# should i call the police? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 14, 2014, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-call-the-police/681313 "2014-02-14T08:26:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-call-the-police/681313/21 "2014-02-14T21:23:32Z")
> [@PatriotX](#): > > You can report suspicious activity to the police. > Looking into things like that are a part of their job. > > If something comes of it later, there’s evidence that things were weird earlier. Seconded. And better to do it sooner rather than later. ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-call-the-police/681313/22 "2014-02-14T21:54:58Z")
Reporting it couldn’t hurt. But, it could be that he was just being friendly. I take it that he seemed friendly? But, I would report it and watch your back too. But, I don’t get the part where he wanted to take you somewhere to meet somebody. . . Did that relate to something you were talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-call-the-police/681313/23 "2014-02-14T21:59:06Z")
You didn’t want to go with him? Where’s your sense of adventure? ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-call-the-police/681313/24 "2014-02-14T22:37:56Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > Learn to be more wary of strangers making odd propositions. > > Some dude you’ve never seen before, admitted ex-con, late at night, wants to take you somewhere? _ **And you ask where?!?** _ :smack: Sometimes I think I am the only one around here who wonders why people stand there and not only remain in but continue to engage the other person in these situations. If someone needs directions or assistance, they will ask flat out with no prefacing the question. Which way is 10th Ave? Can you tell me where the R train is? Straight and to the point. Those are the people I answer. Someone walks up with a spiel, a firm “not interested” after the first couple of words cuts them right off, and that’s if I couldn’t see it already coming from their body language. I don’t need to call the cops and report every idiot who tries to talk to me. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-call-the-police/681313/25 "2014-02-14T23:06:47Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > You didn’t want to go with him? Where’s your sense of adventure? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Dman53](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Dman53](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dman53)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-call-the-police/681313/26 "2014-02-15T03:50:55Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > Learn to be more wary of strangers making odd propositions. > > Some dude you’ve never seen before, admitted ex-con, late at night, wants to take you somewhere? _ **And you ask where?!?** _ :smack: > > I’d be thinking about how quickly could I lock myself safely in the car (or house, if applicable), where’s my phone to call the police, can I get my hands on a shotgun, etc. I wouldn’t for a millisecond consider going with him. “What street?” Good Lord. well i had one hand and my pocket and i was holding a knife in there . so i was ready if something took a turn for the worse ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-call-the-police/681313/27 "2014-02-15T03:52:25Z")
> [@Dman53](#): > > well i had one hand and my pocket and i was holding a knife in there . so i was ready if something took a turn for the worse Be sure to repeatedly mention this to the police when you call them. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-call-the-police/681313/28 "2014-02-15T03:59:58Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > On the other hand, Bokonon tells us that “Strange travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.” 😛 Is it just me, or does “dancing with God” sound suspiciously like the phrase “swimming with the fishes”? ---
**Author:** ![Dman53](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Dman53](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dman53)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-call-the-police/681313/29 "2014-02-15T06:00:15Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Be sure to repeatedly mention this to the police when you call them. 😃 haha ---
**Author:** ![Dman53](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Dman53](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dman53)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-call-the-police/681313/30 "2014-02-15T06:08:32Z")
> [@tullsterx](#): > > Reporting it couldn’t hurt. But, it could be that he was just being friendly. I take it that he seemed friendly? But, I would report it and watch your back too. > > But, I don’t get the part where he wanted to take you somewhere to meet somebody. . . Did that relate to something you were talking about? yeah he started out friendly but then it got weird. he was not being clear about why he wanted to take me to meet someone. something about my car i think. he also said some other random odd stuff like his brother had a different dad then he did and that he did not know what street he lived on:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![runningdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@runningdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runningdude)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-call-the-police/681313/31 "2014-02-15T16:44:56Z")
> [@LurkerInNJ](#): > > You willingly engaged in a conversation with this person and you want to call the police? > > How about next time you say “Not interested” in a firm voice the second someone opens their mouth, then you walk away. It sounds like the OP was stalling rather than actually considering accompanying the man. It was in his yard, and he certainly would not want the man following him towards the house. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-call-the-police/681313/32 "2014-02-15T17:04:48Z")
> [@Dman53](#): > > well i had one hand and my pocket and i was holding a knife in there . so i was ready if something took a turn for the worse The more I read, the more I wonder if the other dude is posting somewhere about _his_ strange encounter. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-call-the-police/681313/33 "2014-02-15T22:20:14Z")
I think you should call the police. He was obviously distracting you so an accomplice could steal your shift key… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-call-the-police/681313.md?page=1)