suspicious visitor - Page 2

kym · June 19, 2014, 07:16 PM

Back in the 80's two well dressed young men came to my door and said they were from the university and wanted to do a poll. After I invited them in to my house one asked me if I had received a letter from some business or another. When I said no they said they were sorry they had the wrong house and got up to go. I reached into a nearby drawer and pulled out my 1911. Your not going anywhere I said. Give me your driver license. They were freaked out. I told them they used false pretenses to get into my house and I wanted to know who the hell they were. I copied down their information and told them that if anything was missing from my place or the neighborhood I would turn the information over to the police. When I let them go they walked up to the main road and left. Never saw them again.

**Frank Ettin** · June 19, 2014, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kym

....When I said no they said they were sorry they had the wrong house and got up to go. I reached into a nearby drawer and pulled out my 1911. Your not going anywhere I said. Give me your driver license....

Your story raises a number of potential issues beyond the scope of this discussion. But everyone should understand that a threat with lethal force under the circumstances described would be unjustified assault with a deadly weapon (or something similar depending on local terminology).

veamon · June 19, 2014, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Back in the 80's two well dressed young men came to my door and said they were from the university and wanted to do a poll. After I invited them in to my house one asked me if I had received a letter from some business or another. When I said no they said they were sorry they had the wrong house and got up to go. I reached into a nearby drawer and pulled out my 1911. Your not going anywhere I said. Give me your driver license. They were freaked out. I told them they used false pretenses to get into my house and I wanted to know who the hell they were. I copied down their information and told them that if anything was missing from my place or the neighborhood I would turn the information over to the police. When I let them go they walked up to the main road and left. Never saw them again.

You can't...do that...

James K · June 19, 2014, 09:08 PM

And some suspicious visitors might just be ...

Shortly after the passage of GCA 68, I received a call from the gun shop where I worked saying that a new clerk had been asked about a source for a .45 auto and gave the "customer" my name. About a half hour later, a car came into my driveway. No front license plate, though my state uses two plates.

Two guys asked if they could come in. My gun was on me, but out of sight and they didn't look like crooks, so I let them in. First they wanted to buy a .45 for protection. I told them the only .45 I had was a target model. So they became target shooters. I said the gun was not for sale. So then they became collectors and wanted to know if I had any collector guns, etc., etc. Finally, finding that I would not sell them a gun, they gave up and left.

After I dealt with the loud mouth clerk, I wrote letters to my Senators, my Congressman, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Director of ATTD (predecessor to BATFE), asking why agents on Saturday overtime were going around hasseling people and trying to entrap honest citizens. Of course, ATTD denied any involvement, but I never had any more gun buying visitors.

Jim

Theohazard · June 20, 2014, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kym

Back in the 80's two well dressed young men came to my door and said they were from the university and wanted to do a poll. After I invited them in to my house one asked me if I had received a letter from some business or another. When I said no they said they were sorry they had the wrong house and got up to go. I reached into a nearby drawer and pulled out my 1911. Your not going anywhere I said. Give me your driver license. They were freaked out. I told them they used false pretenses to get into my house and I wanted to know who the hell they were. I copied down their information and told them that if anything was missing from my place or the neighborhood I would turn the information over to the police. When I let them go they walked up to the main road and left. Never saw them again.

Wow. So you pulled a gun on two guys who weren't threatening you at any point and were also in the process of leaving your house? I'm not sure what bothers me more, the fact that you did that or the fact that you don't seem to be ashamed of it.

jason_iowa · June 20, 2014, 01:52 AM

Never open your door for anyone you don't know. I don't care if they are police, priests, politicians, or the gd pope.

People you should get to know are your mail carriers, ups, fedex delivery people. Ask them if anyone ever replaces them if so do they know who it will be. Its best really not to have mail or packages delivered to your home. Most of my extended family does not even know my address. If they are not coming to visit they don't need to know. Know your neighbors. If I'm having something delivered I tell my neighbors. I also tell them if they see a van or truck at my house and I did not mention anything to call me and or the police. It never hurts to take extra precautions and your neighbors really can be your best friends.

I do contract work overseas 6-9 months out of the year and It puts my mind at ease that my neighbors have learned to be so vigilant.

I carry at home simply so I have it with me if I'm called away from the house. You don't need to be paranoid most people coming to your home are not intending you harm but you do need to be cautious as you are the only one who is going to protect yourself an your home.

DT Guy · June 20, 2014, 05:53 AM

I routinely open my door to girl scouts selling cookies, band members selling discount books and kids collecting for baseball teams, and often contribute.

But if you look like you're over about 14 YOA, you're going to get me glowering through the locked glass storm door with the four dogs at my feet, and you won't SEE the gun...

I do try to let the extra suspicious ones get a glimpse someone is home, though, simply in case they're casing the joint to see if it's safe to do a burglary; I'm not so tough that I want them to try it and have to deal with them, so I'd prefer they realize the house is occupied and move along.

Larry

8MM Mauser · June 20, 2014, 05:54 AM

I remember when I was still a teenager a guy came to the door of my parents house saying he was from ATT and asking if he could "see your connection, to make sure it's working properly." My dad explained to him that we already had ATT and it worked fine. After that the man started to become belligerent and demanded that he be let into the house. My dad threw the door shut in his face, but the guy stuck his foot in the door and started yelling!

My dad said he would call the cops and the guy started to walk off; but my mom pulled up right as he did and the guy went over to talk to her. I've never seen my dad move so fast; he grabbed a sword (we owned no guns at the time, which is strange; and 14 me had just blown my first money on a weapon) that was sitting in the corner and literally ran out screaming "get away from my wife!"

The guy scampered off...in a 1993 Toyota Carolla with no markings. He was not wearing any ATT clothes and his vehicle was unmarked. Very suspicious. I used to joke with my dad later about it being a "bonzai charge" that scared him off! lol

At our place my wife has reported twice seeing strange people come to the door and ask some odd questions. Once she had that happen, and heard suspicious noises outside later. My crazy lady grabbed my Ruger MKII (a target model with 10 inch barrel) and went poking around outside! I guess that;s what I get for marrying a girl who spent half her life in Texas!

If someone was out there the sight of my pretty little wife, in flower skirt and tanktop searched them out with that big chunk of steel in her hand sent them off. Though I will admit I did suggest a more subtle tactic in the future and advised her that open carry of a firearm inside the city limits is against the law.

kym · June 20, 2014, 06:32 AM

Ashamed? No. They were up to no good. There is little time when that smiling person turns ugly and attracts you.

**OldMarksman** · June 20, 2014, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Posted by Kym: Ashamed? No.

Mistake number one was inviting them in. Very unwise and dangerous. That 's lesson one for everyone else here.

Mistake number two was reaching into your drawer for your 1911 after they had started to leave. Not lawfully justified, and possibly very dangerous also.

Mistake number three--escalation to a much more serious felony, if this is accurate: "Your not going anywhere I said. Give me your driver license. They were freaked out"

You may not be ashamed, but you are lucky that you were not overcome and injured, and extremely lucky that you still have a clean record and the right to possess firearms. What on Earth were you thinking?

Quote:

They were up to no good.

...about which there are things that you may not do, and other things that are lawful that could prove extremely dangerous.

guruatbol · June 20, 2014, 07:55 AM

Interestingly enough, I locate underground utilities as my retirement job. I have had a shotgun pulled on MD when I was walking around a person's house.

No, I do not have to knock on your door first and if your dogs bite me I will have them taken and press charges to have them put down as viscous.

I have the right to be there due to utility easements in all 50 states!

I wear a bright orange vest and my truck has the company name on it.

And no I will not go in to your home even if invited!

Get a grip people. If yo don't want anyone on you property, get off the grid and move where there are no utility easements. You do not own exclusive rights to easements. If your gas meter is in back, I have the right to be in your back yard. Same with power, phone and the rest.

Sometimes there is a line in your back yard that I have to find and it has nothing to do with your meter.

Mel

veamon · June 20, 2014, 08:11 AM

No judge would let you press charges if an animal bit you if you were coming on to my property, regardless of whether or not guy legally have a right to be there. You have to do your due diligence and give a heads up.

TailGator · June 20, 2014, 08:29 AM

Quote:

No judge would let you press charges if an animal bit you if you were coming on to my property, regardless of whether or not guy legally have a right to be there. You have to do your due diligence and give a heads up.

Your jurisdiction may differ drastically from most others, but there is seldom if ever any defense for a dog bite. It is almost always up to the owners to control the dog, not up to the public to avoid the dog.

Guruatbol, you have apparently had some untoward experiences, for which I am sorry, but the previous discussion was not about properly identified people doing legitimate jobs outside. There were, instead, multiple examples of people without proper identification coming to people's doors and asking for information about security, contents, and valuables, and sometimes making attempts to force their way in. You sound like you are going about your work in a responsible way, but there are plenty of reasons in today's world to be suspicious of people who come to our doors without invitation.

veamon · June 20, 2014, 08:33 AM

@ guruatbol , So if my dog, who is behind a fence, and barks whenever someone looks at it wrong (so there is NO chance you don't know she is there), bites you for coming over the fence, you would then call and try to have her put down? Instead of knocking on my door and saying "Hey, I'm here to inspect X, could you put your dog up for a few minutes?". Hell, she'll bite me if I come over the fence, I have to go through the house, and personally I prefer her to be that way.

boltomatic · June 20, 2014, 09:24 AM

It sounds like he was up to no good. The easiest way to find out for sure would be to call LifeLock and ask if they had any reps in your area, but I don' think they ever do that anyway.

After you call them, call the police and report it. Also call your neighbors and tell them.

skoro · June 20, 2014, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeG

He was wearing a LifeLock polo shirt and had an ID badge clipped to it. He asked lots of questions about LifeLock,

Why would a Lifelock guy ask you and your wife about Lifelock?

VERY suspicious. Hope you gave the cops a good description.

GM1967 · June 20, 2014, 10:21 AM

Quote:

No, I do not have to knock on your door first and if your dogs bite me I will have them taken and press charges to have them put down as viscous.

That's a lousy attitude. Dogs are naturally territorial; biting a trespassing stranger does not mean they are vicious and deserve to die. Dogs are also most often a loved family member, in addition to something that family has spent a lot of money on.

Here's an idea....don't trespass in someone's fenced in yard with a dog in it, without first notifying the homeowner and getting their permission.

Brian Pfleuger · June 20, 2014, 11:04 AM

We haven't been on topic for quite some time.

June 19, 2014, 07:16 PM	#26
kym Member Join Date: October 12, 2005 Posts: 47	Back in the 80's two well dressed young men came to my door and said they were from the university and wanted to do a poll. After I invited them in to my house one asked me if I had received a letter from some business or another. When I said no they said they were sorry they had the wrong house and got up to go. I reached into a nearby drawer and pulled out my 1911. Your not going anywhere I said. Give me your driver license. They were freaked out. I told them they used false pretenses to get into my house and I wanted to know who the hell they were. I copied down their information and told them that if anything was missing from my place or the neighborhood I would turn the information over to the police. When I let them go they walked up to the main road and left. Never saw them again. Last edited by Frank Ettin; June 19, 2014 at 07:43 PM. Reason: delete profanity

June 20, 2014, 05:53 AM	#32
DT Guy Senior Member Join Date: February 4, 2001 Posts: 958	I routinely open my door to girl scouts selling cookies, band members selling discount books and kids collecting for baseball teams, and often contribute. But if you look like you're over about 14 YOA, you're going to get me glowering through the locked glass storm door with the four dogs at my feet, and you won't SEE the gun... I do try to let the extra suspicious ones get a glimpse someone is home, though, simply in case they're casing the joint to see if it's safe to do a burglary; I'm not so tough that I want them to try it and have to deal with them, so I'd prefer they realize the house is occupied and move along. Larry __________________ He who fights and runs away had better run pretty damn fast. Government, Anarchy and Chaos

June 20, 2014, 09:24 AM	#40
boltomatic Member Join Date: March 25, 2014 Posts: 98	Sounds bad It sounds like he was up to no good. The easiest way to find out for sure would be to call LifeLock and ask if they had any reps in your area, but I don' think they ever do that anyway. After you call them, call the police and report it. Also call your neighbors and tell them.

June 20, 2014, 11:04 AM	#43
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	We haven't been on topic for quite some time. __________________ Nobody plans to screw up their lives... ...they just don't plan not to. -Andy Stanley

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June 19, 2014, 09:08 PM	#29
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	And some suspicious visitors might just be ... Shortly after the passage of GCA 68, I received a call from the gun shop where I worked saying that a new clerk had been asked about a source for a .45 auto and gave the "customer" my name. About a half hour later, a car came into my driveway. No front license plate, though my state uses two plates. Two guys asked if they could come in. My gun was on me, but out of sight and they didn't look like crooks, so I let them in. First they wanted to buy a .45 for protection. I told them the only .45 I had was a target model. So they became target shooters. I said the gun was not for sale. So then they became collectors and wanted to know if I had any collector guns, etc., etc. Finally, finding that I would not sell them a gun, they gave up and left. After I dealt with the loud mouth clerk, I wrote letters to my Senators, my Congressman, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Director of ATTD (predecessor to BATFE), asking why agents on Saturday overtime were going around hasseling people and trying to entrap honest citizens. Of course, ATTD denied any involvement, but I never had any more gun buying visitors. Jim

June 20, 2014, 01:52 AM	#31
jason_iowa Senior Member Join Date: July 30, 2011 Posts: 686	Never open your door for anyone you don't know. I don't care if they are police, priests, politicians, or the gd pope. People you should get to know are your mail carriers, ups, fedex delivery people. Ask them if anyone ever replaces them if so do they know who it will be. Its best really not to have mail or packages delivered to your home. Most of my extended family does not even know my address. If they are not coming to visit they don't need to know. Know your neighbors. If I'm having something delivered I tell my neighbors. I also tell them if they see a van or truck at my house and I did not mention anything to call me and or the police. It never hurts to take extra precautions and your neighbors really can be your best friends. I do contract work overseas 6-9 months out of the year and It puts my mind at ease that my neighbors have learned to be so vigilant. I carry at home simply so I have it with me if I'm called away from the house. You don't need to be paranoid most people coming to your home are not intending you harm but you do need to be cautious as you are the only one who is going to protect yourself an your home.

June 20, 2014, 05:54 AM	#33
8MM Mauser Senior Member Join Date: October 16, 2011 Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan Posts: 647	I remember when I was still a teenager a guy came to the door of my parents house saying he was from ATT and asking if he could "see your connection, to make sure it's working properly." My dad explained to him that we already had ATT and it worked fine. After that the man started to become belligerent and demanded that he be let into the house. My dad threw the door shut in his face, but the guy stuck his foot in the door and started yelling! My dad said he would call the cops and the guy started to walk off; but my mom pulled up right as he did and the guy went over to talk to her. I've never seen my dad move so fast; he grabbed a sword (we owned no guns at the time, which is strange; and 14 me had just blown my first money on a weapon) that was sitting in the corner and literally ran out screaming "get away from my wife!" The guy scampered off...in a 1993 Toyota Carolla with no markings. He was not wearing any ATT clothes and his vehicle was unmarked. Very suspicious. I used to joke with my dad later about it being a "bonzai charge" that scared him off! lol At our place my wife has reported twice seeing strange people come to the door and ask some odd questions. Once she had that happen, and heard suspicious noises outside later. My crazy lady grabbed my Ruger MKII (a target model with 10 inch barrel) and went poking around outside! I guess that;s what I get for marrying a girl who spent half her life in Texas! If someone was out there the sight of my pretty little wife, in flower skirt and tanktop searched them out with that big chunk of steel in her hand sent them off. Though I will admit I did suggest a more subtle tactic in the future and advised her that open carry of a firearm inside the city limits is against the law.

June 20, 2014, 06:32 AM	#34
kym Member Join Date: October 12, 2005 Posts: 47	Ashamed? No. They were up to no good. There is little time when that smiling person turns ugly and attracts you.

June 20, 2014, 07:55 AM	#36
guruatbol Senior Member Join Date: March 8, 2009 Location: Utah Posts: 285	Interestingly enough, I locate underground utilities as my retirement job. I have had a shotgun pulled on MD when I was walking around a person's house. No, I do not have to knock on your door first and if your dogs bite me I will have them taken and press charges to have them put down as viscous. I have the right to be there due to utility easements in all 50 states! I wear a bright orange vest and my truck has the company name on it. And no I will not go in to your home even if invited! Get a grip people. If yo don't want anyone on you property, get off the grid and move where there are no utility easements. You do not own exclusive rights to easements. If your gas meter is in back, I have the right to be in your back yard. Same with power, phone and the rest. Sometimes there is a line in your back yard that I have to find and it has nothing to do with your meter. Mel

June 20, 2014, 08:11 AM	#37
veamon Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2013 Posts: 186	No judge would let you press charges if an animal bit you if you were coming on to my property, regardless of whether or not guy legally have a right to be there. You have to do your due diligence and give a heads up.

June 20, 2014, 08:33 AM	#39
veamon Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2013 Posts: 186	@ guruatbol , So if my dog, who is behind a fence, and barks whenever someone looks at it wrong (so there is NO chance you don't know she is there), bites you for coming over the fence, you would then call and try to have her put down? Instead of knocking on my door and saying "Hey, I'm here to inspect X, could you put your dog up for a few minutes?". Hell, she'll bite me if I come over the fence, I have to go through the house, and personally I prefer her to be that way.