“I’m going door to door…”

[Anonymous]

Perhaps I am a skeptical person by nature, but when someone comes down our alley and to our back door, my alarm bells go off. I always feel like someone is “casing” our house rather than actually trying to sell me something. This has happened recently as…

– a guy who was promoting his lawn business, but couldn’t take his eyes off a rather expensive piece of equipment my husband happened to be using at the time

– people from a church. I work at home — do you get a lot of church recruits coming down alleys and knocking on doors in the middle of the day?

– and just now, a very well-spoken yet confusing young guy who said he was going door to door for some kind of public speaking class and needed to talk to people about voting or their work or…something. He could be legit, but the time of day, the way he was dressed (very very casually — not great if he’s trying to make some kind of impression) and the oddness of what he was trying to articulate made me glad that I have a 160-pound dog who gets to the door before I do on every occasion. I just told the kid (?) that I was sorry, but I was working. But of course I was thinking, “Is this kid going door to door ringing bells to see if someone is NOT home instead?” (He was wearing a ball cap with a dollar sign on it incidentally.)

Thoughts on this? I always trust my instincts on these things. Wondering if anyone else happens to have had similar experiences lately.

And no offense to that young guy if he is legit — you just need to work on your presentation a little if so.

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[Anonymous]

I’ve never heard of someone legit coming through the alley. Sounds more like they’re making up something to justify being in your back yard. In fact in the 9 years I’ve lived here, the only strangers in the alley have been one theft of things in the yard and one guy looking for cans in the recycle. Everyone else is from either my block or one street up and I recognize them from repeat sightings.

Oh, I forgot a police chase came through once. So again, 3 for 3, strangers were not legit.

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[Anonymous]

So keep an eye out for that kid with the ballcap — suspicious.

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[WSB]

Extensive recent discussion in the home-page news section recently if you haven’t seen it:

https://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=6664

also a related discussion on this crime watch post

https://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=6259

an earlier door to door alert here

https://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=3535

and one from last September that generated a lot of discussion too

https://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=3071

Just in case any of those resonate with what you experienced. — TR (WSB editor)

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[Aim]

Mary T – Call the police and ask them to come do a drive through the neighborhood. It definitely sounds like someone is casing, and you may prevent one of your neighbors being burglarized.

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[charlabob]

Um, let me sort of defend some people who come through the alley. I can’t make it up the damned stairs some of you people have, so if you ever want to see me (you do, don’t you?) I’ll be comin’ round the alley when I come.

Only half humorous — I scared the hell out of someone once, who was expecting me for a newsletter mailing party, but hadn’t met me, because I knocked at the back door. There were about 50 steps up the front and it was the back door or go home and those stamps would have just remained unlicked. :-)

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[Anonymous]

No, I do understand — it’s quite difficult to get up to some homes via the street. This one really struck me as suspicious, though.

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[charlabob]

I absolutely agree, Mary — I was teasingly refuting JT (who I’m sure would be delighted to see me gimping down her alley) when she said no one legitimate ever came down alleys. :-)

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[Anonymous]

Indeed I would! You’re welcome anytime.

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[Anonymous]

Hey, I sent a tip to the tip line via text message; very cool feature. That way at least there’s a description if something did occur today…the guy was here hours ago. Thanks, all.

PS I often gimp down alleys myself…

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[RainyDay1235]

I think of the back door to a house as a private entrance only. If anyone came to the back door I would assume they were an intruder and call the police.

Sorry, but if people dont’ want to climb the front stairs, they can leave their leaflet on my windshield, in my mailbox – or simply skip my house altogether! :)

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[charlabob]

I assume that was aimed at me and that you chose, purposely, to misread what I wrote. I was going to a house to which I was invited. I would suggest that instead of calling the police you simply get a gun and a pit bull. It will make your pleasant affect so much clearer.

In many neighborhoods, people think of the side and back doors as the informal friendly entrances. Perhaps you should write manual for your life so others know the rules.

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[JanS]

oh, it’s the servant’s entrance , isn’t it? the back, I mean. Me? I don’t have a back door…you either buzz the buzzer and walk up 14 steps (hey, I’m gimpy, too, as Charla knows, and I can do all 14 – lol – I just take my time), or…well, we have our meeting someplace else :)

I think that maybe us gimps should change our tactic…if we’re invited, to inform them that we need to use the back door , if at all possible. That way we don’t scare anyone. But…strangers coming to the back door? maybe a “Deliveries around front” sign, and an automatic “dog barking” alarm if they knock – lol…

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[RainyDay1235]

charlabob – that was out of line. Clearly I was talking about “solicitors” – which is what this thread was about…not friendly visits.

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