Someone's following me..

[mouettoi]

I'm writing this here as I don't really know who else to speak to about it. I keep thinking maybe I'm going mad..

This morning at around 3.30am, I had an alert from my ring doorbell to movement outside of my front door. We live down a private track, so nobody would come to visit really; unless for a reason. We don't have passers by and we are a stand alone house, no neighbours.

I watched in real time as a man (?) walked up to my ring doorbell, looked straight into it, and then walked slowly away (backwards) before turning around and disappearing out of view.

Although they didn't do anything wrong as such, I feel really unnerved by this activity. My DH is away for work at the moment so it's just me in the house.

Has anybody had anything like this happen before??

Also OP it's safer to be over cautious than to be too relaxed. Even little changes to your routine such as carrying a rape alarm, phoning a friend if you have to walk somewhere by yourself, buying additional chain locks for your doors, putting cameras up etc can all help with not only your safety but your ability to feel safe. There is a chance this man has no ill-intention however this sort of thing would left me shaken. Take any and all steps to make yourself safer but also to feel safer - there is nothing too silly or too over the top if it helps your peace of mind.

Do people normally get things delivered at 3:30am in isolated areas?

a delivery driver at 0330am??

And to the poster who wrote 'police now' jeez calm down, the guy hasnt committed any crime!

i can see why you are unnerved OP but hopefully seeing him today was just a coincidence.

I hope you manage some sleep tonight

I'm no wilting wallflower but that's unnerved me on your behalf.
Please ring the police.
I'd also, when entering or leaving home have a good look round, have your car keys ready to unlock the car, get in and lock the doors, don't dither about putting stuff in the boot / back seat, open the drivers door, sling everything across to the passenger seat and get in and lock the door.
I'd also get a dashcam and try to get him in film if he's at your place of work.
Can you get someone to stay with you until your DH returns?
Please ring the police and update us.

I get Amazon deliveries as early as 4am lately. Could he be a driver looking for the correct house?

Amazon at 4am?? I'd stop ordering!

Glad you've rung the police, don't apologise for starting this thread, you've nothing to apologise for, it's good to get other people's perspectives.
I wish the arseholes who come on here with their really unhelpful comments would just scroll past if they've nothing helpful to say.
Take care of yourself op

Do people normally get things delivered at 3:30am in isolated areas?

I get deliveries at all times, especially when it’s things like Amazon flex jobs where people do them on top of their regular jobs in their own cars.

They don’t knock on the door though obviously.

I’d still be on the look out and reporting to the police but going up to someone’s door isn’t a crime in itself.

I can't explain the fact you seen him on an earlier occasion- that is strange.

But if he had bad intentions surely he would cover his face up? Most houses have some kind of security camera, bizzare behaviour but definitely report to police

I like it!

@Mamamia7962 I called the police following receiving the comments to do so. So I didn't do it first thing this morning before starting the thread as to be honest I wanted to give the benefit of the doubt.

Although it does seem unlikely that someone would take a wrong turn down my lane as there really isn't anywhere to go other than to our house.

In addition to advice received, do you have neighbours?

If so, alert them, ask them if they've seen anything and to watch out. It'll also reassure you to know they're there if you need them.

It sounds concerning OP but hopefully it’s a weird misunderstanding/coincidence.

do you have a close friend you could share your GPS location with just in case? I’m not sure how to do it but a friend did it with me recently when she was out.

Gosh, I’d be staying elsewhere till DH retuned, or get someone else to stay with me. Especially as you’re so isolated.

Have the police given advice? Have you made sure all doors and windows are locked and let people you know in real life know so they can check on you.

I’d also be inclined to carry something like a small can of hairspray in your bag that you could spray in someone’s eyes, in the (hopefully unlikely) event you need to get away. Do you have anyone who could stay with you until your husband gets back?

Get a friend to stay with you. I’d suggest going to stay with a friend but I’d not really want to leave the house empty.

The dog barking recording is a good idea, as is the camera at the back.

Unfortunately my close family are all around 3 hours away.. but I have a friend that is just looking into logistics as to if she can get a babysitter for her DC so she can stay with me tonight. I feel strangely calm about the whole thing.. but do find it strange I saw him this morning.

Goodness that sounds so scary! If he was scared by the camera doorbell, I'm not sure why he'd get up close and slowly walk away showing full view of his face

I'm glad you've called the police. Do you have any family or close friends nearby?

I'd be sleeping on your friend's sofa rather than her go to yours!!

Looks like the police have moved very quickly if they've already managed to scrutinise the footage you've sent them and told you it's not someone they recognise ... that's quite the rapid turnaround so that's something

I'd be unnerved too. The walking slowly backwards whilst looking into the ring camera is weird and seeing him again this morning is also strange unless you live and work in a tiny village.

If you can't get someone to stay with you then I would stay elsewhere for tonight. I'd think about cameras at other entrances to your property so that you can call the police if you get a notification someone has shown up in the middle of the night and is trying to break in.

Was it 100% definitely the same person you saw this morning? Your brain can do strange things, as we know from studies into eye witnesses in court cases. Sounds very worrying.

So you called the police less than an hour ago, after receiving calls on here to do so? And they've already said this man isn't someone they know?

It's all a bit bizarre op

Do you have children OP or is it relatively easy for you to stay at a friend's house for the next few nights until DH is home. This just sounds like too much of a coincidence and I wouldn't take any chances.