Is my joint being cased?
Discussion
Moved into a new area last year and it really is a very quiet genteel slice of suburbia - until this week.
A few days ago I noticed 2 young guys parked across the street for about 30mins who appeared to be looking at my house. I thought nothing of it and went about my business. Five mins later a leaflet was posted half way through the letter box and looking through the window it appeared that one of these guys had posted it and then gone back to the car. I looked at the leaflet and it was a standard Dominoes one - but they had only appeared to post at my house and none of the other houses. They left soon after.
This afternoon some teenagers aged about 13 or so where hanging about in my garden where my car was parked. I got my shoes on and went outside but as soon as they heard me coming they all sprinted off. I asked a few other younger kids who were playing nearby if they knew them and they said they didn't but they had told them to keep quiet while they took videos on their phones of the inside of some cars - presumably mine as well.
Whats the crack here? is my 'joint being cased' or whatever the current terminology is? The previous owner of my house installed a very expensive security system which I haven't even switched on. I have often wondered why he thought he needed such a system in such a quiet area.
What do you guys think, have any of you seen this pattern of behaviour before?
A few days ago I noticed 2 young guys parked across the street for about 30mins who appeared to be looking at my house. I thought nothing of it and went about my business. Five mins later a leaflet was posted half way through the letter box and looking through the window it appeared that one of these guys had posted it and then gone back to the car. I looked at the leaflet and it was a standard Dominoes one - but they had only appeared to post at my house and none of the other houses. They left soon after.
This afternoon some teenagers aged about 13 or so where hanging about in my garden where my car was parked. I got my shoes on and went outside but as soon as they heard me coming they all sprinted off. I asked a few other younger kids who were playing nearby if they knew them and they said they didn't but they had told them to keep quiet while they took videos on their phones of the inside of some cars - presumably mine as well.
Whats the crack here? is my 'joint being cased' or whatever the current terminology is? The previous owner of my house installed a very expensive security system which I haven't even switched on. I have often wondered why he thought he needed such a system in such a quiet area.
What do you guys think, have any of you seen this pattern of behaviour before?
I have experience of installing and using expensive security systems - they are all a pain in the bum.
Also if someone is casing the place and actually planning something then the chances are they will know what they are doing and the system will be less than useless anyway.
Certainly not time yet to bother the boys in blue but I remain a little on edge.
Also if someone is casing the place and actually planning something then the chances are they will know what they are doing and the system will be less than useless anyway.
Certainly not time yet to bother the boys in blue but I remain a little on edge.
goldblum said:
Sorry, what? You don't wear shoes in the house? Are you retired?
Yes, but no-one wears shoes in my house, do you know how long it takes to polish the bloody floor - I wish I did have my trainers on, I would have caught those pesky kids I tell ya!Truth is, I probably could have caught them, but I quickly realised in the first twenty yards that there is nothing I could possibly do to a 13yr old kid without getting in serious trouble - best to let them go.
What I really wanted an answer to is what information is there to be gained by people videoing or taking photos of the inside of a car? we had nothing on display inside the car so why bother?
The young kids I asked were only about 9 so their evidence cannot be totally relied on but I have no reason to disbelieve their claim that the older kids were taking photos/videoing the insides of cars. In fact these younger kids seemed exceptionally bright and polite and knocked on my door 15mins after the event to give me more detail about what had happened.
The young kids I asked were only about 9 so their evidence cannot be totally relied on but I have no reason to disbelieve their claim that the older kids were taking photos/videoing the insides of cars. In fact these younger kids seemed exceptionally bright and polite and knocked on my door 15mins after the event to give me more detail about what had happened.
I am mindful of not setting a routine. I will also put myself about the neighbourhood to see if others have noticed anything. There is a neighbourhood watch so I will contact them and see if they have any information.
Shamefully, despite being here a few months I don't know too much about my neighbours, I will certainly try to be a bit more proactive in this area.
My wife is annoyed at me for confronting the teenagers, she says that I have just possibly initiated a vendetta that will last till these kids leave home in about 10 years time - she is fully expecting dog poo through the letterbox anytime now.
Shamefully, despite being here a few months I don't know too much about my neighbours, I will certainly try to be a bit more proactive in this area.
My wife is annoyed at me for confronting the teenagers, she says that I have just possibly initiated a vendetta that will last till these kids leave home in about 10 years time - she is fully expecting dog poo through the letterbox anytime now.
Don't get me wrong, none of this particularly bothers me, but it is a situation that needs addressing to some degree.
I guess the most important thing is to make sure house insurance is up to snuff and maybe finally get that gap insurance on the car. If they come in the night time then they can have anything they want from the drive or the downstairs - I am not particularly bothered, everything can be replaced after all - my interest would be piqued if they try and venture up the stairs though.
I guess the most important thing is to make sure house insurance is up to snuff and maybe finally get that gap insurance on the car. If they come in the night time then they can have anything they want from the drive or the downstairs - I am not particularly bothered, everything can be replaced after all - my interest would be piqued if they try and venture up the stairs though.
Oakey said:
Thanks for that but the more I think about the security post the more I can imagine either me or the wife forgetting it is there when reversing out of the drive!No further dodgy events to report I am afraid, although I have got builders working on the house so its unlikely anything would occur anyway. I did notice that a neighbour in the next street down has just acquired a Aston Martin DB9 so hopefully I have just been knocked down the pecking order of potential targets.
Complete absence of children playing outside as well for last 2 days, unusual as its half term - perhaps they have all heard about the grumpy old b
d at No 5.
Complete absence of children playing outside as well for last 2 days, unusual as its half term - perhaps they have all heard about the grumpy old b
d at No 5.Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff