PBA – I meant that maybe I’m wrong for not feeling uncomfortable knocking on his door, which is why I didn’t tell LB to follow my example. Maybe my tznius sensitivities aren’t what they should be.
“So I guess the question is, are we talking about the creepy guy or the frum guy.”
This is the type of thing that a girl might not be able to put into those type of terms. She might feel uncomfortable in a certain situation but not willing to label the guy as creepy even to herself (even if he is). That is why she has to rely on her instincts.
Also, the guy doesn’t have to be creepy in order for it to be a problem. She is a single girl living next to a single guy. That situation is awkward and very b’dieved to begin with and necessitates extra gedarim.
It once happened to me that a single guy moved across the (very narrow) hallway from me. I was very uncomfortable even though I had no reason to think he was creepy. When I heard he was moving in, I decided that I wasn’t going to talk to him. When he moved in, I was hanging laundry outside and he started talking to me as he passed by. I tried not to be too friendly (while still being polite) so he would get the point.