This will be used against me later if I ever have to shoot anyone, but what just happened at my house is pretty suspicious. Let me set the scene:
It is 8 o'clock at night, in a quiet suburban neighborhood of single family homes. The ungated neighborhood is posted as "No soliciting allowed." It is raining, and has been off and on for the past few hours. The doorbell rings. When I answer it, I am armed as I usually am when there are unexpected doorbells after dark.
I open the door, and remain halfway behind it. On my porch is a black male, about 5'7" tall, about 130 pounds, early 20's. He is wearing a hoodie, pajama pants, and furry slippers. He is carrying an unopened umbrella, and I catch a whiff of alcohol.
He says: "Sir, I am involved in a communications project, and I have something here that I want to show you."
He begins reaching in his pocket. Out of his line of sight behind the door, I draw my 9mm S&W Shield, and hold it next to my leg. I said in a low voice, "Keep your hands out of your pockets, please. You see that 'No Trespassing' sign? I'm not interested."
He leaves, and just a few minutes later, my neighbor from across the street knocks on my door. He says that the guy was at his house just before mine, and that the guy told him that he knew me, and so my neighbor gave him $5. My neighbor is new here, and believed him. I told my neighbor that I have lived here for nearly 6 years, and I don't know this guy. He also told my neighbor that there were two other people with him.
I called the police. Twenty minutes passed, and they now are questioning the guy two streets over. My opinion? It is a Saturday, and Christmas party season is in full swing. He was looking for homes where no one was home, for a possible burglary later.
When I lived in (undisclosed location) in a subdivision we were plagued with solicitors, many of whom left door hangers. Being on a long cul-de-sac deep in the subdivision, and a prominent "No Trespassing" sign was no help.
ReplyDeleteThere was also a lot of petit theft, usually small stuff from open garages (why people are stupid enough to leave their garage door open all day I'll never understand).
No way to prove it, but judging by the street scum who went door to door hanging ads on doorknobs, I'm convinced burglary casing was going on, and judging by the number of bicycles and weed wackers that disappeared, much of it was successful.