Was I paranoid?

[Cougfan2]

Went out of my office this morning into the hall to go to the restroom and I see a guy sitting on the floor down the hall from the restroom with his legs out in front of him, his back to the wall, and his eyes closed. Came out of the restroom and he was still there. Looked a little scruffy and he was sitting near a door that leads out side to the riverfront behind my office.

Just didn't look right so I went back into my office, locked both entry doors and had my boss call building mgmt. Could of been nothing more than someone meditating on a break, but I didn't recognize him and there are some unsavory types that hang out around the river from time to time.

Any way, checked about 5 minutes later and he was gone. BTW I do carry at work, but did not confront this guy as he hadn't done anything threatening.

Did I do the right thing? Anything you would have done differently?

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Just Be Aware

If the dude is just sitting, I add him to my "immediate things to watch" list, and keep the radar tuned to yellow.

There are plenty of possible scenarios, so I don't get all wound up, just aware.

There's really not enough context in what you wrote to suggest that more tension was appropriate.

Don't know what state, city, neighborhood, which river it is, what kind of people live and/or work around there, and so on.

In, let us say Reno, where I work, this would not have particularly been any cause for alarm.

Where I used to work, in Las Vegas, it would depend. There are parts of town where random dudes sitting in the hall calls for high alert. Other parts, a thing like that is downright normal.

So, without any context, I'd have to say you did fine.

 

[Fred Fuller]

I would probably have said something like "Sir, are you all right?" while maintaining a safe distance, and then evaluated his response. But I see nothing wrong with what you did.

lpl/nc

 

[Cougfan2]

Don't know what state, city, neighborhood, which river it is, what kind of people live and/or work around there, and so on.

ArfinGreebly, I live in Portland, OR. My office is in Clackamas, OR (suburb) on the Clackamas River by a popular area called the High Rocks. Mostly working class people, but we have had problems with transients camping by the river. They almost burned down the only footbridge over the river last year with an illegal campfire.

 

[ZeSpectre]

Read "the gift of fear"
Trust your instincts.

'nuff said

 

[Deanimator]

I hardly think so.

I don't know about where you work, but my office building doesn't typically have strange people napping in the halls.

There used to be a guy in usenet named Steve Kangas. he was a whacko FAAAAAAR leftwinger. Apparently all of the criticism of Bill Clinton got to him. So he headed for rightwing financier Richard Mellon Scaife's office building, equipped with a bottle of liquor and a .357Magnum. Unable to gain an audience with Scaife, he wandered about the building, eventually lighting in a men's room, where he proceeded to drink the liquor and off himself with the .357. I don't know if he encountered anyone during the course of his meanderings in the building, but if they did, and had they alerted someone, Kangas might still be alive. At the same time, it would have taken only an impulse on his part to initiate a shooting spree or hostage situation.

Strange people doing strange things where they shouldn't OUGHT to be reported.

 

[Ghost Tracker]

Cougfan2,
Are you a Cougar Fan? WHICH Cougars?...BYU, Salt Lake City? University of Houston, Texas? Washington State, Pullman? University of Minnesota, Morris?

It seems where ever that the politics are most liberal, the street people are most dangerous. Ummm...wonder why that is?

 

[Rokyudai]

Trust your instincts.

 

[RustyHammer]

Sounds like Government worker!

 

[Zundfolge]

Cougfan2,
Are you a Cougar Fan? WHICH Cougars?...BYU, Salt Lake City? University of Houston, Texas? Washington State, Pullman? University of Minnesota, Morris?

Heh ... I assumed Beretta



Paranoid, schmaranoid ... had you done nothing and he turned out to be trouble you'd be kicking yourself.

 

[Cougfan2]

Cougfan2,
Are you a Cougar Fan? WHICH Cougars?...BYU, Salt Lake City? University of Houston, Texas? Washington State, Pullman? University of Minnesota, Morris?

We're talkin' Wazzu Cougs! I am not Alum, but my son is getting ready to graduate after his student teaching semester. I go visit my money there sometimes.

GO COUGS!

 

[earthworm]

I second ZeSpectre & Rokyudia.Lee Lapin stated what I would probably actually do.
ZeSpectre is 110%-King-Kong correct:despite DeBecker's anti-self-protecton/gun position 'The Gift of Fear' is IMAO required reading for anyone who contemplates resisting a personal attack.

 

[MD_Willington]

Read "the gift of fear"
Trust your instincts.

'nuff said

+1
Part of a good series of books to read by Gavin De Becker, I've read a couple.

Cougfan2... I'm down the road from WSU!

 

[Flak_Jakett]

A sleeping man by the bathrooms in an office building doesn't belong there. And things that don't belong trip red flags for me. I would be paranoid as well. I think you did the right thing by calling the management team.

Where you made the wrong choice was throwing your loyalties in with the Cougs. You live in Portland and you are a Coug fan? Well at least you aren't a Husky fan. If you were a Husky fan I might call you out into the street at high noon.