I went outside to smoke and see if the chipmunks were playing. Parked at the end of my street is the postal truck. Then I noticed a plain compact car pull up behind the postal truck. This is NOT unusal, as my street ends in a cul-de-sac, so folks often park down at the cross street and do whatever walking their jobs may require. Postal service, Meter readers, Supervisors for UPS, Garbage trucks, etc.
I heard the mail being inserted into mail box, it'll be there when I get to it, I was in the midst of typing something. Smoke break, and the Postal Truck is gone, compact is still parked, engine running, and the driver best I can tell is on a cell phone. Humm...okay not really humid - yet, still , well maybe he don't care if he burns up someone else's gas on the job, he may have gotten a bit warm being out and about and maybe I missed that.
Now this area is NOT the best area . We have had car jackings just down the way, the elderly folks especially have been known to get followed home and "bothered" in the driveway/ carport. Some nasty break-ins while folks home just over that-away.
My gut is telling me " this ain't normal".
So with tennis shoes, jeans, untucked shirt, CCW - I grab an extra mag and stick in back pocket. Yard has a fence on back property line, and one side.
I peer out the back and there is a guy in some kind of logo shirt,( polo style) binocs, some kind of badge clipped to his shirt. "Maybe" a utility company is going to trim the trees to power lines, or Comcast again checking to see if folks stealing cable. He was looking with binocs and using a cell phone.
I leave via the front door, and lock it. You don't wander around outside here with a entrance unlocked. I walk around the side to the back.
This guy was talking on a cell phone, pulling on the locked door that gives access to under this house!
Excuse me- may I be of assistance sir? Talk about a "deer in the headlight" look.
"I'm with the 'Utility Company". he said .
I asked which one.
He looked up in the air..."oh just contracted to do Utility inspections in general"
I then asked why a "general" inspection included checking to see if the lock worked on access door to under the house.
I mean maybe it is part of Homeland Security, War on Drugs, Terroism, maybe an escaped deranged seat belt on the lamb or something...
He asks me to step closer to see his badge. I suggested if his legit to stay there, toss the badge my way. I assure him I will apologize if my negative suspicisons are unfounded. I can hear a voice on his cell phone, his hands are out in plain view, palms up and showing "openess" and "innocence". His shirt does NOT have a logo of any kind, just a polo type shirt.
I hear a car rev up,hear the brakes screech and 'General Utility' takes off in dead run. I move closer to house ( brick) and stay close as I make my way to the corner where I take quick peek and pull back in.
Seems the vehicle that was parked behind Postal Truck, pulled up my street past the house next door, but not far enough to my house. Once the Utility driver get in passenger in, backs down the street, and speeds off.
I call the direct line to the po-po and give descrptions of the guy, and car. We don't have front license plates here, and no visible markings or stickers on the vehicle.
My gut says the neighborhood was being cased, I said so to the nice Officer on the phone. Too many years of 'another life" causes my gut to talk to me.
Officer thanked me and said yes, sounds like what is going on.
Reason I call direct is due to life experiences and 911. I remember when we didn't have 911.
Since I had to call the po-po not long ago and met them away from here, I thought "maybe" that was an umarked car. Not a good idea to see the po-po pull up at one's house - the BGs tend to retaliate about stuff like that around here.
I get a return call from the po-po and to the best of their knowledge and fter checking , no unmarked cars in my area, and the Utility companies did not have anyone contracted to be in my neighborhood either.
I was concealed the whole time. I never made a move toward my CCW. Only thing I had visible was a styrofoam cup of coffee in weak hand, and my smokes "printing" in shirt pocket. I looked like goofy homeowner out wandering in the yard.
Folks wonder why folks CCW at home. Folks wonder how folks get pegged and broken into, home invaded,or attacked in driveways/carports/ or garages.
One never knows the where or when of next encounter -CRSam.
The patio door has holes drilled and BIG nails to keep from coming out of tracks, as do the windows. Even at home, and in the yard I lock doors and CCW.
Watching six is good, watching 360 and the neighborhood ain't a bad idea either.
Steve
I heard the mail being inserted into mail box, it'll be there when I get to it, I was in the midst of typing something. Smoke break, and the Postal Truck is gone, compact is still parked, engine running, and the driver best I can tell is on a cell phone. Humm...okay not really humid - yet, still , well maybe he don't care if he burns up someone else's gas on the job, he may have gotten a bit warm being out and about and maybe I missed that.
Now this area is NOT the best area . We have had car jackings just down the way, the elderly folks especially have been known to get followed home and "bothered" in the driveway/ carport. Some nasty break-ins while folks home just over that-away.
My gut is telling me " this ain't normal".
So with tennis shoes, jeans, untucked shirt, CCW - I grab an extra mag and stick in back pocket. Yard has a fence on back property line, and one side.
I peer out the back and there is a guy in some kind of logo shirt,( polo style) binocs, some kind of badge clipped to his shirt. "Maybe" a utility company is going to trim the trees to power lines, or Comcast again checking to see if folks stealing cable. He was looking with binocs and using a cell phone.
I leave via the front door, and lock it. You don't wander around outside here with a entrance unlocked. I walk around the side to the back.
This guy was talking on a cell phone, pulling on the locked door that gives access to under this house!
Excuse me- may I be of assistance sir? Talk about a "deer in the headlight" look.
"I'm with the 'Utility Company". he said .
I asked which one.
He looked up in the air..."oh just contracted to do Utility inspections in general"
I then asked why a "general" inspection included checking to see if the lock worked on access door to under the house.
I mean maybe it is part of Homeland Security, War on Drugs, Terroism, maybe an escaped deranged seat belt on the lamb or something...
He asks me to step closer to see his badge. I suggested if his legit to stay there, toss the badge my way. I assure him I will apologize if my negative suspicisons are unfounded. I can hear a voice on his cell phone, his hands are out in plain view, palms up and showing "openess" and "innocence". His shirt does NOT have a logo of any kind, just a polo type shirt.
I hear a car rev up,hear the brakes screech and 'General Utility' takes off in dead run. I move closer to house ( brick) and stay close as I make my way to the corner where I take quick peek and pull back in.
Seems the vehicle that was parked behind Postal Truck, pulled up my street past the house next door, but not far enough to my house. Once the Utility driver get in passenger in, backs down the street, and speeds off.
I call the direct line to the po-po and give descrptions of the guy, and car. We don't have front license plates here, and no visible markings or stickers on the vehicle.
My gut says the neighborhood was being cased, I said so to the nice Officer on the phone. Too many years of 'another life" causes my gut to talk to me.
Officer thanked me and said yes, sounds like what is going on.
Reason I call direct is due to life experiences and 911. I remember when we didn't have 911.
Since I had to call the po-po not long ago and met them away from here, I thought "maybe" that was an umarked car. Not a good idea to see the po-po pull up at one's house - the BGs tend to retaliate about stuff like that around here.
I get a return call from the po-po and to the best of their knowledge and fter checking , no unmarked cars in my area, and the Utility companies did not have anyone contracted to be in my neighborhood either.
I was concealed the whole time. I never made a move toward my CCW. Only thing I had visible was a styrofoam cup of coffee in weak hand, and my smokes "printing" in shirt pocket. I looked like goofy homeowner out wandering in the yard.
Folks wonder why folks CCW at home. Folks wonder how folks get pegged and broken into, home invaded,or attacked in driveways/carports/ or garages.
One never knows the where or when of next encounter -CRSam.
The patio door has holes drilled and BIG nails to keep from coming out of tracks, as do the windows. Even at home, and in the yard I lock doors and CCW.
Watching six is good, watching 360 and the neighborhood ain't a bad idea either.
Steve
Yeah well so she got me and figured it out.