Sorry, I Didn't Call Anyone.

I'm home early around 4:30pm and I'm on the computer. I have the t.v. on and I'm glad to be home. Someone knocks on my door and I wonder who it could be. I don't have visitors. Could it be the landlord? I didn't know, so I walked over to my door and asked who it was. A man's voice said he was with Gas and Electric for Con Edison and was checking the gas and electric in the apartments.

"I see....well I didn't call anyone to come over." The guy says if I look on my Con Ed bill, it will tell me that there was going to be a visitor coming by to check. I said, "Sorry, but I didn't get a bill yet and didn't see any notice." The guy says okay and I walk away from my door. I sat down quietly with the t.v. on mute and I hear him knocking on the door next to me. I was hoping she wouldn't open her door but she did. He tells her the same thing and she says to him that she didn't call anyone and she didn't get her bill stating that information. "Good girl..." I said to myself. She says no and he goes away.

I went to my desk to look for my Con Ed bill and found there was only two pages and no information stating anyone visiting. I also saw the news letter that came with the bill and nothing. So I walked by my door to listen to the other people. He was actually going around to all the apartments and knocking on their doors. No one let him in. So I called my landlord and asked him if he knew someone was asking to check the gas. He said no. He told me the meter was in the basement. He also said he would not let anyone come into the apartments without him or his knowledge.

That's what I thought. So I started to think about calling the police, but I waited. I didn't hear anyone scream or any scuffle, so I just waited. He came back to my floor and knocked on the door in front of me and the spanish guy came out. He was talking to him and said that he needed to check his gas and stuff. So the spanish guys says, "we'lla nobody tolda me, ju know, so....." Then he told the spanish guy that it should be on his Con Ed bill and he goes inside to find it. They guy waits outside and the spanish guy returns. He says that these are the only two pages that I got. The spanish guy was right, because I had only received two pages as well. So the dude, says that if he could find that paper, he could come back later and help him out. Then he said he was only going to be here today and that someone else would probably come. The guy leaves our floor and the spanish guy goes back inside his apartment and minutes later the police show up.

Ahh....someone else was thinking the same thing as I was thinking. Smart move. The police come and walk to the other apartment. I guess to the one that called. Minutes later they come to my floor and I open the door to talk to them. I ask if they were here about the gas and electric guy and they said yes. So I told him about the guy wanting to come into my apartment to check things out. Then this other tenent comes by and says, "Yeah, he came to my place too. He said he was with IDT and he had an ID tag on as well. He was trying to sign me up for something...." Then I said to the guy and cops, "Well, he didn't say anything to me about that. He said he was with Con Ed and needed to enter my apartment. "

So as I continued to talk to the two cops, the cute cops listened to me while they checked me out a few times and soon enough they got enough information and I was behind my locked door once again. Of course at night I barricaded my door and boobie trapped a few areas just in case. And so everything was okay during the night. :)

But I started to think, this guy could have been a criminal and there was no way I was going to let some stranger into my place. You just can't open your door to anyone anymore. The guy tells me the gas dude had on an ID tag. So what!! Look at the women who saw the fireman at her door and he went in and rapped and abused her. So many people out there are coning millions of people each day. You should never think it couldn't happen to you. This could have all went bad, but no one will know for sure. This guy could have been legit. But if he's telling me one thing and telling the other guy another, then something's not right.

I want to believe that people out there are good and all the bad people are on t.v. and never around you. You can't do that. And as paranoid as I am about living alone, I'm always thinking- "what if someone were to......" I looked for a weapon to keep near me and decided if I went out into the hallway to leave my building, I would be ready to hit someone over the head. But you can't be so paranoid. It's not healthy. So I just stayed in all night.

We all have to be alert when we are alone or even with other people. You should always have your keys ready to enter your apartment quickly. And never open the door to a stranger asking for anything. Not even a cute guy asking for a cup of sugar. ;)