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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Strange happenings in the street

106 replies

CanadaMoose91 · 06/08/2017 23:10

I live on a fairly small Close with only 14 houses, so traffic is minimal. Only the residents park here and it's a very family friendly area in the Midlands.

For the past few nights around 10:30-2:00, I have been hearing cars and relatively quiet closing of doors in the street. DH and I have noticed a large white van (no windows) coming only at night, and we really though nothing of it until tonight.

At around 10:35 tonight, a car pulled up beside the van and a man got out with a flashlight on his phone. I know I sound like a busybody, but it was odd, so I watched from the window - the man walked to the van, unlocked it, sat in it with the door open for a few minutes and then got out, locked the door, went back to the car, and did the same thing with both the driver and passenger seat of the car. He did this multiple times between the car and the van, for nearly 25 minutes, then went into my neighbour's house (he is not my neighbour, though she did open her door to him without speaking). Throughout all of this, he was shining his flashligh around and looking at upper-level windows of all the houses around.

Should I be concerned about myself? Should I be concerned about my neighbour? Should I be ringing police? Or AIBU and need to go to sleep?

OP posts:
Pippilottalongstocking · 06/08/2017 23:32

OR her step brother has severe OCD and an unusual evening routine...

64PooLane · 06/08/2017 23:34

A horn?! What sort of horn?

Yukbuck · 06/08/2017 23:35

Please keep us updated op!

Flumpernickel · 06/08/2017 23:36
Shock
Sharl2017 · 06/08/2017 23:37

Did you report it to the police?

What's happening now?? Gin

64PooLane · 06/08/2017 23:40

I don't know if it sounds like a police sort of thing - I can't imagine calling them about this without a more obvious reason, even though I'm totally curious.

OutnumberedbyFurchesters · 06/08/2017 23:41

Intrigued!
The flashlight and alarm is vair strange.
Did you call Police?

GlitteryFluff · 06/08/2017 23:41

Hmm that's odd behaviour.

Original poster
CanadaMoose91 · 06/08/2017 23:41

I didn't report, as DH thinks I'm being obsessive and am just desperate to be Nancy Drew (not sure why or when he gained knowledge of those books), and neighbour says she is ok. If I see anyone outside again though, I'll be ringing!

OP posts:
Original poster
CanadaMoose91 · 06/08/2017 23:43

At the moment, nobody appears to.be outside and I look like an idiot standing watching an empty street!

OP posts:
Graceflorrick · 06/08/2017 23:43

I'd report it OP Flowers

Sharl2017 · 06/08/2017 23:44

It's the flashlight to the windows that concerned me. Good luck OP! DH always just think we're worrying over nothing don't they Grin

NoCapes · 06/08/2017 23:44

Hmm very intriguing...
blatant place mark

Heratnumber7 · 06/08/2017 23:45

Marking place to check in tomorrow to see what's up. Night all x

alltouchedout · 06/08/2017 23:50

People are sometimes just weird.

64PooLane · 06/08/2017 23:51

Could you see at all what he was doing while he was sitting for these short periods in all the various car and van seats?

AnnieAnoniMouse · 06/08/2017 23:52

I'd report it, because if anything untoward does happen you'll feel awful if you didn't.

I live in the same sort of place as you & 101 are only too happy to send someone out.

I would be double checking all the doors & windows & sleeping with one eye & ear open if at all

NoMoreDecorating · 06/08/2017 23:53

We need a diagram

twinklefeather · 06/08/2017 23:54

We live in a quiet residential street away from the main road, a while ago we noticed a white van parking up every evening it would always be gone by the morning (6ish). 1 evening about 10.30 I heard a loud knocking noise I opened the front door thinking there was emergency road works or something it turns out the van was full of European men who had been locked inside. My dh opened the door and they ran down the road towards the main road. We rang the police they came out and they said that the van was used for people trafficking Confused van hasn't been seen since thankfully.

Original poster
CanadaMoose91 · 06/08/2017 23:55

No, I couldn't see what he was doing. Though the looking for keys thing would make sense - it just doesn't explain the van being there for multiple nights and noise between 10:30 and 2.

OP posts:
Original poster
CanadaMoose91 · 06/08/2017 23:57

Omg twinkle that is terrifying for you and all those men! Did the van have any markings on the back?

OP posts:
chowmeinchick · 06/08/2017 23:58

@twinklefeather 😳

Escargot82 · 06/08/2017 23:58

I would have walked out and approached with a big smile "HI THERE! I noticed you shining a torch in the windows - did you need something? By the way I haven't seen you here before!! Are you new? Did you just move in?" Be the overbearing nosey neighbour and they will take their van elsewhere.

64PooLane · 06/08/2017 23:58

I can't imagine what the op has described as being the prelude to a burglary attempt. The van man has drawn massive attention to himself with alarms and weird behaviour etc. and he can be identified as linked to the neighbour. And the neighbour knows he's been noticed. He's hardly going to start doing the rounds of local windows with his glass cutter after all that surely? Everyone would know exactly where to point the finger.

And this has been going on for several evenings apparently.

Sharl2017 · 06/08/2017 23:59

Write down the reg for the car and van incase anything gets reported you can provide to the police