How to handle this one re workmen?

miss_independent

pigpen wrote: »

Why would a box of sanitary towels/tampons be an issue ?? Periods arent a secret.. men know we have them!! they also have seen bras before. I couldn't actually care less if someone working in my house saw sanitary products in the bathroom or discarded undies.

He probably needed a great steaming turd and didnt want to stink your house out.

He should have mentioned but was maybe a bit over familiar if he has done work for your parents before. Just shut doors and stuff before he is next due to come. Did he not mention needing the loo to your dad if he was in the kitchen with them?

Why had you not considered they might need to use the loo upstairs in advance if they were working in the downstairs loo? Surely you didn't expect them to not go all day?

It seems to be a little lack of foresight from you and a little over familiarity from him.. but a learning experience for you..

They weren't here all day. They were here for less than half an hour. I have a downstairs loo. The job in there took 5 minutes. No, he didn't mention needing the loo to my Dad.

I must just be different from you, in that I DO mind strangers seeing my sanitary products and underwear.

I just think it's common decency saying, "Excuse me, please can I use your upstairs loo?". And a I think it goes without saying that you don't wander around in people's bedrooms.

Dill

If I've got workmen coming round I assume that they might need to use the loo at some point (and they often do!). They have lots of different jobs to do at different places on one day, and it's likely that at some stage nature will call.

Could your upstairs bathroom door have been shut and he wasn't sure which room it was?

fierystormcloud

I have to say OP, this is a massive over-reaction. This lad was probably just being nosey, as many people are.

I have to ask; if you knew these men were coming to your house, why on earth did you leave bras, DIRTY washing (possibly underpants -ewwww.) and suchlike lying around, and have a potentially dirty toilet?! Amongst other things.

I'm not being funny, but my loo/bathroom is NEVER dirty, and there is never sanitary items or dirty underwear lying around. If anyone popped in unexpected, I wouldn't care, because my house - although not always perfect, is never in such a state that I would be 'embarrassed' to let someone in.

Be careful what you say or what you accuse the workmen of. One of my neighbours had workmen decorating 2 bedrooms in her house, and a collectible sci-fi model went missing, and she and her husband went mad, and complained to the company, claiming one of the painters must have stolen it. Turns out it had fallen down the back of the bedroom unit. They had to write in with a grovelling apology to the manager of the company.

Upshot is, you ARE over-reacting, and you have no cause for complaint. And you really should prepare yourself/your house better, when someone is due to visit, if you are THAT concerned about what people think.

pigpen

How long had you known they were coming??? long enough to sort all thestuff you are now fussing about no doubt!

I doubt your undies and sanitary stuff are any different to anyone elses! Or the ones on the shelf in the supermarket! He was probably more embarrassed at having to flush the toilet 12 times because he had passed a turd so large he needed to break its back !! Or blocked your loo and needed to deal with that! lol..

We can all get caught short and he might not have needed to loo at the previous job, or been able to wait!.. a few beers last night you may well be thankful he didn't leave a sweet aroma in the downstairs of your house!

I make sure anyone working here is acquainted with the loo and the kettle.. even if they are only here half an hour.

fierystormcloud

pigpen wrote: »

Why would a box of sanitary towels/tampons be an issue ?? Periods arent a secret.. men know we have them!! they also have seen bras before. I couldn't actually care less if someone working in my house saw sanitary products in the bathroom or discarded undies.

He probably needed a great steaming turd and didnt want to stink your house out.

He should have mentioned but was maybe a bit over familiar if he has done work for your parents before. Just shut doors and stuff before he is next due to come. Did he not mention needing the loo to your dad if he was in the kitchen with them?

Why had you not considered they might need to use the loo upstairs in advance if they were working in the downstairs loo? Surely you didn't expect them to not go all day?

It seems to be a little lack of foresight from you and a little over familiarity from him.. but a learning experience for you..

You make me laugh sometimes pigpen! :rotfl:

pigpen wrote: »

How long had you known they were coming??? long enough to sort all thestuff you are now fussing about no doubt! 11

I doubt your undies and sanitary stuff are any different to anyone elses! Or the ones on the shelf in the supermarket! He was probably more embarrassed at having to flush the toilet 12 times because he had passed a turd so large he needed to break its back !! Or blocked your loo and needed to deal with that! lol..

I do enjoy reading your posts! :rotfl:

In all seriousness, this was a young lad. Many young chaps are shy and a bit nervous around people they don't know; he was probably too embarrassed to say 'can I use your toilet?' And so he probably snuck into the upstairs bathroom thinking he'd only be a minute, and found he didn't just need to whisper, he needed to shout! That's why he stayed upstairs so long. And as someone said earlier, maybe he was looking around for the loo and that's why you heard creaky floorboards.

miss_independent

Ok. I have not long moved in here. The bathroom wasn't "dirty" but as I have said on here in the past I suffer from OCD so it wasn't spotless to the point that I am comfortable letting people see. For me to let people see my home, because of my OCD, I have to have it completely immaculate. The way my downstairs was, in preparation for them being here. As I have said, I left the house at 7.30am not thinking anyone was coming this afternoon. They had been a no show on Friday. They called me 25 minutes before they arrived and I had to drive home from town (15/20 minutes). So I had five minutes by the time I got here and the first thing I did was fill up the kettle to hit drinks ready for them coming.

Someone referred to dirty pants - i would never leave dirty knickers lying around. I hand wash them immediately before putting them in the laundry bin. There was, however, one bra on the floor and tampons/sanitary towels on the side of the bath. I live alone so had no reason to believe anyone would see that except me.

I have a downstairs bathroom. That was out of use for all of 5 minutes.

I am not accusing him of anything other than being nosey but I still think that is extremely rude behaviour.


I will take people's point that perhaps my reaction isn't justified. I was just shocked that a stranger would take it upon himself to wander around upstairs, or to go upstairs to use a different bathroom without asking.

miss_independent

fierystormcloud wrote: »

You make me laugh sometimes pigpen! :rotfl:

I do enjoy reading your posts!

In all seriousness, this was a young lad. Many young chaps are shy and a bit nervous around people they don't know; he was probably too embarrassed to say 'can I use your toilet?' And so he probably snuck into the upstairs bathroom thinking he'd only be a minute, and found he didn't just need to whisper, he needed to shout! That's why he stayed upstairs so long. And as someone said earlier, maybe he was looking around for the loo and that's why you heard creaky floorboards.

Sorry, I wasn't clear, it wasn't the young lad. It was the electrician himself (mid 40s).

The bathroom is directly there at the top of the landing. I've just moved in, so it doesn't have a door as I've ordered a new one which hasn't come yet - you can see the sink in front of you at the top of the landing, it's obvious it's a bathroom. The room he was in was the one farthest away from the bathroom.

fierystormcloud

Well I'm sorry if you have OCD Miss I, I didn't know that. Sorry about the error with who went into the bathroom too.

But honestly, you're really fretting about nothing. These kind of people see ALL sorts. I know a few people who work for property maintenance, and they see some NASTY NASTY stuff. Seeing a few bras and sanitary towels. I bet he forgot was he saw before he reached the bottom of the stairs.

I am not saying you had dirty knickers, but when you said dirty washing lying around, I pictured all sorts!

Stop worrying!

As for the man going to the loo without asking; bit cheeky but not the crime of the century. Have to admit, people do usually ask though.

BucksLady

I think most people would have the good manners to ask to use the bathroom, but some do not, and this has happened to me. I would just dismiss the matter as it isn't worth worrying about - what is done is done .

Flyonthewall

miss_independent wrote: »

heard footsteps on the creaky floorboards in my bedroom (room directly above the lounge where we were sitting) - the front of my bedroom, not a case of peeking the head round the door. He was in the room, walking around. The bathroom door is right next to the stairs and you can see the sink facing you, clear as day, as you come up the stairs - it's the first thing you see as you get to the top of the landing. He didn't have any need to be wandering around in the rooms and he undoubtedly was in my bedroom - a good 8 paces from the door (the creaky floorboard that we heard clear as anything is at my dressing table, by the window).

If he was obviously not lost and clearly in a room he shouldn't have been in then that's very different to how it comes across in the OP.

In that case, I wouldn't be happy either and wouldn't trust him. He's got no reason to be in there. If he wandered around for 15 minutes and ran the water to hide it then I'd be wondering exactly what he was doing all that time! He could have a look around in a few minutes, surely, if he was just curious.

If he did a good job and you trust him as far as that goes then he may as well come back, but I'd certainly be locking the doors and keeping a close eye on him.