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?!

Op are you up??

I wonder where you stand legally having a camera pointing out into the road. Last time I checked a few years ago it was only meant to cover your own property. Perhaps you should adjust the sensitivity or trigger field so it isn’t being used as surveillance on the whole street.

I think it's only private property you can't film with cctv, like neighbours gardens etc. I think you might need to display a cctv sign though.

Have you seen him again op ?

Was he there? Did he have a dog? A packed lunch box? You didn't sleep through it did you?

Well?

Who is it @dottydally I’m sat here waiting!!

My first thought was a ghost, but I had just seen the latest woo thread.

More likely someone going to their car.

Possibly someone feeding foxes or hedgehogs?

Shift working dog walker who may or may not have a garden for said dog. Shift work explains the varying days but regular time. The days you don't see him he's on an early shift.

I have a dog but no garden. Last thing at night, whether that's 9pm or 2am, he goes for his last wees. He prefers the patch of grass in the next cul de sac along. He will do his wee and maybe a poo and then turn around and trot off back home.

The camera isn't picking up the dog as it's out of range or too small maybe. I'm betting it's a little black terrier type thing. Probably older, maybe 8-10 years. A boy. Called Maurice.

Hi Vis man is called Dave.

Placemarking..
I really hope you figure this out soon. I'm itching to know who hi vis man is!

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.

I hope you solved the mystery op

You deffo need to stake out the doorbell app and watch him go by in real time, just to see if he’s out of range on his return
Adjust the sensitivity and range you pick up 😃

Just another thought, werewolf?

He walks down the close as a man but exits as a wolf.

I wonder if he’s coming off a night shift, his car is parked down there and he has a sleep in his car before driving home later? Assuming you don’t hear a car at that time.

It's not my other half is it 😂.
We live on a similar looking cul de sac and he finishes work at 3 am, wears an hi viz jacket and often walks back and forth to the car before finally getting in the house at 3.25 am 😳. He lforgets to pick his work bag from the back seat every day hence the walking back and forth.
If it's him he's quite friendly so don't be afraid op 😂

@OrangeSwoosh that’s so inaccurate it’s embarassing. It’s a portly brown lab aged about 9 called Reg. Or it’s a quite athletic GSD called Eli. The guy is called Dave though.

Awaiting 3am results.

If it doesn't happen all the time then it's a shift worker. But where does he go?

Poor bloke. Perhaps he's just someone who doen't sleep and who like to go for a walk in the middle of the night?

Glad to see you've slept through this non-issue tonight, OP.
It's a bloke going to work via a shortcut.
Hi-vis gear and a torch is not a guy with dangerous motives.
Leave him be and don't lose sleep over him.
I can tell you, from experience (we're having a crime surge on my road- cars and houses), black clothing, black balaclavas is the look you don't want to see through your cam.

Interesting.

Need to know now 😬

Neighbourhood watch? Walking up the road and back down the path behind?

I was going to say dog walker for sure- the dog is scampering about out of shot and walks about on the green.
But then I read @Strongecoffeeismydrug post- do you live on the same road?

I'm going to suggest its someone who does a night shift. Maybe even gets picked up or dropped off. Probably been doing it longer but they no longer cut across grass as it's damp now at night.

Our street lights go off from 1-4 so that would explain the torch if yours is the same.