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

Yes, I think this. But you did the right thing by reporting, you were trying to do a good thing by backing up. You're a good person OP! I think PP is right it's hard in the moment to process.

Hope you're ok now OP.

Well done for calling the police but I highly doubt they would recommend you confronting the man. You put yourself in a potentially very dangerous situation. Leave it to the police

See, if OP was a man (which we dont know if they are), this actually makes total sense. I can see my DP doing this. If shes a woman, it makes zero sense. If he lived there, the moment he saw she was a woman he would have explained things.

If more people did, we wouldn't have half as many issues as we did now!

Your a serial traitor lol being chased damn thats a fine mess you gotcha self into.

@MakeThatMakeSense try not to go over the details too much. We never know how we will react in a situation until it happens. I probably would have done the same because in my mind I would want to be helpful and provide as much detail as I could to the police. Try not to be hard on yourself.

You sound like you enjoy being a misanthrope. Telling OP to grow up? Pathetic move, pull yourself together.

You should have ignored it. My Mum’s partner intervened in a car theft while walking his dog late at night. He was stabbed to death. This was in a small village in Scotland, not a crime hotspot.

Really unfair. She was trying to stop a crime being committed.

Sadly this was my line of thinking as soon as read this. These types of people must dispose of any evidence and are totally ruthless.

my cousin witnessed someone getting beat to death from his window and the perpetrator spotted him. His life was in danger for a long time but thankfully they caught the perpetrator.

id be changing my car and moving. Today.

OP, ignore the bellends who are telling you off like you’re their petulant child 🙄 Nobody should get shit for trying to do the right thing and ultimately, you were just doing as asked by the police. Yes, in hindsight, pulling back and asking if he needed help probably wasn’t the wisest decision but nobody is thinking straight in these situations. It’s very easy to sit behind a phone screen and say “well you should’ve done this and shouldn’t have done that” but most of those people wouldn’t have had the balls to phone the police in the first case. Thank you for seeing something sketchy and actually trying to do something about it.

I smell AI

Well done from learning from your mistakes.

You put yourself in danger and things could have ended a lot worse but fortunately it didn’t, so learn from it and move on.

If the sexes were reversed and a man slowed down watching a woman going into her driveway, then reversing and winding the window down asking if she needed help in her own driveway - then we’d all say that he was a creep because his behaviour was inappropriate - so you know it’s not normal to do this, even if the other person isn’t a threat.

I know you now realise asking him if you could help was reckless under these particular circumstances, but what answer did you want him to give? I mean how could you have helped in anyway? He might have said yes he did need help, then what?

And you were on the phone with the police! That gives a sense of "back up" too! Don't be hard on yourself OP. You did the right thing and thank goodness you had the relative safety of your car. Imagine if one of the neighbours had popped out to their car or for a run and been confronted with him!
You were a good citizen!

Thank you for being vigilant. Who knows what his plans were for that home and the people in it. You called police and prevented what was taking place.

Under those particular circumstances how on earth would she stop it? Unless she’s a martial arts crime fighter how would she have the upper hand?

Reminds me.

20 years ago I saw a middle aged guy aggressively bashing a parked Jaguar with his fists and feet. I stopped and shouted at him to stop.

He turned around, and in an amenable friendly way and said "It's my car."

That took the wind out of my sails and I smiled, nodded and drove on.

I'll never know if it was his car or what was going on.

Exactly!!!

She put herself in danger by seeing something that she thought was suspicious and then hanging around and trying to make conversation.

But also if he said yes, could you help me as I need a second pair of hands to get my keys/change my tyre etc then what would she have done.
She sounds like the type of person to get out of her car and go to him.

He’s definitely a bad’un … if it was me I’d be cordial and just say no problem it’s my house, I wouldn’t go all gangster and attack!! I hope you got the reg so the police can find him

Exactly. OP everything you did after initially calling the police was in the heat of the moment (and it was all recorded on the call). I think you're fantastic and admire you. People are victim blaming, again, on MN. It definitely was not his house. He was dangerous but you just acted on instinct and there's nothing wrong with that. Glad you're ok (and hope the police got him).

If this is real then she’s damn lucky he didn’t take her up on her offer to help. Her offer wasn’t really an offer it was a, I see what you’re doing, warning, but OP wasn’t a teacher admonishing a pupil and he wasn’t going to be physically afraid of her.

The survival instincts of a lamp 🤦‍♀️