Man walking around outside nursery each morning

[SMLSML]

Not sure if I'm over thinking... For the last 3 months or so, every morning without fail when I drop my daughter at nursery there is a man who is walking past it, then when I come out he's doing a loop the other way back past again. The nursery is on a business park so he could just be walking to work or getting his steps in but I do find it that he seems to do constant loops at exactly the same time every morning. I've stayed and watched from the car this morning and this is his fourth loop around the nursery building again... He doesn't appear to have a uniform or lanyard of any of the businesses on the estate... Am I thinking too badly given everything in the news at the moment 🙃 would you mention it to the nursery?

Heaven forbid an old man go for a walk at the same time every morning .

He may even pass a school (shock horror) or a playground (someone please think of the children) or walk by kids on the way to school (isn’t he aware that public streets are only for school children at that time).

Honestly this is beyond ridiculous.

I would listen to your gut. Mention it to the nursery staff, if he is a parent of a nursery child they will know. After all you are leaving your child there so if you are worried, mention it and put your mind at rest. Be interesting to know if he does this when the nursery is closed .. Sunday mornings ?

Does he do it on weekends too?

That's just it though, none of us were there.
So not sure what this thread was supposed to achieve - because being suspicious of someone just walking the same way several times a day does seem like a complete overreaction.
There's nothing wrong with walking about in public.
Only you know whether he's giving "off" vibes to you - so instead of asking MN, why not mention it to the nursery staff?
Maybe in a jokey way

"Need to start some exercise, that man who keeps walking past several times a day might be able to give me some tips"

Nursery worker - "ah yes, that's Joe, he regularly does his morning walk up and down, nice bloke."
Or "yeah he works around here, likes walking for his health in his break/before work/whatever."

Or if they aren't aware and don't know what you mean they might keep an eye out.

I expect he dies it every day he works in the business park. It's a business park. There will be lots of people going in and out. He's more than likely walking a while after his commute before he starts work.

Where did I say he was old? 😅

Walking a loop is common.
He might have chosen the route because he likes to to see and hear small children arriving to nursery with their parents.

I like to see kids in the life mix; it is positive and hopeful to see their energy and delight.

Take a picture of him so that you can take it to the Police if a small child is kidnapped, though, I bet that never happens.

Ha I can imagine the response!

Yes it's extremely common to see the same people during morning routines since everyone has the same schedule. We see the same dog walker every single day outside the school and he often watches the children playing. He's elderly and doesn't give off any weird vibes so I assume he just enjoys the noise of kids laughing or they remind him of his grandkids.

I would also assume that the outside of a school/nursery during dropoff time is a pleasant and very safe environment. If you had to walk morning loops for health reasons, it makes far more sense to do it in front of a school than down the back alley of a supermarket where you could get mugged.

Even if he is shifty, I really can't see what actual damage he can do in this situation.

I really hate this surveillance culture where people are always questions why people are doing things in public. It really creeps me out to think a photo of me could end up on one of these forums or neighbourhood groups just because, I don't know, I started walking for my health, forgot my keys and had to wait around, looked the wrong way at the wrong thing because I was looking for a bird singing or something.

Why don’t you actually start a conversation with him? ‘Morning’ a few times then ‘oh do you get your steps around here?’ Something like that may get to the bottom of it.

Get to the bottom of what exactly?!?! 😂

If some stranger got out of their car and started quizzing me me why I walking a particular route, I'd tell them to mind their own bloody business (in not so polite terms).

Also what do you think he'd answer if he does have bad intentions?! "Oh I just like to linger around nurseries looking for a child to snatch".

Don't ignore your instincts. You're not accusing him of anything. But I would definitely raise it with the nursery manager. Even the most secure nurseries are not as secure as people think with people letting other people in etc.

She is accusing him of something if she's reporting him.. and now you're escalating it by insinuating that 'someone' will let him in..

No, most people wouldn't be so concerned if it was a woman. But then, women aren't usually the ones involved in school shootings or knifing little girls at a Taylor Swift dance class and countless other examples I could give involving men and children.

It's raising awareness that's all. Why wouldn't someone do that if they felt something might be amiss.

I understand why you're worried it's good to be vigilant & aware of who is hanging around for safety sake so report it if you think there's something to be worried about. If it's nothing you've done no harm, but what if something did happen, how would you feel for not speaking up ?
He may just be walking in that area at that time as he feels safer being around lots of people, or simply because he likes the route. It is possible to enjoy the sight of happy children from a safe distance without being a sick pervert, even though there's so bloody many of them that are these days.

Trust your instincts. No harm mentioning it to the nursery for them to be aware of your concerns

Absolutely not a police issue at the moment. Just get your concerns logged and forget about it.

Yes a child will be accompanied at all times so I also don’t see the need to panic.

Such a weird mixture of Mumsnet ageism-it wasn’t long before this man became “old” and “elderly”- and the ridiculous “trust your instincts/gut” bollocks. Because it is bollocks. Guts don’t do thinking or decision making.That’s what brains are for.

Fine regular man - is that really the crux of this post?

My DH goes for a walk at lunchtime
most days and passes a nursery and a primary.

I must warn him to keep an eye out for crazy paranoid mumsnetters watching him from cars ready to call the police 👮

There is if he's a registered sex offender on a Sexual Harm Prevention Order or licence preventing him from being near nurseries, parks, swimming baths, etc. The police could take one look at his photograph and figure out whether he is or not. If not, no harm done.

I would report just in case especially as he is only looping the nursery building and OP is getting negative vibes.

Or if he is in breach of a non-mol or restraining order prohibiting him from being at his child's nursery.

There's a lot of explanations for this. He could be waiting for a lift / had a lift and waiting to start work so he's walking about. He could be taking a break from work and does loops round the business park. He could have health issues which means he needs to walk and he chose there because, I assume, it's flat and paved. He's having no interaction with the nursery or children and it's been going on for a long time so the chances of it being untoward behaviour are extremely slim in my opinion.

To all the people saying their partner walks by a nursery and school, just generally being a little ridiculous, I will reiterate, this isn't a one off walk by once a day, this man repeatedly comes back and forth across and past the nursery, at least 4 times within 15 mins whilst I'm there for drop off for seemingly no reason. He doesn't appear to have any mobility issues and doesn't have a child that attends the nursery. This isn't a case of me hating all men and kicking off on that front 😅 it is a genuine concern that this has happened every morning for the past 3 months and I just wanted some advice. As I said earlier, it's a gut feeling I have and I can't shake it, perhaps one of those situations where you definitely have to be there, thank you to everyone who gave a sensible reply