Holy Sh*t That Was Scary

[MakeThatMakeSense]

So, I was just driving home alone at ~00:15am

And I saw a guy in a black tracksuit, out in the rain, in a posh road amongst big gated houses. And it looked like he was trying to break into a parked car.

So I was just processing what I was seeing. So I slowed down as I drove past, and then came to a stop down the street (much further, but still in sight I suppose).

It's not a remote spot. And actually it's not a road that tends to have 0 passing traffic.

Anyway, I called the police and told them what I saw. They asked if he was still there. I looked in my mirrors, couldn't see him. Assumed he must have fled. And backed up, still with police on hands free. Said no, I can't see him anymore.

However, then I saw an eye looking at me through the gap between the gate and the wall of this big gated house.

I still had the police on the phone.

I wound my window down and said "can I help you?" And then he appeared over the fence, shouting abuse at me aggressively and proclaiming that that was his house.

I really felt like it was not his house.
But whatever, I drove off and was talking to the police giving a description of him.
But I see him running after me in the rearview mirror.

So I just continued to drive on at a steady pace. But he must have jumped in a car because next thing, I'm being chased / pulled up alongside by this lunatic scally shouting abuse at me through the window.

I didn't react and I didn't want to speed up so in the end he threw a glass bottle at my car and sped off like a mad man.

The whole time I was on the phone to police.

They're out looking for him now.

Was scared to go home for a while but I'm in now.

Just sat here thinking... Wow I was just wanting to get in bed and enjoy catching up on Traitors and somehow ended up in some sort of mad dramatic night.

Did I do the right thing?
Feel like j just got myself in dangers path?
Should I have just ignored what I saw?

It just depresses me to think I wouldn't look out for people in my local area. Hence j felt a duty to call police.

I don't know what scene I just stumbled on but there was definitely something 'off' about it.

YABU - you should have just ignored it and gone about your business

YANBU - you did the right thing calling the police

Hmm, I reckon it was his house and he was freaked out by a car slowing down and the driver staring at him then stopping and reversing back so went behind his wall for protection so he could see what you were up to.

Then wondered why the hell you were asking 'can I help you' when you were stalking him outside his house.

On realising you were batshit, and in fact must have bat vision to see an eye peering through a gap in a wall in the dark, got even more freaked out that some random was hanging around outside his house and was on the phone to someone describing him!

He then got into his car (that you thought he was nicking) and followed you to find out what you were doing and got angry that you may have been up to no good!

What made you think he was trying to break into a car?

I would think a car thief would duck down and hide if a car came along as they were trying to nick one. Your headlights would have given a decent warning.

Was it because he was wearing a tracksuit and you don't think people who live in big gated houses change out of their posh suits into loungewear when they come home after work?

Maybe it was an Armani tracksuit?

YWNBU until the point when you saw him hiding by the gate and called out. IMO that was brave but a bit foolish. I’d have been out of there at that point as quickly as possible.

Annoying as it is, I’d far rather my car got broken into than someone be run off the road/ attacked.

All was well until you reversed and called out to him? This is how the worst endings in horror movies begin......this is why you got chased by a one eyed man shouting obscenities. Should have called the police and kept on going home, unless he was actively killing someone then you still keep safe but beep your horn as you've called the police already,

Well done OP

Alls well that ends well. Yes perhaps a bit foolish to confront him, but you acted, you did something.

I bet you gave him a real fright which is why he was so aggressive. I hope they do him for dangerous driving!

Well done to you for doing something. Many wouldn’t have even called the police. People stealing things others have worked hard for makes my blood boil.

You know what op the police asked you to check he was there so you did. That was the mistake but I did similar once.
I saw a group of men beat up a single guy under a bridge once.
i called the police and they asked me to go over and check on him to see if he wanted an ambulance. Well off I go thinking I was helping. Back come the blokes who beat him up and start harassing me pushing me and calling me names. I said to the woman on the phone that I was going to walk away and she said ‘ please stay there till we get there’. I said fuck that I’ve done my bit I’m not getting beaten up (or worse) too.
they had my name and number and never checked on me if I got away ok.
my learning is to call the police from a safe distance and stay the safe distance away unless it looks like the person needs immediate medical attention (the chap in my case was sat up and moving).
you tried your best in a difficult situation. I hope they find him.

Why did he chase her and throw a bottle at her?

Did you give his number plate to the police? I think you’re mad but very brave. The world would probe a better place if more people were like you ☺️

You were right to call the police,
you were wrong to go back and check. It's shocking reading that the police were expecting you to do that. I think I would have said it is late, dark and I am a lone female and do not feel comfortable checking on a potential crime suspect. Though obviously it's hard to perhaps think at the time.
As others have said anything could have happened and even though you had rung the police by the time they acted you could have been dead.

Sometimes you just react, I saw a burglar try and break into my neighbour’s house, I pounded my window hard & shouted, tbf he shit himself and I’ve never seen anyone move so fast.

I just call the police if I see things these days but always refuse to help further tbh - I just say I’m not there anymore and no im
mor comfortable checking or going back

there was a man who was obviously after taking something and he was keeled over on the wall outside my flat and I rang non emergency ambulance to say he was passed out - and they tried to get me to go over and check he was breathing- he’d been erratically walking and shouting around there previously- I’m in the flat with my kids ! No thanks - I’m not approaching this guy even if he did need medical attention!

This And cars go a lot faster than a human.

You should have called the police, yes but you should not have interacted with him!!

On our way home walking the dog, broad daylight, we walked up an alley near some garages in our back street , saw a lad looking suspicious. realised he had a bloody crowbar behind his back as someone in a car was challenging him
I made full eye contact, took his scrap wagon reg and went in and called the police. Just the 101 as he had left. Watching out the window he came back and i really made myself known banging on the window, taking photos of them and telling them to f off.
I did put a fb post on (anonymously) but by then I was aware that info and who called the police would be obvious and they knew where I lived. I was worried that there might be some come back but thankfully there wasn't.
When I talked to friends they said they couldn't believe I did that but actually in the momemt I was incensed and just 'did it' without thinking! If it happened again id be more discrete with my actions.

I think some PP are being harsh here. OP was brave to do what she did. If we all stand by and ignore bad behaviour then everyone loses. Thank you for sticking up for your neighbours, OP. Just perhaps don’t wind your window down next time.

My god. I'm still trying to get my head around what the f* happened last night!!!

So. Firstly, I feel extremely FOOLISH. You know what, I am quite a brave person, perhaps too much. I need to think ahead more. But it was just such an unexpected situation!!! Please stop telling my off, people. Lesson learnt.

I think I reversed because, yes, the police person on the phone was asking me for details. I couldnt even think of the name of the road I was on. All of this was swirling round my mind, and I genuinely thought he had fled, and the pavement was wide and no one was on it. Plus I felt safe, foolishly, in my car with police on the line. I was kinda just trying to hive her more details!

The car the chased me was silver. The car that I think was being broken into was black.

I don't think it was his house. All I said was "can I help you?" From my car, which is basically a pensioner-style car. I'm not a threatening looking person. I think it's odd that he responded to that by screaming THIS IS MY F*ING HOUSE. Like, I never said it wasn't? I think he knew I was feeling confused.

I could see him looking at me through the gap with one eye, but actually I could see his whole body shadow through the gap. The gap was quite big. It was obvious he was there, looking at me.

The only other potential I can think is that it WAS his house, but that he's involved with someone dodgy. And maybe I actually saw 2 men. Maybe the guy by the black car was someone different. And maybe the house guy thought I was with the other guy.

You know what I HAVE NO IDEA.

All I know is that I got chased and a glass beer bottle thrown at my car (my window was up at that point!)

I will also add that once, years ago, I was a lettings agent for a house share. I'd filled 2 rooms with 2 men who did not know each other. I turned up to do another viewing and found these 2 men physically beating each other up on the landing. I thought, omg! I can't leave these 2 like this.. they live together alone, they're going to kill each other!!! Soni called the police, and the police asked me to stay at the house. I felt so unsafe I scarpered.

In future I will call police... As I flee the scene and I ain't going back!

YANBU in calling the police, but engaging with him was honestly insane.

You can live in a big house and wear a tracksuit and still be mad enough to chase someone and throw bottle at them. Perhaps he lives in a big house because he’s a criminal.

There's not a scratch on my car, bizarrely

You did the right thing calling the police but I would not have slowed down or engaged with him at all that was rash. U put urself in danger

OP there is unpleasant victim blaming on this thread. We all can regret choices made under pressure and the police asked you to see if he was still there. Don’t worry about what you did - obviously there is nothing wrong with any of your choices unless there is a dangerously anti social twat involved. Now you know not to trust your sense of self preservation - so if us just don’t get the flight response!

I believe you!

A man cut me up on a slip road in the middle of the night, nearly hit my car so I beeped my horn once. He went nuts when we got onto the dual carriageway, which was unfortunately unlit and no other cars around at the time. He sped in front of me, turned his lights off and kept slamming on his brakes to try and force a collision, I had to keep changing lanes to avoid him and then he straddled both lanes and kept braking sharply! He came alongside me at one point and I thought he was going to ram me off the road.

I was on the phone to the police crying because I thought I was going to die, I didn’t want to pull onto the hard shoulder and be trapped in a stationary car so felt I had no choice but to carry on dodging his every attempt at making me crash into him. Was only about 2 miles to the next slip road (felt like 1000 miles at the time) and thankfully he didn’t anticipate that I would pull off there so I managed to escape. I never got any answers from the police as to what happened afterwards, but I was just pleased to be alive!

Not sure he's nicking cars if he is already driving a car, of he'd managed to get the black car started, how would he have got two cars away - Corporal Jonesy style in Dad's Army?

Well done for intervening. You are indeed brave. I get why you reversed and asked if you could help him. Normally folks up to no good will make off if they’ve been seen. You were unlucky that this one was unhinged and started shouting. When he chased you in his car he wasn’t really chasing you he was driving off and giving you a scare in the process.

I once did the same when someone was snooping around my neighbours house and car. I said can I help you and he said I live here. So I said no you don’t and after some shouting and abuse he left. Never thought he’d stab me or anything.

You sound like you enjoyed the drama. Driving all the way back? Daft move, grow up.