My mother was in the army for a short time.  When I was younger, she applied and was accepted.  She soon after shipped off to begin basic training.  Because she was gone, I had to move in with my father on the other side of town.  We got my mom a storage unit to put alot of her things into, since she did not plan to come back for a while.  She wrote me every day she was gone.  In week six of her basic trainin in Ft. Jackson, SC, she got hurt and had to return home.  I was happy although she did not complete thier basic training.

I have had a lot of crazy calls during my time in a self storage call center.  There have been so many incidents that I have decided to seperate my experiances into more than one blog.  This first encounter should prove interesting enough to keep you reading.

I once had a guy call in to look for storage.  The caller sounded normal enough at first, but when asked what he planned to store, he responded with a strange request.  He wanted to store his children.  At first, I thought the man was joking, but he was serious.  He claimed he could not afford a baby sitter, and the kids were too young to be in school.  He said he wanted to put them in there with food and water, then lock them in there until he got off work.  Needless to say, I was not able to help him with a space.

There will be plenty more posted stories, so check my blogs regularly

Part 2.  No One Believes Me

The little girl who found the lock was named Mona.  Mona was only 8 years old, but knew there was something strange about this lock.  After she noticed the lock made noises and moved even, she was eager to find out what that something strange was.  She quickly climbed the stairs two at a time, and when she finally reached the top, she was exhausted.  Using the key she always kept around her neck, she unlocked the door and ran into the kitchen.  While she tried to explain to her mother the odd events that unfolded in the field, she was shushed and told not to use her imagination so much.  Feeling alone, she quietly sat at top of the stairs outside the door, considering leaving the lock next to an old pile of boxes. As she began to cry, the lock leaped out of Mona's hands.  Before she could realize it, the small pad lock was standing in front of her on the step below.  The lock looked up at her and blinked its one eye.

I recenly aquired an antique chest.  It is very nice.  It is all wood, with a plank design.  The top of the chest resembles an old hardwood floor.  The chest is so old, it is actually held together by wooden pegs.  A chest like this is hard to find these days.  While I could use the chest for storage, I dont plan to.  This is now my favorite piece of furniture by far.  The only thing I have to worry about is making sure I don't put anything heavy on top of it by accident.  The top is not very sturdy.  It deffinatly wouldnt hold up a person.

Dogs require a lot of attention.  Not to mention a lot of storage space to house all of the things that come with them.  You have to store all the grooming supplies, toys, pet carriers, beds, and the occasional dog clothing.  We put our things in a 5x5 closet, which we have deemed the dogs lair.  Everything for our dog goes in that space.  As of now, the space is packed with things.  You cant even open the door without everything crashing to the floor.  I may need to move some things to a storage unit near our house.  I could get a moving truck to help me out, since we have no car.

There are so many things you can store in a storage facility .  But, there are also a lot you cannot store.  Most places do not allow non running vehicles.  They also do not allow any living or forming living organism.  Sorry to those of you who do taxidermy as a hobby.  It is advised that you do not store money or expensive artwork.  This is because more facilities only have a maximum payout on insurance.  Also, anything that could be considered a fire hazard is not usually accepted.  Keep this in mind when renting.

There was once a guy who called in about storing guns.  While I did not think it would be a problem, I advised that the manager would have to give the ok.  The man was not happy about that.  He demanded to know why I couldn't tell him if guns could be stored.  I explained that I was at a reservation center, and that the manager has to make those decisions.  He said he would go somewhere that would take his business.  I later found that no properties in the area allowed guns to be sold.  I am assuming he had to find another place for them.

A friend of mine got a call the other day.  The person calling started the call by asking some unusual questions.  He first wanted to know if there were outlets and lights in the units.  He then wanted to know if there were windows in the spaces.  When my friend asked what he was planning to store at the storage facility, he said he wanted to live there.  He said he wanted the outlets so he could watch porn, and didn't want anyone looking in when he was doing obscene things.  My friend promptly ended the call.

Most people do not realize exactly how storage works.  So here are a few pointers to keep in mind when looking for a unit.  1.  Cheaper is not always better.  2.  Make sure to look for locations with good security.  3.  Pest control is important.  4.  Ask about additional fees like deposits and security fees.  5.  It is always good to have insurance on your things.  6.  Look for properties in good neighborhoods.  7.  Make sure you have good access hours.  8.  Ask about specials.  9.  Do not wait until the last minute to hold a space.  Make sure you get the right sized space for what you plan to store.  With this information, you should be able to make an informed decision.

Right now, the economy is not in the best shape around North America.  With a down economy comes the loss of homes.  Because of this, many people have turned to storage to get help.  In fact, some people sneek into thier units so they can stay there.  This has ecspecially become a problem in New York City, where unemployment is at an all time high.  I have had my fair share of calls where people actually ask if they can live in a space.  Of course, the answer is no.  People can not legally live in a storage unit .  Anybody who is reading this now knows to look elsewhere for a place to stay.

Crates are great for storing things.  I have over 50 which I store clothes, shoes, and other personal things in.  I have lined each milk crate with a bag, since they have holes in them.  They stack perfectly, creating orginization.  The best part is that you can usually get them for free.  So do not worry about getting tubs that cost 10$ each.  With milk crates, you can save money and still be organized.  That is just one way to save money when storing things.

I have finally decided to clean my winter storage space out.  I have not been able to find half of the clothes I have in there because there is so much clutter.  I feel that I will have to set aside more than one day to make sure it all gets done.  I am not looking foward to it because I like to procrastinate.  I know the space is the right size, I just need to organize it better.  I will be able to actually use the space once this is all done.

Yesterday, I had a woman who called in from her storage unit .  She had just signed the lease on her space earlier in the day.  She had not put a lock on her space, and had left the property to bring back a load of her stuff.  Becuase there was no lock on the space, the manager put a red lock on it to make sure anything inside would not be stolen.  She was furious because the office was closed and she had all her things but could not get in.  After trying to contact the manager, I told her that they would be open tomorrow.  The manager could fix it then.  She asked what time and I responded with 12.  She began cussing at someone in the background then became upset because the office was going to be open while they were in church.  

I could not believe the mouth this woman had on her.  On top of that, she apparantly goes to church.

I have often fantisized about the future possibility of human life on other planets.  If mankind does ever get to that point, Im sure we will need storage .  However, the designs will most likely have to change.  A lot of how storage would look on other planets would come from how the planets were developed for human life.

Sometimes I want to write blogs, but I have nothing to say.  Most of my blogs are about storage , since that is my job.  But you can only say the same thing so many times.  Self storage is not necessarily the most exciting topic.  However, I feel by writing blogs about this topic, others can get help and make smart shopping decisions.  Most everybody I work with truly wants to help people as much as possible.

Right now I am so hungry I could eat the entire contents of a 20x20 storage unit .  I ofter wait to eat until my mid shift lunch when I am at work.  Usually, I have to skip breakfast.  I don't want to, but I usually don't have time to make anything and eat before I leave.  I am writing this about thirty minutes before I get to eat.  I can barely wait.

There have been several movies released in the last few years that portray the self storage industry as un safe.  Many movies use facilities as spots for storing stolen goods or drugs.  Other movies claim the units are the target of underground slave trades.  There have been a few isolated incidents in reality, but most of these occur at propeties that do not take security seriously.  And property with proper survaillance is already better prepared in case of an incident.

I recenly read a good article about self storage in America.  It seems Americans are finally starting to scale back on extras.  The article, from the New York Times, discussed a few situations in which self storage has helped people when they are going through major life situations.  It is important to remember that storage if often cheaper than that of paying rent.  One tenant at a facility in general, had put all of his things in there, and lived out of his truck, so he could pay past due bills.  Storage is definatly on the rise.

My grandparents live in a huge home.  As I have mentioned before, most of their free space goes towards storage .  However, they recently took a large upstairs bedroom and turned it into two smaller rooms.  My grandfather did a great job on the space.  The coolest part was that the bedroom had origianly been two rooms.  When my dad and his sister still lived at home, the rooms had been their bedrooms.  I never got to see what my dads room looked like.  Now that the room is split again, I can picutre the size and shape of the room my dad once called his.

Why in the world are there storage units out there that dont have a fence around them?  In a time where businesses are robbed every 10 minutes throughout the nation, would it not be a smart decision to make sure a property is well secured.  Apparantly, there are still people out there who would rather sacrifice security that to pay a few extra bucks.  I can not stress enough the importance of the phrase, you get what you pay for.

I am not a big fan of vegetables.  Dont get my wrong, I like some of them.  But I dont like a majority of vegetables.  Some of my favorites are olives, green beans, carrots, potatoes, homany corn, and lettuce.  I cannot stand tomatos, even though my family loves them.  To me, they are  bland and mushy.  Perhaps I could use a storage space to place canned vegetables.

I have always wondered why Canada is so much different from the United States.  Since I work in the storage industry, I talk to a lot of Canadian callers.  You would think that since the two countries are so close together, they would influence each other.  However that is not the case.  Instead, Mexico and the United States have had more influence on each other.  Canada needs to get it together and become more western.  It is time to separate from the commonwealth of nations.

I love to fish.  Often times, I think I need a new place for storage when it comes to my fishing gear.  I have at least 20 poles, as well as 5 tackle boxes which are completely full of lures.  I rarely use most of them, but I can't seem to let anything go.  I feel like as soon as I get rid of it, I will need it.

Storage has taken over the country.  Nearly every city has at least one property.  The average cost depends on the area, and the size of the property varies.  With so many competitors, the industry is always undercutting each other to gain more tenants.  This year has spurred additional growth as well.

Reading is one of my favorite pastimes.  I love all genres, but horror is my favorite.  I have to find storage for all of my books because right now, they are taking up an entire bedroom.  That is a lot of books.  I have read all of them at least once, and some many more times.

Frogs are very interesting.  I once saw a tree frog on the side of my storage shed, and he was huge.  He had several color throughout his body, and was almost blended into the paint.  When I tried to catch him, he jumped into the grass.  He was a lot faster than I was.

A lot of my friends are stubborn.  I have told them many times that they do not have to pay for storage .  They insist on paying over a hundred dollars a month just to keep boxes of junk.  If they would just go through them, they could fit the remainder in their homes.  I will never spend money on a unit unless I have to.

I dont like to brag, but working for the storage industry is pretty easy.  Basically, we help our customers get what they need.  Thats about it, really.  I like to brag about where I work because all of the people are really nice and cooperative.  I wish other people could work in such a fun and upbeat place.