Who is walking past my house at 3am?

[dottydally]

So having exhausted all of our own theories, I wonder if MN has any good ideas.

About 6 weeks ago I bought a Ring doorbell. I'm expecting a baby in a few weeks and I'm already excited about knowing whether it's worth getting up to answer the door.

The strange bit, though, is that since having the doorbell I've noticed that someone keeps walking past my house at 3:25am. I live at the end of a cul-de-sac so it's not a through road. Theres a green out of the front of my house which separates the path running along the front of me/my neighbours and the roadway. The mystery walker is always wearing a high-vis jacket and only usually walks one way (into the dead end). It is always bang on 3:25am.

I am the last house on my row and I've already spoken to the house in the very end of the cul-de-sac and it's not them.

I wondered about the milkman but I know he comes about 5:15 as he often meets my other half.

It's not every day, but averages 3 times per week. Not always the same day.

The most recent time the camera caught them was 3:15am yesterday morning. They were 10 minutes early and this time walked both ways past my house, with a torch shining on the floor as they walked back. There is approx 20 seconds between them walking past the first and second time.

So, wise MN, any good ideas? Or am I going to have to camp out at my window from 3am tomorrow in the hope of seeing them?!

well i had a home birth so i hope that pissed off my would be burglar!!

The insurance company told them burglars watch houses with heavily pregnant women as they know once they go to hospital they’ll both be out all night.

Of course they did..

So have you spoke to the lady who thinks you could be neighbours? Is it her ??

My brother used to go for a walk at night.. Yea he's a weirdo 😂

I know someone who takes their ferret for a walk in the early hours to avoid encounters with dogs. A ferret would probably be to small to see with the camera.

^

It'll be a ferret, that's it...

How do you know its a man? It might be a female werewolf with an unusually large beard!! OR Springheel Jack. He would just run across the tops of the fences lol.

You just need to stay up and watch.

This is going to be one of those threads with no conclusion, isn't it?

This is going to be one of those threads with no conclusion, isn't it?

It's a shift worker who walks his dog in his work uniform, goes past the OP's house while his dog potters around the green and then returns on the other side of the green to complete a circuit, out of the reach of the doorbell. He then goes to work/goes home and to bed depending on whether he walks the dog before an early morning shift or after a late evening shift. Betcha.

He is likely a dog walker doing a loop of the green and his dog is out of shot, a lovely wee brindle staffy called Bobby, owner Dave.
Other than that he stays with one of your neighbours a few night a week and is going to his car.
What is over the fence at carpark?

RolytheRhino if we never find out any more from the OP I am going to declare that the true and correct response so it won't be left open ended. For that I thank you

Have you checked that other people coming past are registered on your camera when they walk back along the other side of the road.

Also thought drug dump, or taken short and a useful place to stop off and relieve himself . Wait till Halloween and jump out and scare him. You may not find out who he is but I doubt he'd come back.

Just thinking maybe he owned your house at one time and it had to be sold for some reason and he feels bitter or sad that someone else is living there,maybe finding it difficult to see that

I got the impression that someone rings the doorbell at 3.25am or is the new doorbell a sensor that when someone walks past close enough it rings?.sorry I'm not familiar

I had a dream last night that the op came back with a conclusion. You can imagine my disappointment when I checked this thread to see there's still no explanation.

@anothernamejeeves Yes they did say exactly that.

Are you allowed to film people beyond your boundary?

drizzle Of course you are! How do you imagine the Paparazzi manage?

I'm back but with no exciting news unfortunately! To answer some questions though:

@Hollywolly1 the doorbell records when it is pressed but also records when it detects motion, irrespective of whether the bell is rung.

@OatyGoaty sadly it doesn't pick up movement on the other side of the grass at night. It's quite a large grassed area!

@BeesKnees4 the cars back onto garages, the fence to the side backs on to a garden (but has no gate).

@Goricki19 I spoke to the neighbour to my left as we assumed it was her husband. She had no idea! Neighbours to my right work away so I don't often see them.

@Packingsoapandwater now that is interesting! There are garages there but...

@Emz834 pregnancy has done some weird things but I don't think I'm hallucinating yet! I usually get up around 5:30 for work but in recent weeks have found myself up frequently through the night for a wee/dead leg/indigestion

@Strongecoffeeismydrug please come back and tell me if it's your husband!

I am alone at night sometimes but it's very sporadic. I barely know when it'll be so I'd be amazed if anyone could see from the outside!

I have no intentions of calling the police but am intrigued. If nothing else I am impressed by their punctuality

If you have any concerns just make sure your security is sufficient, that you don't leave gf windows open, and have locks, etc, that you have a lock that can't be reached through the letterbox and undone. Also, that you keep the 3am footage so that if something happens you have a reasonable shot of him and evidence of his regular walk bys.

I think his car is there, or he borrows one of your neighbours cars at night, would your camera detect a car driving out?

Doesn't sound like you know your neighbours too well, he could be anyone, how often do you speak to them, ask around? Some neighbours know if a pin drops in the street, and they know everyone and all their business.

How odd that you keep footage of the road's activities though

3 nights a week sounds like a night shift worker to me. As does the hi vis vest - maybe a security guard or a driver. My neighbour is an HGV delivery driver driver and heads out at that time for his shift, complete with hi vis jacket/vest.

This guy probably lives nearby and parks his car either in the car bit on your diagram or in the garages behind them.

Alternatively he could be returning home from work. Possibly might have been getting a lift, dropped off nearby and walking to his house by taking a shortcut through where the garages are. I would imagine there are more houses beyond them.

Hi Viz is the perfect thing to wear as people assume you are legit!
Did you read about the team of thieves who stole valuable York stone from a city centre in broad daylight by wearing hi vis and driving a white van and looking official? Nobody was suspicious.
I’m overly suspicious when it comes to crime but if he is waking both ways (without a dog he could be walking) then first instinct would be that he was up to no good. Or maybe just an insomniac!

How odd that you keep footage of the road's activities though
Jeez, I have a small camera set up to watch my gates after someone left them open and my dogs got out. I hardly look at the footage, it's just there for if someone leaves gates open again I can go berate them if necessary.

But for the first few weeks I checked diligently every day. The camera only records movement for 6 seconds so on my quiet street I wondered what went on through the night. It's boring so I dont do it anymore. But I can see the appeal for OP.

Neighbours to my right work away so I don't often see them.

They're probably renting out their parking space or garage.