UNIVERSITY PARK, Texas -
A University Park house has been getting a lot of attention because of the way its decorated for Halloween – with quarantine tape and hazardous waste drums.
Homeowner James Faulk was dressed in protective gear and carried a clipboard when he came out to talk to reporters about his decorations.
He said he loves Halloween and figured Ebola was the scariest thing out there right now. So he spent about $150 on a hospital auction and four to five hours decorating the townhouse to make it look like it was being decontaminated.
There are biohazard logos everywhere, but Faulk said he was careful not to use the word Ebola.
Some people who live in the same neighborhood near Highland Park High School said the decorations were shocking at first, but they laughed after they realized it was a joke.
"This is what Halloween is about, scaring people and causing panic," one neighbor said.
Others disagree. They said it is simply too soon to make light of the Ebola crisis in West Africa and Dallas.
It's been less than a month since a Liberian man died from the disease at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. Two of his nurses were infected and hundreds were exposed. Images of real decontamination efforts were all over the news and social media.
"I think this is funny but I bet the family of Nina Pham doesn't," a neighbor said.
Faulk said police were called to the house the first night after the display went up, so he added a “Happy Halloween” banner.
Since then about 98 percent of the reaction has been positive and only a handful of people have expressed anger towards it, he said.
“I just love Halloween. When I first heard about Ebola I was scared. I hope people can get a laugh out of it,” Faulk said.
He plans to add more to the display in the next week. The barrels already light up at night and he wants to put a dummy in a hospital bed near a front window.
