# Strange car in your driveway - what do you do? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 26, 2019, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259 "2019-08-26T13:04:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259/41 "2019-08-26T23:46:45Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Hopefully Marvin Lewis… Man, I don’t even have an opinion. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259/42 "2019-08-27T00:06:37Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > You’re going to tie up 911 resources for a non-emergency, non life/death situation? Someone else may truly need 911. The cops here in Chicago absolutely instruct us to call 911 for anything suspicious. I go to monthly CAPS (community policing) on average every other month in a medium-crime area, and it’s a repeated mantra that when in doubt, call 911. I was surprised myself, this being an urban area with lots of activity, but, nope, every meeting I’ve been to, cops say call 911 if you see anything suspicious. Unknown car in driveway would definitely qualify to call in. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259/43 "2019-08-27T00:36:52Z")
It’s happened. I left a note saying they were blocking my garage and I’d have them towed if they were still there in the morning. They weren’t, so it all worked out. But I live in a condo complex with a bunch of very similar-looking driveways, so it was almost certainly some neighbor’s visitors. I’ve had company do the same thing, though never for more than a few minutes since I check on where they parked. > [@amarinth](#): > > In the other case, it would likely be a frequent occurrence and the neighbors will likely check with each other before calling for a tow This assumes I actually know my neighbors… ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259/44 "2019-08-27T01:42:31Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Yeah - crazy that they charged the accomplices w/ felony murder, but ASAIR, the homeowner w/ nothing. What’s ASAIR? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259/45 "2019-08-27T02:09:23Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Protip: It’s easier to drag it to the desert _then_ steal the wheels. Better Protip: Not sure if its ‘stealing’ the wheels if they are in my yard. And you fuck up the car much worse dragging it once they’re gone. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259/46 "2019-08-27T03:14:07Z")
[quote=“Shodan, post:6, topic:839259”] Call 911, I guess. Make a note of the license number first and tell the 911 operator. Don’t call 911. It’s not an emergency that someone has parked their car in your driveway. It’s annoying as hell, but your life isn’t in immediate danger as a result. Call the police and let them deal with it. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259/47 "2019-08-27T03:37:17Z")
I remember I called the non emergency number to the police once. The lady that answered told me to hang up and dial 911. Not all cities are strapped for resources when it comes to keeping up with 911 calls. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259/48 "2019-08-27T04:37:04Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Indeed, in my small town at 1 am the only option is to call 911. Local police do not work 24/7, so the call would go over to PA State Police. > [@Pleonast](#): > > Finding a strange car parked in your driveway is absolutely worthy of calling 911. It’s a straightforward indication that someone unknown to you has been on your property without your permission, and could very well still be there. When it happened to us, 911 had no problem with our call. (We resolved it before police got there–a group of neighbors figured it out quickly. It’s great to have good neighbors.) > > In any case, if you explain the situation to the 911 dispatcher succinctly, they’ll put you in contact to the right department very quickly. I’ve sometimes called the non-emergency police number for various problems, but they don’t always handle calls as well. It hasn’t happened to me, but others have said the non-emergency line has redirected them to 911. It’s how many police departments expect to handle all initial contact. Obviously this depends on locality. > [@Spiderman](#): > > In the city, the _only_ number to get an officer dispatched, even for something as trivial as a barking dog or other noise complaint is to call 911. In the burbs, whether you call 911 or a non-emergency 10-digit phone # you end up talking to the Exact. Same. Person. > [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > This is true. I had the experience of calling in a nuisance complaint to the non-emergency number. When I called 911 later to call in a domestic dispute with battery in the street, the same person answered. > [@pulykamell](#): > > The cops here in Chicago absolutely instruct us to call 911 for anything suspicious. I go to monthly CAPS (community policing) on average every other month in a medium-crime area, and it’s a repeated mantra that when in doubt, call 911. I was surprised myself, this being an urban area with lots of activity, but, nope, every meeting I’ve been to, cops say call 911 if you see anything suspicious. Unknown car in driveway would definitely qualify to call in. [quote=“dolphinboy, post:46, topic:839259”] > [@Shodan](#): > > Call 911, I guess. Make a note of the license number first and tell the 911 operator. > > Don’t call 911. It’s not an emergency that someone has parked their car in your driveway. It’s annoying as hell, but your life isn’t in immediate danger as a result. Call the police and let them deal with it. Did you read any of the above posts? In many areas, the only way to get the police _is_ to call 911. ---
**Author:** ![ishamael69](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@ishamael69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ishamael69)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259/49 "2019-08-27T11:45:41Z")
I supported the state police for a bit, including the 911 call center. It not only served 911, but also the highway help truck number, and even as overflow for the agency main number. In the event that lines started filling up, the other calls were held or dropped. From what I can recall, even with all of those responsibilities, the only time our 911 center filled completely with calls was when there was a big enough emergency that everyone was calling about the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259/50 "2019-08-27T12:13:27Z")
[quote=“dolphinboy, post:46, topic:839259”] > [@Shodan](#): > > Call 911, I guess. Make a note of the license number first and tell the 911 operator. > > Don’t call 911. It’s not an emergency that someone has parked their car in your driveway. It’s annoying as hell, but your life isn’t in immediate danger as a result. Call the police and let them deal with it. As I mentioned above, if you call the non-emergency number after hours in my city, you get voicemail\*. 911 is the only way to talk to a human. It’s also the same person, sitting in the same spot that would answer the phone if it was turned on. I still find it odd though, there’s plenty of non-e things that people don’t want or shouldn’t wait until morning to deal with. A car parked in your driveway is a good example. If I saw that, it certainly doesn’t feel like a 911 issue, but I’d also rather not have to wait until morning to deal with it. \*I did learn that if you hit 0, it’ll ring and she’ll pick up, but that’s one of those things you just have to know, there’s no option mentioned on the recording. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259/51 "2019-08-27T12:26:15Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Say you wake up at 1 a.m. on a Monday morning, and you notice that there is a strange car parked in your driveway. What do you do? If I don’t need to leave, nothing probably. Might call the police. If I need to leave and it’s still there in the morning – see below. This happened to us several years ago, but it was one of those giant contractor trailers. Something was wrong with a wheel and they left it partially blocking my driveway. I could get around it but wasn’t happy. I talked to the neighbor who’d hired the contractor and was told it couldn’t be moved until repaired and it wasn’t his problem anyway. I (see username) tow fairly large trailers frequently and have a vehicle for that purpose. After arriving home the next day, said neighbor discovered it could in fact, be moved. Although it left substantial marks in the street from the broken wheel/axle, it had been dragged in front of _his_ driveway and parked in exactly the same manner (he could still get out, but it was difficult). So, if it’s a normal sized car, I can easily push or drag it out of my way if I need to leave. It wouldn’t be the first time. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259/52 "2019-08-27T12:35:41Z")
Car parked along the curb in front of my house? Look out the window, shake my fist at it, yell at some clouds while I’m at it. Car parked in my driveway? 1 am? Car hasn’t moved in a few minutes… Call the police and request that they bring a tow truck. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259/53 "2019-08-27T15:08:33Z")
I use to live next to a drag strip that hosted a national event once a year. Parking use to be a bitch around the track and my neighborhood would be flooded by the vehicles of the race fans. Came home once and found the neighborhood full as expected but also found 3 cars in my driveway. Parked my old Dodge truck behind them and waited. About 7 that evening long after the racing had ended, the cars were still there so I called the county sheriff’s office. An officer showed up a few minutes later, documented the issue and called for some tow trucks. Two tow trucks and the vehicle owners showed up about the same time. One guy jumped in his car and attempted to get around my truck and got stuck in the ditch. The other two guys apologized profusely and I moved my truck. The guy in the ditch left to find someone to pull his car out, the tow truck driver wanted $150 to do it and he didn’t want to pay. Half an hour later the tow truck that was left hooked up the guys car and towed it away. Never saw any of them again. ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259/54 "2019-08-28T20:27:21Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Ding ding ding - we have a winner! > > Oh - and the 11-yr-old golden was as useless as might have been expected. Showed ZERO reaction, even when we had a cop car parked in our driveway for a couple of hrs w/ lights flashing! 😃 Ah, goldens…all about love and can’t stand conflict. Ours loves visitors, workmen, etc. She loves them all. Greets the garbageman joyfully every time. Was jumping up and down happily the one time a Policeman visited us to help file a report (some doofus driving a semi past our house at midnight cut the corner and dragged a decorative boulder clear across the street, flattening our mailbox in the process. Yeesh.) She only barks or freaks out about 1/100th as often as your average dog. In those rare cases, it really makes us wonder why she’s barking. Who is that _bad_ person out there? In her whole life, there have been only, like, 3 people she was afraid to approach. She’d be an ideal TSA employee! Automatically detects ill intent. ---
**Author:** ![steadicam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@steadicam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steadicam)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2019, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259/55 "2019-08-30T13:11:54Z")
Yes and it many areas you absolutely are not supposed to call 911 I was chewed out by an operator in San Diego County for calling 911 when I witnessed a drug deal in progress. I was told to hangup and call the regular number. [quote=“cochrane, post:48, topic:839259”] > [@dolphinboy](#): > > Did you read any of the above posts? In many areas, the only way to get the police _is_ to call 911. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2019, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259/56 "2019-09-01T02:23:47Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > In the city, the _only_ number to get an officer dispatched, even for something as trivial as a barking dog or other noise complaint is to call 911. In the burbs, whether you call 911 or a non-emergency 10-digit phone # you end up talking to the Exact. Same. Person. In NYC and some other places, you can dial 311 for “non-emergency” police matters. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2019, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259/57 "2019-09-01T02:24:20Z")
[quote=“steadicam, post:55, topic:839259”] Yes and it many areas you absolutely are not supposed to call 911 I was chewed out by an operator in San Diego County for calling 911 when I witnessed a drug deal in progress. I was told to hangup and call the regular number. > [@cochrane](#): > I had the same thing happen to me when 911 first started in our area in 1984. I saw there was an accident on the other side of the street that had just happened. I was close to my house and it wasn’t safe to walk across that wide street so when I got home I called 911. I was scolded quite soundly and told I could face mischief charges because I didn’t know extent of injuries and had more detail when I called 911. Fortunately I haven’t called 911 since. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2019, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259/58 "2019-09-01T02:43:12Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > In NYC and some other places, you can dial 311 for “non-emergency” police matters. Yes, we have 311 here in Chicago, as well, but the cops tell us to call 911 for the stuff like in the OP. 311 would be for graffiti removal. 911 would be for graffiti in progress. A strange car left in your driveway would be 911. A drug deal in progress would absolutely positively be a 911 call. I can’t imagine something like that being a 311 call. And this is in a city like Chicago, which is pretty active with all sorts of police calls. I had thought they didn’t want us to bother them with stuff like that but, no, time and time again at community policing meetings, we have been explicitly instructed to call 911 for that kind of stuff. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2019, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259/59 "2019-09-01T03:47:15Z")
> [@steadicam](#): > > Yes and it many areas you absolutely are not supposed to call 911 I was chewed out by an operator in San Diego County for calling 911 when I witnessed a drug deal in progress. I was told to hangup and call the regular number. Somehow you misattributed my post to **dolphinboy**. This is what you meant to quote: > [@cochrane](#): > > Did you read any of the above posts? In many areas, the only way to get the police is to call 911. I’ll stand by my post. We don’t have a non-emergency number where I live. If we did, it certainly hasn’t been publicized. I’m completely baffled why you would get chewed out for calling 911 for a drug deal, much less an unfamiliar car in your driveway. These situations absolutely scream out for a police response. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2019, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259/60 "2019-09-01T22:00:50Z")
I to am baffled by the “don’t call 911” crowd. Around here calling 911 gets you a dispatch person who then decides who to contact. May be police, fire, ambulance, other. You don’t get chewed out calling 911, you get chewed out calling them every 15 minutes about how awful your relatives in another state are. If you need prompt help, call 911. Let them sort it out. Just don’t abuse the service. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-car-in-your-driveway-what-do-you-do/839259.md?page=4)