[HandBasketHell]

I lived 24 years in an apartment building, no way do you “accidentally” walk into someones apt thinking it’s your own.

Many years ago I got off the elevator at my apartment building and walked to my apartment. It was late at night, and I was quite tired. To my surprise, my apartment key didn’t work. Then I realized I was on the wrong floor. I was trying to open apartment 504, not my own apartment, 404.

I teach at a university building that has identical floor layouts over four stories. It was about three weeks into the semester and I was supposed to teach at room 408 on the fourth floor. By that time, I never even looked at the room number...I just knew where the room was. Well, I got in the elevator with a bunch of other students and half of them got out on the second floor and the rest got out at the third floor. I just thought I was on the fourth floor because the elevator cleared out. I automatically walked into room 308 without checking the door number and started unpacking my whiteboard pens. Just then the actual teacher for the class walked in. We had a big laugh about it.

Fast forward two years and I was assigned a room on the third floor and a teacher walks in, sees me, then looks at the class with a confused expression. I immediately said to her with a laugh "You're on the wrong floor!"

It happens. I can understand it happening in the apartment complex if the floor layouts were the same. Yeah, a red welcome mat might stick out in the daytime if you're paying attention...but if it's late at night and you're tired from a long shift...who knows?

[BlueStateRightist]

Who here has by accident gone to the hotel room one floor below or above your room? Thankfully, the key doesn’t work when one does that. This has happened to me a few times, and I was sober, yet very tired from a long day’s work.

[Tired of Taxes]

Yep. Walking to the wrong classroom, apartment, hotel room, etc., can’t be uncommon.

Once I was given a key card to a hotel room that someone else was already sleeping in.

Another time, I was standing at a sink in a ladies’ restroom when a man walked in, saw me and stopped, looking shocked for a moment. Then he must’ve noticed the absence of urinals. We both burst into laughter.

I have no sympathy for this woman. But I can believe she walked to his apartment by mistake. Walking to his apartment by mistake wasn’t the crime. Shooting him was the crime.

If this was premeditated, why would she call 911 on herself and risk life in prison?

[Freee-dame]

Maybe each door could have a wreath or other ornament. This is often done at retirement communities. It seems that more than just senior citizens would benefit from such personalization.

[bgill]

Find the video of the cops’ body cam going down the hall. It’s eye opening. Now way that mat would be missed. Even a blind man wouldn’t miss it because he’d have to stand on it and realize it wasn’t his door.

[Svartalfiar]

It happens. I can understand it happening in the apartment complex if the floor layouts were the same. Yeah, a red welcome mat might stick out in the daytime if you're paying attention...but if it's late at night and you're tired from a long shift...who knows?

Sure, you might not notice the red doormat. But, sure as hell as soon as you open the door, you'll notice that the smell isn't right, the furniture/decor is off (even in the dark), it's pretty obvious that you're not in your own home. Especially if you're on edge because "your" door was unlocked and hanging open... You would start to really notice anything else out of the ordinary.. starting with the doormat.

Of course, she could have been too drunk to see all of this. In which case, why was she carrying a weapon? Lord knows, just about any cop will arrest you in a flash if they know you're carrying and think you looked at a shot of liquor wrong..