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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Found a phone in my garden - isolated property - shit scared

791 replies

ScarredBunny · 24/04/2020 19:12

Name changed for this - Sorry if this seem trivial, I know people are dealing with far bigger things at the moment.

I found a phone lying on the ground, about 5 yards from my house.

We live in an isolated property about a mile away from the first road. We have not have any visitors , maintenance people for many weeks (obviously). Delivery drivers, yes, but they would not have any reason to go to this part of the garden/couldn't access it during daytime without us seeing something.
At first I assumed it belonged to one of us, but no! Confused
Phoned the police, have a ref./case number, etc. but they're busy and will get back to us when they can.
The police said to take the phone indoors and wait for their call/visit.

I am worried that the next visit is going to be from whomever the phone belongs to.
The phone is dead as a dodo but I assume it still can be found?

What should do?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
Original poster
ScarredBunny · 25/04/2020 08:45

@tenredthings, that I really don't think.

@EdwinaMay I was thinking booby traps too, have you seen a film called The Savage with Catherine Deneuve? There's a great booby trap scene. Gosh that's a film for now, would take your minds off things.
I was really surprised that the Police came.

OP posts:
pretzele · 25/04/2020 08:47

Strange. I hope the police can give you a bit of info about who left the phone there.

Strawberrypancakes · 25/04/2020 08:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ponchek · 25/04/2020 08:50

Scarredbunny I don't think that - it's just that given you live in the middle of nowhere and nobody else has germ in your garden as you know, then it seems most likely the phone belongs to someone who lives with you.

MysteryFrog · 25/04/2020 08:50

Haven’t read the full thread so not sure if this has been mentioned yet but fully flat iPhones have to be plugged in for ages (up to an hour from my experience!) before they show any signs of life so it might still be functional

Original poster
ScarredBunny · 25/04/2020 08:52

@Hannie123, that is so sweet, thank you very much!
Unless we have from definitive answer, it's not going to be quite the same now, I think. Perhaps our 'safety' was just a perception, in that case it's a good warning. We really have to ramp up security a bit and stop being casual about it.

OP posts:
CrazyTimesAreOccurring · 25/04/2020 08:55

You've been answering questions all night op, don't you sleep ?!!

Newbie1999 · 25/04/2020 08:58

Did Avalanche put it there?

TwistyHair · 25/04/2020 09:01

I read an article by an ex burglar once about deterrents. The biggest deterrents are cctv and lights. Cctv that the burglar can see so they know they’re being filmed. So that would be the first thing I’d do.

But I agree with @Newbie1999. Reckon Avalanche put it there. By magic.

Original poster
ScarredBunny · 25/04/2020 09:03

@PatricksRum, yes a little bizare. (sorry can't spell it)

@PurpleCrowbarWhereIsLangCleg Ok so if you stood in the only space from where it could have been thrown from, in order to land where it did, (and that is still well inside the garden) you can either throw:
1/ over the wall to where I found it
2/ in quite dense shrubs
3/ in a pond
To get rid of something, I would choose the pond.

OP posts:
Namechangex10000 · 25/04/2020 09:14

This thread is still making my brain hurt and I’m really invested now, despite knowing we will never know the answer!

I’m just really surprised, that the majority here do not think what (to me) it so plainly is? I fully believe the phone has been dropped by an intruder scouting the property - I would think this way before I would think it was someone in the houses secret phone. I don’t understand why foxes and crows and bloody paragliders seem more likely then somebody presuming that a remote house would indicate money and therefore - more desirable things and to steal and obviously - lack of interruption if the occupants were not home.

Did avalanche pm you op??? This whole thing has been so bizarre!!!

IGottaGetOuttaThisPlace · 25/04/2020 09:16

In future if you find an iPhone, press the home button and ask whose iPhone is this.

It brings up the name of the owner.

(Try it if you don't believe me)

MarthasGinYard · 25/04/2020 09:16

'We are one mile from one road and 2 miles from the other. Does that make sense? It depends which way you are coming from.'

So you can pass your property and leave a different way. The track can be accessed from two different roads?

weasellywecognised · 25/04/2020 09:22

This thread is clearly going to continue now with variants of 'charge the phone, OP!' when she handed it over to the police ages ago. Why don't people at least read the OP's updates if nothing else?

Original poster
ScarredBunny · 25/04/2020 09:25

@GoldBoo and your husband was downstairs! They don't have the full deck these chancers have they?

@fodderbeet, the children are young adults, early twenties, they wanted to call the police more than I did.
DH? Thinking hard there but I can't really see it. He wouldn't need a secret phone to do whatever he wanted to do if it was about that. He could do it all day long and I would never know. Also he could leave it at work in any number of places where I never go. If he wanted to have a secret phone at home, surely he would make sure it was hidden? Besides it's not like if he oddly disappears in the evening or at the weekends, or has particularly long sessions in the loo. Or he would keep it in his car?

OP posts:
bobstersmum · 25/04/2020 09:26

Come on Avalanche!

TimeForChange123 · 25/04/2020 09:26

@Namechange.

Because it seems unlikely an intruder is walking miles to 'scope' out a house to me. Especially because they'd then have to walk miles back.

InFiveMins · 25/04/2020 09:32

OP do you have horses or other animals outdoors that someone was perhaps trying to steal?

Traviis · 25/04/2020 09:36

This thread is clearly going to continue now with variants of 'charge the phone, OP!' when she handed it over to the police ages ago. Why don't people at least read the OP's updates if nothing else?

Except it hasn't.

Barkingfuckingdogs · 25/04/2020 09:38

Wtaf is avalanche banging on about 🤨

bobbiester · 25/04/2020 09:38

apparently there is still a signal for location even on a dead phone

If the phone is just "off" possibly - but not if the battery is completely drained.

Traviis · 25/04/2020 09:38

I thought Avalanche was going to suggest sheep-rustling. But then started eluding to pigs. Is pig-stealing a thing?

Namechangex10000 · 25/04/2020 09:40

@TimeForChange123 there could be any number of reasons they would make the particular journey, and I’m sure there are methods of travel (cycling, motorbike able to go through woods and such like) this makes much more sense then a bloody crow!!!

limpbizkit · 25/04/2020 09:41

I think avalanche is a bit scary. I'd be freaked by her if I was in your shoes Confused she's/he is either suffering with a delusion/psychotic episode or they're your perpetrator....

greenlynx · 25/04/2020 09:46

I also agree that it could be local teenagers “exploring” surroundings as they haven’t got much to do at the moment. They could be just curious who live in the house.
It looks someone dropped his phone when your dog started to bark. And criminals (even inexperienced) wouldn’t be so scared/ surprised to hear a dog barking especially if they’re scouting the property.
Also your house sounds too far away for a peeping Tom, too much bother.