O.K. this is scary...

[antkim]

Around 10:00 this morning there was a knock on my front door. I was expecting my ds's friend so I opened the door. When I did there was a young man(18ish) there. He said "You must be the woman of the house" I said "yes". He proceeded to tell me his name and held out his hand for me to shake. I just got this really strange vibe and refused to shake his hand. (I almost posted earlier to say I felt terrible for being so rude to this young man this morning! ) He continued to tell me that he was with a group raising money for some career thing. I wasn't really listening, just staring at him. To make a long story short I told him I wasn't interested etc. Around noon I saw him and a young girl walking on the next street over as I was driving ds to school. He saw me as well and made a comment to the girl- I can just imagine what he called me!
Anyways, my neighbor just called to ask if I had seen them and I told her the story. WELL, apparently there is a whole group of them walking around the neighborhood knocking on doors and if there is no answer they are breaking in! There are a few vans that are waiting for them after they rob a house. Well, they knocked on the wrong door-a police officer down the street and a few of them have been caught and arrested!!!
I have NEVER been so cold and rude to someone in my life!! I just had a strange "feeling" and should have slammed the door in his face-wish I had. Just goes to show that crime is everywhere!!
Kim

 

[NMAmy]

That IS really scarey. Just goes to show that you should always trust your instincts no matter how rude you might appear. I'm glad that you and yours are ok.

 

[CheshireVal]

Yikes!! A lot of times I don't even answer the door when I know it's a stranger/solicitor, but this is one time when it sounds like you're lucky you did!!!

 

[Goofy4Pluto]

I'm thankful for very large and scarry
dog in my living room!

Prison work crews work in my neighborhood
ALL THE TIME, and while they SAY it is safe,
they are aware of people who come and go
and what times etc...
it would be SO easy for them to case the place
and report to their criminal friends on the outside...

I'm a criminal justice student and I hear of
the horrors... it is just amazing that you cannot
feel safe anymore!

I wonder what that kid would have done if you had
given him money... a personal check scam could
be involved also... they could wash your check and
try to rip you off in the future. They steal mail for
this same purpose!

 

[vald1977]

Yikes! Glad you followed your instincts and I'm also glad that at least some of the group have been caught.

 

[WeirdEyes]

That is definitely scary. They probably would've broken in on me cause if I was at home by myself, there's no way I would've opened the door. I do understand that you were expecting someone and that is why you opened the door. Isn't it weird that you can get bad vibes from other people. I do also. Glad you are safe and he didn't force himself into your house AND the police caught them.

 

[PamOKW]

Years ago after our house was broken into the policeman advised me to always answer the door when someone comes to it -- or at least be sure that they know you're home. He said it's common for them to try and determine if someone is home before breaking in.

Your first description of this group sounds like folks who come around my neighborhood every year selling magazines -- it's also a scam and the "kids" can make you very uncomfortable. Their spiel is that they are learning self-confidence and that they can demonstrate success by signing up people for subscriptions. One of these girls was so nasty when I told her someone had been by the day before that I was tempted to call the cops on the whole group -- maybe I will this year if they show up.

 

[Cocamami]

My bedroom is toward the back of my house, and sometimes if the bedroom door is closed and/or I'm sleep, I can't hear anyone knocking. Now I know I have to be a bit more aware, especially if DH isn't home.

 

[antkim]

I'm surprised they even knocked on my door with both of our cars parked in the driveway! My dh was upstairs. I always look out the porch window before opening the door but like I said I was expecting my ds's friend. NEVER AGAIN will I open the door without looking first!! I'm so glad I was a witch!(feel free to change the 1st letter- it would better decribe how I was! LOL)

Kim

 

[always quiet]

So glad you are safe!! Scary story!!

 

[Rajah]

Yikes! I'm glad they were caught!

 

[Cruise04]

Actually we have had those kids walking around our neighborhood as well. They usually have badges but they don't look "official". We haven't had any breakins but I think if someone like that is going to be going around and doing soliciting - they should publicize it in the paper or something.

Last week I came home for lunch and saw these two guys down the street, they were screwing around as they were going from door to door. Looked strange to me and I called the cops to let them know they were in the neighborhood. I always tell them I can't afford it right now. Unless I know them, I don't buy from them.

 

[Minnie824]

DH always tells me not to answer the door, but I'm so nosy! If its late or dark out though, I won't. We had some weird woman come by last year, who wanted us to let her give our kids piano lessons (obviously since DD was 1 at the time we would have said no anyway). But, she didnt even have a piano...just assumed we did. She gave us a sob story about her boyfriend being on drugs and abusing her and leaving her and shes living in a hotel, etc...later we saw her driving around with the guy. Weird, scary people out there....who knows what they wanted. We have storm doors now that we can keep locked at least.

 

[Kermit]

My goodness! That is scary. I'm also one of those people who frequently doesn't open the door. The dog tries to run away when I keep the door open, so unless it's somebody who I'm going to invite inside (which I would obviously never do to a stranger), I don't go to the door. I will be more careful now to let them see that I'm home but ignoring them. Of course, the big barking dog may be a deterent as well.

 

[MosMom]

Not very smart robbers...doing that only allows a neighborhood full of people to identify a suspicious person around. Being that they were teenagers though would explain that.

We get those kids selling stuff to better themselves all the time. I used to buy some but I was getting tapped out so now I just remind them that there is no soliciting in our neighborhood.

I was thinking aobut getting this doormat though...

or

 

[Stepharoonie!]

Wow! Good thing your instincts kicked in Good for you