# Intruder!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intruder/114884>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [June 19, 2002, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intruder/114884 "2002-06-19T15:37:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intruder/114884/1 "2002-06-19T15:37:32Z")

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We have a strange situation in our townhouse community.

**Mod** , if this should be in General Questions, I apologize. You have my permission (as if you needed it) to move this, if you wish. 😃  
[ul]  
[li]Two weeks ago, at 1:00 AM, a female neighbor called the police to report a person crashing around in one of two stands of trees within our neighborhood. By the time the police got there, he was gone.[/li][li]Last week at around 1:00 AM (again), the same neighbor saw someone creeping up to her house on all fours, heading toward a basement window. She called the police, the guy was gone by the time they got there.[/li][li]My immediate neighbor’s dog “pointed” on the second stand of trees (nearest to **my** house).[/li][li]This week, my immediate neighbor’s husband thought he saw someone in the same stand of trees.[/li][/ul] Have any other Dopers experienced something like this? If so, any advice? We’ve been double-checking our doors at night… El Hubbo and I have an alarm system, so I’m not worried about us, but our immediate neighbors are our best friends… I’m concerned about them.

I’m also looking for some reinforcement that we’re right to be nervous about this… Some of this stuff could have been animals. We have gophers, rabbits, ducks, deer and even foxes in our neighborhood. Better safet than sorry, though, right?

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**Author:** ![CRorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CRorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CRorex)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intruder/114884/2 "2002-06-19T16:08:43Z")

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I’d make sure that both you and your neighbors have ALL doors locked and bolted. Make sure all windows are locked, and take pieces of wood and use them to block the tracks on the windows (so you can’t slide them open).

For the ladies, I’d think twice about heading outside late at night to say take the garbage out or something.

Call the police again, not to report something, but to talk to a detective, or a sergant about what you can do to help the police, and what the police can do to help you all out. You should be able to find someone who is quite willing to help you.

However I’m guessing that at the most they’d send a patrol car around one or twice at different times during the night for a week or two. Hopefully continued police presense will take care of the problem.

I’d be worried about these events, and they seem to keep happening.

On the other hand… whatever is going on doesn’t seem to be stopping. Whoever is doing this seems determined (if it really is a person) and if that is the case, the police NEED to be contacted and some sort of investigation started. Someone planning a crime in general (not against a specific person) probably would have stopped by now and moved on to an easier target. There is a chance that what’s happening is targeted against a single person near where you live.

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intruder/114884/3 "2002-06-19T16:59:44Z")

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Get a shotgun, carbine or rifle. No pistols.

A good shotgun is a fine home defence item.

Also, go to the stand of trees, _in the daytime & not alone_, & see it there is any indication of somebody hiding there. Depressed areas in the grass, footprints, etc.

Law enforcement advice as above.

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**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intruder/114884/4 "2002-06-22T11:02:22Z")

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Bosda, this may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s late…In your sig, who was being roasted, Caesar or Brooks?

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intruder/114884/5 "2002-06-22T11:11:47Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Rilchiam \*  
> \*\*Bosda, this may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s late…In your sig, who was being roasted, Caesar or Brooks? \*\*

Good ol’ Sid was getting the Big Stiffy from the Friars’ Club that day.

Much like the stiffy **I’m** getting from contemplating the straight-line you just handed me, **Ril**! :wally 😃 ;j

ROTFLMAO!

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**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intruder/114884/6 "2002-06-22T22:32:37Z")

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Okay…I’ve had a good night’s sleep, but now I don’t get it again! What was the straight line? **Bosda** , you’re too sophisticated for me!

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intruder/114884/7 "2002-06-22T22:57:34Z")

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:smack:

Shooting fish in a barrel I can do.

Shooting _drooling_ fish in a barrel I can’t do.

Go back to sleep, **Rilchiam**.

:rolleyes:

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**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\
**Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intruder/114884/8 "2002-06-23T00:49:04Z")

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**Bosda** :

😛