James Faulk knew what he was getting into when he decorated his University Park yard with red waste bags, bright biohazard bins and yellow caution tape.
He hoped his neighbors would look at the scene and think “Ebola.”
They did. Since the decontamination decor went up Sunday, the home where he lives with girlfriend Carolyn Cox has become the talk of the neighborhood.
News vans come and go. Drivers slow down to take pictures, and many joggers have snapped selfies with the home on the corner of Westchester Drive and Emerson Avenue.
“What’s the scariest thing?” Faulk asked. “Ebola.”
Faulk, who makes a living buying and selling items at auctions, said he decided to put a current-events spin on his Halloween decorations when he realized he already had the necessary props in his Las Colinas warehouse. He purchased the biohazard bins and bags at a hospital auction several years ago.
Cox said she was cautious but supportive of Faulk’s idea.
“It’s just trying to make light of something that has been on everyone’s minds,” she said.
Faulk finished the display, which features red biohazard bags stuffed with crumpled newspapers and illuminated bins, on Sunday. On Monday, police came by to confirm that the items were decorative, Faulk said.
To help make it clear that there is no threat of Ebola at his house, Faulk added a “Happy Halloween” banner to his balcony Thursday.
Faulk said most people have responded to his holiday decor in a positive and light-hearted manner, but some have said they think it’s too soon to joke about Ebola.
“Maybe it is,” Faulk said. But “why not get a smile out of it and have fun” for Halloween, he said.
