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Original poster

A man just walked into my house...

332 replies

luciapenguin · 11/05/2019 12:00

I was upstairs, and went to open the window when I see a man walking out of my house (out of my front garden). I watched him from the window and he didn't go into anyone else's house, and left our street.

I thought it was really odd as he wasn't a Royal Mail postman or anything, but I went downstairs to check whether he had put anything through our letterbox. Nothing there. I opened the door to see if anything he had put in the letterbox had fallen out- again, nothing.

Can anyone think of a logical explanation (I have anxiety) or is this really dodgy?

OP posts:
BettysLeftTentacle · 11/05/2019 12:30

Is there a way of reporting this, without calling 101

Whaaaat?! Hmm so you’re worried, nay sure, your house is going to be burgled by a random guy wearing black clothing but you don’t want to call 101?

user1495832265 · 11/05/2019 12:32

A man just walked into my house..... vs... a man just came to my front door
Hmm

CustardySergeant · 11/05/2019 12:32

OP, if you're going to call the police don't tell them that a man just walked into your house as in your thread title. Because that's not what happened is it?

BruceAndNosh · 11/05/2019 12:32

I'm guessing "Man walks into garden and walks out again" is not going to make the Evening News

Passthecherrycoke · 11/05/2019 12:33

Tbh I am cringing at how embarrassing it’s going to be to call 101 and tell them you want to report someone coming into your front garden. You have less shame than me OP

Stormy76 · 11/05/2019 12:34

To ease your mind go out into your garden and check to see if there are any chalk marks etc sometimes people mark up the house thy are thinking about hitting. Call the local police station and tell them what happened and order one of those Ring doorbells or get some cctv. You can pick up a system relatively cheaply, if your area is as bad as you say then you should invest in this.

Justmuddlingalong · 11/05/2019 12:36

He maybe thinks he looks slimmer in black.🙄

Honeyroar · 11/05/2019 12:36

If you thought he was someone dodgy why didn't you shout out to him and ask him what he was doing? As in a "can I help you/are you looking for someone?" way. That way he knows he's been seen and could be described if you were to be robbed later on..

Bluntness100 · 11/05/2019 12:37

Op, do you live on your own? Do you have anyone who can come round? I'm guessing you may be in your seventies or eighties?

I think this is maybe just some anxiety, and that's ok, please don't let some posters concern you more, it's highly unlikely this man was up to something nefarious.

SimonJT · 11/05/2019 12:38

My old flat was in a converted house, for the first few weeks of moving in I would often attempt to get into no. 28 rather than 32 as they looked the same on the outside.

It happens.

PigletJohn · 11/05/2019 12:38

Some front doors (usually plastic ones) can be opened from the outside just be turning the handle.

There are people who will try these, in the hope that there might be a handbag or wallet on the hall table, or something else that can be grabbed within seconds.

Starburst8 · 11/05/2019 12:39

I've just literally read a thread regarding an OP's DH going to the wrong house thinking it's his. Shock

No help whatsoever but it sounds like he was a cold caller and you didn't hear him knock 🤷🏻‍♀️

Allhailthesun · 11/05/2019 12:40

If he WAS casing your house why only yours? Is there anything different ( not overlooked, easy to duck away unseen afterwards) ?

He could be dodgy as. But maybe thought you were his dealers house or maybe he wanted a pee behind your big hedge.

Lots of possibilities.

SoyDora · 11/05/2019 12:41

You may be right, he might have been a chancer trying your door. It was locked, so no harm done.
You have two options, report it (via 101 or email) or don’t.

dontticklethetoad · 11/05/2019 12:41

Um I'm wearing all black. I am not a crim.

TrixieFranklin · 11/05/2019 12:42

Do you have a 'no leaflets, junk, unexpected callers..etc' type sticker on your front door?

purplecorkheart · 11/05/2019 12:42

Maybe he took a wee in your garden?

Original poster
luciapenguin · 11/05/2019 12:43

If you thought he was someone dodgy why didn't you shout out to him and ask him what he was doing? As in a "can I help you/are you looking for someone?" way.

Because I thought that he may have simply been putting something through the letterbox. He didn't, though.

I've used the 'Contact us' function on my local police website to report this and ask whether any similar reports have been made.

The vast majority of responses, I suspect, are from MNetters in their comfortable, upper middle class areas where things like this never happen.

In certain areas, obviously, someone walking into your front garden has a logical explanation.

In my area, however, where burglaries are commonplace, it is normal to have a similar reaction to mine.

The thread title was deliberate, because I knew that there was a slim chance of getting replies if I said "man walked into my front garden. I needed to hear some advice.

I have received some replies which I am grateful for, such as to check for chalk markings and to report to the police.

I will not be returning to this thread. Thank you for your responses.

OP posts:
SoyDora · 11/05/2019 12:43

The thread title was deliberate, because I knew that there was a slim chance of getting replies if I said "man walked into my front garden. I needed to hear some advice

But that’s what happened!

CustardySergeant · 11/05/2019 12:45

Good grief.

NunoGoncalves · 11/05/2019 12:46

Of course it's possible he walked up to the door then realised he had the wrong address. It's equally possible (probably more likely IMO) that he was looking to see if there was any chance of robbing the place. Check to see if anyone seems to be about, try the door handle, stuff like that. All pretty normal burglar behaviour.

BoRhap · 11/05/2019 12:50

The thread title was deliberate, because I knew that there was a slim chance of getting replies if I said "man walked into my front garden. I needed to hear some advice.

Really? Shall we all start doing that then? FFS 🤥🙄

Bluntness100 · 11/05/2019 12:51

I'm a bit confused, if you've lived there for fifty years I'd assumed you were in your seventies or eighties but clearly not if you're there with your grandparents. Is it your childhood home and you've never left?

isabellerossignol · 11/05/2019 12:51

We have lived here for coming up to 50 years

I'm concerned due to my area being prone to burglaries. I am alone with my extremely elderly grandparents, hence the concern

You've lived there for almost 50 years and your grandparents are still alive? Or is it your grandparents who have lived there for 50 years?

The reason I ask (aside from the fact that the former must surely be an unusual enough situation for you to have already outed yourself) is because burglars observing an area tend to know where the elderly people live, they make it their mission to find out. So if this is your elderly grandparents house you are right to be concerned about burglary.

Passthecherrycoke · 11/05/2019 12:52

Chalk markings etc is just an urban myth