Thinking back I remember really liking this LDB location the first time I saw it...the locations appearance on the "best of" list brought me back with a different perspective.

My father recently passed away in a house not unlike this - and although maybe not quite as much of a health hazard, it was not far off - piles of garbage, whole rooms full of garbage, 1" thick layers of dust, cat feces, rotting food, flies, etc etc...the works. Having not spoken to him in the past 20 years, you can say that I was shocked when the police handed over his keys to me. The house was disgusting - like nothing I've ever seen in real life - anyway...

I looked through the pictures of Freds house again, and now I'm thinking how fucked up this is. To think that someone could have put pictures of my dads place online is terrible - and don't get me wrong, this has nothing to do with him being my dad, cause like I said, I don't really know him and certainly have few feelings for him. It was truly sad that he lived in such a deplorable and unsanitary conditions - he obviously had some problems but I don't think they should be aired for all to see and inspect - any stranger deserves that much..

So now I look at this from my new perspective and think it really is exploiting this crazy old man just for rating stars. According to the cops, a lot of people die this way - I don't think it should be advertised for all to see like some kind of roadshow.

Of course, I don't really care what people choose to do either way, but I thought I'd offer another perspective...

I understand your point of view on this, and I think this is why there is a general rule against exploring someone's home. There are too many issues about privacy and human decency to consider.

I am conflicted, though, because there is also a certain amount of real human drama which plays into the decision to document a place like this. I hope I do not offend you in any way, but I like to think that there is a difference between your experience with your father's house and Fred's house. For all intents and purposes, Fred's house seems to have been livable. Despite the rooms filled with junk and dust, there appears to have been a place he was sleeping, food in the fridge, etc. The decay of perishable items could easily have taken place in the time after his death and before the photos were taken. In the case of your father (without knowing anything of the situation) it sounds as though there was a long-term problem of unsanitary conditions existing there. The two stories, I think, are markedly different.

All that said, I can understand your view, and why you disapprove of this type of thing being available for all to see. It is, after all, a private matter how all of us choose to live our lives. Perhaps only in a cautionary sense is it permissable to put this type of thing on display.

To INA's credit, though, I think he documented this site in an effort to share the enormity of his discovery, rather than in a crass attempt to impress others or gain from Fred's death. As I'm sure we've all experienced at one time or another, it often helps to share with another human something which is fantastic or enormous, especially in its emotional impact. For some reason, it helps one process one's own feelings to see someone else who is experiencing similar things. (For more on this, see Catharsis.) I don't see this location as an attempt to do anything but share the outward mystery which surrounded this man's life. Whether that was an appropriate decision or not is up for grabs, but I suspect his motives were noble.

Hmmm. This is a toughie. Anyone else care to chime in?

-- Mat

after meeting INA, I can say that I don't think that this location was a dick-waving impress someone location. I think the guy was in awe of what he saw behind this guys doors. I really think that was more a way of making us all think.

Anyways,
Samurai

....And make me think,it has.

It seems that every few months or so, someone in my city is discovered living this way. Or in another case, a gentleman had an apartment, within a large complex, so full of trash that he took to sleeping in a van he had in the parking lot ~where he froze to death. All of a sudden, his family came out of the woodwork to the media, backpedaling like mad to explain their innocence.

I don't know, if anything this thread has increased an awareness about these situations and cause us to take stock of our own lives.

Rest in peace, Mr. Salomon.

I have to say, this location has had a greater impact on me than any location I have ever seen. I never knew the man, but I felt a little eerie because we both work for the same company doing similar types of work. (Saving boxes electronics come in is an engineer thing... You should see the attic at work -- boxes for crap we haven't had in years rotting away up there) I know people who work in the NY office... I wouldn't want them to see these pictures, though. If they knew him (Which I suspect they may, as they're longtime employees) I think it would be best for them to just remember him as they knew him and not know "the rest of the story".