After two years of working as a doorman for a New York City apartment building, Ralph Body was allegedly shown the door for being too nice. According to the 41-year-old, he “gave his life” to 27 on 27th — a series of stylish apartments in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens — meeting nearly every tenants’ need and request. He watered plants, received mail and deliveries, and even cleaned litter boxes.
But his selflessness was returned with a dismissal by the building’s management, Heatherwood Communities. The message was delivered by the staffing company that initially got him the job:
“They said, ‘We know you did it for the right reasons, but unfortunately . . . you’re too nice to the tenants.’”
He tried to plead his case: “I told them, ‘When the tenants ask me to do something, I’m going to say yes.’
“But they said, ‘You do things for them which you shouldn’t be doing. And unfortunately, in this case, nice guys finish last,’ ” he continued.
Body’s not the only one unhappy with how things went down, however. Many of the building’s residents have spoken out against his firing. Some even started a petition to have him brought back:
Reinstate fired Concierge, Ralph Body, immediately. He was fired for staying on the building premises after his normal working hours and attending building functions. Going above and beyond your work duties shouldn’t be punished—it should be praised. We are standing with Ralph and calling on Heatherwood to do the right thing.
Most tenants, especially those who have lived in the building since it opened, can attest to Ralph’s kindness and eagerness to make people feel safe and welcome. His polite nature and can-do attitude added to the perception that 27 on 27th is a community of people who are friendly, helpful, trust-worthy, and family-like.
This is hardly the first time someone’s gotten penalized for being a do-gooder. Last month, a sanitation worker was jailed for starting his shift too early.
[Via New York Post and iPetitions]