Wonderful neighbourhood... weird neighbour

I thank God that I stay in a wonderful neighbourhood. One that is relatively peaceful (except for the occasional late night gang/drunkards fights at the coffeeshop opposite my block... haha). I also have generally good neighbours, most of whom had also been staying in the same block for many years. Though people move in and out of my block of flats, generally, all is well.

Recently, however, I found out that I have a new weird neighbour, one that has some weird habit.

Incident 1 : Saturday afternoon, waiting for lift to take me home from ground floor. Realized that there was another gentlemen (approx. middle 40s) waiting for the same lift. I did not recognize him, probably a new neighbour, I thought.

Lift came, I stepped in. He walked in after me. I stood at the area nearest to where the lift buttons were. He stood near the lift door. Nothing amiss.

Suddenly he turned around and started to “screen” me by looking at me from top to bottom and from bottom to top. Who is he ? A policeman ? Or perhaps a detective wannabe ? I find that rude and I was disgusted by his behaviour. You DO NOT look at anyone else, a lady especially, like that, do you ? Who do you think you are ?

In retaliation, I turned to look at him, and started to do the SAME (ie “screen” him from top to bottom and bottom to top). Realizing what I was doing, he turned and looked away.

Incident 2 : Wednesday morning, waiting for lift to take me to the ground floor, going to work. He was there and I recognize him immediately.

Lift came, I stepped in. He walked in after me. Again I stood at the area nearest to where the lift buttons were. It was only when I turned around, did I realize that he was actually standing very near next to me !

Hello !!!! The lift is VERY spacious for 2 persons ok ??? Why must you stand so near to me ??? Arrgghh…. This time, I chose to ignore him. But thought to myself, he better not do anything funny or I’ll punch him straight on his face or kick him on his legs (desperate situations call for desperate measures !)

And then, just when standing near is not enough, he had to turn and do the “screening activity” again. I felt as if I was being “molested” by his eyes ! I decided to ignore him. Yes, of course I was angry but there was nothing much I can do at that moment except fumed inside, forced myself to stay calm and silently pray that the lift would reach ground floor soon.

I’m telling myself, one more time he does that to me, I’m going to turn, stare sharply at him and ask firmly, “Yes, what do you want ?”

Or better still, the next time I take the lift and he walks in, I’ll walk out immediately. I have a right to choose which lift I want to take (and with what people).

Some people just do not deserve our basic courtesy.

** Found out later from my parents, after describing to them what this guy looks like, that this guy had been staying in the same block of flats as us for almost 10 years, but seriously I had never noticed him before. **