When most of us dream of retirement, we think of spending our golden
years in leisure -- golfing, playing bocce ball or fishing. But in
reality, today, most seniors have to worry about how to supplement their
fixed incomes. Well, some seniors have turned to the one of the world’s
oldest professions.
James Parham, a 75-year-old resident of the Vincente K. Tibbs Senior Citizen Building in New Jersey, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and maintaining a nuisance when he was exposed for running a prostitution ring from the senior citizens facility and using elderly residents as sex workers, according to The Record.
Holy Geritol red light district, Batman!
Okay, I am not sure what I am more grossed out by -- the fact that there are senior citizens still practicing the world’s oldest profession or that there is a market and customer base for their services.
Parham had an alleged accomplice, Cheryl Chaney, 66, who is accused by police of allowing residents and visitors to use crack cocaine in their apartments. I wonder if the apartment complex advertised this under “amenities” on its website: Two bedroom apartment homes, walk-in closets, laundry facilities, cable, Wi-Fi, crack pipes and senior sex workers on every floor!
While doing some volunteer work around digital literacy, I have been worked with seniors on simple things like how to use a cell phones, email and even Facebook. The workshops have been in some of the wonderful senior properties in West Charlotte. Many of the seniors were eager to learn new things and thankful for the time you spend with them.
I share all of that because I see how wonderful the environment they
live in is, so it would be disgraceful for folks who have worked so hard
all of their lives to have to deal with foolishness during their sunset
years. Unlike the Tibbs’ residents, who are either turning tricks or
getting inappropriate propositions during the “make a mug” art classes,
these dignified seniors seem to want peaceful and homey abodes.
According to reports, the alleged pimp and drug dealer, Parham and Chaney, were wreaking so much havoc in the Tibbs building that most residents were afraid to venture out of their apartments due to the escalation of crime and undesirable folks hanging out and causing problems.
“Essentially, they were prisoners in their own building,” Chief Arthur O’Keefe of the Englewood police was quoted as saying. “I wasn’t going to allow that to continue.”
This is just an absolute senior-citizens-gone-wild hot mess, and it has all the trappings of one of those traveling gospel stage plays.
Cue announcer: Coming soon to the Bojangles Coliseum: The hit gospel stages play, “Lord Help Me To Hold Out for a Better Rate And How Much for the Golden Girl-on-Girl?” Starring: Eddie Levert as resident and senior pimp, Cleophus. Anne Nesby as Beulah, a retired Sunday school teacher fallen from grace struggling between the love of the man who treats her bad and her love of her former self.
Announcer continues: Witness how residents are prisoners in their own homes as sex, drugs and underground illegal boost sales take over their once quiet community. The police, neighborhood watch and even the events coordinator have all turned their backs on this place, but not God! Jet Magazine says, “This is the second part of the Ike and Tina story if they had made it to retirement together.”
Scene #1: A very, very low speed chase of Cleophus (in his Hoveround) and Beulah unfolds in the hall- ways.
Cleohuus: “Beulah, girl, you got my money?”
Beulah: “No, Daddy, it was a slow night.”
Cleophus: “I told you ‘bout not havin’ my money.”
Scene #2: Cleophus swings a sock of laundry tokens, crippling Beulah as terrified residents look on.
Beulah: “Daddy, I can’t get up!”
Cleophus: (cue obligatory song) “Baby Hold onto me….”
Announcer: You have got to see this play! Once you witness the debauchery these seniors have to negotiate to make ends meet, you may never be able to accept that birthday card containing ten dollars from Big Momma again!
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