A longtime family business that was built and established in the worst state of the Union, California, recently became so sick and tired of dealing with break-ins, thefts, vandalism, and a bevy of other crimes against their laundromats that they decided to close up shop and take their business to Alabama.
What they found once they got there, according to a report from KGO-TV, was that their new home was chock full of “hard working people just trying to live their lives.”
There’s just something so refreshing about that, isn’t there? Living where folks are kind, hospitable, and hard-working, just getting through the day and loving on their families and friends is so good for the soul.
You know why, right?
It’s simple.
That’s the reason. Simple living. There’s not nearly the insane amount of drama you get living in a large urban area. Things move at a slower pace. People are just living. It’s wonderful.
According to TheBlaze, Drake and his family owned laundromats in the East Bay for decades, going on to add that it was Drake’s dad, Art Thoms — who just happens to be a former Oakland Raiders football player — told Drake that his teammates laughed at him for buying up laundromats almost 45 years ago.
But the recent spike in crime that started mucking things up in the Bay Area, all of which is a product of liberal soft-on-crime policies, the Drake family had a change of perspective.
“This is my sixth year of ownership [at his Lake Merritt laundromat], and I can’t remember a time in the first five years where anybody ever tried to break in,” Drake stated during an interview conducted with KGO via Zoom.
“Three out of past four nights people have tried to get into my laundromat — out of four nights … that’s crazy!” he told the station.
Here are more details from TheBlaze:
Drake shared numerous surveillance videos with KGO, including one that shows a driver ramming a truck through another laundromat’s front window and stealing the ATM.
“That was about a $30,000 bill on that one,” Drake told the station.
In another clip just days later, crooks are seen prying open the change machine, KGO noted.
“I got hit for $5,000 in just cash,” he recalled to the station while recalling one of the thieves struggling to hold a newly heavy backpack — a moment that sometimes elicits a chuckle: “It’s pretty comical to watch them run across the street with a bag of quarters.”
Drake told KGO he tried going cashless — but to no avail, as more videos showed break-ins continuing unabated, including one that captured a crowbar-wielding woman trying to pry open an office door.
When the Drake family moved to Alabama they noticed an immediate difference in how people behaved.
“It’s just hard-working people just living their life,” Drake said.
The Drakes also told the local media outlet they are now contemplating selling off their Oakland location after having successfully sold the one located in Berkeley, as they work toward building and establishing their business in Alabama.
What’s sad about all of this is that this family’s misery could have been completely avoided had the local and state government taken action to get tough on crime, providing consequences for individuals who terrorize neighborhoods and businesses like this to discourage them from doing so in the long run.
Instead, California has just lost a great family and a series of businesses that provided a needed service for the people in their community. However, this is Alabama’s gain.
