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AIBU?

WIBU to have confronted this man?

70 replies

Wannabe2015 · 07/08/2015 19:59

Ok. 7pm. I'm playing with DCs in the sitting room. Out of the window I see a man in running gear stop on the driveway of the house opposite.

He begins 'writing' with his finger on the back of the car on the driveway Every few seconds he stops, looks around, checks to see if anyone is looking.

He finishes writing, turns and sees me looking at him. He stares at me for what seems like ages. I stare back. He then walks down the road.

I come out of my house to see what he has written. He has written 'RIP' and 'on it's last leg'.

I then see him down the road, looking at me. We stare at each other again.

At that moment my DH comes home from work. I tell him about the man and the car. The man is still standing on the road staring so we both go to talk to him.

Man says he is a priest and he knows the old lady who lives in the house very well. He says the writing on the car is a joke.

He won't say where he works or which church he belongs to. He then apologises to us and goes back to the car to wipe off the writing. He also says he's going to apologise to the old lady whose house it is.

Was I being unreasonable and a busy body questioning this guys behaviour?

The lady in the house is v elderly, 90+ and he looked so odd and shifty. Something about the whole thing seemed odd.

So tell me. WIBU?

OP posts:
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woowoo22 · 07/08/2015 20:02

No, wtf?! Weirdo.

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Vatersay · 07/08/2015 20:03

Nope, not in any way.

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WayneRooneysHair · 07/08/2015 20:05

That's fucking weird.

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Wannabe2015 · 07/08/2015 20:09

He also said he knew the car was going to be scrapped. He claimed to live just down the road (small village) and was just messing about.

My DH got a bit shirty with him, told him his behaviour was odd. The man was...odd. I dunno. Something about it has bothered me.

Now Im worried about bumping into him!

Thanks for replies so far. Reassuring!

OP posts:
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Griphook · 07/08/2015 20:10

Do you think it's one of those symbol things people use to mark out a house? Sounds s bit far fetched but plausible

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Wannabe2015 · 07/08/2015 20:12

Symbol things?

Not sure what u mean...

OP posts:
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wednesdaysocks · 07/08/2015 20:14

Maybe knock at the house he stopped at to let them know what you saw in case they've been having problems or similar things happening?

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AlwaysDancing1234 · 07/08/2015 20:19

Sounds very strange odd behaviour. I think what griphook meant by a symbol was that it's a marker for criminals to steal the vehicle or potentially rob the house.
Is knock on neighbours door to make them aware and call 101 to alert neighbourhood team

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Griphook · 07/08/2015 20:20

I not sure if it's real, but I've read that criminal watch/ look for houses with old/vulnerable people and leave a mark so their associates would no which house to break into.

I'll see if I can find anything on google

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Griphook · 07/08/2015 20:23
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Griphook · 07/08/2015 20:24

alwaysdancing explained it so much better

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emotionsecho · 07/08/2015 20:25

I don't believe his story at all, why would he be looking around furtively to see if he was being watched whilst he was writing the message on the car if it was all above board and a joke?

When he knew you'd seen him why didn't he come up to you and explain instead of just standing there staring at you?

Very suspicious behaviour.

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Tummyrumbled · 07/08/2015 20:27

Sounds like a potential burglar. Report to 101

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Wishful80smontage · 07/08/2015 20:28

Agree with others very suspicious. Is the lady at home?

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HemanOrSheRa · 07/08/2015 20:29

I work with older people in their own homes. We've been a list, by the community police team, of the symbols used by criminals to 'mark' properties. I'm on holiday at the moment so can't access it. There are symbols for different things like, someone living alone or someone who has been recently burgled (so may have brand new replacement items) for example.

I think you did absolutely the right thing OP. Whatever that mans excuse was it all sounds extremely odd. I would ring the non emergency Police, actually. It maybe a thing that they are aware of.

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Salmotrutta · 07/08/2015 20:30

He definitely isn't a priest that's fir sure!

Very weird - would it be worth logging with the police so that its at least on record? Confused

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Tummyrumbled · 07/08/2015 20:33

My Elderly widowed aunt lives alone. One night heard some noises downstairs and thought she left rhe telly on. She went downstairs. Turns out there were two men.

The men then scrambled and took the car keys and fled with aunt's car. Police found the car next day in a ditch and burt.

Very traumatic for our elderly aunt.

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EgyptianSnow · 07/08/2015 20:37

I was going to say he was a demon until he apologised which a demon wouldn't do
So he's just odd

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Singsongsung · 07/08/2015 20:43

I would bet my life that "on its last legs" is a horrible code to suggest that the owner is elderly. I would def alert your neighbours and the police.

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paddymcgintysmum · 07/08/2015 20:43

Why did start your post with OK?

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Ilovecrapcrafts · 07/08/2015 20:55

Today 20:43 paddymcgintysmum

Why did start your post with OK?

Eh?

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FenellaFellorick · 07/08/2015 20:57

why shouldn't she? Some people do start recounting something with ok, or so, or similar.

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HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 07/08/2015 21:00

Agree that I would warn your neighbour and let the police know on 101 or whatever the number is. Well done for being a good neighbour OP.

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Notasinglefuckwasgiven · 07/08/2015 21:04

Sounds like a hint to someone else that there is an elderly person living there. My brother was violently robbed of his shoes wallet and watch and jewellery one night leaving a club. He woke up in a garden remembering nothing. His shirt had a white chalk cross on the back and the police said he'd been spiked and the cross was a symbol to the muggers outside he was dopey. So it does happen. Call 101.

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Notasinglefuckwasgiven · 07/08/2015 21:06

Should say twin brother works in the oil industry so all his stuff was expensive. They got around 600 pounds worth of jewellery and watch alone never mind the cash and trainers Sad

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