So I live on a college dorm campus. We ALL need cards to get in, and it’s just general procedure. Typically we swipe our cards to get in. I saw some people pounding at the door to be let in, and I accidentally made eye contact with one of them. I got up and walked off, pretending to go buy something at the vending machines, hoping she didn’t notice. Someone let her in, and as she walked by me, she said something along the lines of “I pray that someone don’t let you in when you need it” or something. I didn’t let her in for safety reasons, as we have had things happen because of letting people in without them swiping. AITA?
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So I live on a college dorm campus. We ALL need cards to get in, and it’s just general procedure. Typically we swipe our cards to get in. I saw some people pounding at the door to be let in, and I accidentally made eye contact with one of them. I got up and walked off, pretending to go buy something at the vending machines, hoping she didn’t notice. Someone let her in, and as she walked by me, she said something along the lines of “I pray that someone don’t let you in when you need it” or something. I didn’t let her in for safety reasons, as we have had things happen because of letting people in without them swiping. AITA?
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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> 1. I didn’t let someone into my dorm building when they were knocking on the door.
2. Not letting them in the building.
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Contest mode is 1.5 hours long on this post.
NTA. You did exactly what you’re supposed to do. People have swipe cards for a reason. It’s not like you saw your roommate out there & left her stranded or something. You didn’t know the people so how do you know if they belong.
Safety reasons 🤓
NTA. In any building that has secure access the cardinal rule of safety is that you don’t let anyone you do not personally know belongs in the building into the building. You don’t let people tailgate you, you don’t open the door. That person banging on the door could have been someone’s stalker, or a decoy for someone else to get into the building, or a dozen other dangerous scenarios.
You had no idea who the person was. Safety rules exist for a reason, and you made the right call.
NTA.
NTA. It is their fault for forgetting their access card, if they live there. If someone unauthorized is let in and they steal from the residents, then the residents will complain about the crime and blame the school instead of the idiot who let the thief in.
NTA. Those security measures are in place for a reason. If you don’t know the people trying to get in, then you are under no obligation to let them in. I can understand if they forgot their access cards, but they should’ve tried to call one of their friends to let them in and used this as a valuable lesson going forward.
NTA. You need to follow the rules on this. And mature people understand it. Last time this happened to me I was in my first week at a new job and it was pouring rain. I went to badge in to into the front door and a group of people (5-6) were waiting to be let in. One of the them said something like “oh good someone with a card.”. Then asked not demanded if I could let them in. I told them sorry it wasn’t allowed but I’d let a manager know. Which was the correct procedure. They said they figured but asked anyway. This is how mature people handle this.
The only thing you should do differently is contact someone with the authority to let them in. If you don’t know who this is ask your RA. I hope you report whoever let them in, if you know them, because people have been hurt (even k!lled) because people don’t take the ‘card to get in’ requirement seriously.
NTA. You have cards for a reason. So people who belong in the building can use them to get in.
NTA – In the future, you should find the on call RA or lobby manager or whoever your dorm uses to help. She was just another college student and while you weren’t in the wrong for not letting her in, you didn’t even try to be kind or helpful. I hope that doesn’t bite you in the ass one day. But if it does, understand the reason you don’t have a village is because clearly you refused to participate in them unless they suited your own needs.
Next time say right back “I’m not letting anyone in I don’t know, including you”. The rules are there to keep us safe.
“I pray someone doesn’t let a person in your dorm who then goes to your room and rapes and murders you. Good thing in this dorm we care about the safety of residents.” NTA
When I was in college, I had an incident that still bothers me. Without sharing details, The person was someone who was let into my secured dorm and somehow also into our secured quad (set of rooms on a living room).. also keyed. No one else was around, still no clue how he got that far in.
So, thank you for not letting them in.
NTA
Security measures exist for a reason. And the person who did let them in also poses a security risk since they’re willing to just open the door to whoever knocks.
NTA. This is common practice at the workplace as well. Might as well get used to it in college. It does in fact keep the place safer if people adhere to it.
NTA
As someone who worked in this setting for 5+ years it is very much a safety issue for people that aren’t supposed to be in the building to be let in, they could up to no good you don’t know.
The only time that it would be somewhat acceptable is if you knew them and knew they lived there. Otherwise they can call a front desk or security and I know it sounds rude but if they had planned on hurting someone in the building then what?
I had people outright call me a b*tch because I didn’t let them into their locked room but I wasn’t allowed to cause who is to say they live in that room, I would have gotten into trouble for it.
It doesn’t make it easier but it still the right thing to do
You did the right thing so NTA
NTA
You did the right thing.
We have this policy at my job. I have had to stop new people from badging people in and tell them I would call the manager to come let the other people in. But the worst one was when i was in the foyer to the main office because our normal route was blocked off for some reason and a guy was close behind me.
I pulled the door shut and he started yelling at me through the door, I said “I’m sorry I can’t let you in and he’s screaming about how he works here and he works in the office and this, that and the other, just short of frothing at the mouth. I said I don’t know you, and even if I did, I can’t let you in, i could lose my job for that.” I went to HR and I told them and they came to let him in come to find out it was the head of our IT department out for a smoke.
NTA. Next time that happens, ring 911, and ask for the Police.
NTA. Hang in there. You did the right thing.
It might be different if you recognized her and knew she lived there. But still, she had a bunch of unknown people with her.
NTA. You didn’t know that person, and the doors are locked for good reasons.
NTA. People need to absolutely hold firm on this kind of policy, whether it’s a dorm, an apartment, an office building. There was a period of time that this was a huge problem at my college and there were people actively targeting unsuspecting students who weren’t fully aware of their surroundings at night.
I had a previous apartment complex that would literally review the garage security cams every week to see if anyone did this sort of thing because it was such a pressing issue around the time I moved in. Micromanage-y? Maybe. But I would definitely see strangers hovering around the premises from time to time and I definitely did not want anyone letting them in by accident.
Please bring this up to your RA and suggest that they go over the proper procedure in the event it happens to someone again. Maybe they should hold some dorm events for people to familiarize themselves with their fellow residents so you all know who to trust. But even then, it’s not on you if they forget their badge. Like sure, you could say they’re probably fellow students that just need to get in…..but if they’re not, the consequences could be very serious and if you don’t know them, you don’t know them.
Nope!