Roommate is a jerk

[Cato988]

Ok, so i really want to handle this the right way because i have to live with this guy for the rest of the year, but at the same time i want this resolved.

My roommate is rather wealthy and has contributed alot to the dorm room. I would of had no problem paying for my half of the stuff (such as mini fridge, futon, etc.) but he is a sophmore so he has it all from his freshman year.

I have only seen him hangout/ talk to one friend and i don't think he has anyother friends and is not much of a people person beause hes a snobby ass. This give you an idea of the guy that im dealing with.

The Issue:
Since Halo 3 has come out, he has been very greedy about sharing his tv. All he does is play Halo and feels like he can kick me off of his tv whenever he wants to. It is his TV and xbox 360, so i understand where he feels like he has that right, but at the beginning of the semester we filled out a roommate agreement that states that the "entertainment" area is equal to both of us. Ive contributed the ps2, nintendo, etc. The reason this is such a big issue is because with him kicking me off like he is, he essentially has control of our entertainment/living room (we have a suite, so we have a area for sleeping and a "living room" area). I have my own tv, but its on my desk and when he takes over the entertainment room, it forces me into my corner.

I don't feel like this is fair at all and if its necessary, i would be more than happy to say "get your crap on your side of the room and ill get mine on my side and we wont interact or use each others stuff at all." If he is going to hog his stuff, he can't keep it in neutral space.

Is seperating the room and being selfish the answer?

How should i approach him about the situation.

[southside grabowski]

From the subject I thought that you had a serious problem like he was urinating in the sink, vomiting on your stuff or servicing sweaty, un-showered skanks in your bed. .

[trumptman]

Is the TV chained to your desk? Put it on top of his TV for goodness sakes. Big deal!

Nick

[Cato988]

its kind of a big deal when youre stuck with him for a year.

as for putting the tv next to his, i'm trying to keep this arguement friendly (as hes a stubborn ass and i dont want to deal with that anymore than i have to) and i could easily push back, but i'd rather do this the right way

thanks,
Cato

[tonton]

Set up a TV sharing schedule is the only way to deal with this. If he doesn't like that then set up a living room sharing schedule and tell him he needs to move his TV to his room to play video games if he wants to. Then put your TV (which you're willing to share according to the schedule" in the living room or buy a new one.

[Cato988]

Set up a TV sharing schedule is the only way to deal with this. If he doesn't like that then set up a living room sharing schedule and tell him he needs to move his TV to his room to play video games if he wants to. Then put your TV (which you're willing to share according to the schedule" in the living room or buy a new one.

ok thanks... thats more reasonable

[Rich-Myster]

ok thanks... thats more reasonable

buy an 80 inch plasma screen tv and an xbox 360 along with halo 3 and play it in your room real loud.

[southside grabowski]

My! We have become a nation of whiners. What a culture.

[giant]

How should i approach him about the situation.
Do what you are there to do and stop wasting time and energy on him.

[addabox]

Lets see, we have "you don't really have a problem", "buy a big ass plasma", "negotiate", "put your TV on top of his", "stop whining" and "start studying".

So I'm going to have to go with "garrote him in his sleep and sell his organs on Ebay", because I think you should have a range of options.

[SpcMs]

If only I had problems like yours... :\

[Rich-Myster]

Lets see, we have "you don't really have a problem", "buy a big ass plasma", "negotiate", "put your TV on top of his", "stop whining" and "start studying".

So I'm going to have to go with "garrote him in his sleep and sell his organs on Ebay", because I think you should have a range of options.

haha i concur. ( obviously not spelled right.)

[SDW2001]

So yeah...this does not qualify as a roommate problem. When you come back to your room and your roommate has TAKEN YOUR FRIDGE to the next room for a party, that's a roommate problem.

[Duddits]

its kind of a big deal when youre stuck with him for a year.

as for putting the tv next to his, i'm trying to keep this arguement friendly (as hes a stubborn ass and i dont want to deal with that anymore than i have to) and i could easily push back, but i'd rather do this the right way

thanks,
Cato
I wouldn't divide the room in two. That will only make things worse for you.

I like going back to the original agreement - sharing the living room. He doesn't get to use the living room more just because it's full of his swag. Maybe you should tell him in a humorous way, like drop him a note telling him that because you are using your PS2 so much you are concerned that that's cutting into his equal use of the living room. Tell him you're sorry for that and that you will not kick him off your PS2 even though it's yours, and will try to be a more equitable roommate. And tell him if he is ever concerned that you are monopolizing the living room, to immediately say something to you since it is important to you that he feels just as comfortable in it as you do.

(He will understand the irony, won't he?)

[Aries 1B]

It's called property rights. Don't use his television. Get a new room mate. Talk to the RA and get on with your life and education.

V/R,
Aries 1B

[trick fall]

I am so happy I never had a roommate.

[Cato988]

Lets see, we have "you don't really have a problem", "buy a big ass plasma", "negotiate", "put your TV on top of his", "stop whining" and "start studying".

So I'm going to have to go with "garrote him in his sleep and sell his organs on Ebay", because I think you should have a range of options.

thank you adda... i needed some range

[Jubelum]

If he has not yet turned to getting stoned and stealing your Hot Pockets, to the degree that you have had to put a padlock on your freezer, then you have no real problem... yet.

Ask me... and BTW, only two of the padlocks at Lowes will work on a Micro-Fridge.

[Denton]

The Issue:
Since Halo 3 has come out...

Perhaps it should be pointed out that he may tire of Halo in a few weeks and begin playing it less. I say just ride it out. Or, better yet, join his campaign. But it's a new game, and it should be obvious that he's going to want to play it every waking hour for the first while.

[Taskiss]

Play on your own TV and move it out of the corner into a more prominent position in the room immediately after he kicks you off his TV. Say nothing, just go do it.

[@_@ Artman]

My! We have become a nation of whiners. What a culture.

I agree here. You have your own TV, get your Ps2 and Nintendo consoles and hook them to it. That says "fuck off" nicely. Either that or turn off your TV, go outside and hang out with your friends or read a book...or something.

Follow tonton's or Aries 1B's...I did. I had a roommate who had a trail of ants crawling from the floor to his garbage ridden bed. He was gone in a week.

[Dogcow]

I'm guessing you're a Freshman. Keep in mind that chances are you will never talk to him again after the year or at least after Junior year, so who cares if you piss him off. Here are some options:

- Get a girlfriend/boyfriend and use her/his TV... and bed.
- Bring her/him to your room and use the entertainment space for your "entertainment"
- Bring your friends over when you want to watch TV. He'll probably feel more obligated to give up the TV when there are more people around looking to use the TV.
- I used a TV tuner on my computer in my dorm... saved space, let me record stuff while i was out and only I could watch it.
- Suck it up. your room situation sounds better than 80% of most college freshmen.

It sounds like you just want to get along better in general. Roommates are your roommates and not always your friends. Sometimes it works out and sometimes you have to put up with each other's crap. If it really bothers you spend less time in your room. You'll be happier and make more friends.

[icfireball]

If things don't improve, I would say go for the ultimate roommate revenge:

Have sex with your girl in/on his bed. The key of course it to either get caught or not clean up.

[JakeTheRock]

http://www.linuxsavvy.com/staff/jgotts/roommate.html

:lol::lol::lol:

[tonton]

If things don't improve, I would say go for the ultimate roommate revenge:

Have sex with your girl in/on his bed. The key of course it to either get caught or not clean up.

Or even more ultimate revenge: Have sex with his girl on his bed...

[DanMacMan]

As someone who owns 100% of the entertainment stuff in my apartment, I understand where your roomate is coming from. My roomate recognizes this, and if he is watching tv and I come in and sit down, almost like a trained dog he gives up the remote and cedes control to me. Its rather nice.

[SDW2001]

As someone who owns 100% of the entertainment stuff in my apartment, I understand where your roomate is coming from. My roomate recognizes this, and if he is watching tv and I come in and sit down, almost like a trained dog he gives up the remote and cedes control to me. Its rather nice.

You need to classically condition him. Get a bell and ring it every time you sit down. Then just started ringing the bell for no reason and see what happens.

[Ke^in]

As someone who owns 100% of the entertainment stuff in my apartment, I understand where your roomate is coming from. My roomate recognizes this, and if he is watching tv and I come in and sit down, almost like a trained dog he gives up the remote and cedes control to me. Its rather nice.

Yeah it sounds like the OP needs to buy his own stuff. Then he can say who gets to use it. I am not seeing any real wrong doing on his roomate's part.

A lot of people feel they are owed things they are not.

- Suck it up. your room situation sounds better than 80% of most college freshmen.

I would say 97%. I would say both are acting spoiled.

[Cato988]

Yeah it sounds like the OP needs to buy his own stuff. Then he can say who gets to use it. I am not seeing any real wrong doing on his roomate's part.

A lot of people feel they are owed things they are not.



I would say 97%. I would say both are acting spoiled.

first of all... i could care less about using his crap. Its about equal space. As an 19 year old college student, i probably have a larger income than you do and in no way need to use his things. It was just agreed that since he had everything because he is a sophomore that we would share. If he has a problem with sharing... he probably shouldn't have agreed to sharing.

Second of all i could care less what other peoples situation are and saying my situation is better than 97% of other peoples is just an ignorant and stupidly thought out thing to say. This is about keeping things equal because its just as much my room as his. I pay just as much as he does.

I don't see how you think I'm acting spoiled but apparently you have the same issues that my roommate is dealing with. Selfishness, lack of ability to reason, crappy people skills.

I guess thats why I'm the one asking people that I believed would be "helpful" and "friendly" and "reasonable" for some decent advice... and why you're the one wasting your time attacking me instead of contributing something reasonable and intelligent.

As for everyone that actually offered something that could help me. Thank you.

[Rich-Myster]

first of all... i could care less about using his crap. Its about equal space. As an 19 year old college student, i probably have a larger income than you do and in no way need to use his things. It was just agreed that since he had everything because he is a sophomore that we would share. If he has a problem with sharing... he probably shouldn't have agreed to sharing.

Second of all i could care less what other peoples situation are and saying my situation is better than 97% of other peoples is just an ignorant and stupidly thought out thing to say. This is about keeping things equal because its just as much my room as his. I pay just as much as he does.

I don't see how you think I'm acting spoiled but apparently you have the same issues that my roommate is dealing with. Selfishness, lack of ability to reason, crappy people skills.

I guess thats why I'm the one asking people that I believed would be "helpful" and "friendly" and "reasonable" for some decent advice... and why you're the one wasting your time attacking me instead of contributing something reasonable and intelligent.

As for everyone that actually offered something that could help me. Thank you.
Dude, you're saying that he has no people skills, but look at you, you're not able to speak to your room mate and tell him that you're having a problem with him. You're also asking for help on the internet from a bunch of people you don't even know.

[Cato988]

I have people skills... my roommate doesn't. He throws fits, and xbox controllers across the room. I was just looking for a way to approach the situation. The conflict is way over. He got mad at Halo, punched a hole through the sheetrock, and got kicked out of the dorms for threatening the floor manager.

So now i have a room to myself.

I think its fair to say he doesn't have people skills. It's also fair to say that he's unsafe around halo and thats why i didn't know how to approach the situation.

[tonton]

LOL! Congratulations! Problem soved in the best and most just way possible. :lol:

[turtle777]

:lol:

Nice way to resolve the situation. What an idiot.

Good luck with the search for a successor ;)

-t

[tonton]

There was a Buffy episode about this.