I'm glad I live where I do. My daughter got a call today at work - her neighbor was tied up (figuratively) at the hospital, and had just been notified that her frozen food order had been delivered to her front stoop. She asked my daughter to go get it and put in the freezer for her. Door's unlocked, of course.

A short drive later the favor was done.

If you're not recognized by the neighbors and go on someone's property, the neighbors will right up front ask you who you are and what you're doing.

I don't know how much longer Mayberry will hold out, but I'm glad it's still here now.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
The guy did go there when he left our house, but I’m going to call the flooring company tomorrow.
.

Unless they were all in on it, easy to verify if he were bullshitting you, by going over there and ask them.

I have a cattle prod; he'd be on the ground.
Screaming like hell and wetting/pooping himself.
As I am calling the Police laughing my butt off!

911 call made on my watch (speaker) and either the Benelli M4 or my Scorpion would be slung, safety off, finger off trigger, ready. That guy is a fucking moron.

I allow the dog to answer the doors. This generally backs off whoever is at the screen door allowing me to open the inner door slightly and ask questions.

If I don’t care for the responses call 911 and let Mr. Benelli speak for me until the county Mounties show up.

There are plentiful examples of those who went to a gun to soon with instances of the wrong address, NY wasn’t to long ago.

I’m not saying be a wuss, but evaluate what’s going on. Yes, this guy was fiddling with the garage door keypad, seemed awfully sure though the wrong address.

My German Shepherd wouldn’t like a stranger fiddling with the door. I’d let her handle it.

quote:

Originally posted by Prefontaine: That guy is a fucking moron.

I have to agree with this. The house number isn’t more than 16” from the garage door opener and on the mailbox. While the houses are the same layout, they look nothing alike. He called to verify he was at the right house, came to conclusion he was at the right house, then ignored the house number and proceeded to attempt to break in.

quote:

Originally posted by a1abdj:
Has anybody gone down to the other neighbor's house and asked "Hey...was that your floor guy that mistakenly stopped by my house the other day"?

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
He left and did go two houses down. There were other people outside talking to him, so I believe he was legit.

I did not call 911. He kept his distance and was never a threat to me.

This was good enough for me yesterday when it happened.

I am wrong about him keeping his distance. I looked at the video from another camera and the tool on top of his box is a Milwaukee battery powered angled finish nailer. That video also shows him within five feet of me. Way too close.

I looked up the flooring company, they’ve been in business since 2022, and their website has a flyby night look and feel to it. They have no physical building listed and the guy doesn’t have a truck. This happens a lot down here after a hurricane like 2022’s Ian.

Some of you are too trusting . My ex daughter in law drove up to her house one day and there was a car parked in the yard and a black guy walking around . She was one of those types that looked for the good in everybody . He approached her with a story about looking for work and how he could do any kind of yard work or landscaping , etc. She talked with him for a minute and told him that they already have somebody to do their landscaping . He thanked her and got in his car and left . When she walked around to the back door , it had been jimmied open . Three of my son's guns were missing . She couldn't even describe the kind of car he was driving ...

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Robe on but open, shotgun, ready the chack chack speech.

a1abdj makes sense, he does have on what appears to be a company t-shirt, might be a garage door repairman at the wrong house.

I'd have 911 on the speed dial ready, and protection just in case.

Normally any repairman that has ever come to my house has knocked on the door before attempting to do any work.

I'd have phone in one hand, gun in other and go outside and ask him what he's doing from a good 20' away.

Not sure. Our situation is a little different. Our entry gate is between a freeway off-ramp and on-ramp, near a road that gets a LOT of beach traffic. We get a ton of people stopping in the mouth of our driveway. I always stop and ask if they’re okay. I’m polite, offering assistance, but paying attention, armed (concealed) and ready to respond if needed. The message that the good people who just stopped driving to take or make a call gets is “Some nice guy is making sure I’m okay.” (And I thank those folks for pulling off to use their phone.) The message someone who might have less reasonable intentions gets is that there is someone here keeping an eye on things.

90% of folks have pulled off to make a call. One older guy had gone to a quicky oil change place that hadn’t properly secured a plastic cover under the engine. Said cover was dragging and making a racket. He was a little concerned with his young granddaughter in the car. Went back through the gate, raa back to the barn, grabbed a cordless driver and a few screws, then came back and secured it for him enough to get to town. A few folks were meeting someone. A few were adjusting or checking a load. A few were trying to figure out directions and appreciated help with that. A few might have been looking for a place to take a leak and decided to look elsewhere.

Long story longer I’ve had good luck with a curious, courteous, and non-confrontational but cautious approach. I’m not sure I’d be able to pull that off with someone trying to get into my garage or house.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Looking at the other house and it really doesn’t look like ours. Besides the color and roofing material already mentioned, our roof has gable ends and the other one has hip/gable ends, our doors and widows are different colors, we have Bahama shutters and our landscaping is completely different. Whoever mentioned glue sniffing is probably on to something.

The guy did go there when he left our house, but I’m going to call the flooring company tomorrow.

I have the license plate and saved the hi-res video.

What did you find out?

He'd be questioned at the end of a barrel here.
Not the first time my wife answered the door armed.

quote:

Originally posted by bcereuss:
What did you find out?

Didn’t get a chance to call. Left the house at 9:30am to drive my dad to his cancer treatments. We’re on our way back now, but still about 40 minutes from home.

It's getting to the point that a lot of people should just have a pre dug six foot deep rectangular hole , somewhere.


For times like these.

That guy is not legit. Garage door mechanics don't carry their tools like that, they do NOT wear skinny little sneakers, they prefer to keep their toes in normal working order during regular business hours, and they don't wear swimwear beach shorts, preferring not to lacerate their legs and torsos working with all the sharp edges and faulty door hardware and broken springs. You gotta wear thick clothes, heavy boots, and gloves. That dude is a perp. Oh I forgot, they drive work trucks like any good tradesman, without exception.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
It's getting to the point that a lot of people should just have a pre dug six foot deep rectangular hole , somewhere.


For times like these.

Shoot, shovel, shut up. Ah the more civilized times. I’m just hoping neighbor does verify that they had work and this dingus was at the wrong address. I think I’d have just gone out and talked to him, armed with CCW, but not chacking and cock flopping at the guy. Unfortunately the shit head criminals make many of these innocent mix ups impossible to trust until you verify. Too many dressing up and playing the part, or sending the young lady to the door. I guess I did have a young Hispanic lady approach my town home flanked by a couple young Hispanic dudes and I got out to them before they could get into my yard and I was preparing to be ambushed but they literally tracked their phone to a garage near my home and thought it was mine. I could hear the phone ring when they called it, so I understood on the flip side this younger chicks phone was missing but she wasn’t about to go confront a possible thief without her back up. We parted ways peacefully. Ya just never know.

quote:

Originally posted by wrightd:
That guy is not legit. Garage door mechanics don't carry their tools like that, they do NOT wear skinny little sneakers, they prefer to keep their toes in normal working order during regular business hours, and they don't wear swimwear beach shorts, preferring not to lacerate their legs and torsos working with all the sharp edges and faulty door hardware and broken springs. You gotta wear thick clothes, heavy boots, and gloves. That dude is a perp. Oh I forgot, they drive work trucks like any good tradesman, without exception.

Are you sure you read the thread?

Cool green Bug.

quote:

Originally posted by sourdough44:
There are plentiful examples of those who went to a gun to soon with instances of the wrong address, NY wasn’t to long ago.

I’m not saying be a wuss, but evaluate what’s going on. Yes, this guy was fiddling with the garage door keypad, seemed awfully sure though the wrong address.

My German Shepherd wouldn’t like a stranger fiddling with the door. I’d let her handle it.

So you won't "go to a gun to soon' but you'll let your dog handle it?

I love how everybody thinks they own an attack dog ..