# What will you do? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 6, 2010, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470 "2010-05-06T02:31:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470/1 "2010-05-06T02:31:23Z")
This morning a man arrives in your neighborhood in an average looking sedan and legally parks in your neighborhood. He doesn’t get out of his car and just sits there doing nothing. What are you going to do about it? Keep your answers **short** , and to the point. BUT: be prepared to answer questions about your actions. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470/2 "2010-05-06T02:36:43Z")
Nothing. I go to work and not even think about it until he car was still there with him in it when I got home from work. If he was still there the next morning I’d probably think it was weird and I’d go talk to him if he was still there when I got home from work that night. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470/3 "2010-05-06T02:39:40Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > If he was still there the next morning I’d probably think it was weird and I’d go talk to him if he was still there when I got home from work that night. Why? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470/4 "2010-05-06T02:40:05Z")
Yes, please clarify: How long is he there? 10 minutes? He’s just finishing up Morning Edition. One hour? I’m calling the cops. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470/5 "2010-05-06T02:42:16Z")
I don’t even think I’d notice unless he was in my driveway. ---
**Author:** ![kathmandu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kathmandu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kathmandu)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470/6 "2010-05-06T02:42:26Z")
Nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470/7 "2010-05-06T02:44:09Z")
Nothing. People occasionally do this around where I live, for various reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470/8 "2010-05-06T02:44:23Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Why? Well, he’s been sitting in a car for 36 hours to the best of my knowldge. I think if nothing else it would be worth finding out where he is using the bathroom and how long he plans on staying. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470/9 "2010-05-06T02:46:10Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > Well, he’s been sitting in a car for 36 hours to the best of my knowldge. I think if nothing else it would be worth finding out where he is using the bathroom and how long he plans on staying. None of your business. He refuses to talk to you when you approach his vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470/10 "2010-05-06T02:47:34Z")
> [@Doctor\_Who](#): > > Yes, please clarify: How long is he there? > > One hour? I’m calling the cops. The cops come. Talk to him and leave. He remains. Now what? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470/11 "2010-05-06T02:49:38Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > The cops come. Talk to him and leave. He remains. Now what? Call back. Request contact from the cops to see what they found out. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470/12 "2010-05-06T02:50:39Z")
If he stays there for an unusual amount of time, give him the once over. Is he nervous? Bored? Waiting on someone? Casing my house? Furiously masturbating? ---
**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:** [May 6, 2010, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470/13 "2010-05-06T02:51:58Z")
I do absolutely nothing. What do you expect people to do after the cops come and leave? The man can’t sit there forever. He’ll either leave or starve to death. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470/14 "2010-05-06T02:53:15Z")
> [@Doctor\_Who](#): > > Call back. Request contact from the cops to see what they found out. The police tell you they checked out the person and there is nothing he is doing illegal. He is sitting in his legally parked vehicle. Now 7 hours have passed. What are you going to do about it? ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470/15 "2010-05-06T02:53:19Z")
I’d just figure he was a private detective doing some surveillance work. None of my business. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470/16 "2010-05-06T02:54:44Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > I do absolutely nothing. > > What do you expect people to do after the cops come and leave? The man can’t sit there forever. He’ll either leave or starve to death. He sits there for 8 hours, and then another man arrives in another non-descript sedan. The first man leaves in his vehicle. Now what are you going to do? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470/17 "2010-05-06T02:55:28Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > The police tell you they checked out the person and there is nothing he is doing illegal. He is sitting in his legally parked vehicle. > > Now 7 hours have passed. What are you going to do about it? Write down a description of him, his vehicle, and his plates. Go out and ask him if he’s having car trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470/18 "2010-05-06T02:56:12Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > The police tell you they checked out the person and there is nothing he is doing illegal. He is sitting in his legally parked vehicle. > > Now 7 hours have passed. What are you going to do about it? Now I’m going to go try to talk to him. Same result as Oredigger? ---
**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:** [May 6, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470/19 "2010-05-06T02:56:36Z")
Prepare myself for the terrorism that’s surely about to take place. But no, seriously, unless I saw him doing something more suspicious than just sitting there I’d probably not even notice. The most I might do is call the cops for each new sedan to arrive. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470/20 "2010-05-06T03:00:51Z")
> [@Doctor\_Who](#): > > Now I’m going to go try to talk to him. Same result as Oredigger? How about he tells you it’s none of your business what he’s doing? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-you-do/538470.md?page=2)