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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

126 replies

EmilyBolton · 26/06/2022 13:58

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.

OP posts:
WeRTheOnesWeHaveBeenWaitingFor · 26/06/2022 17:51

I’d causally ask ‘is there a problem with my dryer?’ And explain the situation. There might be an explanation.
there are some odd responses here. Just because most builders are great (we have lots in our house at the moment) doesn’t mean many aren’t. Trades people are often self-employed so you do have a fair amount of dodgy people attracted to those kind of jobs. You can say anything bad about trades people or teachers on MN without being accused of being a snob or an ungrateful bitch.

5128gap · 26/06/2022 17:52

Just say 'Was there a problem with the tumble dryer? I saw someone had moved my stuff.'
If they reply that they saw it and thought it was a fire risk then you can say 'That's OK, I don't use it with the cloth and plant on'
Job done.

TotallyWipedout · 26/06/2022 17:53

I'm losing the will to live with all of this.

OP, who cares what they were doing? If you don't trust these people in your house and with your things, you shouldn't have hired them. My builders have free run of the house, including (shock) the loo. They also use the kettle, the cooker and the microwave. They move stuff in order to get to other stuff. It's part of their job. This is completely batshit as is covering your tumble dryer for misguided aesthetic reasons

ChicCroissant · 26/06/2022 17:58

What is strange is that you've worked up this story in your own mind before just asking them for an explanation!

You will never be happy with any answer they give you now because it doesn't match the work of fiction you've created in your head and they don't know their lines in it.

whataboutbob · 26/06/2022 18:01

If this is all that’s wrong with your tradesmen then you are very very lucky.

godmum56 · 26/06/2022 18:07

I may have misunderstood, but I think that cerificated leccys and gas men have a sort of duty of care esque thing.for the sites they work on.....some people really are daft enough to do daft things with appliances, I know because I used to visit people in their own homes when I worked in the NHS. I am guessing he needed to access your house for something, maybe check a socket or similar, saw the stuff there, and genuinely felt he cpuld not leave it like that. If you had been there, he could have mentioned it but you weren't.
When I had my new boiler fitted, the bloke eho did it had to check the safety of my other gas appliances, stove and fire. The fire hadn't been used or serviced in years and he apologised profusely but said that he had to cap the fire. I was delighted because I had been wanting it capped and he did it for free!

PuppyMonkey · 26/06/2022 18:07

I’m sorry, i know we’re not supposed to mention it, but I need to know what sort of cover on a big square box and what sort of plant pot on top looks better than just a regular harmless tumble dryer.Grin

qpmz · 26/06/2022 18:15

You're overthinking this.

PortalooSunset · 26/06/2022 20:03

PuppyMonkey · 26/06/2022 18:07

I’m sorry, i know we’re not supposed to mention it, but I need to know what sort of cover on a big square box and what sort of plant pot on top looks better than just a regular harmless tumble dryer.Grin

I'm picturing something like this @PuppyMonkey 😁

To ask why trades person felt it was ok to do this?
Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 26/06/2022 20:04

No! It must be a pineapple on the cover. !!

FourTeaFallOut · 26/06/2022 20:05

Jesus, that washing machine looks like it died and came back to haunt the house.

Lalliella · 26/06/2022 20:08

Total non issue. It would amuse me if that had happened in my house. Put the cover back on and put something really random on the top of it and see what happens next.

equuscaballus · 26/06/2022 20:27

They moved things because they had to or to prevent them becoming damaged - they didn't do it for fun!

5128gap · 26/06/2022 21:13

Lalliella · 26/06/2022 20:08

Total non issue. It would amuse me if that had happened in my house. Put the cover back on and put something really random on the top of it and see what happens next.

Ooh good idea! She could start with a toaster with the wires hanging out and a portable heater with an overdue PAT.

OytheBumbler · 26/06/2022 21:20

I'd assume that he was putting dirty tools or something on an easily wiped surface.

BetsyBigNose · 26/06/2022 21:30

@EmilyBolton - would anyone have known, just by looking at the covered machine, what was underneath? I agree that it does seem an odd thing for them to have done and I would certainly mention it, at least in passing, if only to satisfy your (and the rest of MN!) curiosity!

PutTheFruitInMyBellender · 26/06/2022 21:33

PortalooSunset · 26/06/2022 20:03

I'm picturing something like this @PuppyMonkey 😁

🤣🤣
Just what someone would have in their "lounge", in the event of their tumble dryer needing to lodge there.

SlatsandFlaps · 26/06/2022 21:41

If it was an electrician then he possibly used the drier to test the electrics we're working when he switched the electric back on?

ItsNotNormalLove · 26/06/2022 21:59

SlatsandFlaps · 26/06/2022 21:41

If it was an electrician then he possibly used the drier to test the electrics we're working when he switched the electric back on?

Would've been quicker to just flick a light switch.

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 26/06/2022 22:06

@ItsNotNormalLove (brilliant name!)

light switches are on a different ring main to sockets. He may well have tested both.

gah2teenagers · 26/06/2022 22:08

As PP have said electricians will go the check all the other sockets and lights. Ours did when we had work done in the kitchen. You will look stupid moaning about your dangerous looking practices. Just leave it.

ItsNotNormalLove · 26/06/2022 22:18

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 26/06/2022 22:06

@ItsNotNormalLove (brilliant name!)

light switches are on a different ring main to sockets. He may well have tested both.

Ah I see, thanks!

(The name is from a Greg Davies stand up show, his mum allegedly said it to him) Grin

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 26/06/2022 22:23

@ItsNotNormalLove

we all need more Greg in our lives (and possibly Greggs too!)

ItsNotNormalLove · 26/06/2022 22:23

@Alphabet1spaghetti2 I quite agree Grin

HeArInGhandsgirl11 · 26/06/2022 22:42

Why would you want to get someone in trouble if you believe they moved it due to it being a fire risk... if your reason for them moving it is correct, they were just trying to be nice