u/techiee_

I genuinely cannot make this up.

I moved into my apartment last June. Set up my internet, named my network, put a password on it, normal stuff. Life went on.

Yesterday my neighbour knocks on my door. I've talked to this guy maybe four times total. Nice enough. Mid 40s, wears those zip-off cargo pants where the legs detach into shorts. Has a cat named Diesel. That's everything I know about him.

He goes "hey man is your internet acting up? Mine's been really slow the last couple days."

I said yeah actually it has been a little slow but I figured it was the provider. And he goes "yeah same. I wonder if it's an area thing."

Then he said, and I quote "it's been great up until this week honestly. Like really fast."

Something about the way he said it made me pause. I said "wait. What's your provider." He said "oh I don't have my own I just use yours."

WHAT.

He said it so casually. Like he was telling me he borrows my parking spot sometimes. Just completely matter of fact. "I just use yours." Like we'd discussed this. Like there was an agreement. THERE WAS NO AGREEMENT.

I said "how do you have my password" and this man looked me in the eyes and said "it was on the sticky note on your router when you had your door open on moving day. I just remembered it."

MOVING DAY. This man memorized my WiFi password from a STICKY NOTE he saw through my OPEN DOOR while I was carrying in a couch. Eight months ago. He saw it once, from a distance, remembered it, and has been connected to my network ever since. I don't even remember the password. I have to check the sticky note every time someone comes over. This man has a better memory of my security credentials than I do.

I asked him how much data he uses. He goes "not that much, just normal stuff." I said what's normal stuff. He said "Netflix, YouTube, my work emails, Diesel's vet portal." HIS CAT HAS A VET PORTAL RUNNING ON MY INTERNET. I have been subsidizcing this cat's healthcare connectivity for eight months.

Then and this is the part that broke me - he goes "honestly you should call your provider because the speed we've been getting lately isn't great for what you're paying." WE. "What YOU'RE paying." This man is giving me consumer advice about the internet service HE IS STEALING FROM ME. He's acting like we're on a family plan. We are not on a family plan. We are not a family.

I just stood there. I didn't know what to do. Part of me wanted to be mad but he was being so sincere about it that I couldn't even access the anger. He genuinely seemed to think this was a normal neighbourly arrangement. Like borrowing a cup of sugar except the sugar is my entire internet connection for the better part of a year.

I changed my password last night. This morning he texted me I don't even know when I gave him my number, maybe also moving day, who knows what else this man observed -- and said "hey did you change the wifi password? The new one isn't working."

THE NEW ONE ISN'T WORKING. He tried to connect. He TRIED. With WHAT password. He just guessed?? He tried multiple passwords to get back onto my network like he was locked out of his OWN account??

I haven't responded yet. I've been staring at this text for six hours. Diesel has an appointment on Thursday and I don't know if he can check in online anymore. I'm somehow feeling guilty about a cat's internet access that was never my responsibility.

He's a really nice guy. His cat is also very nice. I am losing my mind.