I recently spoke to Baltimore County's police spokesman Bill Toohey, who had experienced a disturbing, personal run-in with a utility worker in his yard recently. The utility worker didn't announce himself, didn't knock on Toohey's door or explain what he was doing in the area. It made him look suspicious.

Turned out that the utility worker was there for legitimate reasons, but did a lousy job of letting residents know that. If you find yourself in a similar situation or if someone knocks on your door claiming to be from a utility company and asks for access to your home, please think twice.

In fact, follow these steps I found on the Brown County Sheriff's Department Web site in Wisconsin:

Stop and think: Are you expecting anyone to come to your home?

Remember that most utility companies won’t send a worker to your home unannounced. They usually will make an appointment before showing up.

Before opening the door, use your peephole or intercom to identify visitors.

If your door has a chain, put it on before answering your door. It will create a barrier between you and the caller.

Always ask to see the caller’s employee identification.

Look for a company logo on the person’s uniform and vehicle.

Call the utility company to verify the person’s identification. Make sure you have the person wait outside behind a locked door while you do this. A legitimate worker won’t mind waiting while you verify their employment information. The utility company will be able to tell you whether the person is an employee and whether they’ve dispatched a service call to your home or neighborhood.

If the person is an imposter, contact law enforcement immediately.

Be safe!

p.s. The Cheap Trick Thursday will post later, I promise. I just need to finish Sunday's column involving a complaint about a local restaurant.