Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to wonder what this man is doing (and should I do something?)

54 replies

bettyblueeyes83 · 28/05/2016 18:31

OK I was pottering about in my kitchen just now when a taxi pulled up in the street and a man of around 50 who I've never seen before got out with a holdall and a small wheely suitcase. I noticed him immediately because he's acting in a way that I can only describe as 'suspiciously': moving really slowly and cautiously, pausing a lot etc. He was not quite looking over his shoulders like a TV burglar in a stripy jumper but almost - his manner just looked 'off'.

He walked past the front of the house directly opposite, and stops and stares through the fence at something in the garden for a good two minutes. Then he slowly and gingerly climbed the front steps to the front door and paused on the top doorstep for another few minutes. I couldn't really see what he was doing because he was partially behind an overgrown bush but he was bent over fiddling with something. He then seemed to let himself in and slowly carry his bags inside. The holdall looked heavy. Almost immediately, he came back out and moved down the steps, stopping to fiddle with (I think?) a gate in the front garden. He then went round the side of the house and opened what looks like a fuse box or metre, I think with a key. He stared at it for a while and then took out his phone and took some photos of it. He then took quickly photos of the front garden, including the middle area he'd been staring at (which just looks like a bush and path from here). He then came out into the street and stared back in through the fence, hovered a bit at the bottom of the stairs, looking up and down the street, before going up the steps and into the house again. He's in there now.

I don't know my neighbours (London...) so I couldn't tell you if he lives there or is a relative of someone who does, so there might well be an innocuous explanation but I found his behaviour was really puzzling. I have a vague feeling a younger family lives there (I know they get big Ocado orders but that's it!). The house looks deserted today, with all the curtains drawn upstairs and down (he hasn't opened any since he went in). I'm not normally a net-curtain-twitcher in any way...but AIBU for thinking this is strange? Can anyone think of a clear and reasonable explanation? I'm trying to think he could perhaps have a bad back or poor mobility, hence the slow movement. Maybe he's back from a holiday or house-sitting or a new tenant and he wanted to document something in the front garden and take a metre reading? It was just such a weird combination of actions and I'm worried it could be something suspicious.

I am probably BU for being a nosy neighbour, but should I be worried for my neighbours (and should I do anything?)?

OP posts:
bettyblueeyes83 · 28/05/2016 18:59

What's your job Medusa...house-sitter? (Sorry if it's meant to be obvious!)

OP posts:
lottielou7 · 28/05/2016 19:01

Are you thinking of Rear Window? Lol

The only thing is that sometimes we feel uneasy for no real reason but gut instinct tends to prove correct.

John4703 · 28/05/2016 19:02

What advice did the police give when you called 101?
Please say you did call them.

For what?? And why ask op what they said when you know full well she hasn't called them from the op
I was suggesting to the OP that even at this stage it would be good to call the police. We all pay massive amounts of tax and the police are paid to check such things. I'd be very pleased if a police constable came to check me out as I would know my neighbours cared and did not ignore something that might be wrong.

pigsDOfly · 28/05/2016 19:07

No, it would be a very bad idea to ring 101.

What do you think the police will do? In most areas now you can't get the police to come to your house for a genuine burglary until several days have passed. I doubt they're going to send anyone round with sirens blaring because someone walked down the street in a slightly dodgy manner.

Greenyogagirl · 28/05/2016 19:11

I keep my curtains closed on lovely evenings so nosy neighbours don't spy on me Grin

WellErrr · 28/05/2016 19:21

Love it -

'Hello, police? A man just went into the house next door!'

'Er.....ok. And what's the call about?'

Grin
RosieSW · 28/05/2016 19:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Rdoo · 28/05/2016 19:56

It sounds like completely normal behaviour to me.
Please do not ring the police!!

bettyblueeyes83 · 28/05/2016 19:59

No intention of calling police as I've said unthread

OP posts:
bettyblueeyes83 · 28/05/2016 20:00

*upthread

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 28/05/2016 20:03

I'm picturing gru from despicable me

bringbacksideburns · 28/05/2016 20:06

Dear god. Do people not live in the real world??
Call the police Confused !!?

Do you know the cuts the Police have had? Do you seriously think a priority call would be ....erm Ive been watching my neighbour's house now for a day. A bloke who walked very slowly, stared at the garden for a while, took photos of the property and then let himself in with a KEY.... would get Priority?

starfishmummy · 28/05/2016 20:15

Go over and knock the Door, ask to borrow some sugar or something and try to get some info from him.
just in case he is a mad axe murderer don't go in and tell someone irl where you are...

PeaceLoveAndDiscoBiscuits · 28/05/2016 23:28

I thought Air BnB as well. He's been stung by damage charges before so is taking photos of any damage before he begins his stay to prove he wasn't responsible. And will tot up what electric he used from the meter readings he took. Agree jet lag, hence closed curtains. Never used the service myself, but do you rent it from a certain time? Perhaps he took it very literally and didn't want to set foot inside until the exact hour his rental began, hence the slow walking and pausing.

Notso · 28/05/2016 23:39

Grin StealthPolarBear

Stylingwax · 28/05/2016 23:48

Gru. Brilliant.
'Hello police, there's a man who's just let himself into a house with a key, he's got luggage but he looks a bit dodgy. No, I don't know who lives there. Please send your finest Bobby quick smart because I pay my taxes'
Hmm

Aeroflotgirl · 29/05/2016 08:01

He could have come back off his holidays, my dh takes photo of the meter reading, nothing strange about that.

CheerfulYank · 29/05/2016 08:04

I was picturing Gru as well! :o

Hassled · 29/05/2016 08:05

He wouldn't have come in a taxi if he were Up To No Good.

2nds · 29/05/2016 08:11

OP has obviously never rented a house, my first thought was he's a landlord or works for a letting agency.

runningincircles12 · 29/05/2016 08:11

Could be from a company doing inventory checkouts. A lot of owners/agents will employ a separate company to do the checkouts and they would need photographs of the meter readings and the state of the property. Wouldn't be strange if they had a holdall either and he would be unfamiliar with the property.

I sincerely doubt a burglar would get a taxi to the property, have a key to let himself in and check the meter readings.

runningincircles12 · 29/05/2016 08:15

I was suggesting to the OP that even at this stage it would be good to call the police. We all pay massive amounts of tax and the police are paid to check such things. I'd be very pleased if a police constable came to check me out as I would know my neighbours cared and did not ignore something that might be wrong

Lol, I had my car broken into in London (ie and actual crime) and called 101. The police could not give a shit and basically told me to claim on the insurance. They weren't even interested in what had been stolen. If you called saying that you saw a man let himself into a house with a key where you don't even know who lives there (so could be new tenant, inventory check, owner, anyone), they would probably laugh down the phone at you. Please don't call them.

blindsider · 29/05/2016 08:44

I am going against the grain here, if he looked dodgy there is every chance he is. For those saying he let himself in with a key you don't know that as view was obscured by a bush etc.

I would have made it obvious he was being observed so if he was up to nefarious activities he would be less likely to continue.

runningincircles12 · 29/05/2016 08:48

But the OP admits that she doesn't even know who lives there. He could be the new tenant or any other explanations listed here. How else would he open the front door other than with a key? I think that in real life, credit cards don't open doors. How/why would he open the outdoor meter.

If you know the neighbours and notice something odd, then fine. However, if you don't even know who lives there and sees someone (who from the description is actually not acting suspiciously) going about their business, then I would be inclined to leave them to it.

Hodooooooooor · 29/05/2016 10:33

I was suggesting to the OP that even at this stage it would be good to call the police. We all pay massive amounts of tax and the police are paid to check such things. I'd be very pleased if a police constable came to check me out as I would know my neighbours cared and did not ignore something that might be wrong

So much wrong with this! First, we don not all pay massive amounts of tax, most of us pay very little tax in fact, and not nearly enough to pay for all the services we use. Police are NOT paid to check out someone doing absolutely nothing illegal just because nosy neighbours have watched too much tv.

OP, wind your neck in and close the net curtains. Nothing at all sounds suspicious, except maybe you.