Seeing this and imagining if this was my wife at home alone makes me physically ill. I want people to understand that this isn't a case of "occasionally happening." This happens far too often to women out here. I will say that what Honey says here is 100% the case: if one of your girl friends asks for you to come over because they don't feel safe I urge you to either show up, get on the phone with them, and/or find someone else you trust to effectively bodyguard.
And know what pains me the most? This is something that needs to happen in the first place. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, should feel this unsafe in their own home. So I'll urge this:
Get cameras for inside your home.
Have people on standby in case you need safe company.
Call someone and loudly make plans (calling your job is actually a solid play here because you can ask for overtime and talk about changing your hours).
Have something to protect yourself with.
NEVER discuss your schedules with them.
ALWAYS record when you feel unsafe.
If this happened to my wife if we ever needed something done and I couldn't be home? I would be checking my indoor cameras often. Otherwise? I would cut whatever plans and appointments I have short just to be there. Or ask my neighbors to stop on by to make sure she's okay. As much as I'd love for her to be independent and handle things like this on her own and for it to be a truly safe environment for her. But I also know the world is cruel and unsafe for women when they are left in vulnerable positions like this.
Be there for your friends when they ask for help in situations like this. Because this is fucking scary.
(Video cropped to avoid doxxing myself)
Guys, if one of your girl friends ever asks you to come sit over or hang out when she has maintenance guys coming over, this is why. Was supposed to be a quick visit to fix my heating. Ended up standing in a room as the maintenance guy stood in the doorway and tried to get me to have sex with him, panicking over what the hell to say to get him to go away without advancing. Obviously, I was home alone.
This was just a small piece of the conversation of him trying to convince me to “have fun” with him despite me turning him down more than once, politely. And starting the sentence with “I mean this with respect,” does NOT make it respectful.
This isn’t a game. I did not know this man until he showed up at my door 20 minutes prior. This easily could’ve gone so bad, so fast. Beyond grateful that it didn’t. Watch yourself out there, ladies. Call a friend or family member to come sit with you when maintenance comes if you have to. Still cannot believe this happened.
(For context before you comment: the, “Yeah, no, you’re fine.” was in response to a compliment he’d given me on looking young for my age and I was obviously nervous. I was not condoning/encouraging the behavior.)