Get the h+++ out of my fridge

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Highlands John

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I came out of our lounge last evening to meet a guest coming out of my kitchen having been to fridge to fill up her jug of milk. This has happened before and makes me angry. I disguised my anger and politely pointed out that if she needed anything else there is a bell on the desk in the hall.
If they were staying in a hotel they wouldn't go into the kitchen and help themselves. If we're staying with even out closest friends I wouldn't dream of going into their fridge and helping myself.
So why do some people think it's ok in a B&B?
I think some people think they are being helpful by not disturbing you and I don't want to go down the route of putting a private sign on the kitchen door and always shutting it, I hate B&Bs that have "don't" signs all over the place and it's something we've always avoided.
 
this happend to me yesterday and I was livid! Our kitchen/breakfast room is in the basement with the door down to it we have shut during the day -our flat leads off it. Guest comes through shut door marked private into pitch blackness as we have all the unnecessary lights off (is this not a clue you are somewhere you arn't meant to be? comes down the stairs (im stood up by this point) guest wants to ask a question then says im off now and trys to walk into my flat! despite this being the opposite way to where she came in! me infront of the flat door pointing to the stairs! then she gets lost on the ground floor trying to get back to her room. I am starting to worry she is casing the joint as surely no one could be that stupid?
Have a group that comes every august - of the Don't want to be a bother variety I just have to keep all the doors locked till they go!
 
this happend to me yesterday and I was livid! Our kitchen/breakfast room is in the basement with the door down to it we have shut during the day -our flat leads off it. Guest comes through shut door marked private into pitch blackness as we have all the unnecessary lights off (is this not a clue you are somewhere you arn't meant to be? comes down the stairs (im stood up by this point) guest wants to ask a question then says im off now and trys to walk into my flat! despite this being the opposite way to where she came in! me infront of the flat door pointing to the stairs! then she gets lost on the ground floor trying to get back to her room. I am starting to worry she is casing the joint as surely no one could be that stupid?
Have a group that comes every august - of the Don't want to be a bother variety I just have to keep all the doors locked till they go!.
I have put a comment in the room information that says "Please respect out privacy by not going into rooms downstairs except the dinning room at breakfast....etc" but they either don't read it or ignore it.
During Easter weekend we had my sister and her partner staying, it was 10:30 and the four of us were slobbed out in our lounge watching a movie and drinking when the lounge door (clearly marked private) opens and an American guy walks in, in his pyjamas and starts asking us questions about breakfast. I was so gob-smacked I didn't know what to say.
 
pita.gif
 
Some people don't understand boundaries, they just don't. We have a private toilet downstairs that isn't marked at all. It appears to be a pantry in the kitchen. It's just not presentable to guests, we sweep stuff into it, we keep brooms, etc. And last week a guest just walks into it, which meant that she had to have been snooping around to have found it. I was so angry. But they don't understand.
And many don't understand when you say "Excuse me?" with the proper intonation that indicates exactly "What the f... are you doing?". So sometimes you just have to embarass them by asking the question straight out. Something like "Can I get you more of my personal groceries from my private refrigerator?"
 
We don't even have a door to close and lock so I hear you. I do have a LARGE sign on the fridge door that I ended up having to get very terse on last year after a particularly egregious rifling thru the fridge. I also have another sign not 2 feet away that asks, politely, that the guest not even go into the kitchen.
The most commonly sought items are milk and ice. We have a guest fridge not 5' from the inn fridge in which both of those items are easy to find. I also have shelf-stable half and half on top of the guest fridge in case they want creamer for coffee.
I think you are right that most guest just don't want to bother us and feel 'at home' so they help themselves. NOT realizing that I may have a limited amount of what they just took away.
 
Some people don't understand boundaries, they just don't. We have a private toilet downstairs that isn't marked at all. It appears to be a pantry in the kitchen. It's just not presentable to guests, we sweep stuff into it, we keep brooms, etc. And last week a guest just walks into it, which meant that she had to have been snooping around to have found it. I was so angry. But they don't understand.
And many don't understand when you say "Excuse me?" with the proper intonation that indicates exactly "What the f... are you doing?". So sometimes you just have to embarass them by asking the question straight out. Something like "Can I get you more of my personal groceries from my private refrigerator?".
We have a laundry room (with toilet) and a cellar door that I finally had to put 'private' signs on. Got tired of hearing the cellar door opening at all hours and wondering what the heck was going on. And, like you, finding guest in the laundry room using the loo. HELLO! Now there's a surprise for you.
 
Sorry HJ, violated is what we feel when someone encroaches on our innkeeper space!
We had have a no boundaries guy here last night who read a note on the door for someone else. We said aloud "Batton down the hatches we got one of them again!" and sure enough, our kitchen door is chained and one side locked (double doors) and so if you try to open you get about a 2 inch swing AND SOUND, we heard the sound...we KNOW it had to be him.
 
I get them more in the morning just walking into the kitchen - yes the door is open because I forgot to close it - to rinse out their travel mugs to fill them with coffee or tea. One of them goes to the car and brings them in and goes in while I am in the Library running their card and do not catch it until it is fait accompli. Since my Library door (my office) is at the bottom of the steps, I can usually catch them before they wander otherwise. So far, we have only had 2 times I know of that people opened our doors in almost 16 years.
 
I get them more in the morning just walking into the kitchen - yes the door is open because I forgot to close it - to rinse out their travel mugs to fill them with coffee or tea. One of them goes to the car and brings them in and goes in while I am in the Library running their card and do not catch it until it is fait accompli. Since my Library door (my office) is at the bottom of the steps, I can usually catch them before they wander otherwise. So far, we have only had 2 times I know of that people opened our doors in almost 16 years..
I am hunting for a bank barn for the main lodge. Because of the inherent design of a bank barn the guest rooms along with the guest common area and dining room will be on the ground level. There will be a set of stairs to reach the second floor (which will have ground level access on the opposite side of the barn - hence bank barn) but only accessible through the kitchen.
I am hoping that will stave off some of issues, in that I can lock the inn kitchen door from the inside. I plan on a nice guest refridgerator in an alcove in the common area. Because barns are so large and open, creating little spaces they can "explore" might help satisfy their apparent undying curiosity. Doubt it but worth a shot!
Guess I might be buying more locks than I planned.
 
this happend to me yesterday and I was livid! Our kitchen/breakfast room is in the basement with the door down to it we have shut during the day -our flat leads off it. Guest comes through shut door marked private into pitch blackness as we have all the unnecessary lights off (is this not a clue you are somewhere you arn't meant to be? comes down the stairs (im stood up by this point) guest wants to ask a question then says im off now and trys to walk into my flat! despite this being the opposite way to where she came in! me infront of the flat door pointing to the stairs! then she gets lost on the ground floor trying to get back to her room. I am starting to worry she is casing the joint as surely no one could be that stupid?
Have a group that comes every august - of the Don't want to be a bother variety I just have to keep all the doors locked till they go!.
I have put a comment in the room information that says "Please respect out privacy by not going into rooms downstairs except the dinning room at breakfast....etc" but they either don't read it or ignore it.
During Easter weekend we had my sister and her partner staying, it was 10:30 and the four of us were slobbed out in our lounge watching a movie and drinking when the lounge door (clearly marked private) opens and an American guy walks in, in his pyjamas and starts asking us questions about breakfast. I was so gob-smacked I didn't know what to say.
.
I run about in my dressing gown over my clothes! and DH is in his PJ's by about 8pm half the time!
 
I get them more in the morning just walking into the kitchen - yes the door is open because I forgot to close it - to rinse out their travel mugs to fill them with coffee or tea. One of them goes to the car and brings them in and goes in while I am in the Library running their card and do not catch it until it is fait accompli. Since my Library door (my office) is at the bottom of the steps, I can usually catch them before they wander otherwise. So far, we have only had 2 times I know of that people opened our doors in almost 16 years..
I am hunting for a bank barn for the main lodge. Because of the inherent design of a bank barn the guest rooms along with the guest common area and dining room will be on the ground level. There will be a set of stairs to reach the second floor (which will have ground level access on the opposite side of the barn - hence bank barn) but only accessible through the kitchen.
I am hoping that will stave off some of issues, in that I can lock the inn kitchen door from the inside. I plan on a nice guest refridgerator in an alcove in the common area. Because barns are so large and open, creating little spaces they can "explore" might help satisfy their apparent undying curiosity. Doubt it but worth a shot!
Guess I might be buying more locks than I planned.
.
Weaver said:
Because barns are so large and open, creating little spaces they can "explore" might help satisfy their apparent undying curiosity. Doubt it but worth a shot!
Here it is in a nutshell Weaves, the exploration is true, but what is more interesting and exciting is seeing what is behind door number 2. ie where the innkeepers/owners live and how. This is what piques their interest the most.
Obv you want as much avail to meet their needs - here we have a guest service area with wine glasses and openers, and they STILL go into the kitchen "I am looking for wine glasses" Me "Remember when you checked in and we stopped and I pointed to them and said here are wine glasses and openers if you need them? Also showing you the guest fridge if you need to chill some wine, etc?"
This is my theory, the little notes everywhere are not read by law breakers, only those who uphold and are offended by being treated like children. The same with everything, the person who poured scalding hot water into a plastic cup would not be the one to heed a note saying use mugs for tea which are right next to said tea kettle, or whatever.
Yes you have to idiot proof your place. They will still break through the barracade and be standing in your quarters.
 
I get them more in the morning just walking into the kitchen - yes the door is open because I forgot to close it - to rinse out their travel mugs to fill them with coffee or tea. One of them goes to the car and brings them in and goes in while I am in the Library running their card and do not catch it until it is fait accompli. Since my Library door (my office) is at the bottom of the steps, I can usually catch them before they wander otherwise. So far, we have only had 2 times I know of that people opened our doors in almost 16 years..
I am hunting for a bank barn for the main lodge. Because of the inherent design of a bank barn the guest rooms along with the guest common area and dining room will be on the ground level. There will be a set of stairs to reach the second floor (which will have ground level access on the opposite side of the barn - hence bank barn) but only accessible through the kitchen.
I am hoping that will stave off some of issues, in that I can lock the inn kitchen door from the inside. I plan on a nice guest refridgerator in an alcove in the common area. Because barns are so large and open, creating little spaces they can "explore" might help satisfy their apparent undying curiosity. Doubt it but worth a shot!
Guess I might be buying more locks than I planned.
.
Weaver said:
Because barns are so large and open, creating little spaces they can "explore" might help satisfy their apparent undying curiosity. Doubt it but worth a shot!
Here it is in a nutshell Weaves, the exploration is true, but what is more interesting and exciting is seeing what is behind door number 2. ie where the innkeepers/owners live and how. This is what piques their interest the most.
Obv you want as much avail to meet their needs - here we have a guest service area with wine glasses and openers, and they STILL go into the kitchen "I am looking for wine glasses" Me "Remember when you checked in and we stopped and I pointed to them and said here are wine glasses and openers if you need them? Also showing you the guest fridge if you need to chill some wine, etc?"
This is my theory, the little notes everywhere are not read by law breakers, only those who uphold and are offended by being treated like children. The same with everything, the person who poured scalding hot water into a plastic cup would not be the one to heed a note saying use mugs for tea which are right next to said tea kettle, or whatever.
Yes you have to idiot proof your place. They will still break through the barracade and be standing in your quarters.
.
JB - So nosey people are nosey people, and nothing but a locked door will stop them!
See my trapped post. Maybe instead of having my quarters on the second floor, I will move into one of the little cabins, hundreds of yards from the potential PITAs where the cats and the dog and I can all be free to be a couch potato at 11 a night when the work is sort of done. No rose colored glasses here, it will never be done!!!!
I know the idiots, dealt with them before, does no one teach their children manners anymore? And these are people my age, not young gen X or gen Y people but middle aged people with grown children.
 
I get them more in the morning just walking into the kitchen - yes the door is open because I forgot to close it - to rinse out their travel mugs to fill them with coffee or tea. One of them goes to the car and brings them in and goes in while I am in the Library running their card and do not catch it until it is fait accompli. Since my Library door (my office) is at the bottom of the steps, I can usually catch them before they wander otherwise. So far, we have only had 2 times I know of that people opened our doors in almost 16 years..
I am hunting for a bank barn for the main lodge. Because of the inherent design of a bank barn the guest rooms along with the guest common area and dining room will be on the ground level. There will be a set of stairs to reach the second floor (which will have ground level access on the opposite side of the barn - hence bank barn) but only accessible through the kitchen.
I am hoping that will stave off some of issues, in that I can lock the inn kitchen door from the inside. I plan on a nice guest refridgerator in an alcove in the common area. Because barns are so large and open, creating little spaces they can "explore" might help satisfy their apparent undying curiosity. Doubt it but worth a shot!
Guess I might be buying more locks than I planned.
.
Weaver said:
Because barns are so large and open, creating little spaces they can "explore" might help satisfy their apparent undying curiosity. Doubt it but worth a shot!
Here it is in a nutshell Weaves, the exploration is true, but what is more interesting and exciting is seeing what is behind door number 2. ie where the innkeepers/owners live and how. This is what piques their interest the most.
Obv you want as much avail to meet their needs - here we have a guest service area with wine glasses and openers, and they STILL go into the kitchen "I am looking for wine glasses" Me "Remember when you checked in and we stopped and I pointed to them and said here are wine glasses and openers if you need them? Also showing you the guest fridge if you need to chill some wine, etc?"
This is my theory, the little notes everywhere are not read by law breakers, only those who uphold and are offended by being treated like children. The same with everything, the person who poured scalding hot water into a plastic cup would not be the one to heed a note saying use mugs for tea which are right next to said tea kettle, or whatever.
Yes you have to idiot proof your place. They will still break through the barracade and be standing in your quarters.
.
JB - So nosey people are nosey people, and nothing but a locked door will stop them!
See my trapped post. Maybe instead of having my quarters on the second floor, I will move into one of the little cabins, hundreds of yards from the potential PITAs where the cats and the dog and I can all be free to be a couch potato at 11 a night when the work is sort of done. No rose colored glasses here, it will never be done!!!!
I know the idiots, dealt with them before, does no one teach their children manners anymore? And these are people my age, not young gen X or gen Y people but middle aged people with grown children.
.
And precisely the locked door is what they want to get into. Oh yeah, not often, you are usually caught off guard when it happens. #1 rule for anyone who is aspiring, groups (meaning two couples or more) are the worst, lock everything up! They have the least boundaries of any guest, ten fold.
pita.gif

 
I get them more in the morning just walking into the kitchen - yes the door is open because I forgot to close it - to rinse out their travel mugs to fill them with coffee or tea. One of them goes to the car and brings them in and goes in while I am in the Library running their card and do not catch it until it is fait accompli. Since my Library door (my office) is at the bottom of the steps, I can usually catch them before they wander otherwise. So far, we have only had 2 times I know of that people opened our doors in almost 16 years..
I am hunting for a bank barn for the main lodge. Because of the inherent design of a bank barn the guest rooms along with the guest common area and dining room will be on the ground level. There will be a set of stairs to reach the second floor (which will have ground level access on the opposite side of the barn - hence bank barn) but only accessible through the kitchen.
I am hoping that will stave off some of issues, in that I can lock the inn kitchen door from the inside. I plan on a nice guest refridgerator in an alcove in the common area. Because barns are so large and open, creating little spaces they can "explore" might help satisfy their apparent undying curiosity. Doubt it but worth a shot!
Guess I might be buying more locks than I planned.
.
Weaver said:
Because barns are so large and open, creating little spaces they can "explore" might help satisfy their apparent undying curiosity. Doubt it but worth a shot!
Here it is in a nutshell Weaves, the exploration is true, but what is more interesting and exciting is seeing what is behind door number 2. ie where the innkeepers/owners live and how. This is what piques their interest the most.
Obv you want as much avail to meet their needs - here we have a guest service area with wine glasses and openers, and they STILL go into the kitchen "I am looking for wine glasses" Me "Remember when you checked in and we stopped and I pointed to them and said here are wine glasses and openers if you need them? Also showing you the guest fridge if you need to chill some wine, etc?"
This is my theory, the little notes everywhere are not read by law breakers, only those who uphold and are offended by being treated like children. The same with everything, the person who poured scalding hot water into a plastic cup would not be the one to heed a note saying use mugs for tea which are right next to said tea kettle, or whatever.
Yes you have to idiot proof your place. They will still break through the barracade and be standing in your quarters.
.
JB - So nosey people are nosey people, and nothing but a locked door will stop them!
See my trapped post. Maybe instead of having my quarters on the second floor, I will move into one of the little cabins, hundreds of yards from the potential PITAs where the cats and the dog and I can all be free to be a couch potato at 11 a night when the work is sort of done. No rose colored glasses here, it will never be done!!!!
I know the idiots, dealt with them before, does no one teach their children manners anymore? And these are people my age, not young gen X or gen Y people but middle aged people with grown children.
.
You know what you'll get living in a cabin? Guest peering thru the windows at you! Better to be upstairs. A door at the bottom of the stairs going up or a door at the top and the locked kitchen door should do it.
In our case, the door to our space is at the end of the hallway. There is one guest room door here as well and I tell guests, 'That's the office.' That seems to stave off any interest in seeing it. Also, I sometimes leave the door open so they CAN see it is the office and it's boring.
 
I get them more in the morning just walking into the kitchen - yes the door is open because I forgot to close it - to rinse out their travel mugs to fill them with coffee or tea. One of them goes to the car and brings them in and goes in while I am in the Library running their card and do not catch it until it is fait accompli. Since my Library door (my office) is at the bottom of the steps, I can usually catch them before they wander otherwise. So far, we have only had 2 times I know of that people opened our doors in almost 16 years..
I am hunting for a bank barn for the main lodge. Because of the inherent design of a bank barn the guest rooms along with the guest common area and dining room will be on the ground level. There will be a set of stairs to reach the second floor (which will have ground level access on the opposite side of the barn - hence bank barn) but only accessible through the kitchen.
I am hoping that will stave off some of issues, in that I can lock the inn kitchen door from the inside. I plan on a nice guest refridgerator in an alcove in the common area. Because barns are so large and open, creating little spaces they can "explore" might help satisfy their apparent undying curiosity. Doubt it but worth a shot!
Guess I might be buying more locks than I planned.
.
Weaver said:
Because barns are so large and open, creating little spaces they can "explore" might help satisfy their apparent undying curiosity. Doubt it but worth a shot!
Here it is in a nutshell Weaves, the exploration is true, but what is more interesting and exciting is seeing what is behind door number 2. ie where the innkeepers/owners live and how. This is what piques their interest the most.
Obv you want as much avail to meet their needs - here we have a guest service area with wine glasses and openers, and they STILL go into the kitchen "I am looking for wine glasses" Me "Remember when you checked in and we stopped and I pointed to them and said here are wine glasses and openers if you need them? Also showing you the guest fridge if you need to chill some wine, etc?"
This is my theory, the little notes everywhere are not read by law breakers, only those who uphold and are offended by being treated like children. The same with everything, the person who poured scalding hot water into a plastic cup would not be the one to heed a note saying use mugs for tea which are right next to said tea kettle, or whatever.
Yes you have to idiot proof your place. They will still break through the barracade and be standing in your quarters.
.
JB - So nosey people are nosey people, and nothing but a locked door will stop them!
See my trapped post. Maybe instead of having my quarters on the second floor, I will move into one of the little cabins, hundreds of yards from the potential PITAs where the cats and the dog and I can all be free to be a couch potato at 11 a night when the work is sort of done. No rose colored glasses here, it will never be done!!!!
I know the idiots, dealt with them before, does no one teach their children manners anymore? And these are people my age, not young gen X or gen Y people but middle aged people with grown children.
.
You know what you'll get living in a cabin? Guest peering thru the windows at you! Better to be upstairs. A door at the bottom of the stairs going up or a door at the top and the locked kitchen door should do it.
In our case, the door to our space is at the end of the hallway. There is one guest room door here as well and I tell guests, 'That's the office.' That seems to stave off any interest in seeing it. Also, I sometimes leave the door open so they CAN see it is the office and it's boring.
.
Madeleine said:
You know what you'll get living in a cabin? Guest peering thru the windows at you! Better to be upstairs. A door at the bottom of the stairs going up or a door at the top and the locked kitchen door should do it.
In our case, the door to our space is at the end of the hallway. There is one guest room door here as well and I tell guests, 'That's the office.' That seems to stave off any interest in seeing it. Also, I sometimes leave the door open so they CAN see it is the office and it's boring.
Anyone know a good sale on black out curtains? Or maybe I just paint the glass black - no sunlight for me! OOOO better yet, an invisible fence, making all the keyfobs for the guest rooms the transmitter similar to the ones on a dog's collar. Bet they only do that once!
Doors lots of doors, and locks to go with them!!!
My current house has 19 21 22 25 doors not counting closets, and it is only 6 bedrooms and two baths - not a hallway to be had. And here I thought I would get away from living in a maze. I had a girl helping with cleaning for while, when the kids were younger and I was working 70 hrs a week out of the house, she called me once and said, I would clean the bathroom but I don't know which door it is behind (even though I showed her - the only door not original to the house). I told her to keep opening doors in the dining room until she found one that looked like it had a shower in the room - hint it isn't the one with the stairs going into the dark abyss.
 
Ahhh, yes...we have had people sneaking around our end of the house from time to time. So sorry that they intruded into your space....big time PITAs!!
For us the worst time was a group that decided they did not want to use their key so they piled into our private entrance from the outside, traipsed through the kitchen and helped themselves to our crystal wineglasses from our private cupboard. Oiy! I was livid!!! Our bedroom is upstairs and we thought we heard some noise on the porch but thought it might be raccoons trying to get into the rubbish. The next morning I found the wine glasses and mess they had left in the kitchen and living room. Now we always lock the exterior door and the doors between "us" and "them" at night.
We don't do this but we recently stayed in an inn that had a number of velvet ropes, cordoning off the areas that were off limits. This might not work for the hard-core PITA, but it surely was better than a sign because the snoop has to physically undo the rope to intrude. The innkeepers also had a clearly marked "Service Bell" in front of the rope that rang into their quarters and they were prompt to answer it. I suspect they also had a buzzer under the front mat to keep track of the comings and goings from the front door.
 
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