AIBU to have reported doorstep seller

[Persilorariel]

Just had an illegal doorstep seller peddling dusters ring my doorbell.
No mask, trying to show me things in his bag. This annoys me at the best of times, but now? Cases are really high, wasn’t very happy at being told to move on.

AIBU to report this peddler without a licence to the local police? I’ve already done it via an online form, but I’m not being too harsh am I? I can just image someone vulnerable rummaging in his bag and having a nice chat.

Note - I’m well aware of the colloquial NN name for these people, don’t want to offend any Nottingham people.

@user1471565182

Are you saying that people dont know how to use phones or how to write a house number down on paper and for some sort of victoriana kicks are going around chalking houses?

You obviously don't live rurally!

@KatieGGGG

Because when you google zip tie dog thefts it’s just various local police forces saying it’s absolute nonsense?

Odd! When I google I come up with notices from the three nearest forces warning dog owners to be aware of any markings on or outside their homes.

Including a helpful picture of the legitimate markings utility companies use.

As a dog owner I think I'll take police advice and remain vigilant!

... and I have no dog signs and my dog doesn't bark loudly, if at all!

@CuriousaboutSamphire that’s really interesting could you link the three statements? The only one I could find are Plumstead getting an absolute tanking for perpetuating a Facebook myth as old as Facebook.

Why? Google it. And the joint police and RSPCA statement of mid 2020.

They don't say the markings definitely ARE dog thieves, some acknowledge an increase in markings in areas with an increase in dog thefts (that is what has happened locally), others say they are still looking but we should all remain wary.

I can't find a police statement saying that they are bogus, a hoax etc! Can you link to one?

Yes:

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1133499/uk-crime-police-mocked-criminal-marking-symbols-outside-home-urban-myth/amp

www.cambstimes.co.uk/news/are-chalk-markings-linked-to-cambs-dog-thefts-4915426

www.snopes.com/fact-check/colored-stickers-target-homes-dog-owners/

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/cable-tie-rumours-plymouth-false-4898042.amp

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/police-allay-concerns-over-claims-4899451.amp

Except none of those police forces say there IS NO CONNECTION... just that they belive there isn't, have found no connection - and they all warn dog owners to remain vigilant!

The Snopes piece is not about the UK... or chalk /zip straps

As I said... police are not dismissing this, just saying there is no proof. It may well turn out to be nothing to do with thieves... though why some random stranger should put a zipstrap or three on my neighbours railings I have no idea.

Except that’s exactly what they’re saying.

Snopes link to show how old and far reaching the hoax is. It’s the new chain mail, and effective clearly.

Well, I've learned something today. I always thought chalk marks were to indicate "don't bother burgling this one, they have a dog" - it never occurred to me it was the actual dog they wanted to pinch

@Echo08 Any comment on this?

'he ties are being claimed to be coded signals to dog-napping gangs and pet owners have begun to share images and details of "suspicious" cable ties at a number of locations.

But police in Plymouth, where there were similar concerns in recent days, have come out to allay fears, saying they have no evidence of this technique being used in relation to pets.'

www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/police-allay-concerns-over-claims-4899451

Im actually getting sick of gullible people and social media mixing. Theres usually a racist element to it. All the way from morons spreading this sort of thing up to the politicians we choose.

'Police say chalk markings outside Cambs houses are not linked to dog thefts'

www.cambstimes.co.uk/news/are-chalk-markings-linked-to-cambs-dog-thefts-4915426

I think theres an element of people feeling like they want to be in on the secret. Its like halfwits going on local facebook groups near me everytime they hear a firework going off claiming its drug dealers sending out signals to buyers (because they also supposedly dont know phones exist)

Did they call you Dave and rell you that you were their wife?

So let me get this right. Someone goes around and finds all the dogs in a village worth nicking and puts a discrete chalk mark on the wall or fence of the house.
A few night later his mate drives round (crawling ) up and down all these street looking for a mark (and many streets won't have a dog work nicking)?
Doesn't seem the cleverest way of doing it does it? Kinda going to look a bit suspicious cracking up every street in a transit van shining a torch out the window wondering if it's a chalk mark or a bit of bird shit?
If only there was some unique identifier for every house. Maybe we could name every street and then give every house in that street a sequential number. And maybe we could record the names of these streets and their layout in a graphical format that could be shared - we could call it a map or something.
Then you'd only have to tell your dognapper chum that number 3 and number 11 Main Street and number 5 South avenue have a dog worth taking.
And that's before even considering the lifespan of chalk in a county with inclement weather.

Stop and think people. Does it sound like bullshit? Did you read it in Facebook? It probably is.

During the tiering time, we had lads from tier four area drive hundreds of miles to a tier two area. Fraid we reported them. It was dark, late and they were unmasked on the doorstep.