Strange man around my house

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:something almost exactly like that happened to me when I lived in Springfield-except he attempted to push the door open...I did call the police after he left-I was freaking out bc I had two napping kids inside. He walked to the back of the house and I assume he saw a sleeping child on the bed and left. Scary. Got an alarm system shortly after.

Springfield VA or Springfield Bethesda? (This thread is freaking me out.)

[Anonymous]

My only clue to a stalker was a man sitting in his car. He later broke in and attacked me. If it seems out of place, and this does, then report it to the police. I'm glad you didn't open the door. No one ever should when they are not expecting a repair man, cable man, etc.

Generally, I'm not an alarmist about such things. OP's story is weird and alarming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:something almost exactly like that happened to me when I lived in Springfield-except he attempted to push the door open...I did call the police after he left-I was freaking out bc I had two napping kids inside. He walked to the back of the house and I assume he saw a sleeping child on the bed and left. Scary. Got an alarm system shortly after.

Springfield VA or Springfield Bethesda? (This thread is freaking me out.)

VA

[Anonymous]

I always err on the side of caution. Call the police if something seems strange. Once, I was inside the house when I saw a man in a light blue shirt, untucked, walk into my back yard. I opened the back door and saw him looking down at a pile of my children's toys. "May I help you?" I said, and the man looked up, said nothing, and walked briskly away out the back gate. So, I called the police. A few minutes later, an officer knocked on my door. He'd found the man, who was an electric co. employee. I saw the man later, and he started yelling at me, "May I help you? May I help you?". I guess he was mad I'd called the police. The officer told me I did the right thing. He said ALWAYS call if you see someone suspicious. This man's behavior was suspicious, even though he was in my back yard for a legitimate reason, ie to read the electric meter. He ought to have showed me his ID card, but he didn't. And I didn't notice any logo on his shirt. I called the electric co and checked, and sure enough, he was an employee.

OP, the behavior of the man you saw is ODD. Please, call the police.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's 311 if you are in Montgomery County.

311 is ntothe # to call, your call goes into a database that is currently backlogged about 3000 requests. Call the police non ememrgency # if not 911

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always err on the side of caution. Call the police if something seems strange. Once, I was inside the house when I saw a man in a light blue shirt, untucked, walk into my back yard. I opened the back door and saw him looking down at a pile of my children's toys. "May I help you?" I said, and the man looked up, said nothing, and walked briskly away out the back gate. So, I called the police. A few minutes later, an officer knocked on my door. He'd found the man, who was an electric co. employee. I saw the man later, and he started yelling at me, "May I help you? May I help you?". I guess he was mad I'd called the police. The officer told me I did the right thing. He said ALWAYS call if you see someone suspicious. This man's behavior was suspicious, even though he was in my back yard for a legitimate reason, ie to read the electric meter. He ought to have showed me his ID card, but he didn't. And I didn't notice any logo on his shirt. I called the electric co and checked, and sure enough, he was an employee.

OP, the behavior of the man you saw is ODD. Please, call the police.

I've had this problem too. It seems alot of subcontractors are like this, blank vans with a magnetic logo on the side, blank shirt with what looks like a temp. logo patch, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, no listserv. Will be calling the police non-emergency line now.

Are you in DC? Do NOT call 311. 311 is for service requests, i.e. graffiti removal or rat abatement. Call 911 for ALL requests for police, fire, or abulance, even non-emergency requests. This switch-over occurred several years ago.

Basically it's if you have a question you call 311; if you need help (of ANY kind) you call 911. There is no such thing as 'police non-emergency' anymore, the 911/311 protocols were switched.

Just explain the situation to the dispatcher and he/she will determind the appropriate police response. But 311 does NOT go to the police dispatcher, it goes to the Mayor's Call Center.

Always always call the police to report suspicious activity.

[Anonymous]

I meant to say, "the 911/311 protocols were REVISED" not switched.

[Anonymous]

OP please tell us what happened...

[Anonymous]

Emergency is ony temporarily over. You SHOULD have called teh police. TRUST your instincts!

[Anonymous]

Eh, leave your door unlocked and wait 'til he comes in. Then you have a legit excuse to use the semiautomatic you keep locked up for such emergencies. Teach him a lesson and get some practice in at the same time. Kidding!

[Anonymous]

OP,

In DC word's gone out that someone is pretending to be from the water department and is trying to gain access to people's homes. When something like this happens, CALL THE POLICE.

[Anonymous]

It is stories like these that make me want to stay in our 6th story condo forever...I know scary things can happen anywhere but for some reason it makes me feel more secure. Especially now that we have a baby.

(Yes, I am sure that now people will start telling their scary stories about condos...sigh.)