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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:
CoffeeBreakIn5 · 21/12/2017 00:06

I think this is the circumstance to phone the police, I really think you should all things considered. If you weren't so remote then I'd suggested ringing a friend even at this time of night.

Original poster
Foxysoxy01 · 21/12/2017 00:06

I'm fine honestly I think it's just my mind playing tricks.

I'm not that far away from my closest neighbours and I have security lights so they would notice if someone prowling about and the lights going on and off.

I think I've just worked myself up! so now I'm going to give myself a good talking to and get some sleep.

If I hear anymore noise I will keep you all informed!

I am dreading the dog walk tomorrow morning though Shock but I did pre warn my friend this evening and they are coming with me BlushGrin

OP posts:
Eatingwormswithwine · 21/12/2017 00:08

Whistling could just be the wind?

Original poster
Foxysoxy01 · 21/12/2017 00:14

Now I feel awful. I just texted my friend keeping her up to date and she's on her way over. I'm going to look like a right idiot when she gets here and nothing happens all night now.

I will admit to being a little relieved as it really was whistling and the dog has pissed off downstairs now.

OP posts:
SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 21/12/2017 00:15

You've got a good friend there, Foxy. You don't sound the type to cry wolf - I'm glad she's going over to you!

Goodasgoldilox · 21/12/2017 00:15

Think about it - if you were in the police and someone phoned to tell you about being in a situation like this - would you mind going round to check?

RB68 · 21/12/2017 00:16

101 are great they are used to this sort of call - it is more than justified

BadFeminist · 21/12/2017 00:21

Don't feel awful,

I've lived on farms or in secluded houses near them my entire life. Apart from teenagers parking their corsas up the lane for quickies it's usually innocent so when there is someone dodgy about it's usually because they are doing dodgy things or planning to do dodgy things.

Someone nicked my horses hoof pick from the fence once, and four laying hens another time. A van drove past twice and then I saw him speed off a third and half of my hens were gone!!!

Better safe than sorry anyway.

MyKingdomForBrie · 21/12/2017 00:21

Very glad your friend is coming, you will feel so much better not being alone!

Original poster
Foxysoxy01 · 21/12/2017 00:22

I'm going to wait till friend gets here and see if anything else happens while she is here.

I really don't want to call 101 unless absolutely necessary. They were very nice on the phone and logged it all but they didn't seem particularly interested tbh.

I have checked all the locks, windows etc and am pretty secure. Dog is not interested although he is laying at the door which is a bit odd.

OP posts:
BadFeminist · 21/12/2017 00:23

He probably senses you're feeling worried, they are very sharp on that.

twiney · 21/12/2017 00:23

Thats fucking creepy re the whistling. Is your friend male or female?

AnnieAnoniMouse · 21/12/2017 00:24

I’m pleased she’s coming over.

I’d have been onto the police the minute the whistling started. I wouldn’t much care what they thought of me.

I’d still knock on doors & ask for contact details. Even if it meant explaining that I’m not going to be suggesting key swapping nonsense, just phone numbers for emergencies and explain how fucking scary it was for you tonight.

Let us know when your friend arrives.

Original poster
Foxysoxy01 · 21/12/2017 00:26

Yeah he is probably wondering what the silly human is up to again! He puts up with a lot the poor dog Grin

My friend is female but she does martial arts and is physically really fit. I would NOT mess with her!

OP posts:
BadFeminist · 21/12/2017 00:26

Oh fuck, I've just had a thought.

Where about date you OP, county will do

Original poster
Foxysoxy01 · 21/12/2017 00:29

I'm not sure I want to completely out myself with whereabouts I am as I think it's probably quite outing from the earlier descriptions anyway!

What are your thoughts though BadFeminist?

OP posts:
BadFeminist · 21/12/2017 00:30

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/M25catt_killer

I'm only putting this up because the suspect has scarring to his face and is expected to linger about watching for cats he can then do awful things to. He's been from Manchester to all around the south.

BadFeminist · 21/12/2017 00:31

It's probably nothing, but he's recently hit sussex and pops up anywhere.

It's a seriously creepy read but he's not a danger to people, if just dawned on me that this guy you saw covered his face.

SNARL on Facebook have a lot of info.

MissTeri · 21/12/2017 00:33

My neighbour was burgled a few weeks back around 11am in the morning. The man walked past my place and there is nowhere past mine just a dead end so I knew he was suspicious!! He clocked me watching him and turned around walking in the other direction ... he'd only just burgled next door and was about to do mine OR burgled theirs just after!! I felt so thankful I was home so my place wasn't done but I felt terrified for nights afterwards.
Hope you're okay OP, it's fucking horrible feeling afraid in your own home.

WobblingWilma · 21/12/2017 00:35

Hey Foxy

If you feel threatened / worried and want to call the police, do it

A few years ago I was awake in my flat on my own late at night and spotted a bloke hanging round on the lawn outside the block.

It was a bit unheard of but not THAT unusual at first - I was in a small city - but as time passed I was increasingly unnerved.

I decided to move away from the windows and after I turned the lights off and went to bed I heard someone knocking on the windows, and - feels stupid now - was debating what to do. Considered calling the police but my phone wasn’t in the bedroom - doh! Considered waking a neighbour - could do that, block of flats

Felt a bit daft, did none of it, eventually the knocking stopped and I convinced myself i’d imagined it.

Didn’t really sleep. Block had a porter who arrived at 8am so at 8am I decided to go and tell him

He already knew, and the police had already been, because my neighbours had seen him approaching their window and called 999

They had reviewed the CCTV and seen the man waiting outside my flat, he was waiting until my lights were off and when they were he was knocking on my windows to see if they opened and he could break in - they were locked, so he couldn’t. My neighbours’ weren’t.

I am not telling you this to freak you out but because the police could see very clearly that I was in there and aware of him - from their experience, what I was doing with the lights. The porter told them I was a woman living alone - I am also disabled - and he was about to come and see me because they wanted to pass on the message that if anything similar ever happened again, I MUST call 999 because that is what 999 is for, and even if it had turned out to be nothing no one would consider it a waste of time.

I was quite freaked out by what could have happened and how hesitatant I’d been, and wouldn’t think twice about calling the police in a similar situation again - they won’t mind, it’s what they are for.

HangryHanderson · 21/12/2017 00:39

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3004557-To-be-scared-of-the-man-in-the-woods

Weird but not as weird as this one Wink waits for the pro-hoodie and clown shoes brigade to arrive...

BadFeminist · 21/12/2017 00:39

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.thesun.co.uk/news/2685879/m25-cat-killer-how-many-pets-snarl-humans/amp/

I'm not getting to sleep tonight am I 😂

Original poster
Foxysoxy01 · 21/12/2017 00:42

TBH I don't want to freak myself out more by reading the link tonight but if it is what I think it is then I wouldn't have thought it a very good place for a cat killer. It's right off the beaten track with not many houses. I don't have cats and I don't think many of my neighbours do either. It's really not the type of place you would target. It's also miles from the nearest main road.

That's what made it all so odd. There was nowhere nearby he could have parked. You literally can't park near the track but if you parked in the nearest place I would have seen the car, it would be really obvious. So he must know the area and be able to walk here. I am sure I don't know him but then I suppose would you know someone in a big jacket with the hood covering his face completely?

It was also the behaviour of pulling his hood up in such a weird way being really obvious about me not seeing his face and like he was making his mind up for the next thing he was going to do.

It gives me the creeps the more I think about it.

OP posts:
Original poster
Foxysoxy01 · 21/12/2017 00:48

Bloody hell wobbling that is terrifying!!!!

Friend should be here really soon!

I do wonder in the back of my mind if it was just a teen having a sneaky fag and now I am elaborating the story to myself and just making it even more terrifying.

But then I swing to, well he didn't look teen sized, where would he walk there, why did he act really oddly to begin with and not just walk past me and light up further down the track?

OP posts:
BadFeminist · 21/12/2017 00:50

The face thing was the only thing that made me think.