.

The officials from the apartment administration office said that they posted the warning on the behalf of the residents. They say that there were increasing complaints about the electricity bills.

Eunma apartment complex is a high-end residence, consisting of mid-sized homes that sell for between 800 million and 1 billion won (US$709,000 to $886,000).

Translated by Lee Choon-geun, Hankyoreh English intern 

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

 

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