Safety Issues during the Coronavirus period
Not necessarily a threat, but I anticipated that as first responders became ill and police presence lessened that potential fraudsters, criminals and others of similar ilk might start expanding their activities.
We have only a small police force in our community, so I anticipated that we might expect some problems. The neighboring larger city has over a few hundred officers in quarantine, and other communities are small like mine, with limited police forces.
A while ago someone was knocking heavily on my front door. I have a "no soliciting sign" on the front door, as does another older neighbor. So it's highly unusual for someone to knock. And I rarely answer the door.
But I had a funny feeling about this, so I opened the inside door, obviously leaving the screen door locked, just to find out what was going on.
A guy wearing one of the safety jackets like construction workers wear asked if I got the note he left on my door earlier this morning. First alert.
I just kept staring at him (to make him uncomfortable and more likely to blunder in his explanations. He claimed he left a pink note on my door this morning. When I remained silent, he then claimed the note was meant for another house with a similar number, and he accidentally put it on my front door. Second alert. He waited several hours before returning after he allegedly left the note.
He then pretended to look around the front porch, side to side, stating that he couldn't find the note.
He claimed he mowed lawn for that house and hadn't been paid since last year; therefore, he allegedly left a note for the owners.
Claiming he wanted to retrieve the note and came back for that purpose, he eventually said the note must have blown away or something like that, and left. Third alert. He was just checking out the owner - me.
The whole incident seemed odd. I've read that people can spot an older person's house, and target them, especially if a flag is flying. So that was my suspicion.
Just a thought for those of you who are older, or living alone. Be on the alert.
Next time I'll bring my big knife and play with it while someone tries to check out the situation. I'd bring my pistol but that would probably produce a call and response from the police, and I don't need that.
I also understand there are some little noisemakers that fit next to a door to provide alerts if someone breaks in. That just went on my shopping list.
Please be cautious; we never know what a stranger really wants when knocking on our doors.
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As she got older though, she became apprehensive about being home alone on Halloween night. Kids will pull pranks on people and she didn’t like feeling vulnerable so on Halloween night she always stayed at our house. I get that. She could relax being with us.
The next day, November 1st is All Saints Day, a day that we honor our dead at our cemeteries here in New Orleans. So, we would visit grandpa’s grave and later she went back to her house.
Sometimes is is unnerving to hear those unexpected knocks on our door.
You are cautious, I think that is enough in your case. There is a huge benefit to living in one place for so long, because you will know who fits in, and who doesn't.
My hubs leaves the radio on in the living room all day. We never thought to actually use the crowbars on anyone, they were bought for our emergency earthquake kit, to lift us out from under if furniture falls over.
I wouldn't want you to become fearful, which can sometimes happen if we focus on the safety issues for too long. It is kind of like, we take care of business, apply the safety precautions, keep generally alert, and move on with our day. If a person is intelligent, all the various scenarios that could happen come readily to mind.
Do you have an emergency kit already stocked?
It was helpful to me when an online group posted what we needed. Hence, the yellow crowbars.
I think if you threw down your gardening tools and ran, any thief would go for the tools and not you, imo. Experts have always said to give them what they want, don't fight. Unless you have some real hidden ninja skills. right?
Do you still have your ghilley suit to garden in? That would scare anyone off, Lol.
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Thinking over the issue of to answer or not to answer, there are two sides:
Not answering could infer that no one's home, and the would-be criminal emboldened. I thought of this b/c the doorbell hasn't worked for years, and I never had it fixed b/c I didn't want people ringing my doorbell. So if the note writing wanna be thief had already rung the doorbell (not knowing it's disabled), knocking on the door might have been the prelude to more aggressive action.
When my house was burglarized about 17 years ago, it was while I was away from home.
Answering the door - well, we all know that requires precaution, but it does let the wanna be criminal know that the house isn't vacant at that time.
Six of one, half a dozen of the other....
The other issue is protection when I garden. I suppose I have to garden with my face toward the house so I can see anyone who might trespass. If anyone gets close, I always have my cart with gardening tools, any one of which could provide a good whack and potentially disable someone temporarily.
I also plan to take my power edger. Turning that on and holding it up to see the blade (although it won't cut trunks larger than 1/2") should be a deterrent. If the landscape store from which I buy tools can ever open again, I plan to get a power chain saw. I need one anyway b/c of all the trees to cut, and make into wattle fences.
The Dick Van Dyke Show S05E30 Long Night's Journey Into Day
With your help, we now have the perfect abbreviated description of the caregiver: (below March 29):
" Get a wide, crazed look in your eyes, too; like you may crack at any moment."
Glad:
This link will take us directly to the "Burglar beeper" skit. So funny.
https://youtu.be/0XbhcLgbkAM?t=164
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0XbhcLgbkAM
The day you posted this, my neighbor told me someone had pounded on her door first thing in the morning, then came back and pounded again!
She said, "who is it?"
He was there to fix her mailbox, but nothing was wrong with it.
He then asked her, "Well, who's mailbox is it that needs fixing?"
She never opened her door. And he went away. She did not know who it was. I asked, did you see him or his truck? No answer.
An astute person would think something is missing from this story.
But it is just like this with elderly in our neighborhood. It is often not the full story, misinformation, or you just cannot get an answer that fits any further query.
There was a notice circulated once to be aware because a man had knocked on a single woman's door at 11:00 p.m., and she was afraid. We were all worried about her. It took 3 months to hear that it was a neighbor she knew, and they had a relationship.
We have two bright yellow crowbars in different sizes. And a baseball bat. And we never answer the door.
I checked online, and the "prepper" advised a sign, which reads:
"Nevermind the dog, worry about the owner!" Picture of the barrel of a gun.....
That is why I chose to own a greyhound. I wanted a laid back dog. They are not watchdogs. Some people think that they can get a grey to jog with. Wrong! They are not long distance runners. They are sprinters. Mine was a champion.
He was at a track in Florida. They moved him to Massachusetts to teach dogs in the north how to run but he hated the cold! Hahaha.
They said he would not run in the cold so the owner retired him. He was just about 5 years old when we got him. He lived until he was 13.
They keep the champs until they are five years old and then will bread the champs. He won all of his races. He was lightening fast! Watching him sprint in my yard and the dog park blew me away.
He was the fawn color and he looked like a beautiful dear. They don’t breed for specific colors so they have all colors and the grey color, referred to as blue being the most rare.
He was big! He was tall, 85 lbs but they are thin. They are naturally thin, all muscle!
He was gorgeous. Oh, he had a part of his ear nipped off by another dog and a few wounds where he had been in fights because he wasn’t a fighter.
The greys get in some scuffles at the track. I wish all the tracks would close! It’s all about the money from gambling! The greys are stacked on top of each other in crates until it’s race time. It’s sad. Some owners and trainers are kind. Some are not. Depends on the track. I feel like the dogs are exploited.
I volunteered with my dog at every ‘meet and greet’ so I could help educate others about greys and we arranged for greys to be adopted. They are great dogs!
He was a big baby! My daughter got a toy poodle while attending college and when she visited her dog would bark at him and he would run and hide!
They don’t bark. They are so sweet and mellow. They are so chill. I loved him so much. I miss him. I want another dog but I don’t know if my heart could take putting another dog down.
My schnauzer was fun but they were trained as ratters and they are very hyper! She played non stop with my girls growing up. She was adorable and she lived to be 13 also. She barked a lot! My little watchdog. They are very territorial.
German shepherds are beautiful! And smart! A guy I dated had one and we took him for long walks everyday. He was so well behaved. I loved that dog too.
I grew up with a Boston Terrier. She was precious! So sweet!
I miss my dog y’all. So sorry for rambling on about him but he really stole my heart.
Sometimes I dog sit for my youngest daughter’s poodle but he is a stinker! Hahaha. He’s sweet. He was a rescue. He had been abused. How can someone abuse an animal? I love them so much and all they want is to be loved.
I have had German shepherd's my entire adult life and they are trained for protection, non aggressive but they will react to someone's actions in a heart beat.
Schnauzers are smart working dogs that have more energy than the Energizer bunny, need 2 so they can wear each other out is my idea of owning any small, busy dog.
That’s smart getting a license plate number.
Hahaha, my big dog did not bark. Greys don’t really bark a lot. Hardly ever. My little dog, the schnauzer was obnoxious! She was very yippy yappy.
She was a brave little thing. My little watchdog. The grey was so laid back and a very easy going dog.
One with a camera is probably the latest greatest.
NeedHelpWithMom, the Jehovah Witnesses used to come around our neighborhood, door to door canvassing, leaving their booklets and even knocking on my door despite my no solicitors sign. Watched them; they went to their car which was parked just down the street a bit, and sat there for about 1/2 hour.
So I decided to take a slow drive past, got their license number, called the police and said there were suspicious people going to houses on my street, then went out to shop.
I have a real dog that hates strangers in her yard, so they can hear her long before they get to the door. Many never ring the bell, they just pass on by.
I am always uncomfortable opening the door. They speak through a closed door.
I wouldn’t want to be the one knocking on strangers doors these days, either. How do they know what kind of person will answer the door?
Hahaha, gotta tell you something funny. I could never get rid of the religious organization that knocked on my door, not that I was rude or disrespectful because I wasn’t. I respect all faiths but they always came at inconvenient times!
I told them that I attended my own church and there was no need for them to return to my home because I wasn’t going to convert to their religion. Well, they are persistent but my crazy brother was over to see my mom.
When I say crazy, I do mean 😜 crazy! Hey, I have no idea what he said to them. I am sure that he was high. He did get rid of them. They NEVER came back! Hahaha, that was one time his craziness paid off.
(1) Last year (I think), the city discovered that some residents had higher than acceptable lead levels in the water, so they sent DPW crews around to canvas EVERY home, to check to determine if the intake pipes were copper. (Copper pipes were replaced free of charge.)
I don't remember if there was an automated city call notifying residents or not, but I did watch for the crew, and when I saw them in the street, and one came up and asked that I fill out a form on city letterhead and return it to the City, for him or someone else to come back at a convenient time, I felt he was legitimate.
(2) A friend asked the PD to perform a wellness check; when I initially didn't answer, one of the police yelled out really loud, so I figured I had better find if what I might have done wrong before they rammed the door open.
(3) The idiot last week was knocking very loudly and I wanted to find out who was stupid enough to ignore the no soliciting sign, probably unconsciously thinking that I wanted to determine if the knocker was legitimate or not. Now I know that there's at least one scumbag in the neighborhood trying to get into (at a minimum) my house. So I warn the neighbors.
Police, etc. having to be out, spread thin is a definite concern. Plus, they're danged if they act, danged it they don't.
Freeing prisoners is another concern. Don't get it; what genius thought of that? So.. If coronav doesn't get cha, the prisoners freed running amuck will?
Love your idea to play with the knife while responding! Get a wide, crazed look in your eyes, too; like you may crack at any moment.
I wouldn't answer the door. If someone was knocking, beating on it, busting it down, I'd start screaming as loud as I could while dialing 911 & giving no details but my address & constant screaming.
I once saw a sign over a person's apartment door in another city which read:
"I sleep with a gun 5 days a week...You guess which."
Oh yeah, I did stare him down. He was something else the way he climbed my fence. Have a feeling he had done that many times before. He was super fast!
So, why did he Scale my six foot privacy fence in my backyard instead of turning around in my driveway and running down the street? The policeman that made the report said that he was running from someone or something.
We do have car break ins all over our city. Some in my neighborhood. I suppose he had hit a few cars nearby and was running away quickly. Who knows? But yeah, it’s scary to see a stranger in the driveway looking in my window.
Hahaha, I like what you said about fiddling around with a large kitchen knife!
NHWM and Twillie, could you install the doorbell camera yourselves or did you have to hire an electrician? I am going to do something but I'm not sure yet. I was already planning to replace the wooden door with a steel or fiberglas one, with a bigger peephole.
I've also been wondering about attaching a one-way mirror so I could see out but no one can see in, although I think that's a bit more complication (and cost) than I want to spend.
What I'd like to do is put a snide sign that's also a warning sign. So far anything I've thought of is a little too violent, something like this:
"Thieves: would you prefer to be shot or sliced? I can accommodate either method to end your criminal career." That's a bit too bold though!
Another tactic that might be used by these would-be thieves is the one of wanting to buy the house for cash. That would be a pretense that's less outwardly violent, so I could see someone using that scam.
Wow...
You are right. Lots of red flags with him. He could have simply written a ‘new note’ if he needed another note. Yep, he was checking you out as the owner.
I would be very uncomfortable with that whole situation. I don’t think I would open the door if he returns.
Several years ago I had a guy looking at me through my kitchen window once. He was in my driveway going towards my backyard.
He saw that I saw him. He didn’t take his eyes off of me and I didn’t take my eyes off of him. I stared him down.
He scaled my fence in my backyard and escaped. I did file a report and the police told me that it was suspicious behavior and said they would patrol my neighborhood.
It’s a scary feeling. Stay safe.
Hard to believe that it’s come to this. I’m still having an incredibly hard
time wrapping my brain around it all.
I almost never answer my door. I figure, if I’m not expecting anyone, whomever is at the door doesn’t need to be there. If I’m curious - I have a large window I can open - see and speak to the individual from there.
What a mess.
It's been unusually quiet here as the door-to-door people aren't going around the neighborhoods. We use to get so many salespeople. Now, if I don't see a car in the driveway or out front, I won't answer. But I will watch just in case it was a neighbor.
Lately the FedEx and UPS drivers will ring the door bell if they leave a package. I use to hear their trucks coming, and I would be waiting outside for the delivery. Now I don't go out, for their safety and for mine. In fact, I Lysol spray the box and let it sit outside for awhile. With people being at home now, porch pirates aren't a problem.