Minding my own business, trying to get some stuff moved around in the house, and I leave the backdoor to the house open since I’m moving stuff into the yard. Take a minute to go check my email and I hear….footsteps. Hmmm.
Standing in the foyer of the back of my house (note that I mean the foyer inside my house) is some man-bun-wearing bearded hipster with a Charter/Spectrum blue shirt, ID badge, digital clipboard, and a very large, wide-open set of eyes*.
Me: Why are you in my house?
Him: I’m sorry, I didn’t know if this was a door to another apartment or…”
Me: Step back. Now.
Him: :::takes a few quick steps back:::
Me: Ok, stop. Now, tell me why youre here….
He goes on about how they’re checking their records to make sure multiple dwellings are still multiples, single dwellings are still single, etc. I called to verify they were actually doing that sort of work in the neighborhood. Also suggested to his supervisor they may wanna chat with Man-Bun about walking into peoples houses
I think I feel a little guilty…I might have come on a little strong.
* = Now trending on Twitter: #IsThatAnUzi?
NO WAY did you ‘come on a little strong’ Capt’n.
I’m of the opinion that you showed great restraint….it’s completely unacceptable for any individual to walk into someones’ home univited.
Well, I agree…BUT…I can also see possibly, maybe, perhaps, there was some confusion on Man-Bun’s part. Was the that open door he walked through the door into the actual residence? Or was it a door that led to a hallway of other apartments. Not quite the same thing as hime standing in my living room, but….
Great restraint….. dumb move on his part….
Restraint is easy. He wasn’t threatening me or anything like that so….no boom. Just a bit of aggressive ‘WTF?!’
Invariably someone will say “If I find anyone in my house who isn’t supposed to be there, I’d shoot them!” which is a patently stupid and shortsighted way to go through life and is a fast ticket to the rock-hockey farm.
Agreed, short sighted by anyone who says they will shoot anyone in their home or on their property. I’m not sure I would have been polite and not proverbially ripped him a new one…..
Oh, I wouldn’t say I was polite….but I was definitely non-threatening. At least, as non-threatening as I could be with a G19 on my hip.
Inside every man-bun is a little antifa just waiting to burst out. This is how they probe targets (“s’all a simple, honest mistake, man).
Best reason in the world to home carry.
Now I’m left wondering what kind of massive mansion you live in where it can be confused with an apartment complex…
I’d have drawn down on him before asking him WTF he was doing in my house. With all that’s currently going on in the country these days, who knows what the hell he was up to. It could have just as easily been a “peaceful protestor”.
More importantly, he could have been sent to your place for intel gathering such as floor plan, etc. The Marxists are pulling out all of the stops, and don’t think for a minute that they won’t fight incredibly dirty, and create lists of priority targets for “when the time comes”.
The shooting between sides started last night in Wisconsin. Don’t think for a minute that this is going away anytime soon. It’s only just warming up.
Years ago when I was in college, and went to the range after class. Later that night I was sitting at the kitchen table cleaning handguns. The front door opened and a dude walked in about four steps looked around and said ” this ain’t my house” and walked out. Stunned and thinking I was imagining it, i got up walked to the door to see him driving away almost hitting the neighbors car. I called the police and they found him passed out at the stop sign up the street. I always lock my doors now and that was 30years ago.
Been an install for 6+ years. Never go into a house even if the door is open. If a customer meets me outside then goes inside I never assume its ok to just go in. Bad move on his part. Would lead to a cobc (code of business conduct) in our company.
Remember that scene in WARGAMES where the guys walk into a completely furnished but empty small house, walk to a wall, the wall slides open to an elevator that goes down several stories to the LCM? Think that…..
Sorry Commander,
It doesn’t make sense. The cable people know exactly what connection is which and where. For Man Bun Man to stumble around through an open door is unlikely. IMHO, that is not in their protocol for a service call.
You might have been probed.
Cheers
Had a neighbor with Alzheimers try to come into my house a while back. Luckily for him OPSEC for me is all doors are locked behind us when entering, even it it’s the chintzy button on the door knob. Cops took 45 minutes to arrive to deal with the poor guy then asked if they could bring him INSIDE MY HOUSE!
I progressively got more and more pissed at their lack of ability, stupid questions, dumb moves, making me out to be the bad guy, etc. and then one cop pushed past me (when the door was unlocked for a moment) and started his own walking tour inside our home, presumably to look around for meth labs, bound sex slaves, pallets of coke, etc.
Finally lost my cool and told them to take their new grandpa and GTFO. I’m sure they put me on some kind of list.
New rule for me and the wife: Always lock the door behind you, entering or leaving, car also, but never going to be 100%.
I learned those rules early. Our rural house was burgled when I was 7. Cars, houses, outhouses. If it has a lock, it’s locked at all times.
People try to assure me that there neighborhood is safe. Doesn’t matter, all doors are always locked.
It’s easy to second guess someone’s actions from miles away. I think you handled that well considering the events that are unfolding across the (not so) United States. And, I’m glad that everything turned out all right.
Not only will I not walk into any dwelling unless and until I am either invited in or instructed to do so by whomever is in charge of the dwelling, I will also never stand directly in front of the door.
Homewners and renters have guns and their dogs have teeth.
Man-bun is – probably – paid by the hour, so a return trip won’t cost him anything, and there are probably enough buildings in the area he wasn’t able to properly survey so he’ll have to come back anyway.
On the negative side, there’s some blame to be had for leaving the door open; poor OPSEC, bad Zero. No cookie.
Kudos CZ – well played
(KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK on the door frame)
“HELLO…… HELLO…. COMCAST HERE…. MA’AM? SIR? HELLO…..”
Pretty f’in simple, IMO.
You have shown much more restraint than I would have.
I’ve done that work, you knock and if no one answerers you make a note of it on the company record take a photo of the front door to prove you actually showed up then move on. You don’t let yourself into peoples houses.
I’ve had idiots come thru my closed and chained gate on my driveway. since when did a chained gate mean “come on in”? all my life it mean “stay the f out, or else.” right on by the beware the dog sign even. lucky my dog was in the house at the moment or they’d be in the hospital. people these days….
Everyone is focused on the man bun, like it’s a sign of impending rioting. I don’t like them either, but it’s just a pony tail alternate, which I’d bet several of your readers have had.
Anyhoo, I had a guy come to the house several years ago. walked up the front walk, then alongside the house, behind the arbor vitae to my gas meter and start moving brush around. No clipboard, which we all know is a universal signal of virtue.
I asked him, rather curtly, WTF he was doing. With a .38 out of sight. He started, then said the power company was checking meters to see which needed to be upgraded, and hadn’t I had a phone call about it?
No, I hadn’t. Maybe you need to wear a reflective vest and a visible ID before you go lurking around my bedroom windows, dude.
From my two cents point of view… and it’s likely not even worth that much – you did good for the situation. However, I will agree: Bad Zero – No Cookie!
A couple of years ago I would not have considered it much and after, just wrote it off as a dumb worker. Not anymore – I would consider it a probe just to be safe and remember just being paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t really out to get you!
the more I think about the more it seems like an FBI probe.
I work for a utility, for several decades now, visit residential homes every day and I have NEVER walked into someones home.
When I was training for cable one of my trainers would let himself in, i was convinced he would get us shot. In the end he only got himself fired
Well… I find you in my house – I come on a little strong. You will probably find an old man with a firearm asking you pointed questions and expecting straight answers.
I think “bun-man” must be new to Montana. Just because the door was open and/or unlocked does not mean you get to enter.
Yeah, like maybe a student at UM? Are you near Missoula?
Seems like man bun could fit into two profiles:
1) Stupid, oblivious, unaware of how current events affect others’ perceptions and reactions….let’s call him “First to Win a Darwin Award Man Bun”
2) A very intelligent man bun with a well thought out probing plan, acting like “Darwin Award Man Bun”
Either way, keep the doors closed and locked and carry inside your house.
Glad it turned out ok.
Both TDW Mark II, and I, pack at home as well as away. Myself, when my children couldn’t figure out the ” LTDD!” ( Lock the damned door!) Thing, well, I installed a lockset that locks on closing. Opens from inside buy turning the knob, opens from outside using the key.
Seeking to minimize the chances of “Man Bun- The Reprise” in my home
So my son works for Charter/Spectrum as a business troubleshooting tech he has worn a bun in the past, maybe again in the future, he says company policy states never walk into a building that you were not invited into or assigned to go service unless it is open to the public such as a door with a Open sign.. Besides the retards out there are women who scream rape, customers who claim shit came up missing and ” high value pet ” escape.
Lock your doors and unless you called for service don’t let them in.
Once Upon a Time: Mom and Dad were awakened at 3 am by frantic pounding on the front door. Dad answers the door with Mr. Pistol in hand. Dude in his skivvies says “You gotta let me in! If they find me, they’ll kill me!” Dad replies “Well, then you better hide in the bushes” as he closes the door and calls the cops. Cops said “Oh, yeah? We’ve been looking for him, we have a car down the street. Be right there.” I miss my folks. The few friends who know I carry still don’t understand why. Sigh.
Man-bun could have been greated with the universal welcome sound of a 12gauge slide being racked. This along with a rattle by a snake are known to frighten almost any living creature(and some undead).
A bit of overkill, methinks.
Your forgetting the 12GA Bean bags
No Im not.
This is where a good dog is truly your best friend. One time my wife was home alone and answered the door to a putative Cox repairman. She said we don’t have cable, he pushed her aside and came in… then saw our aussie shepherd launching herself from across the room and shut the door just as she slammed into it. He ran into an unmarked van and took off.
We can all get into condition ‘white’ and not pay attention to possible issues, it helps to have a four legged buddy checking six for you. It doesn’t have to be a big dog, either – my last dog was my parent’s pomeranian. He only ate 1/2 cup of dog food a day, and was an excellent alarm.
Ah, well. You lived and learned, and I betcha learned good. I got some chocolate cookies I’ll share with you. You want milk, or coffee with ’em? (No salsa, though, you don’t need any weird dreams tonight.)
Not to be judgmental, but my big question is why was the door left unlocked?
A common denominator in home invasions and burglaries is an unlockled door or opening the door for strangers without making sure who they are.
It wasnt unlocked, it was open.