FYI Long
So around 11 years ago I was a telecoms enginner.
So, the normal day went to afew residential houses, either fitted or fixed phone lines. Everything was no different from any other day, but then I downloaded my next job, and I got a 20-line installation. Now, this is not the norm for the role I had as I these tasks usually went to other teams.
So, no issues. I thought it would be nice to be somewhere for longer than an hour or two, then hear there and everywhere.
So I called the contact its a contact centre who tells me that either the caretaker or manager of the building is aware and will explain what is required. So I arrived, and it's a really old building built in the 1920s I later found out.
So I make my way in tester and tool bag as is the norm. So after speaking with a receptionist, I discovered that the building was at one point a nursing home, and after being derelict for a few years, it's now being used as offices for various businesses.
So as promised two managers arrive tell me that they think what I am looking for is in the cellar as there is a lot of cables down there and that's all they know, so I asked if the caretaker is about as they usually know these types of thing. I was told that he wasn't as he was ill but due back in the next day.
So I follow this man and woman to a number padlocked door they open it up, tell me code and on the other side of the door is a stairwell that just leads down to the cellar. So as we get down there, the light is poor, like really poor. I've no chance of working like this. I mean, there were lights, yes, but you're talking to pendant lights that weren't great.
So understanding this, the woman tells me that they have hanging lights, so no issues. I go back to the van, grab an extension , and head back towards the cellar. So as I'm passing the receptionist, she just asked, "Are you going to be in the cellar on your own?" So I just replied "Yeah sometimes you have too, but of what I'm looking for isn't there I won't be for long" she laughed but told me "rather you than me nobody likes going down there even for storage space."
Now I'll be honest I just thought people don't like stairs to a dark place. No worries, but not something I'm unfamiliar with, so it's just needs done.
So after a quick look around with the make manger we find a socket I sort the lights and yep there is the DP I'm looking for but it's an old solder block no good for broadband so I let him know that this is going to take abit longer and this is even before knowing were these 20-lines need to go.
So he just agrees and shows me where the office fitters have left all the cables for the clients, which to my relief if in the cupboard behind the receptionist. So all set knowing what I know I crack on.
So I'm testing all the lines and it's going well I've more than half going to the cabinet and afew shy, but I know the area and know from there I can get them through as it's got 2 200pair cables that run though it.
So at this point its around 4 o'clock I don't have the blocks I need on the van so tag up the cables and turn of all the lights on my way out before closing and locking the door on the way out.
I sign out and tell the girl at the desk. I'll see her tomorrow and leave. On my way home, I called my manager to tell them the script and that I may need a hand for half a day or more as I'm not even sure anything has been done in the exchange.
The next day 8am I get a call from one of the other lads who tells me he is with me all day, and that's all he knows. So we sort out a role each I'll push the pairs from the box to the cab you do the cab and exchange if needed and then its just a case of fitting the box and running a large internal cable from the box to behind the receptionist.
I make my way into the building once again, open the door with the code, and to my suprise, all the lights are on. Now I'm 100% sure I turned them off, so I'm guessing one of the managers may have come to check if I was still there and left them on by mistake.
I go down and do what I need to do leave to push through the cables outside, call my mate, and he's getting them one by one, so it's going well. I finish up and head back to fit the block.
So I grab the blocks, drill all the bits etc etc. setup mark for pilot holes and just hear "what are you doing?" After nearly jumping out of my skin, I turn and see this man with grey overalls on. So I say I'm just doing what's been asked. Are you the caretaker. He replies that he is and says that nobody has been down here for years and surprised that I'm there.
So I just cracked on done the drilling, etc, and then as soon as I'd stopped with the drill and it was quieter, this guy just started chatting away. What football team do you support? Do you mind if I watch what you're doing. I told him no worries and just tried to be as polite as I could. He then told me that his name was Gordon and he had been working there for over 30 years.
Abit confused recalling what the receptionist had said I told him I was under the impression that this place has been empty for few years and looking at the cabling it's not been updated for at least 15/20 years. He just said that things are always happening here.
After about an hour of back and forth while I'm working I hear a hello from the top of the stairwell, expecting Gordon to answer I didn't, then it came again so I turned around Gordon has gone now I'm thinking I've been waffling for 10mins and he's not even here.
I pop up, and it's one of the managers asking if I'm expecting somebody, another engineer. So I apologise explain the phone signal isn't very good down there so he probably hasn't been able to get hold of me.
All cleared, he comes down. we chat for 5, and he tells me he will start at the receptionist end and work to me while I finish.
A quick toilet break, and I go back down. I'm in the final stages now. I'm just putting phone numbers to pairs as for when my mate gets there, we can connect the test and go.
As I'm doing this, I hear "sorry about that." Again, out of nowhere, it's Gordon. So I just acknowledge it. Call him clever and make a joke that if they can't find you, they can't ask you to do anything. I continue for 5 minutes, and I've done all I can, so I tell him I'm just heading up to assist me mate, and will be done soon and out of the way. Gordon then told me he liked the company, and it's been nice to talk.
I felt saddened at this point thinking he was maybe treated poorly by people I'm the building, so I just said, of course, mate costs nothing to be nice and have a chat.
So I go up the stairs, leaving Gordon down there and help get the cable through a void and into the cellar. 10/20min of trying to fish it through, and we got it, we go down, Gordon is not around, and we finish.
My mate tells me it's time for food he will go the chippy ans meet me back at the yard as I tell him I just need afew signatures and to make sure the lights go back so I can get my extention lead.
So I get what I need from the manager signatures and show him where the link is behind the reception. Inform him that I need to get my extension lead, so are the lights ok there for now, or does he want to move them as we go as there's good light. He states that they might aswell stay for now and he will get another lead in case anybody else needs to go down there.
I head down and start unplugging the lights, and Gordon appears again telling me he didn't realise the lights were mine as he wouldn't have touched them.
Straight away, I thought ahh so that's why they were on this morning, but then it dawned the door, It was locked? I asked him if he had come down yesterday evening, and he said "yes of course, I'm always here it's where I'm needed."
Confused and wanting to disappear, I said, "No worries, nice to meet you." I placed my hand and put to shake, and he just raised his hand and said, "Hope to see you soon.
So I left signed out, thought nothing of it.
Then a week goes by, and I get a call from our control, asking if I can return to this address as one of the lines isn't working and it's high level.
So I say yep no worries, I get there say hello again to the receptionist. I asked if I could just check behind her first before having to go into the cellar. With some joy, it is there it's just not a bit properly. As I'm sorting an older guy, he asks me if I was the one who was here last week I day yes. He apologized and stated that he was the caretaker and had to take more days off than planned.
I just told him "oh don't worry about it. I'm sure Gordon will tell you where everything is."
As soon as I said this, he just looked me dead in the eyes and said, "What did you just say?" So I said,"Gordon he told me he is the caretaker here? " This guy went white and just asked me if we could talk outside, so I followed.
He simply asked me if I believed in ghosts. Then told me that before this was what it is today it was a nursing home and the old caretaker was a man called Gordon. He knew this as when the building was taken over he found an old desk with to do lists, letters and requests for a Gordon and there was a sign on the door which said Caretaker and where this desk was that door lead to the cellar.
I immediately rubbished this and started laughing thinking him and his mate were pulling my leg.
He then asked me if he was wearing overalls, which I replied he was.
He just looked me dead in the eye and said listen mate, im not lying. Gordon passed away years ago supposedly on the job. I just thought you should know as it's not something that's considered funny, telling me he has been mocked as he has also seen Gordon, but people just have never believed him.
I never said a thing to anybody beyond that until one night fishing with a friend and just like he said he thought I was taking the piss. I know what I saw I know what I heard.
I don't tell this to anybody as its not worth the ridicule. Hence why I'm using a throwaway account. Ghosts or spirits are real.
submitted by /u/onetwothreeaway567
[link] [comments]FYI Long So around 11 years ago I was a telecoms enginner. So, the normal day went to afew residential houses, either fitted or fixed phone lines. Everything was no different from any other day, but then I downloaded my next job, and I got a 20-line installation. Now, this is not the norm for the role I had as I these tasks usually went to other teams. So, no issues. I thought it would be nice to be somewhere for longer than an hour or two, then hear there and everywhere. So I called the contact its a contact centre who tells me that either the caretaker or manager of the building is aware and will explain what is required. So I arrived, and it's a really old building built in the 1920s I later found out. So I make my way in tester and tool bag as is the norm. So after speaking with a receptionist, I discovered that the building was at one point a nursing home, and after being derelict for a few years, it's now being used as offices for various businesses. So as promised two managers arrive tell me that they think what I am looking for is in the cellar as there is a lot of cables down there and that's all they know, so I asked if the caretaker is about as they usually know these types of thing. I was told that he wasn't as he was ill but due back in the next day. So I follow this man and woman to a number padlocked door they open it up, tell me code and on the other side of the door is a stairwell that just leads down to the cellar. So as we get down there, the light is poor, like really poor. I've no chance of working like this. I mean, there were lights, yes, but you're talking to pendant lights that weren't great. So understanding this, the woman tells me that they have hanging lights, so no issues. I go back to the van, grab an extension , and head back towards the cellar. So as I'm passing the receptionist, she just asked, "Are you going to be in the cellar on your own?" So I just replied "Yeah sometimes you have too, but of what I'm looking for isn't there I won't be for long" she laughed but told me "rather you than me nobody likes going down there even for storage space." Now I'll be honest I just thought people don't like stairs to a dark place. No worries, but not something I'm unfamiliar with, so it's just needs done. So after a quick look around with the make manger we find a socket I sort the lights and yep there is the DP I'm looking for but it's an old solder block no good for broadband so I let him know that this is going to take abit longer and this is even before knowing were these 20-lines need to go. So he just agrees and shows me where the office fitters have left all the cables for the clients, which to my relief if in the cupboard behind the receptionist. So all set knowing what I know I crack on. So I'm testing all the lines and it's going well I've more than half going to the cabinet and afew shy, but I know the area and know from there I can get them through as it's got 2 200pair cables that run though it. So at this point its around 4 o'clock I don't have the blocks I need on the van so tag up the cables and turn of all the lights on my way out before closing and locking the door on the way out. I sign out and tell the girl at the desk. I'll see her tomorrow and leave. On my way home, I called my manager to tell them the script and that I may need a hand for half a day or more as I'm not even sure anything has been done in the exchange. The next day 8am I get a call from one of the other lads who tells me he is with me all day, and that's all he knows. So we sort out a role each I'll push the pairs from the box to the cab you do the cab and exchange if needed and then its just a case of fitting the box and running a large internal cable from the box to behind the receptionist. I make my way into the building once again, open the door with the code, and to my suprise, all the lights are on. Now I'm 100% sure I turned them off, so I'm guessing one of the managers may have come to check if I was still there and left them on by mistake. I go down and do what I need to do leave to push through the cables outside, call my mate, and he's getting them one by one, so it's going well. I finish up and head back to fit the block. So I grab the blocks, drill all the bits etc etc. setup mark for pilot holes and just hear "what are you doing?" After nearly jumping out of my skin, I turn and see this man with grey overalls on. So I say I'm just doing what's been asked. Are you the caretaker. He replies that he is and says that nobody has been down here for years and surprised that I'm there. So I just cracked on done the drilling, etc, and then as soon as I'd stopped with the drill and it was quieter, this guy just started chatting away. What football team do you support? Do you mind if I watch what you're doing. I told him no worries and just tried to be as polite as I could. He then told me that his name was Gordon and he had been working there for over 30 years. Abit confused recalling what the receptionist had said I told him I was under the impression that this place has been empty for few years and looking at the cabling it's not been updated for at least 15/20 years. He just said that things are always happening here. After about an hour of back and forth while I'm working I hear a hello from the top of the stairwell, expecting Gordon to answer I didn't, then it came again so I turned around Gordon has gone now I'm thinking I've been waffling for 10mins and he's not even here. I pop up, and it's one of the managers asking if I'm expecting somebody, another engineer. So I apologise explain the phone signal isn't very good down there so he probably hasn't been able to get hold of me. All cleared, he comes down. we chat for 5, and he tells me he will start at the receptionist end and work to me while I finish. A quick toilet break, and I go back down. I'm in the final stages now. I'm just putting phone numbers to pairs as for when my mate gets there, we can connect the test and go. As I'm doing this, I hear "sorry about that." Again, out of nowhere, it's Gordon. So I just acknowledge it. Call him clever and make a joke that if they can't find you, they can't ask you to do anything. I continue for 5 minutes, and I've done all I can, so I tell him I'm just heading up to assist me mate, and will be done soon and out of the way. Gordon then told me he liked the company, and it's been nice to talk. I felt saddened at this point thinking he was maybe treated poorly by people I'm the building, so I just said, of course, mate costs nothing to be nice and have a chat. So I go up the stairs, leaving Gordon down there and help get the cable through a void and into the cellar. 10/20min of trying to fish it through, and we got it, we go down, Gordon is not around, and we finish. My mate tells me it's time for food he will go the chippy ans meet me back at the yard as I tell him I just need afew signatures and to make sure the lights go back so I can get my extention lead. So I get what I need from the manager signatures and show him where the link is behind the reception. Inform him that I need to get my extension lead, so are the lights ok there for now, or does he want to move them as we go as there's good light. He states that they might aswell stay for now and he will get another lead in case anybody else needs to go down there. I head down and start unplugging the lights, and Gordon appears again telling me he didn't realise the lights were mine as he wouldn't have touched them. Straight away, I thought ahh so that's why they were on this morning, but then it dawned the door, It was locked? I asked him if he had come down yesterday evening, and he said "yes of course, I'm always here it's where I'm needed." Confused and wanting to disappear, I said, "No worries, nice to meet you." I placed my hand and put to shake, and he just raised his hand and said, "Hope to see you soon. So I left signed out, thought nothing of it. Then a week goes by, and I get a call from our control, asking if I can return to this address as one of the lines isn't working and it's high level. So I say yep no worries, I get there say hello again to the receptionist. I asked if I could just check behind her first before having to go into the cellar. With some joy, it is there it's just not a bit properly. As I'm sorting an older guy, he asks me if I was the one who was here last week I day yes. He apologized and stated that he was the caretaker and had to take more days off than planned. I just told him "oh don't worry about it. I'm sure Gordon will tell you where everything is." As soon as I said this, he just looked me dead in the eyes and said, "What did you just say?" So I said,"Gordon he told me he is the caretaker here? " This guy went white and just asked me if we could talk outside, so I followed. He simply asked me if I believed in ghosts. Then told me that before this was what it is today it was a nursing home and the old caretaker was a man called Gordon. He knew this as when the building was taken over he found an old desk with to do lists, letters and requests for a Gordon and there was a sign on the door which said Caretaker and where this desk was that door lead to the cellar. I immediately rubbished this and started laughing thinking him and his mate were pulling my leg. He then asked me if he was wearing overalls, which I replied he was. He just looked me dead in the eye and said listen mate, im not lying. Gordon passed away years ago supposedly on the job. I just thought you should know as it's not something that's considered funny, telling me he has been mocked as he has also seen Gordon, but people just have never believed him. I never said a thing to anybody beyond that until one night fishing with a friend and just like he said he thought I was taking the piss. I know what I saw I know what I heard. I don't tell this to anybody as its not worth the ridicule. Hence why I'm using a throwaway account. Ghosts or spirits are real. submitted by /u/onetwothreeaway567 [link] [comments]
