# Why are old women always spying on (younger?) people?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-women-always-spying-on-younger-people/545913>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [July 8, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-women-always-spying-on-younger-people/545913 "2010-07-08T00:01:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-women-always-spying-on-younger-people/545913/41 "2010-07-15T03:14:43Z")

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My father is becoming that paranoid old neighbor, and it breaks my heart. He has fallen prey to all the symptoms **Sleeps With Butterflies** mentions, and his personality has taken a hit. It also really doesn’t help that he keeps the tv on and spends all his time watching FoxNews.

The other day, he was ready to call the police on a bunch of kids in the park across the street. Because they “didn’t belong there”. Never mind that the kids were all under 12, well behaved, had a dog with them, and it was two weeks after the end of the school year. It took me 15 minutes to talk him down. ☹

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**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-old-women-always-spying-on-younger-people/545913/42 "2010-07-15T23:31:42Z")

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> [@Disheavel](#):
>
> [Apparently street artists](http://urbanprankster.com/2010/07/old-lady-neighborhood-watch/) in Portugal have come to the same conclusion about old women watching the neighborhood.

I love it! I appreciate these elderly women (and men – in my area it’s about 50/50) because they spend so much time in the neighborhood and aren’t afraid to call the cops if they see something suspicious. Best security system ever.

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