I mentioned this situation in my previous blog, where I was almost diagnosed with sleep walking by a hotel manager. Some may have thought that I was joking. I wasn’t! The explanatory theories will preoccupy many – as if I can’t conjure up these too!

The facts:

1. I’m at a conference.
2. My laptop computer is in a hotel room. Do I need advice on where I should not leave my computer? I do NOT! I do as I please.
3. I get an alert on my mobile phone that 3 failed attempts have been made to access the computer. Does it really matter the technology behind this? It does not!
4. I leg it back to the hotel room within 5 mins.
5. I find the hotel manager and show him the evidence on my phone.
6. The alert is time-stamped for 3 AM the previous morning, when I would be fast asleep. But it is not clear whether that is a timezone effect from the server sending the message, with a photograph.
7. The photograph sent did not show a person’s face. It simply showed a light bulb in the room above a head board of the bed.
8. I ask him to accompany me to the room in case something is missing. He does so.
9. The laptop appears unmoved from its case tucked in a cupboard.
10. I show him that I only access the laptop by fingerprint recognition, so password attempts will fail nearly 100% of the time.
11. He then asks me if I alone access the room. I respond ‘Yes’.
12. Then I’m asked “With respect, do you suffer with sleep walking?“

What it meant to me

Well – the last question almost floored me. Some will say this was only a question – so what’s the problem. So I say “no“. He explained that “it has happened before“. So I confirm again that “I do not suffer with sleep walking!” What’s so disturbing?

Sleep-walking is a mental disorder. It certainly ain’t a physical disorder and I’m not debating it. Sleep walkers often are not aware that they are sleep walking. It is just the nature of the condition and one does not need to be a bleeding mental health expert to know that! So the implication of the follow up response is really to imply that ‘you may be suffering with it but you don’t know’. Oh – and people who pull the ‘with respect’ cuhrap think they’re clever. They aren’t! I know exactly where your coming from and going, mate! [Stupid has just said “He was just trying to be helpful, it is his job!” Sorry – I’m not letting ‘Stupid’ in on this post]

If I had only answered in the affirmative to the sleep walking question, then you could bet what would happen next. He’d go “Well maybe you were trying to access your computer in your sleep, the night before.” That would be the end of that – wouldn’t it?!

The incident was put down to a rare software glitch by me.

Somebody else can research  how frequently people access or attempt to access their computers in their sleep. I ain’t boverrrred – cuz it doesn’t apply to me. Yes – I’m sure! And no – I’m not changing my screen name from ‘Captain Walker’ to ‘Sleep Walker’!!! Now buzz off!