Decorator stinks of booze.

[HelpMeOhMyWhat]

Put an advert up on Facebook as I needed a bedroom painting.

For content I'm on disability benefits so cannot do it myself and cannot afford the kind of decorator that you book through a website.

A guy messaged me on fb and showed me photos of his work, with him in photos so I knew it was him, he seemed nice and the photos were of a good standard work.

Because of my anxiety I asked a friend to be here so I didn't have to deal with a stranger.

She let him in showed him to the room etc.
I put him a brew on.

She got a call saying her kid needed picking up from school so she had to leave.

I took his brew up for him and he absolutely reeks of alcohol.

Reeks. My friend has zero sense of smell but I have no idea how she didn't clock it.

He came and knocked on the living room to to ask something and a few mins later the smell was still in the room.

He seems nice enough but I'm sat down here with my kids and my anxiety is through the roof.

I'm worried that it's gonna be a shit show and I'll be too scared to say anything.

Friend can't come back as her kid is vomitting and I don't have anyone else to call.

Please don't say I'm stupid. I've had lots of people do jobs off Facebook and this is the first time I've had an issue.

I have anxiety and am ND this is actually a really stressful situation to me.

He said he would bring equipment but I already had it all so I said to just use my stuff.

Doesn't mean you can be rude. I was only putting my point of view across that maybe you should just wait until it's done. Or failing that, if it is causing you so much distress go and ask him to leave.

He's probably sweating it through his pores from the night before.

"And I don't want to say it's because you're obviously an alcoholic."

I should bloody hope not!

There are many functioning alcoholics in the world whose addictions do not affect their work.

Most of our decorators used to go heavy on the booze in the evenings and be a bit fruity the next day. They did a fab job, sometimes asked for a few paracetamols and the one that drove the van was always fine.

I think for us they did a job and were happy and friendly so we just let them be them.

She really, really wasn't being rude.

OP I had a guy in once to remove storage heaters for me. He was also reeking but did admit he'd had a heavy night the evening before. He wasn't shy at asking for multiple coffee's so you've been kinder than I was with the bacon sarnie!!

Sounds pretty rude to me.

'There are many functioning alcoholics in the world whose addictions do not affect their work.'

Ok would you let a nursery worker look after your kid if they were a 'functioning alcoholic?'
@DuplicateUserName

What was rude? I wasn't rude at all 🤔

I simply replied to you.

Definitely try to not focus on that and just judge him on the job he does.
Does seem weird he didn’t bring his own brushes though, surely he has ones that he likes to use.
I hope it all works out for you

No and nor would I allow them to operate on my heart (if I knew).

This guy is painting a bedroom...

Plus for all the OP knows he just had a drink on a Sunday night.

She wasn't rude at all.

I'm hopeful he'll do a good job op. Have you been in to see how he's going?

He may be a functioning alcoholic so he’s so used to alcohol he’ll actually do a good job. Hopefully all will be fine. He may also have just had a big night out last night. Just see how he does the job.

If happens unfortunately. I’ve booked a few lessons with a driving instructor (found him online, he had absolutely glorious feedbacks and ratings) and he came to the first lesson absolutely stunk of booze. I’ve paid for a few lessons upfront as a taster so couldn’t do anything. I didn’t continue with him afterwards, it wasn’t the only reason tbh he also was quite booked and we couldn’t agreed on time. He generally looked ok, he was fine at the next lesson so probably it’s just unfortunate accident the night before. In your situation I wouldn’t recommend him to friends or hire him again regardless of the result and I would check him a few time to make sure that he’s doing what you’ve asked him to do and not drinking on the job.
By the way our decorator was stone sober but I wasn’t overexcited about the result so I would wait a bit with conclusions.

You need to focus on whatever you usually do to calm your anxiety.

There's nothing to say he's drunk. He could simply be sweating it out from the night before. His overalls probably reek of white spirit too, even if you've not provided any. He's not driving. He's drinking tea.

He's doing a job you're not able to do yourself so it's always going to be better than it was yesterday. Do your breathing exercises and put on a mindfulness tape, it will be fine.

Didn’t you worry he’d be over the limit?! I might let someone who has been boozing paint my bedroom but I wouldn’t let them be ultimately responsible for a vehicle!

It is actually illegal to drink and cycle a bike.

The OP hasn't been rude! I hope it goes well, he might just have had a heavy weekend. It's so difficult to tell. My Mum was a functioning alcoholic. You'd never have known and she didn't smell of it 🤷🏻‍♀️

I mean obviously you couldn’t have done much to stop him but there’s no way of have wasted him as my driving instructor for a minute, let alone a few taster sessions.

I don't think that's right. It's illegal to be drunk in charge of a bicycle, not quite the same thing

Given the problem getting decent trades these days, TBH the guy could be downing whiskys while he did the job and I wouldn't care so long as he actually turned up on time and did it properly.

I'm sorry OP but the problem here is you
All you keep saying is... I have anxiety. I am Neuro Diverse. I am stressed. I'm scared of strangers.
Anyone trying to rationally calm you is met with defensiveness and one of the above statements.
Leave the guy to do his work and chill out.

The op got him off Facebook he's probably cash in hand "handyman" he's just there to do the room with stuff the op provided. He isn't a decorating company he came on his bike !

That was so lovely of you. I'm sure he appreciated it.

Try not to worry to much, he's maybe had a few drinks yesterday watching the football or something. As long as he's respectful to you and your property you're fine.

Just a couple more hours and you'll have a lovely, freshly painted room.

Op he's probably had a weekend on the booze , just keep popping in tp see if the decorator is OK and have a quick look about tp see if he's doing an OK job and let him get on with it.