Unfiltered Story #184570

I’m a facility manager at a multi-business office facility that provides a wide range of services to small businesses. My receptionist is away from her desk and I’m keeping an eye on the front from my office. A woman comes into the building, looks around, sees me through the window as I hold up my hand for “one moment” and just keeps going into my building without signing in. I leave my office and come around to intercept.

Me: Excuse me, can I help you?
Her: Yeah, I’m looking for {Organization} at {Not my address}. I’m trying to get to the other side.
She hands me a sheet of paper and points down the hallway of my building.
Me: I’m sorry ‘mam, but that’s not us.
Her: I know that! They’re at {Not my address}. I’m just trying to get onto the street.
Note: our building, like many others are on a main street with rear parking.
Me: This is a business office. You can’t cut through there.
Her: But there’s no parking! Where’s the parking??
Me (leading her back out the way she came): Well, if you drive down {access street} there’s a lot behind the building though you’ll still have to come around. But if you cross that street there {street she’s trying to access} is right on the corner. Then go south down it another half block or so.
Her: Oh.

She then proceeds to walk in roughly the opposite way I directed her. The ironic thing is, if she was trying to use my building as a pass through because of the cold, she would have ended up walking farther as cutting across the street the way I directed her is actually a tad faster.