Bedbugs

[Lulu Belle]

When i was in the Sea Org, I lived in PAC berthing.

The berthing in PAC was probably one of the worst scenes, if not the worst scene, of any of the SO bases. Besides the actual PAC staff, all of middle management, who lived at the HGB, berthed there. ASI and the "senior execs" had a whole floor.

As a result, most of the staff were crammed like sardines into the rooms. It was not unusual to have 12 people berthed in triple bunks in a not very large space.

One of the things that occurred as a result of this overcrowding were bedbug epidemics.

I vividly remember one "bedbug evolution".

A few people reported waking up with insect bites. It was determined that these bites were from bedbugs.

So, the whole building has to "de-bedbug".

Everyone's matteresses were dragged onto the roof of the Main Building to be put in the sun. (Apparently that gets rid of them; or at least someone there thought it did.) All of our clothes had to be put up there too. Everyone's bedding had to get washed/sanitized.

Then it all had to get dragged down again. And, of course, people's stuff would get messed up and get lost in the shuffle.

What a nightmare.

 

[Bea Kiddo]

Peace

 

[Dulloldfart]

I remember that evolution, Lulu. I didn't lose any stuff, although I had a coat whose buttons got three-quarters vaporized in a super-hot drier. Apparently the extra heat was needed to toast the critters for sure.

But there was a bright side to it. No-one in our dorm ended up with any of those horrific-looking bed-bug bites. And should I ever again be in slum housing I know to check down the mattress seams for those little dark squashy-looking things!

Paul

 

[Voltaire's Child]

How awful. How do you tell the difference between bedbug bites and flea bites? Fleas sometimes get into mattresses, too.

Just curious.

 

[Dulloldfart]

A quick peek on the Net shows no easy way of telling.

The few I saw demonstrated at the time were huge swellings inches across, in addition to the red spots. I thought that was typical, not having done any research on it at all. But the photos I found two minutes ago via Google were just the red spots.

Paul

 

[Zinjifar]

A quick peek on the Net shows no easy way of telling.

The few I saw demonstrated at the time were huge swellings inches across, in addition to the red spots. I thought that was typical, not having done any research on it at all. But the photos I found two minutes ago via Google were just the red spots.

Paul

I've never (knowingly) had bedbug-bites, but, flea bites are very very idiosynchratic in being very small, localized and hard (and very itchy!)

Very different from spider bites (for example) which tend to be wider, flatter and redder. Unless of course you've run into a funnel-spider type like a brown recluse or hobo, in which case they are not itchy at all, but become numb (sometimes jumping to nearby areas) before they turn black and become ulcerous.

I would expect bedbug bites to be more like small spider bites in being flat and soft.

Certainly flea bites are easily recognized for being very small and hard.

Zinj

 

[Lulu Belle]

How awful. How do you tell the difference between bedbug bites and flea bites? Fleas sometimes get into mattresses, too.

Just curious.

I don't remember how they could tell the bites apart. But you can actually see a bedbug. They are a little round black bug - kind of like a small dark ladybug. They checked for physical evidence of the bugs themselves.

 

[Lee_from_phx]

I lived in PAC for 8 months between 93 and 94. I was there for the Northridge earthquake. There was no bed-bug problem when I was there, but I can attest to being stacked 12 in a room 3 bunks high.

 

[Voltaire's Child]

That's truly horrible. With or without bedbugs- just insane.

 

[Flyonthewall]

I remember the bed bug evolution. I was on the epf and it sucked. I was just happy that the epf wasn't berthing at pac at that time.

 

[Lulu Belle]

I remember the bed bug evolution. I was on the epf and it sucked. I was just happy that the epf wasn't berthing at pac at that time.

Where were they berthing?

At the Anthony Building?

 

[wolfright]

I was in Main Bldg and Leb Hall, in the late 90s early 00s, and we didn't have a bedbug issue (thank god!). Everyone was really strict about room cleanliness (ok I don't know about some of the boys rooms).
We did however sleep 12 to a room on triple stacked metal bunks. Actually we didn't have enough bunks in one of my rooms, so I shared a bed with another girl. That was kind of a regular occurance. Luckily it got better after I got married and got my own closet - I mean room.
Don't get me started on the ONE bathroom that we ALL used in main bldg... going up 5 flights of stairs in the middle of the night to step on squishy things on the floor that you hope aren't bugs and carefully not touch the toilet.
EEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!

 

[OHTEEATE]

only kids

Sea Org berthing is something only kids will put up with. 5 flights of stairs to use a bathroom? come on, what were they thinking?

 

[Bea Kiddo]

Sea Org berthing is something only kids will put up with. 5 flights of stairs to use a bathroom? come on, what were they thinking?

On the RPF, you had to run across the building, then up 7 flights of stairs for your shower and back down again.

One time, when I was visiting my dying 5 year old nephew, I donated blood. I forgot about it until I raced up all those stairs. At 7 I felt like I was gonna pass out and fall all the way to the bottom (it had an opening all the way down). Had to catch myself. My heart was racing so fast, trying to get some blood in.

I didnt weigh enough to donate blood, cause you have to be 110. I wore my heavy RPF boots to add pounds so I could donate.

 

[wolfright]

Oh yeah I remember those stairs. We had to "race" up them... ugh.

When I was there the EPF was berthed on the 2nd floor of main bldg.
I miss Mr Garrett, anyone know what happened to him? My mom said he was at Int (where she is). He was very good to me. He FED me and let me SLEEP and once stopped Mr Binda from chewing my head off (anyone know her?). Ha ha that was the best thing anyone ever did for me in the SO how sad is that?

Oh, and in the middle of the night when I had been up for days and could barely crack an eye open, I would go pee in the mop closet sink that was on my floor. Hey, it's ammonia right?

 

[Bea Kiddo]

Oh yeah I remember those stairs. We had to "race" up them... ugh.

When I was there the EPF was berthed on the 2nd floor of main bldg.
I miss Mr Garrett, anyone know what happened to him? My mom said he was at Int (where she is). He was very good to me. He FED me and let me SLEEP and once stopped Mr Binda from chewing my head off (anyone know her?). Ha ha that was the best thing anyone ever did for me in the SO how sad is that?

Oh, and in the middle of the night when I had been up for days and could barely crack an eye open, I would go pee in the mop closet sink that was on my floor. Hey, it's ammonia right?

Wasn't Jim Garrett in NWC? They got everyone who was OT III who wasnt suicidal and put them in NWC at one point. Dont know if he stayed.

Binda? Who is that. Vague memory... dont remember.

 

[wolfright]

Wasn't Jim Garrett in NWC? They got everyone who was OT III who wasnt suicidal and put them in NWC at one point. Dont know if he stayed.

Binda? Who is that. Vague memory... dont remember.

Yeah after being EPF IC for years. Dunno where he is now except in HGB?

Lissie Binda was some kind of int exec, maybe from wherever they ran the int missions from? I know she was on the mission to st hill size asho that was run by someone from WDC. She was very short and had short dark hair. Scary when she yelled!! omg

I always wondered about that mission, because it failed, so were these high high up execs "mission ineligable"?

So were lots of OT IIIs suicidal then?

 

[Bea Kiddo]

Yeah after being EPF IC for years. Dunno where he is now except in HGB?

So were lots of OT IIIs suicidal then?

I dont know. There were some nutballs around though. Really weird ideas. They were OT's and they were kooky and so they would end up on low posts, or out of the picture - like in cleaning and so forth. Nowhere near public.

 

[Savanna Bannana]

I was the RPF and we were up for days doing all the laundry. It got real funny when one RPFer, Cody C., started singing, The beattles " Shake it out baby!" complete with back up singers and all. Weird times!

 

[Flyonthewall]

The EPF was in the Wilcox building when I did the EPF in 1986. When I did the EPF in 1985 at Flag the I got to stay at the Ft Harrison and they forgot I was there. I stayed there for 3 weeks until I went home. It was beautiful and they even did my laundry. It never showed up on my freeloader bill. Such an unorganized group.