Are you ever in your workplace completely alone? Do you get scared? If so, do you do anything about it?

I work in a small office with 3 bosses. Occassionally all three will be out on different projects and I will be alone. My office is in an old, renovated house in a part of town that is split between residential and business. I am always on pins and needles when I'm here alone. Plus, how can I even go to the restroom without wondering if someone has come in the office. It's the one truly paranoid thing I go through often. I have others, but this is the biggy. Sure I could lock the door, but this is a business and the door is not supposed to be locked. I can't see out to see when a car pulls in and there is always lots of outside noise because we are on a busy street.

Anyway, I'm just wondering if anyone else is a work place chicken?

When I was being stalked, I kept mace on my desk at all times but I have stopped doing that now. I'm thinking of starting it up again. When you open the office door, you are directly in front of me, no window or partition or anything between us.

What are you scared of, Pat? Someone coming in and harassing you, or attacking you?

I work alone in our store and I've never felt frightened or nervous about being there alone. Mind you, I am in a group of stores with other shopowners on both sides of me.

We have a small bathroom in our shop and when I need to go I just go. I take the key from the till and if anyone comes in they just wait till I come back.

Are you scared when you're home alone or is it just your work situation?

I'm an RN at a private boarding academy. Frequently I am alone in the health center at ALL hours. After regular hours, I lock the elevator "off:, and close/lock the doors. After posted hours, anyone needing help must call the on-call RN before coming over. We usually only have one RN on duty at any time, so potty times are quick! The front door also has a bell to notify us of comings and goings, as well as huge mirrors to peek around corners.

At night, we have locks on all doors and alarms similar to thoses used in Alzhiemer's facilities to prevent supposed sick students from escaping or worse...bringing in "friends". This is because we DO overnight with ill students. Teens do stupid things.

The village is very safe, and the area is well lighted. However, we have these brand new automatic flushing toilets that flush for no apparent reason...THAT can be unnerving!

I was a bit scared at first when I started to work occasionally for the bread outlet. I was afraid for a hold up...but then my friend told me no one will think of coming here...there is so little money in the cash register compared to another store...So that calmed me down.

I understand though, how you can feel, Pat. :hugz:

I get nervous alot, even at home. When I am home alone, all doors are locked!!!!

When I worked as a cashier at a gas station, I always was scared!!!! I opened the store at 6 am and one night every two weeks I closed at 10 pm. I was so scared of being held up on that one night that I would have Matthew come sit with me the whole time I was there!!!!! While working there I had several drive offs and one run off, the guy smooth filled up the gas can, walked towards the door and then ran off with it, I nearly died laughing!!!!!! I also had a guy, a woman and a little boy come in one day, they kept making the little boy ask if he had enough for his candy. Well I counted how much he had and then showed him all the candies he could choose from. I was getting a funny feeling so I went back behind the counter! Well, the guy came around and was trying to keep my attention on him, which got me suspicious, well I noticed that the woman was taking cartons of cigarettes and putting them in her coat. I never let on that I noticed cause I was scared of what might happen! Then the guy asked me if I was afraid of getting robbed. I said no that the police came in here quite often for their coffee, which they never did, but I was gonna say anything!!!! Then he said that this store would be the perfect one to hold up as it was out of the way. I started getting really scared, but refused to show it. I laughed and said more than likely they wouldn't get away with it and then asked if he needed anything else. About this time a truck pulls up at the gas pumps, and I'm thinking, oh thank God, and the guy tells the woman lets go and she takes the little boys hand and walks out, as he is heading out the door, he turns around and says, If I was you lady, I would be scared of getting robbed, remember me and off he went. Once he was out of the store I began shaking uncontrollably, I was so scared and thankful at the same time!! The lady came in and asked if I was okay and I told her no and that that couple that was walking across the parking lot had just stole some cartons of cigarettes. She dialed the police and handed me the phone and left. I didn't even notice she didn't pay for her gas.......She came back and told the police that she had followed them home and led them straight to their house. They had gotten 15 cartons of cigarettes!!!! It didn't take me long to quit that job, that was my last day!!!!!

Wow Roxy, now I'm really scared. :eek:

I am not scared at home but at work, I always feel that someone will come in and harass me or stupidly think we have money on hand and try to rob me. We never have any money because everything we receive is by check (Architect's office). This office was broken into and set on fire before I started here and I guess that just hangs around in the back of my mind. Plus there is a street nearby that the cops have labeled "Drug Dealer Row".

No, not scared. I work in a big grocery store in the photolab department so there are always people around. The store closes at 9:30pm.

Several years ago, I worked at a gas station/convenience store. This was back when I lived in California. This store was well-known as the place where a clerk was shot in the head with a sawed-off shotgun--it made national news because the police department enlisted the help of NASA to clear up the surveillance video enough that the tattoo on the shooters arm could be used to identify him. This happened a couple years before I worked there. Anyhow, I used to get asked ALL THE TIME if it was scary working there, but for some reason, it wasn't scary at all. Mostly I was too busy to even THINK about being scared.

Now, a few months before that, when I was working at a video store in a crappy part of town (I worked at both the conv. store and video store at the same time--the same owner owned both stores)...at about 9 pm two guys walked in, started walking around looking at videos, but they were acting kind of funny. My oldest DS was at the store with me that night, I think he was only 3 or 4. These guys walked around one of the back racks, and in the big mirror I could see that they were putting on black gloves. They kept watching me. I wasn't scared, I WAS MAD!!!! It was apparent to me that they were up to no good, and I was SO MAD because they could plainly see that I had a little boy with me. I just stood there and stared them down with the most death-defying look that you can imagine. I had my finger on the panic button but never had to press it, because they left!

Yes, I do not like being alone at night. Ever since we had the fire in 1979 I have been nerveous.

I am better than I was & thank God my Hubby is usually at home with me.

It is a terrible feeling to be afraid Pat.

If it was me I would lock the door...run to the bathroom!!! ;)

When I worked midnights at the ER I would get alittle spooked only b/c there was always all kinds of crazies coming in there. We had security but they weren't all that great IMO!

I did work as a secretary years ago in an industrial complex. I would often be there alone and boy was I spooked!! The building was old and I was almost convinced haunted by all the noises all hours of the day. If I were you, I would def lock the door to go to the bathroom. They can wait a few mins for your peace of mind.

Well, now I'm gonna be leary of even going in a quiktrip type gas station! I usually pay at the pump. The other day my husband and I went into a gas station just for coffee (we were in town waiting on the kids to get through with a practice) and it occurred to me that going in could be risky -- not that anything has happened here. But there are crazies in the world aren't there!

My office used to be in a very large old 2 story building, with most offices on the second floor; the building had multiple entrances. If I ever had to go in on a Saturday for something, it was very creepy. There were rumors that street people slept in the basement, that you could hear a radio playing somewhere in the building during off hours or hear voices off in the depths of the basement, etc. And with the multiple entrances, there was little way I could go around and check everything -- even if I had wanted to. Needless to say I rarely went in on weekends -- only if I absolutely had to. Or if I did go, I tried to take someone with me.

My job is still on the second floor, but in a new, different building and I do not have to come in on the weekend. And these doors have timed locks on them for the weekends. I have occasionally worried about somebody strange wandering in off the street, but don't think it is too likely where we are located.

Pat, since you feel so exposed when someone comes in the door, could you ask for some kind of a barrier between you and the door?

Nope, no barrier. There is only about 3 feet between the front edge of my desk and the door. I just keep the pepper spray sitting very close by when I have to be alone. If I'm here 1 minute past business hours, I lock the door.

Originally posted by paelthom
Nope, no barrier. There is only about 3 feet between the front edge of my desk and the door. I just keep the pepper spray sitting very close by when I have to be alone. If I'm here 1 minute past business hours, I lock the door.

That does seem close to the door to me. No wonder you are jumpy!

I guess there is no way to rearrange things..... or convince them to move to a bigger office?