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Original poster

Who is walking past my house at 3am?

303 replies

dottydally · 19/10/2019 14:51

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?!

OP posts:
BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 19/10/2019 16:11

If he's been doing it 3 times a week for several weeks, and probably longer, and nothing sinister has happened then I would assume that he's just an insomniac going for a walk or something equally benign. Burglars surely don't scope out the same targets for weeks on end?

SmudgeButt · 19/10/2019 16:11

We used to have a guy go past us 5:07 most mornings. Hi viz jacket. And we used to call him Mr 5:07. For some reason I would wake up and I'd hear him stomping along the road. This went on for a couple of years and then I got curious when I hadn't heard him for a while and would wake up in anticipation and would look out the window. He was still going past but had got different boots which didn't make as much noise. And a couple more years went by.

SmudgeButt · 19/10/2019 16:13

Oops - premature post.....

And then we started seeing him in the day time - in the local corner store cleaning the floor etc. So he obviously was working various places as a cleaner when the shops were usually closed. Nothing very suspicious at all.

I expect your guy has found a way to hop a fence or something to take a short cut home.

CleanHankie · 19/10/2019 16:21

Our doorbell is triggered by a man in a high viz vest in the earlier hours of the morning. DH pointed out it's the man dropping off the papers which our our neighbours daughter delivers. He only triggers it one way as his return is close enough to the first trigger that it doesn't catch it or something like that.

Could that be it?

TottieandMarchpane · 19/10/2019 16:23

Oh good idea @CleanHankie.

Our milkman wears a HV and our milk arrives at 2 am.

NotTerfNorCis · 19/10/2019 16:25

My guess would be someone with insomnia.

Branster · 19/10/2019 16:26

But if he was going to get into his car, why bother walking around on the pavement at that hour, I’d go across the road to get to the car park.

If really there is nowhere for him to go as a shortcut, then he walks past your house coming from the right then complete the loop on the other side of the road to exit the cul de sac. He is obviously not lost because he does it frequently.

But why?!

You must enlist the cooperation of all your neighbours, maybe they have some further camera footage.

Love the diagram!

VenusTiger · 19/10/2019 16:28

Hi vis jackets work, PPs have just proved it, they give the impression that the wearer is official.
Hi vis are also commonly used by burglars now, seen loads of videos on twitter/fb of home cctv showing burglars wearing them to trick passers by.
I reckon he’s using someone’s garden to get from home to work/from work to home and the time you saw him come back is when the way was locked/blocked, as suggested by a pp

Weymo · 19/10/2019 16:31

He’s a warehouse worker finishing his shift at 3am. Hence hi-viz jacket.

Possibly homeless or kicked out by the wife temporarily. He’s sleeping in one of the parked up cars on your diagram at night.

We have some workers sleeping out in tents locally.

Nicknacky · 19/10/2019 16:34

I am despairing that two posters have suggesting contacting the police (and yes, community officers are the police) because someone walks by a house. Seriously, stop suggesting this for everything that happens!!

PlasticPatty · 19/10/2019 16:36

Don't be so silly. Of course it is right to contact the community officers when you see something suspicious happening. Awareness is everything.

AutumnRose1 · 19/10/2019 16:40

OP "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."

This made me lol, it sounds like the baby is going to ring the doorbell 😁

VenusTiger · 19/10/2019 16:41

OP, is he living in one of the garages?

The drug drop off or pick up suggestion is interesting.

Do you have a neighbourhood watch scheme? Local community officer would be my first point of contact also, seeing as you’re passing information on as opposed to reporting any crime.

Nannewnannew · 19/10/2019 16:42

Plastic Patty but please tell exactly what is suspicious about a man walking along a pavement at a regular time? Like a pp poster I despair of people, and women in particular, thinking that every man is suspicious.

Drabarni · 19/10/2019 16:43

Going to or from work by the sounds of it. He's not trying to hide if wearing a hi vis jacket.
Why are you filming the comings and goings in your street, that's weirder than the man?
Unless he's on your property you really shouldn't see him, as you can only film your own property.
I hope none of your neighbour report you for being a weirdo.

Nicknacky · 19/10/2019 16:44

PlasticPatty There is nothing suspicious about someone walking past a house.

Justaboy · 19/10/2019 16:47

Phone old bil and see what they say.

Water compnay give them a call.

Could call council and gas and leccy boards.

Post husband partner out there at 3 on sentry duty and get him to interrogate passer by!.

Should cure it!

Have babe in peace:)

Find out that there is no peace, babe needs a lot of attention which they will howl or screech for:(

Make friend with passer by, stop him for a fag and a chat:)

Aspergallus · 19/10/2019 16:48

Am I the only person with deja vu on this whole story? There was a remarkably similar tale a wee while ago..

LondonJax · 19/10/2019 16:52

Could be someone who goes out cleaning - my friend cleans a school and leaves for work at 3am.

Or a newspaper delivery. We're in the country and ours are delivered by car - the man jumps out in high vis and uses a torch to deliver, then back in the car to go further up the road..

I can't quite see a burglar or drug dealer wearing a high vis jacket TBH - surely the whole point of their dealings is to stay invisible?

LadyOfTheFlowers · 19/10/2019 16:54

Someone's lover
Someone walking their dog after a late shift

Redglitter · 19/10/2019 16:55

I despair at times. Phoning 101 seems to be the answer to everything on here at times. There is NOTHING the Police will or can do about some guy walking down a street 3 times a week. Hes doing nothing suspicious.

This thread is 3 pages now with loads of sensible more likely scenarios. Hes a pretty crap burglar if hes been wandering about for weeks now wearing a high viz jacket

LemonPrism · 19/10/2019 16:56

@Fireextinguished really? You would tell the police about a man in high vis walking past your house at night several times a week?

Jesus.

Longlongsummer · 19/10/2019 17:07

Ooh I love a mystery!

Diagrams!

He may be taking a short cut to work.

The fact that it’s the same time each night suggests work.

Or your neighbour is having an affair...

handbagsatdawn33 · 19/10/2019 17:15

Could it be a member of Neighbourhood Watch simply doing the rounds?

Isitnearlyweekend · 19/10/2019 17:19

I would report this to the Police and make sure you don’t answer the door. Definitely don’t assume there is safety in a hi viz jacket.

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