Heavy harassment again/ mobbing in shelter.

I am being harassed again heavily.

Woods Mullen shelter.
Mass Ave Boston, MA, USA.
October 29, 2008:

Dinner after town meeting in shelter. I was eating. A man sat down and started asking me questions. I have been around long enough to know to avoid this. It may have been just a lonely person but he was adamant about speaking to me so I moved. I inquired about him to another guest..as I did a tall brunette female Caucasian interrupted loudly and said "You're asking HIM if someone else is OK? HA, HA.. HE isn't ok!" I smoothed it over and said I would work it out, thanks. She had another white woman with her-short, older, sandy hair. Upon tall brunette speaking to me this older woman gave the 'talk talk' hand gesture. I did not understand this because she had initiated an interruption of a conversation.

I was in bed # 27 in Woods Mullen shelter. The foot of 27 faces the staff desks right side. Across from staff desk front is restrooms. There is a walkway to lockers/elevators that passes restrooms; there are chairs there where women sit. Bed 27 is beside this sitting space.

The tall, brunette, white F had exhibited over the past few hours a tendency to be loud, domineering and be heard to say things like the shelter was 'the block' and not the suburbs. Also, she is in with a chubby, tall Afro American woman who wears a blue cap to sleep at night that is always loud and cannot stop drawing attention to herself especially by frequently using the phrase 'You cheap, dirty whore' in jest.
This group was so loud and untruly that staff had to ask them to quiet down more than once last night. When they left for a smoke break the older women commented on how nice and quiet it was now and dreaded their return.

8:30 PM
All 'guests' are in the dorm because the kitchen is being cleaned. The tall brunette stated to staff she was going to do nails tonight. I approached staff and told them of my chemical sensitivities due to mold exposure from my former apartment and told her a little about it. She quickly acknowledged and agreed on the issues of chemical sensitivity and asthma.
She said the guests would use the chemicals in the bathroom not the dorm.
The tall brunette painted some nails quickly at staff desk. I asked if they were doing more nail work- she said 'oh, we're all done'.
After this she begins doing a guest's hair to the right of the foot of my bed in the space w/seats. I dreaded the idea of hair spray which in that space with the windows closed now would make it hard to breath. I gently inquired is hair spray going to be involved? She said no and then got defensive stating that I must think she was stupid if she did not know to not use chemicals after the nails being an issue (so why did she do them not in the bathroom as staff had told her?).
I diplomatically stated that I was simply advocating for my health issues and my asking a question did not intimate any lack of intelligence.
She then shot back "yeah, we all know you want attention, that was said about you earlier".

THIS I could not take. Not only does it invalidate one of the main reasons I am homeless now, that I will never trust HUD or the low income housing system again, it invalidates all I suffered for through years of fighting for my health and to put together that lawsuit, and it invalidates the damage I have incurred from mycotoxicosis (mold exposure).
It also intimates that she and whoever else have already focused on me and discussed me privately.
I calmly informed her that I have been homeless across this country and no matter where I am I WILL advocate for myself, that I have been coming to Woods Mullen off and on since the 1990's without issue. To which she replied "Good, now we know you've been across the country, you've been homeless since the '90s.." and some ending comment that was also nasty and I cant recall what it was.
African American girl told her to drop it and it was ”done before it started”.

This whole episode made me very upset to the point of having an anxiety attack for many hours and unable to sleep. My chest got tight.
The reason for this is, aside from her harassing me, in this particular shelter I have NEVER had an issue like this.
This is due to the nature of Woods Mullen being opposite in the social environment to say, Pine Street Inn another woman's shelter which has alot of cliques, often there is trash talk and bitchiness and alot more socializing. Mullen shelter tends to lean towards women who are chronically homeless, older women and some fairly functional mentally ill. The guests at Mullen have usually exhibited basically an attitude of wanting to be left alone and if I am not in the mood for the gregariousness or bitchiness of Pine Street I will often go to Woods Mullen, you can be aloof there without having to deal w/ some ‘tude from a woman who has an imagined slight in her mind that you think you are ‘better than’ or other such projections. The only hassles are the mental illness one may encounter but to be frank if someone talks word salad all night long and disturbs other guests, they will be asked to leave more so than at Pine Street. This is not the kind of place to have a girl gang scene, it's too damn small. Years ago it was a lot of druggies and street people who again tended to mind their own. The only problem in a place like this would be an altercation or misunderstanding that ends quickly. NEVER have I encountered this attempt to have one woman or gang of women dominate outright the whole area and other guests in a totally overt, calculated and coordinated manner.
That is more frequent at Pine Street but the multiple numbers of cliques as well as staff who are hip keeps a balance. If this ever happened at Pine Street staff wouldn't put up w/for a minute. Dorm staff at Mullen last night during incident was docile, yet I have experienced staff at Woods Mullen to be aggressive even upon asking a simple question at the desk. Staff should have not even tolerated last night's scene at all.

I decided it was just too insulting and I talked to dorm staff person. The tall brunette seemed unconcerned by it all and as I looked around waiting for staff to get off phone tall brunette commented "I cant believe that she is looking right in my face". I tried to avoid conflict becuz I need a place to sleep ..though since I travel across country frequently and I travel hard one must assume I am surely NOT afraid of physical confrontation, if it occurs which it usually does not. However, since my focus is writing I have been very..cerebral lately and that is all I really care about.
The next dorm staff person referred me to the supervisor, Otis. He was very cooperative and supportive. He said he has never seen me here before. I told him of the 1990’s at Mullen, of a councilor who basically saved my life by getting me help for recovery who drove me all the way out to another town to a very good place. He said that the councilor moved and went on to better things-good, he deserves better.
He told me that the girl was new and that fill in staff don't know what is going on or the rules too well. (I don't know if it was fill in staff at 8:30 pm or not). I was satisfied w/ Otis speaking w/ me about the incident.
I went back to my bed and noticed that the bottom of the white sheet had been tied in a knot when I was away talking to Otis. No one had seen who did it and all the time I was talking to Otis, it appeared that the tall brunette was in the kitchen not the dorm.
In the morning I would discover that two very shiny pennies had been put under the sheets on the bed-they were not there when I made the bed. This is what made the whole thing the most disturbing- that these were done after I spoke to a supervisor.
I have seen this before, down south. It is old harassment tactics that were used by the KKK and are still used now. My post months ago on the MO fire dept, articles in the St. Louis newspaper, having inside racial tensions through using nooses, packages of saltine crackers and other symbols to harass via racial meanings attached to the symbols-the FBI had been called in and it diffused with each side saying it was just pranks..Well, there was more going on in the newspaper than pranks. For instance a black guest I discussed it with next morning immediately knew these symbols were intended to harass and they meant 'we are focusing on you'. A white guest earlier today didn’t understand the symbolism.
What is frightening to the victim in a case of mobbing is that the symbolism intimates that you are one person being targeted by a group and you never know what they will do and when, it is a very subtle intimation of violence even death, psychologically that is how it works. The message is that the victim does not have control at all at any time.

10 pm Tall brunette chatting away to staff at the desk. I was concerned because I thought I overheard her saying a bag of her's was missing. I was afraid I would be accused of stealing to get revenge for her behavior earlier. This would be a logical possible next move for her. After she got done chatting I got up and approached staff and asked if her bag was missing, I explained what occurred earlier. She said there was no theft; she said she would watch for further activity.

I was nervous when I woke up, upset.
Breakfast: Was told tall, brunette was name Shelley and she has been hanging out in the Dorchester, Mattapan hoods. She has been involved in certain activities and she has a 'man'(Afro American male-no name provided) at Woods Mullen in the men's dorm. I could not verify this information.

Dorm staff referred me to downstairs staff.I wanted to leave documentation w/ a supervisor. The sheet and the penny introduced mobbing and that has to be documented before it gets out of hand.
I talked to a male staff downstairs, he told me they weren't even supposed to ever use chemicals or sprays in the dorms. I told him this was not just some small grievance. I stated I wanted it documented and on file. He said wait for supervisor who is on break. That was at 7 am today. I was told at 7:30 am today that the supervisor had left for the day and not just on break.

As I sat and wrote, I noted some things...there is one staff there that used to be homeless--I have experienced him in the past speaking of a client who was advocating for herself by saying "It must be a mental health thing." intimating that her grievances were mental illness. I noticed that the very dark man who was behind the downstairs desk gave a big sigh as I went into the room to speak privately w/male staff member John. He seemed to have less of a perception that I was wasting people’s time or perhaps 'seeking attention' (hmmm) when I came out from telling the whole story. I also noted that when the tall portly black girl who is in Shelly's group left, she walked past me and shook her head disapprovingly as she saw me writing on paper.

Not just to be harassed by one person who seems to be a bully but an effort on alot of people's part to make sure the victim stays silent about the incident via intimidation and invalidation tactics.

So that should have been that.
BUT....

Women's Lunch Place
Newbury Street, Boston MA, USA.

Daytime drop in center for females. Both women from Mullen last night were there-tall, brunette I.D.'d as Shelly was there as was the tall, portly Afro American female. Some of the same females from Mullen I saw associating w/these women were now at the same table.
This table is known as Table 1 at WLP. I have posted about it in the summer of 2008 as I had some..difficulty that was very subtle including some older women who were there and I believe some of the same women as today. Everyone complains about this table as bullying and loud. I have had no trouble except for that one incident months ago.

There are often the same women at this place year after year. There is a big Jamaican woman who sits in the back who watches everything like a hawk.
This woman made a stink by claiming I got in front of her in line in the area of coffee, bread and butter. This area is often a chaotic place and the more mentally ill guests will often just reach or get right in front of you and you just let it go. If you say anything it's like talking to a wall. There is a single file line for the main meals and staff has to make sure that stays orderly.
I was toasting something and I was retrieving it from the toaster, there was no waiting in 'line', unless she was waiting for my toast.
There was no room IN the toaster. I and another woman had items in the toaster. One would think she would want me to remove my item from the toaster because then she could put her food into it. But she claimed I cut her in a 'line', I explained that I was getting toast out, she did not respond logically and then another woman came out of nowhere, piped up to her defense said I cut her, I was rude about it...something was wrong. Usually not this many people jump in to a situation like this at WLP. Then the Jamaican handled me and acted like I was crazy and told me to have a blessed day, basically dismissing me.
I have not experienced this at WLP, not since 2006 when I was homeless as I left 335 Washington, Brighton due to it being uninhabitable.

I stated loudly but calmly as I sat at a table that I would not be harassed and it has been exposed before and it stopped and it will be exposed again. Table 1 heard this and Shelly decided to get vocal. I ignored her.
Later she came my table, arms locked, looking right down at me and tried to speak to me. I told her not to. I do NOT want a lone moment with this woman at all; I fear she will further abuse me. I want witnesses at every word and every incident.
I had to get up from my seat and actually had to keep moving away from her physically around the floor. She acted as if it was some pre fight ritual behavior when I was just trying to stay out of trouble and have a place to stay.
She stated mature women like her 'take care of their problems personally', her rationale for coming to my table. I said very loudly I did not want to be alone with her. Everyone made a big dramatic noise as urban populations love this sort of extremely trashy, cheap drama. Very Gerry (Springer). She then slammed down on her knees and yelled "but I just want to love you!" and the crowd laughed. I told her you don't do that in HERE and that this is not the street. She had trouble thinking of a reply and finally stated that the street was right outside- more baiting for a physical altercation.
A staff from kitchen came out, a deformed woman from perhaps a childhood ailment or accident. She immediately focused on me and not at all on Shelly and continued to do so as she stated "You come to me when something happens". I am cannot think of that when I am trying to avoid someone who feels the need to chase me around a room. I don't even know who this woman is, I only recognize a few of the staff regulars. Finally a black woman who handles this trash regularly who seems hard but very fair pulled me aside. "SHE came over to the table?" news flash people, this girl is harassing me. She then came out and asked everyone behave.

After the incident a black woman sat down next to me. Conversation started. I guess I started talking to her becuz it felt like protection from the group at table 1.
She is from Washington DC. She is here visiting her girlfriend. She has a nice place now in DC except it's full of crack heads, she had to move there on emergency due to the fact that she had a moldy apartment that killed her cat and made her sick. Another older white woman had sat across from her and was also interjecting that her father’s house was full of mold as she pulled off the floor boards. I encouraged the black woman; she claimed she was trying to publish a book. She also made a lot of other claims as well, that she was an artist and a musician. She told me she has a time waster in her life, someone who takes many hours of her time to get a small amount of studio work done. I told her to get away from him. Afterwords she thanked me for talking to her, I said maybe I talked to much, she ended w/ a cryptic “You should talk more"...uhh, ok.

As the day went on there was another Mullen frequent guest who is a petite, white female who seems quiet and is a Christian church goer. She was harassed by members of this group today as well. The woman she had difficulty with, her lesbian girlfriend in a wheel chair wheeled by and stated "Don't mess with my man". The Christian girl stated that she had nothing to do with it but with that group they are all in it when there is a problem w/ one. I told her she was not the only one being harassed by this group.
She stated that there have been multiple complaints about this group to staff, about thefts etc. and nothing is done.
I can understand this because logically no proof is furnished. You'd have to have a witness of a video or the theft. Also, their dominance and bullying are not really taken seriously as a lot of psychological harassment isn't in a lot of settings.

I left w/ an associate of mine. She has also had issues w/ this group but she also cannot pin point an individual or an isolated act w/ witnesses. She requested I team up w/ her and go to staff. This is not logical. Unless she has an incident with evidence why go to staff? So they can see us all as whiners and totally use it to cover for the crime group? Something seems off about it.

I advised everyone go to staff, demand every incident be noted w/ out emotion attached to it, and do not demand staff take action just document EVERY INCIDENT. If they had done so there would be documentation a mile long on this 'group' and perhaps a link could be made to outside gang affiliation or activity. I am sure the cops are salivating to get any of these women and their men especially, who should be the real players in more serious crimes in the area.
I would love to see these women's records and know exactly why they feel they have immunity.
However, me focusing on them would be a diversion to what I am doing and they know this. It is why they exist in the first place.

What I went through was humiliating especially since I cannot readily fight back as I would like. I have not experienced this much difficulty in a years and it was upsetting. What bothered me most was the calling my advocacy for my health issues "attention seeking". And the way this woman just invalidates a person so viciously.

It provided a distraction for me getting other things done in my day, namely that a day or two ago I spoke to a lawyer about getting my paperwork and documentation from the lawsuit against OLNICK, Hampton Management and Warren Hall Trust also involving HUD for the water damaged apartment and mold exposure and some other errands I have to run.