Should I be concerned?

[jeepmor]

Good advice here. Especially the "take their picture" advice. It's non-confrontational if you get it from the right perspective. If you do get confronted, you can say "Just taking some before (or after) pics of my yard, it is (was) shabby and I wanted to see if there was any progress. If it did become confrontational, it would be a red flag to me.

Plus, taking pictures is by no means legally questionable. And if they are casing your hood, if they think you have their picture, they likely won't ever return as previously mentioned. If a crime is committed in your neighborhood, you could share them with your neighbors and/or police since you have started developing communication channels.

I have a car that swings through our culdesac every morning about the crack of dawn when I get home. I work nights, so I get home about the time the paper deliveries come through I suspect. Anyhow, the car tends to vary, but not the time. And no one in our culdesac gets the paper, but that doesn't stop these folks from running the route anyway. I'm not certain if there is a lot of paper delivery person turnover or what, but I have had a similar experience, it's just that these folks don't stop, they just keep going and are moving fast enough they are probably not casing the homes. I have never figured it out, but it's become so routine and never been an issue so it doesn't phase me anymore.

Plus, the culdesac behind us has the same street name, but is boulevard instead of street. (I know, a culdesac named street, gets people all the time) I've grown used to people scratching their bupkis and slowly swinging through the culdesac. The numbering is terrible and not intuitive by any stretch, and only the big box delivery guys seem to get it right.

If it is drug related, keep an eye out for skinny paranoid looking people picking at their face alot (meth head) or the aimless aloof folks (pothead) and just beware, stay safe, and stay ready.

 

[johndoe1027]

There was no sign on the truck and I doubt they were trying to deliver anything (aside from drugs possibly) on a Sunday afternoon.

Something did happen last night though. I was coming home about 9pm. I rounded said corner and noticed a Subaru Wagon on the shoulder with their interior light on. I decided to be a good citizen and help them out. I thought they were lost.

I pulled into my driveway, parked and walked over to ask her if I could help since I know the area well and it's easy to get lost around my hood. As she saw me she pulls out into the road and almost drove right by (I was like 10 feet from her car at the time). It's then that I noticed she wasn't looking at a map or anything just on the phone. She almost didn't slow down enough to talk and wasn't going to roll down the window either. She finally did and asked "What?". I thought that was a pretty harsh greeting for someone that was trying to help. I said "Sorry I thought you were lost, I was going to try to help". She said "No" and continued to pull away. She never came to a complete stop during the conversation. She seemed a bit distracted and a little antsy. Might have just been me imagining it but I think she might have been "on the hunt" for some drugs. I'm starting to think a dealer moved into the hood and people are having a hard time finding him in his new locale. I think she pulled away only to pull over somewhere else in hopes of finding her way.

I'm starting to think the guys in the truck were looking for the same place and may have thought I was "the guy" (hence the stare). The deal last night made me a little more concerned for what is going on around here. I don't care for meth addicts.

 

[kellyj00]

These kind of situations just scream for an AR-15. If something horrible did happen, that's the weapon I would use.

I really enjoy watching horror movies and thinking about what the best weapon combination would be to combat the situation. Resident Evil comes to mind.

Not hijacking, I'll start a new thread for this.

 

[SamTuckerMTNMAN]

I now have a monitored alarm, three huge American bulldogs, motion sensing lights, security screens, and I don't exercise with the garage open no matter how hot it is.

so you are being bullied by people who 1.) dont live there 2.) are a**es 3.) made fun of you (?) 4.) didnt have the cajones to really do anything.

Imagine the effect theyd have on a town with one harassing call a day if everyone caved like you and barricaded themselves in their garage "no matter how hot it is".

Stand up and keep your ground. You surrendered territory to the bad guy.

MO

ST

 

[johndoe1027]

I agree with Sam, we can't let the BG's (or idiots for that matter) take control of any of our property, no matter how small the area. My property is just that and I will do as I please on it. Including walking up to any cars that are parked in front of my house just to ask them if they need help finding anything. We have to stay active about protecting our property and neighborhoods, We (as civilians) only have the duty to protect ourselves, family and our property (as opposed to having the duty to protect everyone and everything, everywhere (is that the dreaded mall ninja mentality?)).
I'm not slamming you for wanting to avoid confrontation at all. That is a noble cause. To each his own but I'll be staying free on my property at the least.

 

[answerguy]

There was no sign on the truck and I doubt they were trying to deliver anything (aside from drugs possibly) on a Sunday afternoon.

Something did happen last night though. I was coming home about 9pm. I rounded said corner and noticed a Subaru Wagon on the shoulder with their interior light on. I decided to be a good citizen and help them out. I thought they were lost.

I pulled into my driveway, parked and walked over to ask her if I could help since I know the area well and it's easy to get lost around my hood. As she saw me she pulls out into the road and almost drove right by (I was like 10 feet from her car at the time). It's then that I noticed she wasn't looking at a map or anything just on the phone. She almost didn't slow down enough to talk and wasn't going to roll down the window either. She finally did and asked "What?". I thought that was a pretty harsh greeting for someone that was trying to help. I said "Sorry I thought you were lost, I was going to try to help". She said "No" and continued to pull away. She never came to a complete stop during the conversation. She seemed a bit distracted and a little antsy. Might have just been me imagining it but I think she might have been "on the hunt" for some drugs. I'm starting to think a dealer moved into the hood and people are having a hard time finding him in his new locale. I think she pulled away only to pull over somewhere else in hopes of finding her way.

I'm starting to think the guys in the truck were looking for the same place and may have thought I was "the guy" (hence the stare). The deal last night made me a little more concerned for what is going on around here. I don't care for meth addicts.

Did you consider that you were freaking her out? She did exactly what I would have wanted my wife to do if a stranger approached her.

 

[johndoe1027]

Yeah sure but I thought it might be obvious that I lived there if I pulled into the driveway, which is why I did that. I also smiled and waved as I approached the passenger side about 6 feet to the left (my side). I tried really hard to not make her nervous. I knew I could have seemed like a BG.

Her reaction was what was odd, not the pulling away part. She almost couldn't respond to my greeting. She seemed very confused. Not like "lost" confused but like "really really need to find this guys house before my skin falls off" confused. I have had little direct experience with meth heads and the like but I always know when someone is messed up. I did different "things" for a long time in the past and not many stoned people get by me without me noticing. She seems messed up in some way. I can peg people on cocaine, marijuana, alcohol, hallucinogens, exstacy (even though I can't spell it), and most pills (even the type of pill usually). I'm not proud of my past but it did give me a few skills that I can use to my advantage. It takes one to know one I suppose. My meth and crack ID skills are not nearly as sharp since I've known very few and the few I did know didn't stay around long...

Like I said, that may have not been the case at all but that was my feeling. The car was a newer outback which seems odd for a druggie but everyone starts somewhere I guess. I'm not making any definite judgments on her, it just made me realize that I should stay on high alert for awhile until things get back to normal.

 

[answerguy]

Yeah sure but I thought it might be obvious that I lived there if I pulled into the driveway, which is why I did that. I also smiled and waved as I approached the passenger side about 6 feet to the left (my side). I tried really hard to not make her nervous. I knew I could have seemed like a BG.

I'll be sure to tell my wife to just sit there if the stranger approaching her is smiling and waving at her. Right.

 

[trfcrugby]

"so you are being bullied by people who 1.) dont live there 2.) are a**es 3.) made fun of you (?) 4.) didnt have the cajones to really do anything.

Imagine the effect theyd have on a town with one harassing call a day if everyone caved like you and barricaded themselves in their garage "no matter how hot it is".

Stand up and keep your ground. You surrendered territory to the bad guy.

MO

ST"

Welcome to California. I teach high school, and I see how little regard these kids have for life. Beating someone close to death, even curb stomping someone is not uncommon these days. I brought the license plate number of a thief to the police one day, and I was told "What do you want us to do with this?" There was a rash of robberies, and we had the plate number of someone that drove up and swiped something from the house next door in broad daylight. Did the cops care? Nope.

So, yeah, it sucks. Worst case, I get beat down by three lovely gentlemen in my own driveway, best case they just come back later and trash my house and/or cars. The mentality of these thugs is to come back when they have superior numbers, weapons, whatever. I can almost assure you that had the driver been alone, he would not have done anything at all, and driven on by.

I hate to "give ground" to the BGs, but in reality, what can I do? Workout with my Glock strapped to my weight belt?

I am all ears if you guys have advice. During the housing boom over the last couple of years, about half the homes in my neighborhood sold to, well, I'll be blunt, large hispanic familes (2-3 per household) that let their teenage kids run around in baggy jeans and white tank tops, covered in tattoos, eyeballing anyone that looks their way. Since then, the park across the street has seen muggings, stabbings, and shootings. I'm not saying one thing (new residents) equals another (higher crime), but the coincidence is amazing. Our street signs are now covered in grafitti, theft is up, speeding cars at all times of the night. I've seen the change with my own eyes over the past three years. So, yeah, if you have some advice for how to take it back, I would love to hear it.

 

[johndoe1027]

Dang, seems like a bad situation that one man is not going to be able to fix. I'm sorry to hear that. I guess I was thinking with a rural mindset for sure. I'm not used to gangs (that pose any real threat) and "real" thugs who live like there's no prison.
Maybe someone will be along with some good suggestions.

 

[SamTuckerMTNMAN]

I hear ya

I've only been in those places for short periods, relatively. And I hear the complaints you are making, I feel sad really, that is the same story as is happening in many places. And the cold hard truth is that in the years to come those 'suburban ghettos' are not going to shrink. America in 50 years is going to look very different from what it does now.

As far as advice goes, start with : There is always a way.

The real "ninja" wisdom would be look at ways of transforming the community in a non confrontational way. America is being taken over without a shot it seems, lets learn from our enemies!

It would take a special personality, but you could definitely start a class of some sorts. It could be physical training, primitive skills, martial arts, or something less hard core. Dont approach it as being the baddest dude around just a good enough guy who cares and will work with others. You could have cleanups and theme get togethers where the theme is to avoid bringing down the comunity with various "poisons". Talking to kids and neighbors about how 'warriorship' and give them some pride in what they are inheriting, both culturally, ethnically, and nationally. Talk to people about what kind of place they want their kids to grow up in. Be visible. Help others out. Start an outreach program where you sign kids up to help elderly or widows etc and have rewards like a "day at the range", which of course starts with many sessions hanging at the house talking about the history of the U.S., the responisbilities of RKBA, safety, general guidelines about the childish behavior of gang mentality. Define "MACHO" as standing up for the good, whats right, and the poor and downtrodden. Let those with good character and potential and sense take a trip and learn real fundamentals at the range not just gang bang crap. Create something they can look up to other than the local thug whose facade of power is enough to draw them in. There is risk, but there is risk in doing nothing as well.

ST