World

Woman Stuck in Bathroom for 3 Weeks After Neighbors Petition to Stop Her Rescue ‘Taps’

You can’t make this up.

A French woman stuck in a bathroom for three weeks was rescued after her neighbors noticed she was missing. But those neighbors are the same ones that started a petition to have her “cries,” or taps, for help stopped because they thought the noise was unapproved home repairs. New Zealand’s ABC News reports:

The woman emerged in a “very weakened” state when rescue workers, alerted by neighbours worried because they had not seen her for some time, broke into her Paris home to help her out.

She became stuck after the bathroom door lock broke.

Police said the woman, who is recuperating in hospital, survived by drinking warm water from the bathroom tap and at night tried to call for help by tapping on piping.

But neighbours in the apartment block said they thought someone was doing home repair work and launched a petition to find out who it was and to have it stopped.

(H/T: Fark)

Comments (86)

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  • Comeandtakeit
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 3:02pm

    All the French woman would have had to do is take a shower more than once a week. And someone would have recognized that the water usage would have been abnormal and came looking for her.

    Report Post » Comeandtakeit  
  • George Washington
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 2:51pm

    What ever happened to using a nail file or tweezers to unscrew the door knob, then pushing the rod which it was on, until it falls out of the lock? once that is done, one can use a finger to unlatch the door.

    Report Post »  
  • Ken
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 1:53pm

    Sounds just like liberals. They wait for the government to rescue them from themselves! So typical!

    Report Post »  
  • marjorie faye
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 1:52pm

    Is she unable to cry out for help? I mean, why didn’t she scream and holler for help? Why did she only tap on the pipes?

    Report Post »  
  • axel@25
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 1:50pm

    Let’s all take a breath here…it‘s a small story about an unfortunate woman that went through a very tough time and she shouldn’t be second guessed by everyone with an agenda driven approach to all things…Remember the quote, “sometimes a cigar is just a cigar”.

    Probable scenario:
    Location; Paris…bathroom…built of solid masonry in 1866…repaired bomb damage and plumbing added in 1950…re-used the original 3″ solid oak door…pipes are exposed outside the walls like on many old buildings… the lock? probably a huge mortise lock of solid iron or maybe brass..the lock, walls, pipes all had no agenda or social/political comment to make.
    The woman; age unknown…had to answer the “call”…didn’t take a toolbox with her when she entered the bathroom(do you?)…finished with her buisness she tried to leave but the door lock was broken…having forgotten her jack hammer she tried tapping on the pipes…
    The neighbors; started to hear metalic tapping,.. carried throughout the building and seeming to come from everywhere,..residents thought there was some illegal remodelling going on…unable to track the source a search of all units in the entire building was needed but to do that thay needed the residents to agree and to get the police to do the searching.

    Report Post »  
    • Insipid
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 2:12pm

      That is right along the lines of my thinking. Alot of people here with some deeply rooted issues. How about some compassion instead of attacking her and her country. I agree with the fact that socialism is crap and I love the capitalist systems. That being said, I don’t think it has any relevance here. There are many Americans over the years who have been stuck in situations that they could of handled better. Hindsight is 20/20 and shoulda, woulda, coulda is much easier after its all said and done.

      Report Post » Inbred Jed  
    • GrandmaPam
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 3:18pm

      Very good Axel, it seems that you have put a bit more thought behind your reply than many posters have, and you also understood that, although this was reported by ABC New Zealand, you correctly inferred that the incident took place in Paris. If you reread the story, your question will be answered–click on the red highighted word reports and you will find the complete article, with the age of the lady.

      Report Post »  
  • moonpeace
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 1:15pm

    There are too many unknowns to this story to make a judgment. Was she elderly, of sound mental capacity, injured? I‘m sure I’d be able to get out, but I’m not her.

    Report Post » moonpeace  
    • Agentuntomyself
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 1:56pm

      True, we don’t really know her condition. The worst part of this story is the stupid neighbors who were too busy being indignant to just talk to each other. If they would have gone to her apartment with the intention of asking her what was going on, they would have found her much sooner.

      Report Post »  
  • Amren
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 1:03pm

    AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
    Stupid people annoy me.

    Report Post » Amren  
  • Zai
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:58pm

    This is the time when you wish you ate like us Americans. We could break doors down.

    Report Post » Zai  
  • TheFormerlyInvisibleMan
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:45pm

    The other night I was driving down the alley behind my house and saw my neighbor’s wife standing in their garage door with a hatchet. I could have dialed 911 and said I saw a crazed lunatic with an axe and they need to send the police right away. I could have written a letter to the city council about neighbors brandishing deadly weapons. Instead, I walked over there and asked what was the matter. It seems they had just replaced their garage door opener and the door was now stuck. Her husband and adult son were not at home and she was just trying to get the door to go down. I quickly assessed the door’s condition and after a very brief beating (of the door) got the door aligned so that it would close. She thanked me and I returned home. But then, I am a conservative.

    http://www.CafePress.com/GadsdenFlags

    Report Post » TheFormerlyInvisibleMan  
    • Alexandra1214
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 1:16pm

      AMEN …. PERFECT …. a Man after my own heart!!!! You sound like my Dad, brothers and nephews !!!! PRACTICAL COMMON SENSE!!!!!

      Report Post » Alexandra1214  
    • komponist-ZAH
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 2:27pm

      Practical Common Sense? Is that still legal? ;)

      But I have a question @theformerlyinvisibleman:

      What if she HAD been a crazed woman in a murderous rage armed with a hatchet? =/ lol

      Report Post »  
  • Seagal45
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:45pm

    You break down the door unless physically unable to. What a crazy world, God help us all.

    Report Post »  
  • GrandmaPam
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:33pm

    I am amazed at you people who have comprehension difficulties. If you reread this short passage, you will find that it was reported by ABC New Zealand; the French woman was in her home in Paris.
    Alexandra–what if the hinges were on the outside of the door JAMB?

    Report Post »  
    • jb1972
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:40pm

      Then they probably put the door on backwards.
      just sayin.

      Report Post » jb1972  
    • trolltrainer
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:43pm

      She could have called for the new zealand police or rescue department! Sheesh…

      Report Post »  
    • Alexandra1214
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 1:05pm

      I was raised with 2 brothers and all sorts of nephews …. there would have been SOMETHING I would have used to beat the crap outta that door … drywall .. tile … I mean really … she should have left the tub overflow to down below … lol … that might have gotten their attention sooner …. Although IF she had my Golden Retriever, Geena with her … Geena would have clawed her way out that bathroom … I know .. she didn’t like our powder room door when it was shut and she thought she heard a mouse in the bathroom … lolol … can you tell … we live in the country …. just saying … COMMON SENSE PEOPLE!!!!!

      Report Post » Alexandra1214  
    • Alexandra1214
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 1:12pm

      I am not too sure about the New Zeland building codes … but if you just go with the way a door swings … if the hinges were on the outside …. she couldn’t have popped them out .. obviously … but those are typically used in the smaller bathrooms or poweder rooms … BUT on the larger bathrooms, where there is a shower stall or bath tub …. the door swing in .. either to ther right or left … the hinges/pins ARE on the inside ….. So I guess we could ASSUME that she was locked in her Powder Room >>>???? Oh heck … the stupid people should have just checked on her!!!! NOT get a petition together … I mean … REALLY??

      Report Post » Alexandra1214  
    • BSdetector
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 1:22pm

      Who puts the hinges on the outside of the door jamb, sticking into the hall?

      Report Post » BSdetector  
  • dontbotherme
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:29pm

    I wonder how old she is & what type of door she has. That being said what is wrong with her neighbors? Someone should have checked to see what the noise was before writing a petition. Do we know our neighbors? Do we know if they need help?

    Report Post »  
  • cripplecreek
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:26pm

    I think I would check on her before running to the “authorities”. The neighbors should hide their faces in shame.

    Report Post »  
  • trolltrainer
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:26pm

    Three weeks and you can’t break out of a bathroom? I mean, three hours and I would have busted the tiles/drywall and crawled out between the studs…Never mind popping the hinges on the door, or simply busting through that…Sheesh…

    Report Post »  
    • M31Sailor
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 1:44pm

      Are the cell phone operators on strike in France? 911 Hello ,I‘m stuck on my toilet and I can’t get up.

      Report Post » M31Sailor  
  • booger71
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:24pm

    In a lot of these Socialist countries, I think you need a State permit to do just about anything,probably to change a light bulb

    Report Post » booger71  
    • untameable-kate
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:33pm

      They have to make sure you are using the energy saving ‘green’ lightbulbs.

      Report Post » Untameable-kate  
    • 2dollarbill
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:35pm

      This is the U.S. LightBulb Police. What type of lightbulb are you planning on using? Is it approved by the E.P.A.? Do you have your Bulb Permit? We know what you’re up to! Don’t try to get away by hiding in your bathroom…

      Report Post »  
  • housetops
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:20pm

    The bathroom is the only place where the telescreen couldn’t see here.

    Report Post »  
    • Amren
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:53pm

      OMG!!!!!! That is hilarious!!! I wonder how many will get the reference!!!!!

      Report Post » Amren  
    • Kittino
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 1:38pm

      Win hands down! Doubleplus good!

      Report Post » Kittino  
    • aLinedog
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 1:52pm

      ROFLMAO! “Well played, clerks..”

      I do feel for the woman. I am sure we are missing some details. I.E.: the hinges were on the opposite side. No items within said latrine with which to pop the pins, were they inside. No window either, I presume. I do find it hard to believe the door was that stout, however, not to be kicked open (may take several attempts but after a day of trying to signal help.. I’d be kicking til exhaustion, take a nap and repeat.)
      -Line
      ” Freedom is Slavery!” – Ministry of Love

      Report Post »  
  • Alexandra1214
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:14pm

    Ummm what a shame …. she could have Popped out the pins in the hinges that hold the door to the jam ….. just saying ….the door would have fallen off it’s hinges…. sigh ….

    Report Post » Alexandra1214  
    • eteme
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:22pm

      Next time perhaps she will just pop the pins out…

      Report Post »  
    • Jeremy
      Posted on November 25, 2010 at 8:57am

      Have you ever done that it‘s not as easy as it sounds if the door is fit tight in the jamb it is still nearly impossible to get the door out of the jamb especially if the person isn’t very strong.

      Report Post » Jeremy  
    • Steve1776
      Posted on November 25, 2010 at 9:53pm

      The hinges are on the side the opens toward. If it opens out (like 99.3% of bathroom doors do) the hinges were on the other side of the door. What do you keep in your bathroom to remove hinges with?

      Report Post »  
  • Hoosier Daddy
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:12pm

    Wait a minute…this was New Zealand and the woman was French? Strike my previous comment.

    Report Post » Hoosier Daddy  
  • Marylou7
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:10pm

    Why didn’t they check to see if she was really having repairs done. How stupid. People are always jumping to conclusions. Get the facts first people.

    Report Post » Marylou7  
  • mlakester
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:10pm

    LOL leave it to the French.

    Sorry…I‘m glad she’s alright, but I don’t know how you could be so stuck helpless in that position…unless her door was metal or something.

    And her neighbor assuming the worst and calling in complaints instead of investigating the “tapping”??

    Leave it to the French.

    Report Post »  
    • ltb
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:28pm

      How many Liberals does it take to change a light bulb? None. They sit around in the dark until ten bureaucrats from the government show up to replace the wiring and the wall switch, then they sit around in the dark some more until FEMA relocates them to a trailer that has all new light bulbs. How many Conservatives does it take to change a light bulb? One.

      Report Post » ltb  
  • FED-UP-AND-READY-TO-TAKE-ACTION
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:08pm

    Dam, what ever happened to love your neighbor?

    Report Post » FED-UP-AND-READY-TO-TAKE-ACTION  
    • Amren
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:52pm

      Wow! Where should I start??? Most people in cities don‘t even know their neighbor’s names. Do you? Out here in the country our closest neighbor may be a quarter mile away, but I know their names. I‘m constantly amazed that people in cities don’t know how to do anything for themselves. Change a lightbulb = Call the Super. Toilet constantly running? God forbid you jiggle the handle or change the guts, you just call the guy.
      Living in the city rots your self-sufficiency. That’s good though, because they’ll be the first to perish because they have no clue how to plant a seed or harvest a steer, or hunt, or fish, or do anything without being told. I think Manhattan will make beautiful farm land once the buildings fall over, don’t you?

      Report Post » Amren  
    • FED-UP-AND-READY-TO-TAKE-ACTION
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 2:25pm

      Amren,

      You have a good point. For those who cannot hunt, fish and farm they will be at the mercy of the state or who ever is in charge when the days coming are revealed. Foe those who can fend for themselves they will have to find hiding places to keep the mobs from trying to take the food. Dam bad time coming………………

      Report Post » FED-UP-AND-READY-TO-TAKE-ACTION  
    • rlmeals
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 3:09pm

      We’ve been having this conversations for about 4 years now. I grew up on a farm, but had forgotten a lot of the things my grandma used to do, so I’ve since learned how to knit, crochet, sew, can, clean without chemicals (baking soda, vinegar, and isopropyl alcohol), make homemade laundry detergent, line dry clothes, some home remedies for illnesses, etc. We even visited a working farm that did everything like they used to in the 1800′s. I realized that even the way the housed were built utilized the north to south wind current in a breezeway to get old fashioned “air conditioning.”

      I hate to sound like an alarmist or a fringe lunatic, but it wouldn’t take much for an enemy to destroy us. They want to use the US corn supply to make ethanol and get our food corn from China…CHINA!…who gives us lead paint in children’s toys and poison in baby formula. And an EMP would wipe out our grid completely. Then there‘s the smart grid and new smart meters they’re forcing us to put in our homes now. Pretty soon when they control our A/C and appliances, it’ll be so expensive to run everything…or we just won’t be allowed to use them at all. Not to mention the price of everything going up from gas, to milk, to eggs, and all our other grocery items. I’d just rather grow my own veggies, have chickens for eggs and meat, have pigs…just live on a farm like my dad used to and live off the land. We’re already avid hunters, fishers, and gardeners, so I don‘t think we’ll ever starve!

      Report Post » rlmeals  
    • FED-UP-AND-READY-TO-TAKE-ACTION
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 4:14pm

      rlmeals,
      I too used to know a lot about how to lve off the land but over the years have forgotten a lot of how to farm & hunt. Did alot when I was younger. I am going to start working on getting back the skills I once had.
      We grew up with an outside toilet, had one bathroom inside, had a well, had a freezer we keep full of canned vegetables and also meat. We did not but much out of the store as we lived in WV an lived out of the coal company’s “company store”.

      Got to get the skills back before it’s to late……………….

      Report Post » FED-UP-AND-READY-TO-TAKE-ACTION  
    • rlmeals
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 5:21pm

      Fed-Up,

      Terri Blackstock is a Christian author who wrote a wonderful 4-book series about what happens when an EMP strikes. She introduces some great story lines, including how society changes, who adapts and who doesn’t, how people adapted and learned from the elderly who taught them how to store food and dig wells, etc. Very interesting reading.

      http://www.amazon.com/Last-Light-Restoration-Terri-Blackstock/dp/0310257670

      Report Post » rlmeals  
    • FedUP
      Posted on November 25, 2010 at 2:34am

      @Fed-up-and-ready.

      What part of WV- I grew up in and around Charleston.

      Report Post » BOUGHT YOUR SILO YET?  
    • FED-UP-AND-READY-TO-TAKE-ACTION
      Posted on November 25, 2010 at 7:23am

      FEDUP,

      It was in Wyoming county down near Beckley, close to Pineville and Oceana…………..

      Report Post » FED-UP-AND-READY-TO-TAKE-ACTION  
  • Hoosier Daddy
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:08pm

    Gee, I thought it was just us the French hated.

    Report Post » Hoosier Daddy  
    • jb1972
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:38pm

      NO even the French hate the French.

      Report Post » jb1972  
  • eteme
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:07pm

    UNAPPROVED???? What do you mean UNAPPROVED??? You have to be approved to paint a wall in NZ? What a crock of Shi^. Not really her home it is the Govt., right…How about when you got to go to the rest room and you are in to long…do you have to get that approved as well there…

    Report Post »  
    • Bad Thunder
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:20pm

      Nothing in France is approved without a government chokehold, ummmm…sounds like the road we are heading down……

      Report Post »  
    • cheezwizshabaz
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 4:26pm

      here in the wonderful progressive wisconsin, you can’t do repairs over $500 without permits.

      Report Post »  
  • moreteaplease
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:07pm

    The stories just get crazier.

    Report Post » moreteaplease  
  • dkhartman
    Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:06pm

    was her bathroom door made of metal?? I could at the very least break my door down if my lock broke.. Either way, glad she’s okay.

    And of course, here is another example of people thinking the worst of people rather than making sure their neighbor is okay BEFORE making accusations..

    Report Post »  
    • M31Sailor
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:17pm

      Remember She’s French. Somebody else has to do the dirty work. Surrender is the only option

      Report Post » M31Sailor  
    • untameable-kate
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:25pm

      If the lady is French she has been conditioned to wait for someone to save her rather then try to take care of herself. No survival instinct from someone who expects to be taken care of by someone esle. Suprised?

      Report Post » Untameable-kate  
    • Dustyluv
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 12:59pm

      She was waiting for an American to save her, Those kooky Frenchie French…

      Report Post »  
    • MAULEMALL
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 1:09pm

      How old was she???

      If she was over 62 you know her ass wasn’t doing any work..

      Report Post » MAULEMALL  
    • Beckofile
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 1:21pm

      This is also coming to America where your neighbor turns you in for Unapproved Repairs to your own property. Hell your boss is the governments tax agent, why not call the TSA if your are using a hammer. I have a progressive neighbor so I am in the midst of constructing a 7ft fence so they can stay out of my business, It is hard to shoot squirls in the middle of the city when she is looking.

      Report Post » Beckofile  
    • Camo Pants
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 2:01pm

      @beckofile
      My dad just got done staining our fence. Now the worthless people, trust me, can’t just walk into our yard, and my dogs can have fun to. :D

      I’m part French people, and I don‘t give up unless it’s 100% guarenteed to fail. So take it easy on me :(

      Report Post »  
    • PeachyinGA
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 2:13pm

      All she had to do was turn on the faucets full blast then wait for the soggy neighbors to come inspect where the flooding was coming from!

      Report Post » PeachyinGA  
    • sawman
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 3:20pm

      And this is a good example for all of us. Take care of your family first, and then take care of your neighbors also. A person who is friendly will have friends. Make your neighbors your friends, unless of course they are liberals….HaHa. Take care of a couple of liberals too, and maybe they will listen to you when you disagree……Just sayin’

      Report Post »  
    • Rowgue
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 5:45pm

      Breaking down a door in the direction it opens, as depicted when police break down somebodies front door, is relatively easy. You’re just breaking the small sliver of wood holding the strikeplate in place. Essentially like ripping a piece of trim off the wall.

      Breaking down a door against the direction it opens is impossible for most people. You’re not just breaking the strikeplate loose. You literally have to break through the entire door jam. You also don’t have the advantage of it being the proper way the door is intended to swing, so the hinges are working as additional anchor points instead of a pivot point.

      Every bathroom door I’ve ever seen opens INTO the room. Unless it’s a hollow core door or something just as flimsy that you could kick your way through fairly easily, most people aren’t getting out, at least not through that door. Go ahead and try it though, just have your doctor on speed dial so you can have your broken bones treated when you’re done.

      Report Post »  
    • APEXIdaho
      Posted on November 24, 2010 at 7:09pm

      She is 69 years old.

      Report Post »  
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