Homeowner James Faulk is very, very proud of his Ebola-themed Halloween decorations (LM Otero/Associated Press)
James Faulk knew what he was getting into when he decorated his front yard with red waste bags, brightly colored biohazard bins and yellow caution tape.
He hoped his neighbors would look at the display and think, “Ebola.”
Oh, they did. Since the decor went up Sunday, Faulk and his girlfriend Carolyn Cox’s University Park home has become quite the talk of the town.
News vans come and go. Drivers slow down to take a picture. Joggers take a break to snap a selfie with the home on the corner of Westchester Drive and Emerson Avenue.
Faulk, who makes a living buying and selling items at auctions, said he decided to put a current events spin on his Halloween decorations after realizing many of the props were sitting in his warehouse in Las Colinas.
He’d bought the biohazard bins and bags at an auction put on by a hospital several years ago. This year, he decided to put them to use.
“What’s the scariest thing?” he said. “Ebola.”
Faulk's home for the holiday (Kirsten Kearse/Staff photographer)
Cox, his girlfriend, said she was cautious, but supportive of his idea.
“It’s just trying to make light of something that has been on everyone’s minds,” she said.
After combing through photos of decontamination efforts at the homes where the three Ebola patients lived, Faulk went to the warehouse over the weekend to pick out items that would fit the scene.
He filled the red biohazard bags with crumpled copies of The Dallas Morning News and lined the bins with lights for nighttime trick-or-treaters.
He finished the display on Sunday. Police knocked on the door Monday, just to confirm the decorations were indeed just decorations, Faulk said.
To quell the confusion, Faulk put up a “Happy Halloween” banner in his balcony Thursday.
Though he recognizes the project has gotten a little out of hand, he just can’t stop adding to it.
An LED “Quarantine — keep out” sign is next on his list. Maybe even some wooden planks for the door.
Most of the reaction to the so-called “Ebola house” has been positive and light-hearted, but Faulk said some people have said they think it’s just too soon to poke fun of Ebola.
“Maybe it is, but everybody is out of the clear except for the guy from Liberia,” he said. “So, it’s Halloween. Get a smile out of it and have fun.”
And what does he have to say to people who think it’s too soon to take a jab at Ebola?
“Essentially, find a nice lake and go for a swim,” he said.
Faulk welcomed quite the media horde to his home Thursday afternoon. (LM Otero/Associated Press)