To think there is something strange with my neighbours

[Tahdahdah]

New neighbours moved in a few months ago. Hard to work our who lives there. Have passed them in the street and said hello trying to be friendly, but they don't engage. Middle aged woman seems to be the only consistent one at the property. She regularly walks up the street, waits outside someone else's house for 10/15 mins, eventually someone comes and picks her up in a car. Later on sge gets dropped off but never outside her own home. Have seen semi official people talking to her on the street - they wear lanyards. She never seems happy to be speaking to them. It always looks quite heated and she seems very defensive.

It just seems odd that if she's waiting for a lift, why not just wait in her house or on her own drive. Why does she never invite the lanyard wearing people in.

I know I seem like a right nosey neighbour, but I can't help feeling something isn't right with her. What if she needs some help? Is she a victim of people smuggling/modern day slavery?

AIBU yes - mind your own business and keep well our of it
No - it is odd and you should follow your gut.

Exactly. She’s likely got health professionals either helping her out, dropping her to places etc she could have a learning disability and needs assistance, who knows? She also could just be getting a lift to work. I guess it’s good to keep an eye out if suspicious but people with lanyards wouldn’t normally make me jump to a conclusion they’re dodgy, I work for the nhs and wear one.

It sound like the poor woman might be vulnerable or disabled and having support from social service.

Or for all you know could be a victim of domestic violence/abuse who is trying to avoid anyone spotting her waiting in front of her house and she would rather just wait for lifts at the street corner.

If you are genuinely concerned report this to social service/the police saying that you are concerned a vulnerable person might be taken advantage of.

The curtain twitching and spying is not achieving anything.

Based on what? People traffickers don't wear lanyards...

Leave the woman alone. Stop speculating online about her. You sound appalling and dressing up sheer nosiness as concern.

No they don't.

And the kind of things that helpline needs to hear and is likely appropriate, isn't 'middle aged woman living in a house gets picked up and dropped off further down the street'.

They're not red flags for modern slavery.

There’s no harm in calling for advice if OP is genuinely concerned.

If you're aware she's being supported, you can just keep a neighbourly eye on her. There may be a time when you notice something appears to be wrong and you can help.

Lighten up love! You were nosy enough to read the thread though. So that's okay. 👏 I wonder if it's appropriate for me to comment on the type of person you are, based on that.

Lanyard people are support workers. She doesn't want their support. She suffers from a bit of paranoia so doesn't want people to know where she lives. Bottom line: she's perfectly safe (because lanyard people are checking) and harmless, just a tad eccentric.

Of course you want to help, that's why you're on here gossiping. When my neighbours reported me (maliciously) to SS last year and I was speaking to them outside my house I bet they were gossiping about me just like you are. Clearly there are people looking out for her. Mind your own business.

But I haven't reported her for anything! She's behaving in a strange way and hanging around at the end of my drive a lot so I can't help but notice her. I think your past experience has clearly tainted your view.

Nothing of that is warning signs of modern day slavery, leave her be, if she’s blocking access by standing in the drive just excuse me and go about your day

So why post here unless it's to gossip. No one here knows why. If you think she's in danger then get in touch with people who can help. Or if you think she's fine mind your own business

It's probably a piphouse - they're all over social media at the minute.

Is she a victim of people smuggling/modern day slavery?
Do you think she is enslaved by the people with the lanyards?

What's a piphouse. Google isn't helping

I live near a home that provides supported living accommodation for people with mental disabilities. It is 24 hour and support workers are constantly in and out as shift changes. The pick up could be a travel package to take her to day services/ supported employment. She stands wherever she feels comfortable, might be anxious to see car coming .

She sounds like a vulnerable person who's getting assistance from a range of support agencies.Hopefully it's making life easier for her.

The official-looking people visiting her mean she's already on their radar, so unless she starts behaving erratically, doing something that seems dangerous to her or someone else, I'd stay out of it. She's out in the world, speaking to people, and capable of seeking help if she wants it. There could be any number of reasons for the things you've observed.

Could it be police, they have properties to use for soft interview places.

It doesn’t sound disruptive to you or harmful to anyone else whatever it is so try not to speculate.

The responses on this thread demonstrate why ‘no one intervened ’ ( shock , horror, why didn’t the neighbours etc etc) about Sara Sharif and all the other endless cases of trouble …..

Well, it typically does make things less likely to be 'dodgy' if it's a woman rather than a man. Offending patterns differ greatly between the sexes, don't they? Not sure what you mean by dodgy here either way though.

That sounds a struggle @Scutterbug , i hope you feel okay today.

I was going to say the same - it may be a guardianship arrangement for supporting her mental health.

Crikey. Some people are so snotty, sorry about that OP!!

You have legitimate concerns, and that's ok.

The whole point of an internet forum is that you can air thoughts that you're not necessarily sharing in public - the OP hasn't approached this woman, she's just concerned/curious, which is entirely legitimate.

I hate the attitude of some British people that nothing is anyone's business, full stop. If that were true, would you leave a child in a building that was visibly on fire, or a person crying on the edge of a high bridge?? Of course not! It's entirely natural and good to notice the plight of our fellow humans!! Come on people! We CAN care for each other, it's ok!!!!!!!

Sara Sharif wasn't killed by people wearing lanyards. The presence of these people suggests she is known to social services or whoever and it's under supervision.