Weird stuff going on here tonight ....

[Carnivorous_Bean]

Well, a few odd things are going on here tonight at Bean Manor, so I thought I'd share in case someone has some insights on whether I'm overreacting or underreacting to them .... or just wants to hear a slightly strange tale of inexplicable human behavior ....

I live out in the wilds of northern Wisconsin, about 2 miles from town and 1 mile from the next house, on a gravel road. A pretty, peaceful area. Hardly anyone comes down my road other than the postman and a couple of people who live even further down it, all of whom I know.

I was sitting here tonight at my computer, typing an e-mail and thinking no evil, when I heard a car with a not-too-good muffler coming up the driveway. I looked out and saw the headlights coming up the driveway, which is pretty long.

As soon as the curtains opened, and my head could be seen looking out through the gap, the car's driver threw it into reverse, backing down the driveway recklessly enough to back into one of my bushes. They went into forward gear, drove out of the bush, then backed down onto the road and drove off towards town.

About 10 minutes later, I heard a car coming -- one with a not-too-good muffler. It slowed, stopped, pulled into my driveway, and drove up it. I turned out the lights this time and looked out -- I could dimly see it was a fairly new-looking midsize car, probably dark blue or dark grey. I think there were 2 people in it. As soon as it got up parallel to the house, it went into reverse, backed slowly down the driveway, pulled onto the road, and drove off towards town again, but I couldn't tell if it left or rolled to a stop a little way up the road.

This time, I turned out all the lights, got my pepper spray, a big flashlight, and a camera with a flash on it. I crept outside quietly, knowing that my dogs would prevent anyone except me from coming in, or at least from coming in without a noisy melee. I walked around the house silently, first, to see if there were any prowlers. Then I went down parallel to the driveway, keeping to the bushes, and looked out at the road. All was quiet.

So I sat down between two bushes and waited with my camera.

Sure enough, about 10 minutes later, a car with a bad muffler came down the road. It didn't pull in this time, but it sounded like it went down to the next side road and turned off on it.

And since then, it's driven past about every 10 minutes, 3 or 4 times now. I didn't get a good look at it, but I can tell it's not a car anyone on this road drives. And if it was someone from this road, why the rapid retreat when I opened the curtain to look out?

It could be someone lost .... but in that case, why on Earth don't they come up to the door and ask for directions if they're looking for directions? I mean, a neat house with a mowed lawn and flowerbeds isn't too daunting .... it's not like they were greeted by a rusty metal shack with bullet holes in the walls or something!

Any thoughts? Am I just overreacting in thinking it's vaguely sinister?

[Blazej]

I would be quite freaked out by now, but then again I am very easily scared.

Edit: And quite paranoid honestly.

Edit Edit: On the other hand, I could imagine myself getting stuck on a road while trying to find my way and refuse not to ask others for directions.

[Davi The Eccentric]

It could just be because it's flipping midnight, or at least close enough to it that they don't want to wake someone up just for directions?

[stardust]

It's a bad muffler convention. They're looking for a place to see whose is the loudest.

[vagrant-poet]

That's a, that's really wierd.

[Stebehil]

It seems somewhat strange - but perhaps really just a stranger afraid to wake someone and ask for directions in the middle of the night. If you called the cops, I think it would be understandable. If there was an unknown car appearing several times on my out-of-the-way property during nighttime, I would probably call them.

It is at least odd behaviour...

Stefan

[Ambrosia Slaad]

Carnivorous_Bean wrote:

{much strangeness snipped}

I woulda assumed they were either a) drunk and badly lost, or b) burglars-to-be.

But then I live in rural SW FL. We now happily shoot anything vaguely threatening, then maybe ask questions later.

And don't bother retreating or running away, it still won't save you.

[Emperor7]

I'm guessing they were from Hasbro. They have the loud car out front, distracting you. Then they sneak in the back door and steal your Paizo stuff.

Don't laugh. It happened to my cousin's brother's best friend's uncle.

[Carnivorous_Bean]

Well, after posting that account of weirdness, I can't leave this without posting the sequel investigation during daylight hours. ;)

Since my driveway is gravel and sand, and there's grass on both sides, I was able to go and look at the tire tracks this morning. There was no rain overnight, so everything was still in place.

It turns out that they backed up incorrectly 4 times, not just once. They backed up and ran over one of my bushes the first time. A little further down, there were more tire tracks backing off the driveway into the side of a pine tree, breaking branches.

A little further past that, they backed off the other side of the driveway into open lawn, leaving a couple of short ruts, since the ground was soft. And when they backed into the road, they went up on the opposite shoulder and came within a couple of inches of backing over a 4-foot bank ....

So, unless they return and case the place again, I'm going to have to with "drunk and/or stoned out of their minds and not knowing where they were." =)

Still, it was a pretty strange evening all round .... maybe it was Hasbro. ;) Or flumphs in a stolen car!

[Mairkurion {tm}]

I hate to say, "Divert some of your gaming money towards a trusty shotgun," but as a Texan...

[Stebehil]

Carnivorous_Bean wrote:

So, unless they return and case the place again, I'm going to have to with "drunk and/or stoned out of their minds and not knowing where they were." =)

Er, well, no. This is part of a scheme by the government to make you lose your mind and sell the property for cheap, so that they can establish a super secret test facility right there. Or any other conspiracy theories you like.

Stefan

[Stebehil]

Mairkurion {tm} wrote:

I hate to say, "Divert some of your gaming money towards a trusty shotgun," but as a Texan...

I don´t think shooting at random drivers who lost their way (and most probably their mind) will do any good.

Stefan

[Auxmaulous]

I'm thinking it was the Zodiac.....but I could be wrong, I have been before.

[Mark Moreland]

That story sounds like the setup to a big scare in a horror movie. Well, at least a suspenseful thriller. I certainly would've been freaked out. Did anyone else on your street report strange activity or was it just you?

[Cosmo's Wandering Eye]

(rolls through)