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Post by fiddlesticks on Aug 6, 2015 4:13:46 GMT
A few days ago (Friday, I think) someone ran up to the front door around 9:30, rang the doorbell a bunch and then ran away. Luckily, our DD didn't wake up. My DH went outside to check (which freaked me out...he hasn't watched nearly as much Criminal Minds as I have) but he didn't see anyone. Then Sunday night at 10, it happened again. I saw someone running down the front lawn out to the street but when DH went to look, nothing. Now, it just happened again, only this time they knocked and ran. DD is in bed and DH didn't feel well so he went to bed early. I didn't go look at all.
I am kind of freaking out. There is a late middle school/early high school neighbor boy across the street and just a little off. I don't really know his story, except for that he can be violent with his mother and sister and the police have been called several times just this summer. We have witnessed it. He has done residential treatment before (my nosey neighbor somehow found out) but I ended the conversation before she could go on because it isn't my business. I have no idea if it is even this kid but both DH and I wondered after the second time. Obviously, whoever it is, keeps coming back.
Any ideas of what we could do? Is there even anything? My DH said we should order a motion sensor water sprinkler. It is probably just harmless stupid kid stuff...but.... There is a nagging 'but' that keeps coming up in my head. Three times in 6 days. ACK!
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Post by RiverIsis on Aug 6, 2015 4:22:19 GMT
A few days ago (Friday, I think) someone ran up to the front door around 9:30, rang the doorbell a bunch and then ran away. Luckily, our DD didn't wake up. My DH went outside to check (which freaked me out...he hasn't watched nearly as much Criminal Minds as I have) but he didn't see anyone. Then Sunday night at 10, it happened again. I saw someone running down the front lawn out to the street but when DH went to look, nothing. Now, it just happened again, only this time they knocked and ran. DD is in bed and DH didn't feel well so he went to bed early. I didn't go look at all. I am kind of freaking out. There is a late middle school/early high school neighbor boy across the street and just a little off. I don't really know his story, except for that he can be violent with his mother and sister and the police have been called several times just this summer. We have witnessed it. He has done residential treatment before (my nosey neighbor somehow found out) but I ended the conversation before she could go on because it isn't my business. I have no idea if it is even this kid but both DH and I wondered after the second time. Obviously, whoever it is, keeps coming back. Any ideas of what we could do? Is there even anything? My DH said we should order a motion sensor water sprinkler. It is probably just harmless stupid kid stuff...but.... There is a nagging 'but' that keeps coming up in my head. Three times in 6 days. ACK! Whomever it is, is being a pest and a menace and at best it is harassment. Is it possible to ring your local police department and have a word with them about it. They should be able to guide you or maybe even conveniently have an officer drive by around that time for a week or so, which may be enough to put the offender off doing it again. |
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Post by RiverIsis on Aug 6, 2015 4:27:15 GMT
FWIW I had this happen to me when I lived in England. I could see it was a small group of about 5 boys. I finally caught them and shouted for them to stop. The youngest one stayed in my front garden, and was much too young to be roaming around on his own. The others came back for him and as I didn't know them, I told them it wouldn't be ok for me to let him go with them and I told them to get his mother. They did and she swore at me like a sailor and I just pointed out that he had no business ringing my doorbell, and I didn't know who he was with and it was the only responsible thing to do to make her come and collect him. I never touched/restrained him. He was just too frightened to move after I caught them. He never did it again to me, of course, this was in the broad daylight and not as spooky as at night.
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conchita
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,141
Jul 1, 2014 11:25:58 GMT
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Post by conchita on Aug 6, 2015 6:27:03 GMT
Definitely alert the police. I have motion sensor lights and they work very well. Some are brighter than others like the fog lights. It would be a good deterrent especially since you could see them get lit up like a deer in headlights.
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gsquaredmom
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Posts: 4,078
Jun 26, 2014 17:43:22 GMT
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Post by gsquaredmom on Aug 6, 2015 8:07:27 GMT
Police non emergency number and ask them
Cheap video camera and sign
Better lighting
Tape an out of order sign on the doorbell in the evening
Disconnect doorbell and leave sign on it all day.
Fence with locking gate
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craftykitten
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Jun 26, 2014 7:39:32 GMT
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Post by craftykitten on Aug 6, 2015 9:55:00 GMT
Police non emergency number and ask them Cheap video camera and sign Better lighting Tape an out of order sign on the doorbell in the evening Disconnect doorbell and leave sign on it all day. Fence with locking gate Everything she said. Also, stop putting 2 and 2 together and making eleventy billion  |
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happymomma
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Post by happymomma on Aug 6, 2015 10:11:20 GMT
I'm sorry that I was a hooligan little child that did this in elementary school, with my brother and neighbor kid.
It was one of our favorite forms of entertainment. Back then we would terrorize our neighborhood in this and a few other ways. I can tell you that we never hit a porch with a light on, so maybe motion detector lights or bright porch lights would help.
We didn't have video games or really anything to keep us entertained. Some of the things we did, I now feel horrible about, like this, as a grown-up.
So on behalf or your neighborhood monsters, I apologize.
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Post by imkat on Aug 6, 2015 10:14:15 GMT
Another former ding dong ditcher here. I would view it as a harmless annoyance unless there is some vandalism involved. Then I would call the police.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 21, 2024 7:58:48 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2015 11:32:20 GMT
A few years ago, we had an annoying neighbor kid ding dong ditch our house on Thanksgiving Day.
My DH saw who it was so I calmly walked over to his house (his Dad had a house full of company for the holiday) rang his doorbell, and informed him what his kid was out doing while he's inside socializing with all of his friends, girlfriend's friends and family etc.
The kid and his little friend had already run home, so he called them to the door where they both confessed.
I truly hope that all of his guests heard what happened and that perhaps he (the Dad) was even a little humiliated.
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Post by lisacharlotte on Aug 6, 2015 11:43:00 GMT
Former Ding Dong Ditcher here as well. Kids being kids. Turn on your porch light, that's usually a good deterrent.
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Country Ham
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Jun 25, 2014 19:32:08 GMT
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Post by Country Ham on Aug 6, 2015 11:44:46 GMT
I'm sorry that I was a hooligan little child that did this in elementary school, with my brother and neighbor kid. It was one of our favorite forms of entertainment. Back then we would terrorize our neighborhood in this and a few other ways. I can tell you that we never hit a porch with a light on, so maybe motion detector lights or bright porch lights would help. We didn't have video games or really anything to keep us entertained. Some of the things we did, I now feel horrible about, like this, as a grown-up. So on behalf or your neighborhood monsters, I apologize. FWIW when I saw the thread title I did feel a bit nostalgic. Reminded me of years and years ago when young folks did this and it wasn't intended to be mean spirited. Just a light hearted prank and never late at night. |
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Post by Kelpea on Aug 6, 2015 11:46:35 GMT
Ding dong ditching? I'll take that any day over what we did back in the day: rolling yards. (and cleaning our yard when we got rolled!) I'm so glad the kids don't do that nowadays around here.
Just as a respectful aside, please don't call children "a little bit off" especially if you don't know the story behind the child. That sort of attitude continues to pervade our culture's mentality toward mental health issues, and it hurts. And you have no idea if this kid was your ding dong ditcher.
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Post by maryland on Aug 6, 2015 11:52:01 GMT
That is annoying! My friend has had that happen a few times with some 13-14 yr. old girls and boys in her neighborhood. She talked to their parents and it stopped. But she knew the parents, so it wasn't as hard. The parents were very angry and my friend didn't see the girls and boys walking around the neighborhood for a long time.
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gsquaredmom
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Posts: 4,078
Jun 26, 2014 17:43:22 GMT
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Post by gsquaredmom on Aug 6, 2015 12:40:41 GMT
A few years ago, we had an annoying neighbor kid ding dong ditch our house on Thanksgiving Day.
My DH saw who it was so I calmly walked over to his house (his Dad had a house full of company for the holiday) rang his doorbell, and informed him what his kid was out doing while he's inside socializing with all of his friends, girlfriend's friends and family etc.
The kid and his little friend had already run home, so he called them to the door where they both confessed.
I truly hope that all of his guests heard what happened and that perhaps he (the Dad) was even a little humiliated.
Or they wondered why you disturbed them on a holiday with what they perceived as kids playing. YOU might have been mortified if your kids did that and your neighbor rang your bell, but they might have muttered a few choice words about you as they shut their door. I really hope it played out as you think it did, but I think there are too many me me me people out there. |
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Post by mnmloveli on Aug 6, 2015 12:55:52 GMT
Former Ding Donger here! Now that I'm a lot older & watch too much scary TV, this would worry me, especially if I was home alone. My apologies to all the people I have "ding donged".
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Post by worrywart on Aug 6, 2015 13:09:09 GMT
You could get one of those motion sensing cameras that is made for observing deer etc. The are relatively inexpensive ($60?), my dh got his at academy...and they have a card in them that you take out to get the pics..basic but it would at least identify the person.
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Post by anonrefugee on Aug 6, 2015 13:20:29 GMT
I can see how it's disconcerting in your situation. The wildlife camera seems like a simple approach.
Normally I'd say calling the police is extreme, but we've been having smash and grab invasions that start with door knocking.
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GiantsFan
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Posts: 8,295
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Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Aug 6, 2015 14:14:08 GMT
I'd go with a motion censor light or the motion censor sprinkler (called the Scarecrow). A light would be a deterrent, but the water would be funny to watch. So maybe you should get a video camera and the sprinkler.
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MizIndependent
Drama Llama
Quit your bullpoop.
Posts: 5,836
Jun 25, 2014 19:43:16 GMT
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Post by MizIndependent on Aug 6, 2015 14:14:40 GMT
Rig your doorbell to give a 10 watt shock. Might not stop him but I bet the yelp you hear would be worth it.  |
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marimoose
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Posts: 3,282
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Post by marimoose on Aug 6, 2015 14:28:41 GMT
Rig your doorbell to give a 10 watt shock. Might not stop him but I bet it the yelp you hear would be worth it. This is funny but might not be so funny if it was still rigged up and the unsuspecting UPS man rang the bell  |
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Peamac
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Refupea # 418
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Post by Peamac on Aug 6, 2015 14:31:07 GMT
According to our local facebook yard sale group, some elementary age boys have been doing the ring and run in our area recently. Maybe it's younger kids?
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Deleted
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May 21, 2024 7:58:48 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2015 14:37:46 GMT
A few years ago, we had an annoying neighbor kid ding dong ditch our house on Thanksgiving Day.
My DH saw who it was so I calmly walked over to his house (his Dad had a house full of company for the holiday) rang his doorbell, and informed him what his kid was out doing while he's inside socializing with all of his friends, girlfriend's friends and family etc.
The kid and his little friend had already run home, so he called them to the door where they both confessed.
I truly hope that all of his guests heard what happened and that perhaps he (the Dad) was even a little humiliated.
Or they wondered why you disturbed them on a holiday with what they perceived as kids playing. YOU might have been mortified if your kids did that and your neighbor rang your bell, but they might have muttered a few choice words about you as they shut their door. I really hope it played out as you think it did, but I think there are too many me me me people out there. So let me get this straight...it's acceptable for their kids to disturb MY holiday, but I'm out of line for daring to disturb their holiday? Really?
Frankly...I don't really care how it played out in their home. I'm pretty sure his guests already know what kind of father he is.
Edited to add something new...my DH also saw the kids DDD the people across the street from us. (and I told the father this too...it wasn't just our home) And that's just what was witnessed by DH. What if they'd DDD several homes before ours? Thanksgiving Day?
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 6, 2015 15:01:42 GMT
Id call the police.
What I actually did was yell to my husband to get the gun. They didn't come back after this.
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Post by magentapea on Aug 6, 2015 15:17:19 GMT
I am surprised at the number of people who say to call the police for ding dong ditching. It seems a terrible waste of resources. Just keep your porch light on or post a "this area under video surveillance" sign and it should cut down on the ddd.
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gsquaredmom
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Jun 26, 2014 17:43:22 GMT
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Post by gsquaredmom on Aug 6, 2015 15:25:29 GMT
Or they wondered why you disturbed them on a holiday with what they perceived as kids playing. YOU might have been mortified if your kids did that and your neighbor rang your bell, but they might have muttered a few choice words about you as they shut their door. I really hope it played out as you think it did, but I think there are too many me me me people out there. So let me get this straight...it's acceptable for their kids to disturb MY holiday, but I'm out of line for daring to disturb their holiday? Really?
Frankly...I don't really care how it played out in their home. I'm pretty sure his guests already know what kind of father he is.
Edited to add something new...my DH also saw the kids DDD the people across the street from us. (and I told the father this too...it wasn't just our home) And that's just what was witnessed by DH. What if they'd DDD several homes before ours? Thanksgiving Day?
Nope. Never said you were out of line. I agree with you completely. I was just pointing out that dad might not have been as humiliated as you had hoped, and that THEY might have perceived you as bothering them on a holiday for what they might have thought was no big deal. He obviously was not concerned about where his kids were and what they were doing at a family gathering. |
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oldcrow
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Post by oldcrow on Aug 6, 2015 16:12:47 GMT
Another ding dong ditcher here, well, sort of, because not many people in my neighbourhood had door bells. So we used to knock really loud then run.
But it was a different age then and if we had tried the door knob most would have been unlocked. So the fear you feel was probably not felt back then.
I never was involved in the dog poop runs. I didn't like fire. but it was popular then too.
We only did this in around Halloween along with other different pranks.
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LeaP
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Location: Los Angeles, CA where 405 meets 101
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Post by LeaP on Aug 6, 2015 16:19:04 GMT
When my girls wake up, I will ask them if some YouTuber talked about this. Months ago my youngest (11) mentioned that some of the boys in her class were planning to do this.
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AnotherPea
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Posts: 2,968
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Post by AnotherPea on Aug 6, 2015 16:49:28 GMT
SEveral years ago some upper elementary aged boys started harassing my daughter who was in 6th/7th grade. They'd be waiting at her bus stop for her to get off and be downright nasty with their words. Very inappropriate sexual stuff. She never told me about it. One day she fired back some retort that infuriated one of the boys. They decided to up the ante the next day and came to our house and threw rocks at our windows. I got outside as they were running off and saw that one boy ran into the house down the street. The others ran to our main street. I spoke to the mother that lived on my street, told her what happened and asked if she would tell her son to tell me where the other boys lived. She told him to escort me to their houses. She was furious and I think he learned his lesson.
The other boys were brothers. Their mother was a trashy piece of work. She started screaming at me saying I was lying and then turned to my escort and told him "snitches get stitches." Umm, do you know what you're saying woman? She was a vile, vile person. I went home, took dd to gymnastics and when I came home there was a lovely puddle of urine on my front door. Now I didn't do any DNA analysis, but I'm fairly certain it was one of the boys that graced me with their pee.
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Post by Darcy Collins on Aug 6, 2015 16:50:59 GMT
Eh - I put this pretty low on my outrage scale. I suppose because it's too close to booing - which is probably my kids favorite part of Halloween. Booing is where one sneaks to the door leaves treats, rings the doorbell and runs - the goal is to not be caught - for those not familiar with the practice.
I guess I just don't have enough exciting things going on during my evening that answering a doorbell and not finding someone would be such a big deal - and if we're in the middle of dinner or something and the doorbell rings, we just don't answer it.
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Post by Darcy Collins on Aug 6, 2015 16:55:01 GMT
SEveral years ago some upper elementary aged boys started harassing my daughter who was in 6th/7th grade. They'd be waiting at her bus stop for her to get off and be downright nasty with their words. Very inappropriate sexual stuff. She never told me about it. One day she fired back some retort that infuriated one of the boys. They decided to up the ante the next day and came to our house and threw rocks at our windows. I got outside as they were running off and saw that one boy ran into the house down the street. The others ran to our main street. I spoke to the mother that lived on my street, told her what happened and asked if she would tell her son to tell me where the other boys lived. She told him to escort me to their houses. She was furious and I think he learned his lesson. The other boys were brothers. Their mother was a trashy piece of work. She started screaming at me saying I was lying and then turned to my escort and told him "snitches get stitches." Umm, do you know what you're saying woman? She was a vile, vile person. I went home, took dd to gymnastics and when I came home there was a lovely puddle of urine on my front door. Now I didn't do any DNA analysis, but I'm fairly certain it was one of the boys that graced me with their pee. I'm not sure DDD is really comparable to harassment, throwing rocks at windows or urinating on someone else's property?  ? |
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