Man Holding Door for Coworker 40 Feet Away Enters Third Day

Dayton, OH — Local insurance adjuster Gary Pullman, 46, entered his third straight day holding the lobby door of the Riverside Commons office building for a coworker who was roughly 40 feet away when he first spotted her and who, according to witnesses, has never gotten any closer.

Pullman said the standoff began Monday morning, when he opened the door, glanced back and made brief eye contact with accounts receivable clerk Linda Ambler. “Once you make eye contact, you’re committed,” Pullman said, his right arm trembling slightly. “At this point I’m not holding the door. The door is holding me.”

Ambler, for her part, has maintained the traditional courtesy half-jog since Monday. Witnesses describe it as “enthusiastic but with no forward motion,” and she has reportedly mouthed “sorry, sorry” more than 4,000 times. “I can’t just walk now,” Ambler said, still jogging in place. “He’d think I was rude.”

Coworkers have begun bringing Pullman sandwiches, and building management has rerouted all foot traffic through the loading dock. Pullman declined a folding chair, saying that sitting down “would send the wrong message.”

Dr. Ingrid Hinge, who studies social obligation at the Midwest Institute of Manners, called the case textbook. “Under 15 feet, holding the door is kind,” Hinge said. “Past 30 feet, it’s a hostage situation. Neither party can leave without ending a friendship they don’t actually have.”

At publishing time, Ambler had finally reached the door, only for Pullman to dash ahead and grab the second set of vestibule doors, resetting the clock.