Lockdown, Day #120
Security issues: Somehow, once again my well-meaning intentions seem to be causing problems.
I came down this morning for my walk and heard a constant banging sound like someone closing several doors; when I got down, I saw a man who I still swear I recognise as a neighbour attempting to get in through the back door.
Assuming he was having trouble with his key, and thinking not a lot more about it, even the fact that he was topless, I opened the latch and let him in, and casually said, "You looked like you were having trouble" as I did so, expecting him to laugh and joke about it.
Instead, he was somewhat off about it; he rushed by me, without much concern about social distancing, and mumbled something indistinct, and rushed past the stairs. I thought, what strange behaviour, and wondered what was up with him, though in hindsight I should probably checked he was okay.
As I was starting to do my work for the day, with the window open, I heard a neighbour calling to someone called "Craig": "Are you locked out?"
This gave me the impression that maybe there was something wrong with the latch, and that the lock was broken; having come back in through the front door, I'd not tested it (all to do with not wanting to tail some random woman who had come strolling towards the car park).
I e-mailed the letting agents, getting only an out of office reply, so I can't be sure it was even read. Thinking that my neighbours were having issues with the door, I sent a WhatsApp to say that a tenant had got locked out, and that I'd let him in, and I'd contacted the letting agents. Then, I got a phone call - it was a neighbour, insisting that this man, who had been acting all out of it, and wandering around shirtless, didn't even live here, and she started asking, "Will you call the police?"
Talk about the path to Hell being paved with the best intentions; anyway...
I didn't call the police - but I was on edge for the next few hours, worried I'd let some dangerous vagrant or addict onto the property. I'm not sure what I'd have said to the police, or how much risk of getting into trouble for wasting their time there would be if this turned out to be an overreaction to someone who was perhaps long gone.
I did remember that a couple of times during the evenings I've seen someone sitting in the exit area of the doctor's surgery, smoking. I've not made eye contact because I'm not the sort of person who eyeballs anyone without knowing who they are first - I don't know if this was the same person, or if there was a connection with the homeless person who apparently showed up not long ago in the communal garden.
I did venture downstairs after I finished working, and he had gone.
In more cheerful news, I got my new fan, which I've set up in my room, and which will hopefully stop me from getting too hot while I'm working at home, and stop me having to keep opening windows.
I'm just hoping the man wasn't hiding in an alcove or anything like that, and that this whole issue goes away. Prayer Square is in an hour or so, and I hope that goes okay with just three of us.
I came down this morning for my walk and heard a constant banging sound like someone closing several doors; when I got down, I saw a man who I still swear I recognise as a neighbour attempting to get in through the back door.
Assuming he was having trouble with his key, and thinking not a lot more about it, even the fact that he was topless, I opened the latch and let him in, and casually said, "You looked like you were having trouble" as I did so, expecting him to laugh and joke about it.
Instead, he was somewhat off about it; he rushed by me, without much concern about social distancing, and mumbled something indistinct, and rushed past the stairs. I thought, what strange behaviour, and wondered what was up with him, though in hindsight I should probably checked he was okay.
As I was starting to do my work for the day, with the window open, I heard a neighbour calling to someone called "Craig": "Are you locked out?"
This gave me the impression that maybe there was something wrong with the latch, and that the lock was broken; having come back in through the front door, I'd not tested it (all to do with not wanting to tail some random woman who had come strolling towards the car park).
I e-mailed the letting agents, getting only an out of office reply, so I can't be sure it was even read. Thinking that my neighbours were having issues with the door, I sent a WhatsApp to say that a tenant had got locked out, and that I'd let him in, and I'd contacted the letting agents. Then, I got a phone call - it was a neighbour, insisting that this man, who had been acting all out of it, and wandering around shirtless, didn't even live here, and she started asking, "Will you call the police?"
Talk about the path to Hell being paved with the best intentions; anyway...
I didn't call the police - but I was on edge for the next few hours, worried I'd let some dangerous vagrant or addict onto the property. I'm not sure what I'd have said to the police, or how much risk of getting into trouble for wasting their time there would be if this turned out to be an overreaction to someone who was perhaps long gone.
I did remember that a couple of times during the evenings I've seen someone sitting in the exit area of the doctor's surgery, smoking. I've not made eye contact because I'm not the sort of person who eyeballs anyone without knowing who they are first - I don't know if this was the same person, or if there was a connection with the homeless person who apparently showed up not long ago in the communal garden.
I did venture downstairs after I finished working, and he had gone.
In more cheerful news, I got my new fan, which I've set up in my room, and which will hopefully stop me from getting too hot while I'm working at home, and stop me having to keep opening windows.
I'm just hoping the man wasn't hiding in an alcove or anything like that, and that this whole issue goes away. Prayer Square is in an hour or so, and I hope that goes okay with just three of us.