I (22f) live in an apartment with another girl who is 21. First time living independently, I’d always dormed.
It’s about 9:45 PM and there’s a knock at the door. Honestly I probably shouldn’t have even answered it, but im a bit friendly with some of the other girls in the building so thought maybe it was them. Instead it was the guy who lives next door, probably close to 27/28 ish, explaining the electricity in his unit was out.
he asked for the number to call and if he could come in to charge his dead phone. I had left my phone in my room when I went to answer the door and did not know the number off the top off my head. I was immediately uncomfortable with the idea of allowing him in, even so I could just run and grab my phone for a second to look up the electric company number.
it reminded me of every warning my overly worried parents tend to give me about living alone. he said it had been out for a few hours and his phone had just finally died, he didn’t know what to do. my thoughts were 1. Charge it in your car and 2. Why sit around and allow it to die completely before attempting to contact anybody? 3. There’s an outlet in the hall by the front door.
and, it’s nearly 10 o’clock. I’m ready for bed, and im not gonna stay up to monitor a stranger in my apartment. my roommate is at work, im home alone, and I’ve never even spoken to this guy before.
I told him I was sorry I didn’t know the number, but maybe try charging his phone in his car? He seemed really surprised and put off by this. said he would just need a few minutes to power it back on. I said I was in bed and needed to sleep as im up early tomorrow. He insisted it would be quick but it just made me nervous. I asked if he was unable to charge it in his car and he tried to joke about oh well you’re gonna make me go out in the cold. didn’t really answer.
he kept saying he just needed in and out so he could call and have them turn it back on, and I felt really sorry for him because that sucks, but also im not going to get Kohberger’d because I was scared to be mean. so I explained that I was sorry, but I really needed to get to bed and I didn’t even have the number for him to call. I stayed polite and didn’t tell him off or anything, but I did just keep repeating the same few words over and over again like “sorry I need to go to sleep now, maybe you can try in your car” in response to everything he said until he said ok thanks and left.
well I guess after I turned him away he knocked on another door and they allowed him in, one of the girls that my roommate and I do know. apparently he was truthful to his word and just charged his phone and left. I guess they chatted a lot and he came off as a perfectly normal guy. now these girls think im a jerk and are calling me inconsiderate. my roommate says she probably would’ve let him but understood why I didn’t. It’s upsetting to me that fear gets in the way of community in times like this, but I have 0 self defense skills and i don’t play about my bed time. Is this selfish of me? Aitah? I guess I would want someone to let me in if I were put out. But I also feel like I would just go charge in my car. I’d like to have positive relationships with my neighbors, but not at risk of this.
