I hear you knockin' but you can't come in

[Kimmelweck]

These days, I keep my door locked unless I'm expecting company or working in the yard. The gas station around the corner, 250 steps away from me, gets robbed at gunpoint every year or so, but I'm not particularly worried about anyone breaking into my house. I've just gotten into the habit of locking the door behind me whenever I'm coming or going.

That said, in the last couple weeks I've noticed a strange lady, maybe 40-50 years old, wandering my neighborhood. I assume she is a neighbor but I'm not sure where she lives. I first noticed her earlier this month while I was at my desk and looking out of my upstairs window. She picked a piece of trash up off my lawn near the street (fine, thanks lady). But then she looked around, appearing kind of confused, and walked about 80 feet up my driveway and into my backyard. She found the trash can up against the back of my house, and put the trash in the can. I appreciate the effort, but honestly it was kind of weird. I watched as she then picked up some trash from a neighbor's lawn a couple houses down and put it on their porch, pulled a bunch of dried weeds from around a telephone pole and tossed them into the street, and then moved on out of sight down the sidewalk. The next day, she walked past my driveway again shortly after the trash collectors had come, and for some reason she just had to move my wheeled garbage can from one side of my driveway to the other side. I heard the wheels, looked out the window, and was like "hey, it's that weird lady again!" Very obsessive-compulsive behavior, by the looks of it. I saw her again today, and she stopped in my driveway, stared into my backyard for about 20 seconds with the same confused look on her face, and then, seemingly reluctantly, continued on down the street. She seems fairly harmless, and I kind of feel bad for her as her behavior suggests some mild mental illness, but, yeah, I'm still keeping my door locked.

[Flex]

These days, I keep my door locked unless I'm expecting company or working in the yard. The gas station around the corner, 250 steps away from me, gets robbed at gunpoint every year or so, but I'm not particularly worried about anyone breaking into my house. I've just gotten into the habit of locking the door behind me whenever I'm coming or going.

That said, in the last couple weeks I've noticed a strange lady, maybe 40-50 years old, wandering my neighborhood. I assume she is a neighbor but I'm not sure where she lives. I first noticed her earlier this month while I was at my desk and looking out of my upstairs window. She picked a piece of trash up off my lawn near the street (fine, thanks lady). But then she looked around, appearing kind of confused, and walked about 80 feet up my driveway and into my backyard. She found the trash can up against the back of my house, and put the trash in the can. I appreciate the effort, but honestly it was kind of weird. I watched as she then picked up some trash from a neighbor's lawn a couple houses down and put it on their porch, pulled a bunch of dried weeds from around a telephone pole and tossed them into the street, and then moved on out of sight down the sidewalk. The next day, she walked past my driveway again shortly after the trash collectors had come, and for some reason she just had to move my wheeled garbage can from one side of my driveway to the other side. I heard the wheels, looked out the window, and was like "hey, it's that weird lady again!" Very obsessive-compulsive behavior, by the looks of it. I saw her again today, and she stopped in my driveway, stared into my backyard for about 20 seconds with the same confused look on her face, and then, seemingly reluctantly, continued on down the street. She seems fairly harmless, and I kind of feel bad for her as her behavior suggests some mild mental illness, but, yeah, I'm still keeping my door locked.

She's probably waiting for the next EET WEEK

[BostonBeaneater]

We only lock up if we’re leaving town for a few days.

[revbob]

We only lock up if we’re leaving town for a few days.

Right, you dont want to pass up any completely good victims.

[Low Down Low]

The only times I've been a victim of burglary was the multiple times during my college years when, and i can't stress this strongly enough, there was almost nothing of any remote value to burgle. Once, i arrived home to find a break in ongoing but as they'd cleverly put the inside chain lock on the door, they'd long scarpered out the back window before i could gain access. Can't quite recall whether i was relieved or affronted to subsequently discover they'd made off with some of my flat mates' old clothes and left mine completely untouched.

[Dr. Medulla]

A couple years back, the car was parked on the street—we must have had renos going on, so the driveway was filled with materials related to that—and she forgot to lock up. Someone went by, checking handles, opened the passenger door and looked in, opened the glovebox, but finding nothing closed up and walked away. We wouldn’t have known if the stuff in the glovebox wasn’t on the seat. That’s the only thing close to a burglary we’ve ever experienced.

[Flex]

Very occasionally we accidentally leave our garage door open for a while but no one has yet taken it upon themselves to haul away all of our useless crap for us.

[Dr. Medulla]

Very occasionally we accidentally leave our garage door open for a while but no one has yet taken it upon themselves to haul away all of our useless crap for us.

[revbob]

Very occasionally we accidentally leave our garage door open for a while but no one has yet taken it upon themselves to haul away all of our useless crap for us.

Years ago when I my son was little he was always leaving the garage door open when he would come home. When I wasn't around it would stay open all night because my wife wouldn't check and then she'd freak out. I set it up so now it will automatically close after being open more than 15 min.

[JoseUnidos]

yes. always.

Ditto, unless one or both of us are outside doing yard stuff. Growing up my folks never locked the door during the day if someone was home, and the spare key was always under the side door doormat.

[JennyB]

Yes, always. ALWAYS.

I was surprised that it wasn't just Mimi and I who said yes.

[Mimi]

Yes, always. ALWAYS.

I was surprised that it wasn't just Mimi and I who said yes.

I keep starting posts and then regret and erase. never mind again.

[Kimmelweck]

These days, I keep my door locked unless I'm expecting company or working in the yard. The gas station around the corner, 250 steps away from me, gets robbed at gunpoint every year or so, but I'm not particularly worried about anyone breaking into my house. I've just gotten into the habit of locking the door behind me whenever I'm coming or going.

That said, in the last couple weeks I've noticed a strange lady, maybe 40-50 years old, wandering my neighborhood. I assume she is a neighbor but I'm not sure where she lives. I first noticed her earlier this month while I was at my desk and looking out of my upstairs window. She picked a piece of trash up off my lawn near the street (fine, thanks lady). But then she looked around, appearing kind of confused, and walked about 80 feet up my driveway and into my backyard. She found the trash can up against the back of my house, and put the trash in the can. I appreciate the effort, but honestly it was kind of weird. I watched as she then picked up some trash from a neighbor's lawn a couple houses down and put it on their porch, pulled a bunch of dried weeds from around a telephone pole and tossed them into the street, and then moved on out of sight down the sidewalk. The next day, she walked past my driveway again shortly after the trash collectors had come, and for some reason she just had to move my wheeled garbage can from one side of my driveway to the other side. I heard the wheels, looked out the window, and was like "hey, it's that weird lady again!" Very obsessive-compulsive behavior, by the looks of it. I saw her again today, and she stopped in my driveway, stared into my backyard for about 20 seconds with the same confused look on her face, and then, seemingly reluctantly, continued on down the street. She seems fairly harmless, and I kind of feel bad for her as her behavior suggests some mild mental illness, but, yeah, I'm still keeping my door locked.

She's probably waiting for the next EET WEEK

Who isn't?