to be a little anxious about this?

[solebeneficiiiary]

I employed a tradesman a few months ago to do an average sized job. He was a bit surly but he did the job OK. I paid him the same day, no problems.
I have since had him on my Facebook, because he initially added me so he could message me about coming to quote (he did this rather than reply through his 'professional' Facebook page, which I thought was annoying from the start). He seemed harmless enough, plus he is also friends with my next door neighbour (that's not how I found him, just a coincidence).

Well, I made a couple of posts recently about social issues, particularly xenophobia and racism. These were not inviting debate. He has come out of the woodwork and made comments (calling me 'woke,' 'sad,' being obtuse about the problems in question, and generally acting like a racist, nationalist twat). I forgot he was even on my friends list!

I have not engaged - I deleted his comments and when he got antagonistic I unfriended/blocked him. But I feel a little nervous because obviously he knows where I live and he pops round to next door fairly often. I just feel intimidated in a way. Mainly because I think it's unhinged behaviour to be so argumentative with a client (I don't have any more work for him to do, but what if I did?) If he doesn't care about getting repeat work/recommendations, I just feel like he might escalate or something? It just seems a really odd thing to do, pick a fight with a client.

Obviously there's not much more I can do, but AIBU to feel on edge about it? I'm also nervous that he will gossip about it with my neighbour (who I get on with OK) and cause issues there.

It’s the devil that is social media. There’s no answer is there? He doesn’t agree with you. You are no longer his client as you don’t have work for him. All you can do is hope for the best and be vigilant. Keep Facebook for benign comments between friends. Maybe judge about talking to your neighbours. Would this head off trouble or make trouble?

YANBU but I'd be inclined to think he was a thick twat rather than any threat.

I agree with PP that social media is what is to blame. In future engage with work people through traditional means. Perhaps you should come off any public domain social media for a while.

This is why you don't have people you're not friends with on social media, but he's not going to come knocking your door to cheer on Brexit.

I hate things like that and it would put me on edge for a few days but I think it's unlikely to escalate to anything further.

If it's useful to know, there's a way to limit your settings on FB so people are still on your friends list but they can only see what you post publicly, not what's for friends only (I have done this with people I no longer want to interact with but don't want to unfriend if that makes sense).

Maybe it's a good thing so you know not to employ him again.

Yeah I usually have my settings filtered but he slipped through the cracks as I didn't realise he was even still there. I don't post publicly at all, only friends locked posts. Thanks for the anxiety check, I'm a bit more chill about it now, just a bit bemused!

In hindsight I did side eye when he added me, but I was having a nightmare at the time trying to get anyone to quote so I just went with it. Luckily all my other tradesmen situations have been professional and I always message through the proper channels. I remember messaging him a number of times through his work page and he wouldn't respond. Anyway, won't be doing that again!

We use texts with builders and others. Keeps it just between us and professional.