Originally Posted by
GUWonder
People seek advice or share experiences in different ways and for different reasons. That the OP did here shouldn’t be a surprise.
The OP was advised that it may not be wise to say too much more here too, as it can complicate the legal picture if needing to sue the other parties said to be involved in the situation.
About the clothes, towels, sheets, and bedspread use, I think watching too much Hollywood or whatever may be the European equivalents gives people ideas that are better suited for the TV and device screens and theaters than real life. A person who feels physically vulnerable during a break-in should be preparing to defend themselves with firm objects that don’t minimize PSI force when landing on the body of a potential assailant. Clothes/towels and sheets/bedspread — the latter of which may take more time to pull off and use than it’s worth — don’t qualify for that, even as at times they can be used for some limited defensive purposes. Keeping the hands busy with a towel or trying to put on an underwear would be the last thing I’d be doing if I was concerned an assault against me or another was possible. And the sheet/bedspread idea is the worst of the lot. It restricts mobility, and mobility is essential in a fight or flee situation.
I don’t know in which city this incident happened, but it’s not unusual everywhere for the police to have more urgent things to do than rush to a situation where they don’t perceive an imminent intervention is required to protect a person from bodily harm and when no physical harm is reported to have taken place or attempted.
Exactly this. My towel was hanging on the wall within arm's reach of where the intruder was standing, as was the shelf/closet where most of my clothes and belongings were stored. I was standing in a sort of corridor formed by the wide king bed and a wide desk/drawer. My options were to step forward, toward the intruder, or backward toward the window (vanity curtain in place, but still flooding this room with light). Within reach, there was a tightly fitted bed (nothing to grab), a remote control, and a pod coffee machine. I was shocked. I didn't know if I was going to have to fight this man. Ultimately, after realising he was probably just going to continue recording rather than necessarily move further into the room, I backed away and crouched behind the bed while continuing to ask him to leave. I truly don't know why this is reaction so hard for some people to imagine or understand.
The hotel told me "you don't need to contact the police". I was feeling very disturbed and I was embarrassed to be feeling so upset. It seemed like everyone in the building was looking at me (of course this was probably mostly my imagination), and every time I saw someone vaguely matching the appearance of the intruding guest (they had been wearing a baseball cap, their camera phone was blocking most of their face for most of the time, and I was fixated on their posture and their camera phone rather than their face), I was trying to get a sense of whether they were looking at me, or sharing their phone with other people, laughing, or otherwise talking about me. So at the time, I just wanted to be out of the room/hotel, and I wasn't sure that this was something I could or should bring to the police. Again, I'm not American but I have to travel to the US often for conferences, work visits, etc., and so that gave me extra pause for thought— if the hotel was saying calling the police wasn't necessary, what if I get flagged for wasting police time or something? In hindsight, I may have made different choices. But, again, I was feeling humiliated and very upset at the time and I made the best choices I could think to make. I just wanted to leave.
I have subsequently reported this incident to the police, and they are now declining to investigate on the basis that the hotel gave implicit consent for the man to enter my private space (against
my consent— I repeatedly asked him to leave) and to film me naked (also without
my consent) when they gave him an access card and directed him to enter my room. They will only investigate if the intimate footage (non-consensual pornography) is found to have been disseminated, which could have already occurred or may occur at any time in the future. So that's great. Thanks </Major Global Hotel Brand/>.
Some people on this thread have offered helpful suggestions and some kind words. Thank you! Others, not so much. Oh well.