Man lying on grass outside

[ChekhovsMum]

So there’s a man lying flat on his back on the grass opposite from my house.
I saw him as I drove home, walking with the aid of two crutches (not elderly - I would put his age at mid-40s), then just as I pulled into my driveway he appeared to collapse to the ground, although if I had to guess, it looked like a deliberate decision, not a giving-out of his limbs, IYSWIM.
I parked, went up to him and asked if he was okay - did he want me to call anyone, get him some water etc? He said he was fine and didn’t need anything, with an attitude that suggested it was weird of me to ask.
20 minutes later, he’s still there. I can see him from the window. My guess is that he’s drunk, although he didn’t come across that way when he spoke.
I don’t really want to go back out because I’m home alone, and although it’s a residential street most people work very conventional hours around here, so there is a chance of not being seen/heard if I felt unsafe.
I can imagine this happening when I lived in London, but this is a very family-oriented residential area in a leafy town and it just seems so bizarre.
WWYD?

I have a Type 1 diabetic DS and one of my many fears for him is him having a hypo when he’s older in an area with small minded, ignorant people like @Speermint in it thinking he’s drunk or ‘not the type of person you want hanging around’ when he’ll likely turn out to be far more respectable than her!

I don’t think you could have done more than you did OP, and bless you for keeping an eye on him.

Awareness of conditions that can be an explanation for ‘odd’ behaviour like this is helpful though so people don’t automatically jump to ‘drunk, drugs or up to no good’.

I’d wait until tomorrow morning 🤣🤣🤣

This kind of behaviour is what started the whole Karen meme.

New to this thread but I would have been extremely perturbed if this happened to me, nothing 'Karen' about it! It's hard to imagine any 'normal' reason for a random adult to lie down on a grass verge in a residential area, without there being something wrong.

Of course OP was worried and also felt awkward doing the garden. It really isn't usual behaviour. OK - there could be an occasional rational explanation in which case most people would smile and say - I'm fine thanks, just need to rest from time to time'.

I've been a mumsnetter for years and normally know what to expect (and am often of the same opinion) - but am really amazed by the responses here.

My friend said he was 'too ill to go to hospital.' I had to really nag him. Turns out he had acute on chronic kidney failure.

My mum's friend kept stopping when they were out walking/him on a hired mobility scooter. He said he was fine, 'just thinking.' He had hypoglycaemia, jaundice, and anaemia, on top of his stage IV cancer.

"Happened to me"
Nothing happened to anyone 😂

And plenty of people are fine when they say they are fine. What's particularly bizarre with all the fussing and frothing in this case is there was a perfectly obvious and visible- the crutches- reason for the guy needing a rest.

If he was going to do anything to you I'd presume he'd try and interact with you in some way and not act as though he wanted you to go away when you approached him. Leave the poor guy alone.

This

I actually think the people mocking the op are probably the ones who have a sheltered middle class existence. “Leave the poor man alone, it’s not a crime to sunbathe. What are you afraid of?”
As someone who grew up in one of the most deprived areas in the country if I saw someone lying on a little grass verge in the street sunbathing when the sun wasn’t out in a full black tracksuit and had established they weren’t unwell I would be giving them a very wide berth. They are referred to as ‘cranks’ round my way and are to be avoided in the same way as the people who walk around in the freezing weather with no top on and a ghetto blaster balanced in their shoulder and the people who cover themselves in bread and let the pigeons eat it of them. They aren’t doing anything illegal but there behaviour is unpredictable and they are best avoided.
And as for the people saying he can’t do any harm because he’s on crutches - Ted Bundy spoiled that for everyone.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being mindful of your safety when you’re on your own and a man is behaving unpredictably op and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Calling the police would be an overreacting but choosing to do your garden another day is perfectly reasonable.

*their not there. I will correct it before someone else does 😂

It was nice of you to check he was ok. He was. Move on with your day, he’ll leave when he’s ready.

Are you the same kind of person who calls on children with lemonade stands and no permit? The man is on crutches, he's not going to run after you. Quit being a busybody and leave the man alone. Its frankly none of your business what he's doing long as he's not on your property