Last Tuesday we had a couple of contractors in the house fixing some electrical and AV issues. They seemed to be clean cut, polite, hard working guys in their late 20’s or so. That wasn’t weird. What was odd was the feeling I got when I met them. The feeling that kept creeping up on me all day like a dark shadow.
I know these guys and where ever I know them from - it’s not good.
Luckily, I never had to be alone with them and the kids were in school so I shrugged off the icky feeling and went about my day. Wednesday they were back to finish up and I began to rack my brain in hopes to figure out this spooky déjà vu. When they left, one of the guys turned around in the car to wave goodbye and a major chill ran up my back.
I know I’ve seen you before. But where?
No dice though. I still cannot hone in on why I got the serious heebeegeebees from these two.
When I told my husband about it I figured he would tell me that I was imagining things or remind me that I just watched The Fog the night before. He didn’t. He said that I should listen to my gut in those situations. He thinks that feelings like that - as crazy as they seem- can save your life.
Being that he and I are a tad paranoid (remind me to tell you the story about where we spent the turn of the century), I wondered what you would do. Yes, you, my continual reality check.
Whenever a serviceman in my house makes me a little nervous, I immediately phone my husband and kindly let him know that the serviceman showed up. Just in case he was wondering. And always so said serviceperson can hear me telling my husband that he’s in my home.
I do believe and I do listen! I hate to be shaken up like that. When my dishwasher melted and had to be factory replaced the guy who came out and did the work was super creepy. About halfway through his work he began to call me by my first name, not Mrs. ______ as was on the service record. The dog was bristled up and having a fit at the back door wanting to get at him. After the 3rd or 4th time of calling me by my first name I let the dog in and kept her at my feet. As soon as he left I locked every single door. It took days to shake that feeling. Since then I don’t schedule service work when I am going to be home alone.
I don’t like service people. Not one bit. I don’t like people in my house. I make sure that I take a good hard look at them so that I can identify them later if I have to.
I also make it a point to make a phone call while they are there…in their presence so that they know that other people are aware of the fact that I have someone in my house. My cordless phone stays in my hand and I never let them leave my site.
Trust your instinct. ALWAYS.
5 words:
ALWAYS go with your gut.
xo
LBC
Absoluetly follow your gut.
I have always regretted when I did not follow mine. Just remember that your brain is a brilliant thing, and it is constantly assessing your surroundings and surmizing whether or not your are safe. It could be a simple as you picking up on a slight facial expression in your subconscious that was so small you didn’t realize you saw it.
My suggestion: don’t be alone with those two.
I do believe in that. I don’t always listen but I am getting better. I had a situation where I was doing an open house and this guy just weirded me out. He was clean cut and nice but I just had a bad vibe. I was very polite and told him the details of the home and told him to make himself at home and look around. I stayed by the full view storm door the entire time waiting to bolt if he tried to grab me. I say listen to your gut. Even if you think someone might think you are crazy. It could save your life.
In this day and age, I think it’s best to be mildly paranoid. Trust your gut. How many times have people listened and then said how it saved their lives. And those who didn’t, well, they aren’t here to tell us. I think you are wise to listen, especially when it comes to creepy people. I think we have an acute sense in judging character, and I definitely listen. And then I run and hide!
Don’t worry too much though…
yes, yes, and no. you can watch scary movies all you want and that won’t change a thing about your gut. go with it!
Have you ever read or seen the book “The Gift of Fear”? It is abotu how our feelings like this are biological built in warnings that CAN save our lives. How we have learned to ignor them because we like to be all PC and polite. Screw that! Pay attention to your GUT. Fire them. I would. And then be on the alert for a bit.
I absolutely listen to that voice. I personally believe it is a divinely inspired warning system. Yes, I do believe you are lucky, but I’d also make sure my security system was armed whether I was home or not.
If you know their names, google them and check them against the family watchdog sex offender site. If not, at least get their names from the contractor and do that much.
Denise had a good comment about making a phone call in their presence. The dog idea is also good.
I think it is perfectly normal to feel that way about any serviceman. He comes into your house, you practically give him free rein because you want whatever you want fixed fixed, and they see what your house looks like. It is more of an intimate relationship than we would like to let on, I believe. I know when we had our new air conditioner installed, the extremely kind older man who was doing all of the work on his own just let himself in the next morning. At 8:30. And I hadn’t even gotten ready, and was wearing something totally inappropriate because it was 100 degrees in the house. It was kind of scary, and he gave me that feeling of unease. That “you could really just break into my house at any moment, couldn’t you?” feeling.
So I know how you feel.
Stepford Servicemen were they? I agree with all the advice given here. If you have one, you may also want to consider giving your handgun a through cleaning in their presence. You know. Just so they know. Or sharpen all your kitchen knives while they’re there.
I am a firm believer in gut instinct! Sometimes it may be unfounded…but it’s always..always better to be safe than sorry! My mom, sis and I joke that we have ESP because all of the sudden one of us won’t be able to get another off our minds. So we call to find out what’s up and it always turns out they needed us. I hope you stay safe and can figure out who they are! And KUDOS to hubby for NOT putting it to female paranoia!
I don’t get those instincts very often, but when I do I try my hardest to listen to them!
Always trust your gut. I know this from work.. Many times a perfectly normal looking person will set off all those bells and whistles. I used to explain them away, and then i would be sorry afterwards when they stole from thr store, or tried to scam us. I think our “gut” is really the sum totalof our life experience. I never discount it.
Oh- and let us know when you figure it out!
I am glad Amber mentioned the book “The Gift of Fear” it can be a lifesaver. BRAVO to your husband for not poopooing your instincts. Let’s hope it wasn’t on America’s Most Wanted where you recognize the guy. Be safe and next time you schedule a repair person tell them to hurry up you are late for your karate/sharp shooting class.
ABSOLUTELY listen to your gut! Stay safe, girl.
You know me… I am all about gut feelings. Be especially careful even if you gut isn’t talking to you. I live my life as if someone who I don’t know is going to attack me. I am constantly on defense around strangers. You just never know. Be careful.
This creeped me out just imagining that feeling you got! Definitely trust your gut. Don’t have those guys back again without someone else there. And, I do the phone call thing too. I actually kind of walk around making random and useless calls w hile the person is there, so I have a reason to have the phone with me. Yeah, I’m a trusting soul…(shrug)
I dont like ANYONE in my home. I refuse to be left alone if someone like that has to come. I am super paranoid about that kind of stuff. Just like everyone else here is telling you, go with your gut
Creepy. Yes, trust yourself. I like the idea of sharpening your knives, polishing your baseball bat, etc, while they’re there. Let us know when you figure out why you recognized them!
Yes, I agree with all of the above. Trust your spidey-sense.
Creepy, go with your gut. Maybe you can get some background information about them from their boss or from other people who have hired them.
Go with your gut- always- now go get the locks changed! I’m not trying to scare-but I would do just that- and always set your alarm(I think you have one) -you just never know.
The gut never lies.
I hope you are safe. All we can do is trust our instincts.
Absolutely. I have people that I have immediately not liked and others who just made me uncomfortable. I take heed, even if how I do so is not obvious to anyone but myself.
Yes! Intuition played a major role in my professional life and I listen to it both in and out of the office. Perhaps it was Foley and a page…eeeuwwww!
Don’t shrug it off. We women are equipt with these super-human powers for a reason.
Not sure what I’d do but I do know, I would listen to your gut. ALWAYS.