Whether ghosts actually have a clause in their contracts to only appear when the sun goes down is up for debate. Yet, spooky stories and creepy experiences are usually born during the so-called “witching hour” — somewhere between midnight and 3 or 4 am. Or as some people like to call it: the devil’s hour.
And who better to tell such stories than the people who have to be up all night to work anyway.
Several night-shift workers have shared online some of the strangest experiences they’ve had on the job.
Some swear it was supernatural. Some eventually discovered it was just an animal or a prank. But in the moment, everybody agreed the fear was very real.
#61
Train Conductor here, I work all sorts of hours.
My first interesting graveyard experience was working in the rail yards of Los Angeles. For those of you who are familiar with the area I was working on the tracks that run parallel to the LA river, just east of downtown. The tracks have a road passing over them every quarter to a half mile and under every road is a junky or ten and they all come and ask for money or food or something when you walk by. Now mind you, I had a job to do so I wasn't thinking about people being around the area and so when the first junky walks up to me I nearly poo my pants and most likely let out a girlish scream. After this first encounter it dons on me where I am and the rest of the night goes on without much incident. Well, there was a party going on in an adjacent abandoned warehouse and for most of the night I would hear noises from the party and couldn't quite figure out what they were until I finally got close to the warehouse and could see the origin of these noises.
My other notable experience occurred in the middle of winter in southern Wyoming. It was a cold clear night with a nearly full moon and I had spent most of the trip reading some Lovecraft. About halfway to our destination we had a mechanical failure somewhere in our train which requires me to walk the length of the train to identify and possibly fix the problem. I believe I was reading "The music of Erich Zann" before I left and this had a strong influence upon my psyche. The moon cast a hideous blue light upon the snow and I feared that around every curve I may encounter an unknown line between worlds and stumble upon some cyclopean horror. Needless to say I hurried back to the locomotive as soon as I was able.
tl;dr I'm not a brave man.
My first interesting graveyard experience was working in the rail yards of Los Angeles. For those of you who are familiar with the area I was working on the tracks that run parallel to the LA river, just east of downtown. The tracks have a road passing over them every quarter to a half mile and under every road is a junky or ten and they all come and ask for money or food or something when you walk by. Now mind you, I had a job to do so I wasn't thinking about people being around the area and so when the first junky walks up to me I nearly poo my pants and most likely let out a girlish scream. After this first encounter it dons on me where I am and the rest of the night goes on without much incident. Well, there was a party going on in an adjacent abandoned warehouse and for most of the night I would hear noises from the party and couldn't quite figure out what they were until I finally got close to the warehouse and could see the origin of these noises.
My other notable experience occurred in the middle of winter in southern Wyoming. It was a cold clear night with a nearly full moon and I had spent most of the trip reading some Lovecraft. About halfway to our destination we had a mechanical failure somewhere in our train which requires me to walk the length of the train to identify and possibly fix the problem. I believe I was reading "The music of Erich Zann" before I left and this had a strong influence upon my psyche. The moon cast a hideous blue light upon the snow and I feared that around every curve I may encounter an unknown line between worlds and stumble upon some cyclopean horror. Needless to say I hurried back to the locomotive as soon as I was able.
tl;dr I'm not a brave man.
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5points
#62
I work in a shipping and receivings facility that was originally built as a military base and munitions factory and storage during World War II. One night my partner and I were alone in the facility, just the two of us. He had a habit of sneaking off to sleep, I didn't care, there was only two of us and if I really needed him I could radio him and he'd come back. So one night he goes off to 'do rounds'(nap).
Here's where I should describe our office a little bit, the main doors and entryway connect to the electro-magnet secured inner doors, and in between the two sits our office. There are windows on all four sides so we can see the employee parking lot, and then into the main corridor of the facility. Now, on these shifts we would sometimes watch tv on the computers, so that's what I did while my partner was out. Sitting there, minding my own business, I turned around to watch the show on the computer behind me, and then turned around and looked out to the main corridor and saw what looked like a person standing in front of the window, but all I could see was the shoulder seam of a jacket and some kind of patch. I jumped, but thought it was my partner, except he never came through the doors. So after a minute I convinced myself that I was just tired and went back to watching tv. after a few more minutes I turned back around and there was the jacket in front of the window again. The patch faded away as I sat staring, and my partner didn't come back for another 30 minutes.
There's also what we refer to as 'ghost traffic,'. There are cameras all over the inner and outer perimeters of the facility, so we can always see-and usually hear-if there are semi trucks entering or leaving the facility. Sometimes we can hear a truck drive by our office, but we never see one, they never pull up to the guard shack outside by the gate, and nothing is ever seen on camera.
Here's where I should describe our office a little bit, the main doors and entryway connect to the electro-magnet secured inner doors, and in between the two sits our office. There are windows on all four sides so we can see the employee parking lot, and then into the main corridor of the facility. Now, on these shifts we would sometimes watch tv on the computers, so that's what I did while my partner was out. Sitting there, minding my own business, I turned around to watch the show on the computer behind me, and then turned around and looked out to the main corridor and saw what looked like a person standing in front of the window, but all I could see was the shoulder seam of a jacket and some kind of patch. I jumped, but thought it was my partner, except he never came through the doors. So after a minute I convinced myself that I was just tired and went back to watching tv. after a few more minutes I turned back around and there was the jacket in front of the window again. The patch faded away as I sat staring, and my partner didn't come back for another 30 minutes.
There's also what we refer to as 'ghost traffic,'. There are cameras all over the inner and outer perimeters of the facility, so we can always see-and usually hear-if there are semi trucks entering or leaving the facility. Sometimes we can hear a truck drive by our office, but we never see one, they never pull up to the guard shack outside by the gate, and nothing is ever seen on camera.
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5points
#63
I am currently working as a 3rd shift dispatcher at a trucking company. Got a call from a newly hired driver coming down the grapevine in California ( very steep hill that's dangerous for trucks) with his jake brake on and smoked his brakes, setting fire to his trailer. He called asking me, " what do? My trailer is on fire!"... he was still driving a flaming truck down the hill while he called me *facepalm*
About 4 years ago i was closing a grocery store and my coworker forgot to lock the front door. As i was doing a final walk of the aisles a homeless man wearing a halloween NASA helmet and his pants tucked into his socks jumped out of nowhere and handed me a menu from a fuddruckers. It had numbers and letters circled and weird notes written on it, like some thing from the movie A Beautiful Mind. He then flipped me off and sprinted out the door.
About 4 years ago i was closing a grocery store and my coworker forgot to lock the front door. As i was doing a final walk of the aisles a homeless man wearing a halloween NASA helmet and his pants tucked into his socks jumped out of nowhere and handed me a menu from a fuddruckers. It had numbers and letters circled and weird notes written on it, like some thing from the movie A Beautiful Mind. He then flipped me off and sprinted out the door.
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5points
#64
I used to work at a living center for mentally handicapped/physically disabled. worked the night shift for a while, and we would do bed checks hourly. the patients had dorm style rooms, 2 to a room and one shared bathroom for 2 rooms.
occasionaly youd find a male patient awake standing over another male patients bed spanking their monkey, im sure worse has happened as well, but thats the worst i ever saw.
occasionaly youd find a male patient awake standing over another male patients bed spanking their monkey, im sure worse has happened as well, but thats the worst i ever saw.
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5points
#65
Long, long ago I worked grave at a gas station, we would use chopped paper and solvent to clean
Oil off the drive up bays. One night the wind was gusting from every direction at once. Tried to clean but the paper kept blowing in my eyes so I quit and went to sit in the office. About 3:00 A. M. I get the feeling of being watched, turn to look out the wall sized window in time to see the swirling paper forming a female-shaped whorl-wind centered between two hand prints on the window. It stood there for about twenty seconds or so then seemed to turn and run with the wind into the night. I went out to see if I could see any greasy hand prints outside on the glass that would explain why the paper would stick there but the glass was clean.
Oil off the drive up bays. One night the wind was gusting from every direction at once. Tried to clean but the paper kept blowing in my eyes so I quit and went to sit in the office. About 3:00 A. M. I get the feeling of being watched, turn to look out the wall sized window in time to see the swirling paper forming a female-shaped whorl-wind centered between two hand prints on the window. It stood there for about twenty seconds or so then seemed to turn and run with the wind into the night. I went out to see if I could see any greasy hand prints outside on the glass that would explain why the paper would stick there but the glass was clean.
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5points
#66
Used to work night shifts at a remote gas station. Entire night shift I'd see maybe 15-30 people, on a busy night. Where I sat behind the counter, I could see the well-lit forecourt, but the darkness around it was impossible to see through. It was like being on an island in an ocean of black.
One night, about 2am, I'm reading and waiting for someone to show up, and suddenly I feel like I'm being watched. It was like someone flipped a switch -- boom, eyes on me. I look outside, but nothing. No cars, no movement. I wonder if someone might be lurking just outside the light, but no. It really does feel like the "presence" is very close to the large glass windows. I try and ignore it, but in my mind's eye I cannot shake the image of someone standing right against the door, staring in.
I try to be logical about it. Not only is the door locked (customers have to be served at the hatch at this time) but because some people are incapable of reading signs, the *incredibly* heavy metal newspaper stand is pushed right up against the door, brakes locked. There's barely a few inches of space between it and the door. Even if, theoretically, someone invented invisibility and is using it to spy on the world's most boring night shift, there would be no room for a person to stand there. *It's fine,* I think. *No need to worry. The door's locked anyway.*
But what if... it isn't? The feeling of being watched is still there, and despite myself I get up and go double-check the door is locked. Lo and behold, it is. I'm about to relax when I see the footprints. The big, wet footprints, just one single pair, angled with the toes pressing right against the door. Nobody crossed the well-lit forecourt; the newspaper stand had not moved. The night was completely dry.
One night, about 2am, I'm reading and waiting for someone to show up, and suddenly I feel like I'm being watched. It was like someone flipped a switch -- boom, eyes on me. I look outside, but nothing. No cars, no movement. I wonder if someone might be lurking just outside the light, but no. It really does feel like the "presence" is very close to the large glass windows. I try and ignore it, but in my mind's eye I cannot shake the image of someone standing right against the door, staring in.
I try to be logical about it. Not only is the door locked (customers have to be served at the hatch at this time) but because some people are incapable of reading signs, the *incredibly* heavy metal newspaper stand is pushed right up against the door, brakes locked. There's barely a few inches of space between it and the door. Even if, theoretically, someone invented invisibility and is using it to spy on the world's most boring night shift, there would be no room for a person to stand there. *It's fine,* I think. *No need to worry. The door's locked anyway.*
But what if... it isn't? The feeling of being watched is still there, and despite myself I get up and go double-check the door is locked. Lo and behold, it is. I'm about to relax when I see the footprints. The big, wet footprints, just one single pair, angled with the toes pressing right against the door. Nobody crossed the well-lit forecourt; the newspaper stand had not moved. The night was completely dry.
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5points
#67
I work nights in a bakery. there were rumors that the place was haunted by 2 ghosts: one little old lady who liked to play pranks around the place when she was alive and one who still thinks he has to work the next night.
on one of the nights, there were 4 of us working. one guy thought it’d be funny to “mess with the ghosts” or whatever and put a glove by the window that connects the diner part to the dishwashing area. we come back to it a couple hours later and the glove was repositioned so it was flipping us off. i thought it was funny that one of us snuck up to the window to prank us like that and i guess the guy who put the glove thought the same. he added another glove by the window and all 4 of us went into the break room.
me and the 3 dudes were having mini meeting about schedules and not even 5 minutes in, i realized i left my pen near the window and i went to go get it. when i got there, i found both gloves pointed at me, both of them flipping me off.
nowadays, it’s seeing shadows passing halls or rattling walls when someone’s arguing. i still work there.
on one of the nights, there were 4 of us working. one guy thought it’d be funny to “mess with the ghosts” or whatever and put a glove by the window that connects the diner part to the dishwashing area. we come back to it a couple hours later and the glove was repositioned so it was flipping us off. i thought it was funny that one of us snuck up to the window to prank us like that and i guess the guy who put the glove thought the same. he added another glove by the window and all 4 of us went into the break room.
me and the 3 dudes were having mini meeting about schedules and not even 5 minutes in, i realized i left my pen near the window and i went to go get it. when i got there, i found both gloves pointed at me, both of them flipping me off.
nowadays, it’s seeing shadows passing halls or rattling walls when someone’s arguing. i still work there.
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5points
#68
Pigeon loose in a library crushed by a dictionary it dislodged. Had to throw the book away.
4points
#69
I work at this horrible local fast food joint, which I won't name. Anyways, one night me and ONE other guy have to run the whole place because the manager can't be bothered to do his job.
I don't get scared easily, but it gets spooky when it gets late. Like, I'm running to the dumpster and back. Then this jerk that I work with starts making up this fake story about some psycho, which ordinarily wouldn't bother me, but it's late. Then it goes from bad to worse. The lights on the inside reflecting off the glass doesn't let us see out very far, but we can hear a guy kinda scraping (if that word makes sense) at the door. I turn and make eye contact and his eyes are dinner plates. He kinda squeaks out a sentence. All I made out sounded something like "The Hash Slinging Slasher".
I don't get scared easily, but it gets spooky when it gets late. Like, I'm running to the dumpster and back. Then this jerk that I work with starts making up this fake story about some psycho, which ordinarily wouldn't bother me, but it's late. Then it goes from bad to worse. The lights on the inside reflecting off the glass doesn't let us see out very far, but we can hear a guy kinda scraping (if that word makes sense) at the door. I turn and make eye contact and his eyes are dinner plates. He kinda squeaks out a sentence. All I made out sounded something like "The Hash Slinging Slasher".
4points