in the past 2 weeks i have encountered what i call recession aggression where business owners think that it’s appropriate to harass Yelpers over unfavorable reviews, i also encountered the neighborhood slumlord who happens to unfortunately own a house right next to ours. when i say slum i don’t say that lightly-by refusing to provide heat which is part of city code and the landlord tenant act she broke the law. she also refused to fix leaking walls and broken appliances. The last 2 years the tenants lived there she didn’t even give them a contract; also illegal. yesterday i was accused of being a “bad person” because i wrote an unfavorable review because my husband ended up losing mobility in his neck after the massage he received for his birthday. today, because i know the landlord tenant law for the city i was accused of being racist by a very unstable woman.

this is recession aggression the inability to communicate without threatening/harassing the person you encounter. i want to address the racist issue first as i went to one of the most diverse universities on the east coast. i have dated every color under the rainbow and live in of the most diverse neighborhoods in Seattle. i took a class at my university on African American literature in the 90’s and it was one of my favorite classes; i chose to stay in the class with the greater number of African Americans because i wanted to hear their cultural view and their opinion on the books we where reading. i dated the former QB from my university who was an adorable, sweet guy who also happened to be black. One of my oldest friends is a Orthodox Jew who invited me to his wedding. To me i am color blind and only judge by your actions; actions and behavior is not based on race it’s based on your behavior towards others.

the business owner who rambled incessantly at me yesterday was abusive and combative to the point that it made my husband and i fear for our safety. when i wrote my review i had no idea i would be accused of being retaliatory or as he put it vitriolic. he went so far as to contact Yelp HQ and have my unfavorable taken down. as my husband put it this is a man that will only tolerate yes-if he doesn’t receive it he will go to any length to protect himself; which also includes harassing my husband at work and making personal digs on our lives and our marriage. this is another example of recession aggression in its purest form.

a note on safety: if you encounter someone who is combative after simply asking a question leave the area or the place asap. after leaving and the person continues contacting you electronically document the situation either with sending a text to someone you know or by taking pictures or video. i have video on my phone showing my husbands loss of mobility, sleeping on the couch and he went to an doctor so we have medical documentation. document and don’t take your life and your safety for granted.