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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Bit weird or not?

804 replies

Foxysoxy01 · 20/12/2017 18:10

I'm not sure if I'm being a bit ridiculous so could do with some advice or a good talking too!

Bit of background needed but this may be quite long, sorry Blush

Where I live it is quite rural. I have a dog I walk morning and night around the same time each day but not same time on the dot. I sometimes walk on my own (with dog) sometimes with someone else (more often than not in the evenings)

There are two walks both rural with no street lights and nothing other than the odd tractor, walker, horse rider etc etc. Just to add neither of these walks lead anywhere other than one to a house that then branches off to a longer walk.

So the track I went down today has a house at the top, one a bit further down then nothing till the big house at the end where it branches off.

The middle house (although closer to top of track than middle) goes garden, house, gateway, garden, shed, fence, big tree with the track running along side.

So that's the background now what happened.

I have walked past the middle house, down to big house and am on my way back. I see someone coming and get dog back on lead. The person notices me and moves quickly from right hand side of track to under the big tree (just off left hand side of track) just behind shed of house. Person lights a fag and turns around facing tree.

I find this bit odd but carry on as I get next to him he is still just off track under tree and facing the actual tree. I'm getting a bit on edge as this is clearly a bit strange behaviour.

I say good evening (admittedly I might have sounded a bit nervous) the person turns round while lifting their hood up so I cannot see their face.

I walk past quite briskly! (I'm not sure if IABU but something about the person did frighten me)

As I get nearer the middle house gates I see they are not in as car is not on drive (there is a mid 30's woman on her own living there) I stop and turn to look thinking I wouldn't actually hear if the person ran up behind me. They are still under tree looking straight ahead (not at me, but across the track into side with hedge)

I carry on and as I get to the next house I look again but can't see him and I was not about to walk back and see if he was still there.

Now the whole behaviour of this person was off. They very clearly did not want me to see their face. They were either an incredibly burly woman or a man, fairly thickset about 6ft obviously in black and just quite terrifying.

I am home alone tonight and just a bit worried I suppose that he was either waiting for a person walking (maybe not with good intentions!) or to break into the middle house? Or the thought did cross my mind if was he waiting for my but chicken'd out.

The woman that lived on her own is I suppose fairly vulnerable as her house is a bit away from any others and she is on her own (the house is quite large and obviously worth a fair bit of money so you would presume there could be antiques etc)

This all happened about an hour ago now so it was dark.

I'm not sure if I'm just being silly or should o go and check if he is still there? Phone someone? Or just ignore it all.

Writing it all down makes me think I am over reacting and the bloke maybe just wanted a walk but it really didn't feel like that at the time. His behaviour seemed odd and his body language was quite menacing tbh.

What do the collective of MN think?

Sorry it was so long!

OP posts:
WhatInTheWorldIsGoingOn · 22/12/2017 21:50

Dear God this has freaked me right out. I suddenly really like my neighbours.

Interestingly a police officer told me that often burglars are literally looking for cash or jewellery. They then put it straight in an envelope and post it to themselves. Nothing incriminating. The last burglary down our road was broad daylight. Trashed the house but took nothing. Left the laptop, iPad etc.

SnowFairyDust · 22/12/2017 21:51

Yep same here, totally gripped by this thread true or not

Original poster
Foxysoxy01 · 22/12/2017 21:54

Friends have driven in. Apparently they got to our gates and there was a figure by the trees off to the left of our gate and fence.
They stopped the car and looked at the (I'm going to say bloke from before) bloke who just stood there. LFDH (Lovely friends DH) got out of car and asked if he could help him. Bloke just turned and walked away into the thicker wooded part.

I'm shitting it, LF is all for going out and kicking arse, LFDH thinks we should wait and see and DH thinks it's just kids and we should ignore it till they get bored.

And before anyone says the gates should have been shut, they were but LF's know the code and they are quite short gates anyway so anyone could jump them.

OP posts:
DesertSky · 22/12/2017 21:54

Hopefully you get to the bottom of this saga soon. Poor you x

Pfftkids · 22/12/2017 21:58

I've read every bit of this thread and keep coming back to check what has happened next. I really hope it is just kids thinking they are having a laugh.

Get onto the police and tell them there's someone prowling around!

chandlersfraud · 22/12/2017 22:01

Could be something or nothing.
There are a lot of 'odd' people in the world.

Pineau · 22/12/2017 22:01

Did your friend say what sort of age the bloke was?

chandlersfraud · 22/12/2017 22:02

Yeah, so didn't read the whole thread, sorry bout that

froshiechipandbrickie · 22/12/2017 22:06

Oh gosh. I really don’t think irgnoring it is the right way to go. Maybe call the police again? (Just so they know, in case?)

jellytotslove · 22/12/2017 22:10

erm can i borrow someone's dog tonight, preferably a huge one.
I'm alone with a baby for the next two nights and this thread has scared the u know what out of me Shock

cardeyscat · 22/12/2017 22:17

Eek! Sinister goings on! Hope you get to the bottom of it.

SoozC · 22/12/2017 22:17

Can you bear calling 101 again? You could report a prowler who apparently left when confronted but you're worried they're still there?

I say let your LF lose on the bastards (if she's the one trained in martial arts)! Grin

Tiredmumno1 · 22/12/2017 22:18

What is wrong with people, why would anyone want to scare another like this? It's just awful. OP I really feel for you, we have had similar recently but seems to have calmed down, but something tells me they'll be back. I can just see me staying up all night Christmas Eve, worried that's when they'll return.

Really is a horrid feeling that someone is watching or scoping the place out, I wish i could say something to make you feel better, I just don't know what to suggest, apart from keep the police informed of anything that happens and keep in regular contact with the neighbours. Also CCTV as soon as you can.

I hope you get to the bottom of this tonight Thanks

Butterandsugar · 22/12/2017 22:18

This is really quite intimidating. Did your friend or her DH get a feel for the man's age?

Eatingwormswithwine · 22/12/2017 22:20

Out crazy the crazy guy in the woods, all go out shouting and whistling into the garden, go all league of gentlemen on his arse. Don’t let him intimidate you, make him scared of you!

Skinandbones · 22/12/2017 22:23

Could it be someone with a mental illness, that is sleeping in the woods, and thinks you are trespassing, so trying to frighten you away.

EvilDoctorBallerinaRoastDuck · 22/12/2017 22:25

The spiral could be something to do with Fibonacci?

DrRanjsRightEyebrow · 22/12/2017 22:26

bloody hell. I'm glad you're not alone. Please update when you can as I'm slightly bricking it on your behalf.

Littlehenrylee · 22/12/2017 22:28

Tbf I don’t think I would have contacted the police because of the baubles but a man lurking outside my house would have me in the phone to them even if I lived somewhere surrounded by houses.

Did your friend guess the man’s approx age?

It is really strange that he is doing this when you are at home. If not too identifying, what line of work are you and your DH in OP?

I can’t really picture your area but does your house lead anywhere other than the track at the bottom of the road? If the man walked off to a wooded area that doesn’t lead anywhere, at 9pm on a dark winter’s night, and isn’t dog walking, he is acting strangely but there probably isn’t anything much you can do about it.

If somebody is throwing something at your door and hanging around outside your property, I’d report to the police tonight.

Original poster
Foxysoxy01 · 22/12/2017 22:29

We have been sat inside by the windows with a good view out but in the dark so anyone outside wouldn't see us. We have left the TV and lights on in kitchen and living room.

I'm not sure what's going on at the moment so will just wait it out and see what happens.

OP posts:
Butterandsugar · 22/12/2017 22:32

Do you think that in numbers you'd feel comfortable confronting him? I'm so angry on your behalf OP. How dare this person try to intimidate you and your DH this way.

twinone · 22/12/2017 22:32

There is an app called Alfred, there are probably others, that you download onto your phone.
Prop phone in the window and any movement will trigger the recording. You can get alerts sent to your phone or PC.
It's a cheap and easy way to temporarily see what's going on.

ObscuredbyFog · 22/12/2017 22:33

SkinandBones I was wondering something along those lines, could it be someone who thinks the house is "theirs" , maybe it was their family's house once upon a time but has been sold and they cannot accept it.

OP, did the people you bought it from live there very long? If it has a history of being bought and sold frequently over a short timespan, it could be that whoever is trying to intimidate you has had quite a bit of practise.

Jesterstolehisthornycrown1 · 22/12/2017 22:38

You really need to call the police now. He's hanging around outside your house. If it was kids then there would be more than one and when approached would have run off not just turned on their heel and walked off.

giddyupnow · 22/12/2017 22:39

Did you call the police again? Surely all the info together would be of interest to them?

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