# So the police wake me up this morning **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 25, 2013, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648 "2013-04-25T08:14:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648/21 "2013-04-25T15:57:46Z")
So why haven’t you put up a locking mailbox for which only you have the key? The next person that walks into your place looking for a vacation rental needs to be charged with breaking and entering, too. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648/22 "2013-04-25T15:59:20Z")
I don’t get it either. If he uses your address for his business, won’t he end up missing out on basically anything anyone mails to him regarding that business. I don’t see how that could work. What’s the point of giving out a (slightly) wrong address? ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648/23 "2013-04-25T16:43:56Z")
Could you fill out and submit a change of address form for him? And hey, I know this is a wild suggestion, but maybe try locking your door if you don’t want strangers barging in. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648/24 "2013-04-25T17:59:36Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > Could you fill out and submit a change of address form for him? Changing someone else’s address will get you in trouble with the post office big time. ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648/25 "2013-04-25T18:14:37Z")
If he’s actually taking mail out of your mailbox, don’t bother with any of the above. Report him to the local postmaster. They will prosecute if he doesn’t stop. But yeah, why wouldn’t you lock your door if people are walking in? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648/26 "2013-04-25T18:53:42Z")
I’m thinking you could post one of those “Workplace Safety” Signs on your door that says something like: > [@](#): > > WE VALUE OUR CUSTOMER’S SAFETY! > **5** DAYS RAT-BITE FREE > AT ALL OUR RENTAL PROPERTIES! When the police show up, certainly let them know where the dude lives; when they ask why he uses the address, it’s totally fair to offer your theories about how he’s trying to make it harder for them to serve restraining orders on him; just make it clear that it’s your speculation, and be respectful about it. Each individual cop may not realize the pattern, but there’s no harm in your suggesting it to them, I think. ---
**Author:** ![\_Olive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/4af34b/32.png) [@\_Olive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Olive)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648/27 "2013-04-25T19:30:50Z")
We don’t have mail delivered in my town. We have P.O. Boxes. So the mail is not a problem. Ups and Federal Express have it figured out. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648/28 "2013-04-25T19:34:05Z")
So the guy put the wrong address on restraining order paperwork? Seems like that must break some sort of law. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648/29 "2013-04-25T20:21:19Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > So the guy put the wrong address on restraining order paperwork? Seems like that must break some sort of law. Umm… Whoever requested the restraining order put the wrong address on the paperwork. It would be very unusual to have a restraining order taken out against yourself. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648/30 "2013-04-25T20:26:59Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > Umm… Whoever requested the restraining order put the wrong address on the paperwork. It would be very unusual to have a restraining order taken out against yourself. Unless the restraining order was an injunction against **~Olives~** to cease and desist using EvilNeighbor’s address for his/her own purposes… I’m beginning to smell a rat in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648/31 "2013-04-25T20:35:22Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > I’m beginning to smell a rat in this thread. Hey, 5 days rat-bite free! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648/32 "2013-04-25T21:07:12Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Does he use your IP and email address, too? For all we know, “you” are actually your neighbor. That would certainly explain everything. I think I saw that on _Bates Motel_. ---
**Author:** ![\_Olive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/4af34b/32.png) [@\_Olive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Olive)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648/33 "2013-04-25T21:13:52Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > So the guy put the wrong address on restraining order paperwork? Seems like that must break some sort of law. I don’t know how restraining orders work or if my address is on the restraining order. I just know that in the past month a policeman has shown up here twice looking for the neighbor. I didn’t know it was about a restraining order until I looked up the neighbor’s name in the judiciary web site. I have had the police show up here before looking for the neighbor. At that time I just assumed he had called the police and dispatch sends out to the address in relation to the phone number. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648/34 "2013-04-25T22:05:03Z")
It sounds like your problem is with the phone company. Call them and explain that the address they have for his number is incorrect (I assume you have his number). It’s not a county problem since it’s the phone company’s records. Contact your local 9-1-1 center and police about this even if you do feel like it’s “his problem” if he wants an ambulance. Do you _really_ want to be woken up at at 3:30 in the morning because either a) he called 911 with a heart attack or b) he’s wanted for murder? (or bonus point c, because he called 911 because he’s being murdered?) ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648/35 "2013-04-25T22:23:31Z")
This reminds me of some of the problems my parents had with people printing a wrong/illegible number on business cards. Person one was a person who ran a lawnmower repair (IIRC) business. His customers were distinctive for their urban/semi-rural poor person accent. After receiving a number of calls for this person, my father got tired of it. When he got the next call, he put on his best version of this accent and said “This is Leroy, I’ll be right over!”. The caller said “You’re not Leroy!” and hung up. I believed this stopped the calls for this particular business. Person two runs a propane gas business, and decided to put a little cross in the zero that’s in his phone number, because he’s also a preacher. Oddly, that little cross makes the zero look like an eight to anyone whose eyesight is not the best, and Mom gets a lot of calls whenever a cold front comes through. She’s tried to get him to change his cards, but he hasn’t yet. I am encouraging her to tell people he’s out of business, and suggest a competitor. ---
**Author:** ![\_Olive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/4af34b/32.png) [@\_Olive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Olive)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648/36 "2013-04-25T22:25:26Z")
The only way I would do anything to change the situation would be to hire a lawyer. Calling the phone company wouldn’t solve all the problems because he has his business all over the web with my address. We have other legal issues between us which I won’t go into. He is just a nasty spiteful man. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648/37 "2013-04-25T22:35:39Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > Contact your local 9-1-1 center and police about this even if you do feel like it’s “his problem” if he wants an ambulance. Do you _really_ want to be woken up at at 3:30 in the morning because either a) he called 911 with a heart attack or b) he’s wanted for murder? (or bonus point c, because he called 911 because he’s being murdered?) or d) he calls 911, responders show up to your place instead, you say, “I dunno.” and he dies. You WILL get sucked into a world of shit if that happens. Might get out of it alright, but you’ll be needlessly covered in shit for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648/38 "2013-04-25T22:37:05Z")
> [@\_Olive](#): > > The only way I would do anything to change the situation would be to hire a lawyer. Calling the phone company wouldn’t solve all the problems because he has his business all over the web with my address. We have other legal issues between us which I won’t go into. He is just a nasty spiteful man. In what way does this benefit him other than to piss you off because he’s a jerk? You say that you use PO boxes, so no mail comes directly to your house… Is he running a scam business? Cheating on taxes? Doing something at his house that is quasi-legal? Why do the police want to see him so often? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648/39 "2013-04-25T22:41:55Z")
> [@The Great Sun Jester](#): > > or d) he calls 911, responders show up to your place instead, you say, “I dunno.” and he dies. You WILL get sucked into a world of shit if that happens. Might get out of it alright, but you’ll be needlessly covered in shit for a while. Why on earth would **Olive** get in “a world of shit”? Is he supposed to track neighbor’s whereabouts at all times of the day to ensure that help is sent promptly when needed? I just can’t see where anyone would automatically think that it’s **Olive** ’s fault if the responders show up to the wrong house: - Olive did not make the call to 911 - Olive did not tell the responders where to go - Olive does not track the whereabouts of his neighbor 24/7, nor is he under any obligation to do so - Upon further investigation, it will be seen that the neighbor falsified his own address anyway, so he’s a dumbass. ---
**Author:** ![\_Olive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/4af34b/32.png) [@\_Olive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Olive)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648/40 "2013-04-25T22:46:26Z")
I don’t know the answer to how it benefits him. I do know he is the type to do things just to be spiteful. No one in my town gets mail delivered. Everyone must use a P.O. Box. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-police-wake-me-up-this-morning/656648.md?page=3)