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Help me work out who this mystery visitor is!

34 replies

PorkyPancake · 20/05/2023 12:18

We live in a cul-de-sac with about 15 houses in it and for the last 3 years, a car (think Fiat Panda) visits the street every weekend and sometimes midweek around 10-11am. It's a disheveled male, late 60s driving with the windows down and he's always smoking a cigar. He comes into the cul de sac slowly turns round has a look at the houses and then drives off and carries on in the same direction he was going so doesn't use the cul-de-sac to turn around! What could he be doing?! Initially I thought he might be collecting things people leave outside their houses but when stuff is there to collect he never takes it. He always has the seats down in the car and from what I've seen there's nothing in there. Today I managed to catch him turning round in our road for the second time this morning and went out and asked him if he was looking for something. He stumbled over his words and said he was looking for number 47 which is in the next cul-de-sac down and was delivering meals to old people. He then became flustered and drove off! 47 isn't in the next cul-de-sac down and given he's visited the street for 3 years or more you think he'd know that? So bizarre but there must be an explanation, what could it be?

OP posts:
BMW6 · 20/05/2023 12:20

Is he stalking an ex perhaps?

BMW6 · 20/05/2023 12:22

I wouldn't mind betting you'll never see him again now- or he'll change his car.......

Pixiedust1234 · 20/05/2023 12:23

Hes looking for a glimpse of someone he doesn't have contact with, ie an estranged child. Its something a functioning alcoholic would do (based on your physical description).

Either shrug your shoulders and ignore, or message the police and say you think there's a regular possible drunk driver, heres the registration, can you please check it out.

Icannoteven · 20/05/2023 12:23

Dunno. Could be someone who used to live there, visiting his old house /memories. Could be an estranged family member of one of the residents. Mysterious.

KnittedCardi · 20/05/2023 12:25

He might be looking for scrap metal, in particular, so not interested in random bits. We get them around here a lot.

Icannoteven · 20/05/2023 12:26

My dad was estranged from his eldest daughter for many years (her mother ran off with someone else while pregnant and made it difficult for him to see the baby). He was never sure if his daughter knew he was her real father and used to occasionally drive around where she hung out to get a glimpse of her. May be a similar situation.

Magnoliainbloom · 20/05/2023 12:27

Someone connected to his past who has died, who he loved, lost. Holding on to memories.

Casilero · 20/05/2023 12:30

I think he's trying to catch sight of someone too. Or relive past memories.

@Pixiedust1234 what makes you say it's something an alcoholic would do? I'm not disputing that fact, I'm just interested.

Clipboard007 · 20/05/2023 13:06

I would ask him why directly next time you see him. Maybe he wants to buy a particular house and he's checking regularly if it's for sale.

Cola2534 · 20/05/2023 13:13

He might be dropping someone off nearby and just uses your street as a convenient place to turn the car around.

AlanJohnsonsBeemer · 20/05/2023 13:16

Looking for scrap metal probably

WeAreTheHeroes · 20/05/2023 13:19

AlanJohnsonsBeemer · 20/05/2023 13:16

Looking for scrap metal probably

In a Fiat Panda?

Pixiedust1234 · 20/05/2023 13:23

@Casilero
midweek around 10-11am. It's a disheveled male, late 60s( every weekend for three years as well)

Just a hunch really. Of course it could be mh related rather than alcohol.

babypleasenow · 20/05/2023 13:29

Errr creepy! It could be innocent but it's still unsettling. Have you thought about speaking to the neighbours of the houses he looks into? Just to see if they've noticed or it could trigger someone to realise it's a relative who shouldn't be doing it.

tobee · 20/05/2023 13:39

If he's looking for scrap metal seems a strangely limited way of going about it? Unless he does this in many places?

CindersAgain · 20/05/2023 13:41

Pixiedust1234 · 20/05/2023 13:23

@Casilero
midweek around 10-11am. It's a disheveled male, late 60s( every weekend for three years as well)

Just a hunch really. Of course it could be mh related rather than alcohol.

I can see your logic. Disheveled, likely to have fallen out with a loved one.

Kennykenkencat · 20/05/2023 13:42

He is on the look out for people leaving free stuff outside their house for people to take

BillyNoM8s · 20/05/2023 13:50

I'd go along the lines of what others have said - he's either retracing memories of somewhere he or someone he knows/knew used to live, or he's estranged from someone who might live there. He doesn't seem to be taking anything or disturbing anyone.

If it's anything nefarious - which I doubt as he's been doing it for that long - then you've probably scared him off. If he continues to come back then I'd imagine poor mental health.

Alternatively he's just odd and likes staring at houses.

InSpainTheRain · 20/05/2023 13:55

I'd say he's re-living memories - perhaps he used to live there with a wife and family. My mum (when in her late 80s/90s) used to love to drive by her old house. We didn't do it often (perhaps every couple of months) but she loved to see it and have some memory. I did slightly worry we were freaking someone out though! If he's doing it 3 years and nothing has happened he can't be casing the joint (unless he's a reluctant burglar!!)

whynotwhatknot · 20/05/2023 13:56

Why have you waited 3 years to askhim?

blacksax · 20/05/2023 13:56

He could be an undercover investigator watching someone. Occasionally you get people claiming compensation for injuries and such like, and they aren't telling the truth about the level of their disability. they get caught out when they are seen digging the garden using their supposedly immobile arm, for instance.

Riapia · 20/05/2023 14:02

It’s somebody in disguise looking for a place to lie low.
Could it possibly be a morning show TV presenter?
😉😁😁

PriamFarrl · 20/05/2023 14:04

I betting he’s either visiting a house he used to live in or trying to see someone that he’s not allowed to, like an estranged wife or child.

AmyDudley · 20/05/2023 14:52

If he's got a Fiat Panda he's sorted for scrap metal.

tanstaafl · 20/05/2023 14:54

OP, there’s only one course of action.
Stand at the end of the next cul de sac down and see if he does the same thing.

Then report back!