To ask why trades person felt it was ok to do this?

[EmilyBolton]

so I’ve got builders in at the moment. I have to keep everything on even keel as it’s taken 12 months to find someone willing to do job 😱

They have keys to the garage and back gate to come in and out. They come through the garage to access room they’re working on. Room they’re working on has access door to main part of house. No lock- just internal door…but it was sealed off to prevent the dust coming through.

I came home on Friday and walked into kitchen/Diner/lounge and saw that a plant pot and fabric cover I had placed over my tumble drier had been removed and was now placed on my dining table.

should explain tumble drier normally in garage. I moved into the dining area while building work going on so I can still access it. But I don’t want to look at a tumble drier in my lounge for next 3 months so had put a cover over and a plant on top.(ok, I know that puts me into a bit mad category!)

Now I’m not stupid. I am very aware that tumble driers are a fire risk at best of times. When I use it , I lift my cover off and ensure air can circulate properly. I also don’t leave house with a tumble drier on- never have since all the cases reported of self combusting driers. I live on my own so actually only use the thing very rarely anyway.

The tumble drier was not on when I was out.

One of tradesman in that day was the electrician. I am assuming that he entered the lounge/dinner through the (sealed) access door to access electrical points from the other side of the wall. I am assuming that he then saw my decorative tumble drier, and that he took it upon himself to take the cover and plant off the dryer and put on the dining table. No note. No text to explain why or even that someone has come into the main house whilst I was out.

I am assuming that this person decided I was clearly stupid and was actually using the dryer with the “camouflage ” features up in place and creating a massive fire risk and decided to take it upon themselves to solve this “problem” without any discussion, or checking with me to see if I was really that stupid . It feels like a very heavy dose of “mansplaining” (especially as they all know I’m living on my own and of retirement age). It just feels so bloody patronising as well as an intrusion in my home by whoever it was that felt entitled enough to start rearranging my stuff.

Aibu to call the manager (who is overseeing project) and ask who did this, why and why they thought it was ok to move my stuff without permission, or should I just let it go in interest of keeping everything sweet and happy . I have been trying to shrug it off since Friday- but it feels like an intrusion. I don’t want these guys wandering into my house while I’m not there and doing stuff I’ve not given permission for them to do.

Thanks for responses. I think the don’t bother to follow up/ overthinking (AIBU) have it.

Just to note to those comments on how much MNetters hate trades person. Not in my experience of these boards, similar comments as to here. I certainly don’t..they’re a bloody precious and rare commodity just now. I was asking for views if I should follow up or not, given the need to keep them on side. I was not unreasonably bemused to find they’d been moving my stuff in areas they don’t need to work in.

Why would you need to involve their manager just ask the builders surely.

If it was the electrician is there a chance he needed to unplug the appliances?

I'd say the alternative is somebody used the tumble dryer because they needed to.

Often the power sockets go through both sides of a wall; I’d expect the electrician to check.
They did this with your safety in mind: I was told not to use a reel extension lead with my washing machine - I hadn’t realised how hot it could get. So I’d let it go this time.

Did they come in to dry something????

They should absolute let you know if they need to come to your house and you aren't there. Just because they have the keys doesn't mean they have carte blanche to turn up as they feel like it.

I'd definitely ask them what had gone on, (in a non-judgmental way, I hope) in case there was an issue I needed to know about.
(And to let them know I'd noticed.... )

Lol at calling his manager. They'd think you were batshit. I'm amazed that anyone would give this a second thought.

Oh my god! Just ask the builder FGS! Far too many ‘assumptions’ and I doubt the builder has spent a fraction of the time you have thinking about what he was doing and why! There’s probably a simple explanation. I can’t believe you’re going to ask his manager BEFORE you ask him!

Seriously get a grip!

And to be clear, I certainly don't hate tradespeople, and of course am happy to have them in my house to do whatever work they're engaged to do.
But equally, I should be consulted or informed about any issues that arise or additional things need to be done, if these had not been discussed at the outset.
I don't think that's unreasonable.

Overreaction sorry

Let it go. Non issue. He was trying to help.

Sorry, to clarify..not his manager…my contract is with the guy I was going to phone, the Electrican is a sub contractor..I’d ask him but I only saw him briefly on morning before I left to say good morning to ( he didn’t say at time he needed to enter house) and haven’t seen him since, don’t know his name, expect I won’t see him for some weeks until the second fix or whatever it’s called. If I thought I’d see him again next week , yep, absolutely I’d have asked him direct.
my only contact really is with the manager/director of small company..he’s the project manager. Currently there arent even contractors on site everyday…very stop start (I knew that as they’re working around other jobs they’re finishing off).
I think I gave you won’t end of stick if you thought I was deliberately not asking guy involved and running off to complain about him to his personal manager (which I didn’t say I was going to anyway)

No, I wouldn't complain. However, I would have some fun if I did suspect mansplaining. I would make a point of re-covering the drier, and adding a picture or ornament to the tumble drier as well as the plant. If he removes it again, replace again with an even more elaborate vignette. Can you acquire an urn? Along with an elaborate floral arrangement and a photo to create a shrine?

I’ve recently had some work done on one part of the house with some electric sockets being put in, electrician went round and checked a few of the plug sockets down stairs and a few upstairs, probably something like that 😁

Maybe he was bored and thought he would wind you up by removing the cover because he thought it was ridiculous or maybe he and he wore it at lunch with his mates for an impromptu Roman toga party and orgy or maybe he saw a giant spider crawl under there and thought he would do a good deed and kill it for you or maybe it scared him when he passed because he thought there was a ghost hiding under there so moved it to check or maybe you could give the workmen a little respect and speak to them and ask them why it was moved rather than make assumptions and complain to their boss when you have absolutely no idea what happened and why?

Yeah this would be the logical reason.

What a weird thing to assume.

Id assume they needed to use or move the dryer for some reason that I was unaware of, and forgot to put the cover back or chose not to for fear of doing it wrong.

You are assuming a lor OP. I think I'd just revisit that you want to be informed if entry to the rest of your house is required.

DH is an electrician - he said the most likely scenario is he needed to test the socket the tumble dryer was plugged into and probably forgot to put the cover back. He wouldn’t have done it to mansplain any safety issue.

A lot ^ this!!

there are a lot of assumptions in your post, supported only by your internal monologue

is there something else going on with you to be so off kilter by this.

put it back how you like and ask people not to move things

^This

This.

I am assuming that this person decided I was clearly stupid.
He’s not the only one.

DH was an electrician and also suggested that the tumble dryer was moved while looking for sockets.