# So ... what strange things happened near YOUR home?



## vacationhopeful (Sep 25, 2018)

Was minding my own business inside my house and then, WHAM! Out my front door and just 25 feet from the edge of my driveway .... I had to take a picture. Mid-morning, week day.





A teenager managed all by himself to NOT hit any other car, person, animal, etc. He was NOT hurt nor did the police stay around. I am standing on my next door neighbor's front yard. The tow company FLIPPED the car back into its wheels ... then used a flat bed tow truck to take it away.

Was about a 30 minute event ... so much for getting my work done at home.


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## Passepartout (Sep 25, 2018)

So how does one get their car to assume 'Dead Cockroach' position?


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 25, 2018)

Find a teenager driver! 

And this is NOT a speedway or fast traffic roadway... like a 15MPH type of place. There were parked cars on the street ... and several parked car owners got asked to move their cars as to flip the car back onto its wheels. It was amusing for sure. And that is why I took a picture.


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## Talent312 (Sep 25, 2018)

He prolly served to avoid a cat in the road.
At least that's what a guy told the police after hitting my parked car.
.


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## bluehende (Sep 25, 2018)

That looks like my car.  Luckily mine is still in the driveway in an upright position.  Weirdest thing here was me seeing a coyote last night as I took the trash out.


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## DeniseM (Sep 25, 2018)

There was a Bail Bondsman across the street at my very nice and professional neighbor's house.  They don't seem like the kind of people that need the services of a Bail Bondsman, but who knows.


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## heathpack (Sep 25, 2018)

When we lived in the Hollywood hills, our house was on a curve in the road between Hollywood proper and the San Fernando Valley.  Late at night, drunk or high people leaving clubs would regularly crash in front of our house.  My husband would go out to see what was up.

One time, he engages the driver who tells him all about himself- he was a former child actor who play Ralph Macchio's nemesis in Karate Kid 2.  The wasted guy tries to demo some karate kick at my husbands head, but loses his balance and falls over.  Husband puts his foot on the guys neck and kept him pinned to the ground like that until the police arrived.  I never went down to the road when these crashes happened, but I'm a little sorry I missed that one!

Also: helicopters.  They would either mean a fire or a celebrity getting arrested.  If we heard helicopters, we'd go outside and look for smoke.  No smoke?  Go inside and turn on the TV.  Lol, that's how we figured out that Paris Hilton lived right near us.  News helicopters covering her arrest!


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## rapmarks (Sep 25, 2018)

I wish I had a picture to explain this better.  There is a low narrow ditch between two houses, about three feet lower than the driveways.  My friend went outside one morning to find a car, in the ditch, perpendicular to the road, but facing the road.  Police were called and since a parking tag with villa 48 on it was hanging off the rear view mirror, they went to villa 48 where the occupants denied all knowledge of the incident. Some time later they came out and claimed the car.


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## Lydlady (Sep 25, 2018)

Speaking of helicopters, we see quite a few.  One year, after seeing one after another, we turned on the news and sure enough there was a pursuit going on the freeway nearby.


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## Kel (Sep 25, 2018)

Wow.  Entertainment in the neighborhood.  Glad no one was hurt.

No. 1.  When I was in high school (1970 something) a VW bug came around the corner behind our house and rolled over and landed upside down.  All we heard was crunch crunch crunch.  My Mom, my sisters and I ran and looked out the upstairs window and saw four guys crawling out of the VW bug.  They rocked it back onto its wheels and took off.  It happened so fast.  All we could do was laugh.  What can I say, it was the 70’s and they all looked a bit like Jeff Spicoli.  

No. 2  A neighbor’s car (parking brake wasn’t working) rolled across the street from their driveway and landed in our next door neighbor’s front yard and bumped into the front of their house.  We were all home at the time.  No one was hurt and the damage was minor.  But, the bump was loud and we all thought it was an earthquake.  

Stuff happens.


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## VacationForever (Sep 25, 2018)

We live an a very nice luxury condo and we hear stories from our neighbors where police showed up and sometimes hauled someone away for threatening spouse while drunk and such.  We are always the last to hear about it.  That is about as exciting as it gets where we live.


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## DaveNV (Sep 25, 2018)

When I was about twelve we moved to a corner house, on a thoroughfare heading out of town.  The street had one curve, basically at the corner of our front yard.  We had a run of something like six weekends in a row where there was a wreck of some sort right in front of our house on either Friday or Saturday night, right around midnight.  A truck hit a telephone pole.  A car hit a parked car (my older brother's car - he wasn't happy.) Two cars collided coming around that corner. A speeding car jumped the curb and hit the neighbor's house. (Two women who were racing to get to the gas station out by the freeway so they could use the restroom -  let's just say they didn't make it, and had to change clothes when they got home.)  It was a crazy time.

Nobody was ever seriously injured, and nothing quite as dramatic as your picture, Linda.  That's wild!

Dave


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## clifffaith (Sep 25, 2018)

Eons ago we lived near where there was a railroad track down the center of the street. The RR right of way was probably as wide as two traffic lanes. Regularly we'd see someone stuck on the tracks because they'd make a left turn and turn too sharp -- they'd end up stuck in the median on the tracks instead of in one of the west bound traffic lanes. It was a weekly occurrence.


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## rapmarks (Sep 25, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> We live an a very nice luxury condo and we hear stories from our neighbors where police showed up and sometimes hauled someone away for threatening spouse while drunk and such.  We are always the last to hear about it.  That is about as exciting as it gets where we live.


 Twice last August a police car was in the drivewAy next door.  I had met the lady, a little heavy set, and her eleven year old daughter.  When I returned in May, they had been replaced by a slender lady and a three year old boy. Same man, he just changed families over the winter


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## rapmarks (Sep 25, 2018)

We were talking about an old friend and his old vw bus. We all drove down to Florida, and as we drove through St. Petersburg, someone opened a window and the entire window fell out.  The guys were running down the highway, trying to rescue the window. 
Well a few yeArs later, in another old vw bus, the same guy is with five other guys riding through Barcelona with a Christmas tree in the bus.  The door fell off, the guys got out, put the door in sideways between all the riders, and took off.


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## geist1223 (Sep 25, 2018)

We live across the Street from one of the nicest and largest parks in Salem. The Dining Room and Living Room both have large picture windows. One time during a dinner party we saw flames coming from the bathroom at our end of the Park followed shortly there after by several fire trucks. Then another time a drunk trying to escape the Police and drove into the Center of the Park and crashed into a large Oak Tree. Oak Tree won.


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## Talent312 (Sep 25, 2018)

In my neighborhood, the most excitement is EMS showing up at someone's house.
Given how dull this place is, its what we need to get neighbors talking to each other.


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## DrQ (Sep 25, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> So how does one get their car to assume 'Dead Cockroach' position?


In my case, it was a gustnato which blew a small travel trailer into my Datun 200SX.  We were living in Married Student Housing and when the gust hit the apartment, I looked out the window. I said; "Hey somebody's car is upside down in the road ... hey ... that's *MY* car upside down in the road!!"


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## Passepartout (Sep 25, 2018)

Maybe 10 or so years ago, I heard a humongous clatter and doorbell about 1:00 a.m. and looked out front. Some young guy celebrating his 21st birthday had attempted a shortcut through our yard and hit a 'castle block' planter which both high centered his car and knocked down a bunch of those big blocks. The kid at the door asked if I could help him get his car off the blocks. I told him I thought the project was a bit much for the two of us- and meanwhile the wife called the cops. They- and a wrecker showed up and removed the car- and the kid, who was knee-walking drunk. I think the young man spent some time in the hoosegow, but over time he paid the cost of repairing the damage. One day he returned and thanked us for calling the police and getting him arrested. Actually it was a good thing that the incident happened, as his girlfriend lived in a town over 50 miles away and that was where he was headed. He acknowledged that our getting him off the road may have saved his life. He did some serious growing up that night.

Jim


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## moonstone (Sep 25, 2018)

When we first moved up to our current rural house I was nervous of staying here with our 3 young children when DH had to be away overnight for work. One fall evening when he was away I noticed a blue flickering light (like a TV was on) in the window of our neighbours house. I knew they used that place for a ski chalet and only ever came up in the winter. I couldn't see a car in the driveway or any other lights on in the house. Since I had their home/Toronto number I decided to call and let them know. They said somebody must have broken in and they'd call a relative who had a key and lived nearby, if I'd call the police to report a possible break-in.   

When I called the police and gave them the details the operator asked me if I was home alone. I replied I was here with our 3 young children. She said they had just received reports of a shooting in the house behind me and thought the 2 incidents may be related. She then advised me to go with the kids down to the basement. We all ran to the basement and I opened a rear facing basement window slightly so we might be able to hear what was going on. 

We had only been downstairs a few minutes when a neighbour from up the street phoned. He wanted to know what was going on as he had to detour around the block to get home due to the police having the area in front of our house blocked off and a bunch of police with rifles running around. I told him what was happening and that the police had told me to stay in the basement with the kids.

After about 30 mins there was a knock on our front door and I heard a voice saying it was the police. I told the kids to stay in the basement while I went up to answer the door.  The officer said they had searched the house across the street but there was nobody there. He said obviously somebody had been in there as the TV was on and there was food wrappers in the kitchen and most of the liquor bottles were empty. I asked about the reports of a shooting in the house behind me. He said it was unrelated to the break-in, but rather an attempted suicide after the guy's wife had told him she was leaving him. We didn't know the family at all, but sad as their situation was, I was glad that's all it was.

The next day when DH returned home the kids were excited to tell him all about our adventures from the night before. DH looked out the front window and asked was it a blue light like that? Yes it was! I knew the neighbour's relative had turned off the TV and locked the door the previous night because I spoke with him in our driveway after the police had left. So once again I called our neighbours and the police. This time when the police showed up they didn't use their sirens or lights and they were able to catch a young man climbing out the bedroom window and attempting to run into the woods. 

As our oldest DS said at the time, the moral of the story is, if you are going to break into a house -don't put the TV on at night! A few months later DH took another position with his company that didn't involve any overnight travel! The neighbourhood has been pretty peaceful ever since!


~Diane


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## Glynda (Sep 25, 2018)

Hmmm...strange?  It's strange to me that tourists think that it is OK to just walk through our partly open gate, down our driveway and into our back courtyard/pool area to look around and snap photos. One even came up on the back porch peering in the French Doors! Another got in our golf cart to have her friend take her photo at the wheel. I don't think I'll ever get used to that kind of audacity. 

Hundreds of people walk past our house weekly, sometimes daily, taking photos. Horses and carriages and tour vans go by and pause. We often have film/TV production companies filming on our block. Apparel retailers photographing models for their catalogues and web sites. Brides having their photos taken by professional photographers...families for their annual Christmas card. We've even had a ballerina in a tutu, "en pointe." We get "second line" like bridal parties walking down the middle of the street on the way from church to reception, musicians of various sorts leading the parade. These, I am used to.


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## DaveNV (Sep 25, 2018)

Glynda said:


> Hmmm...strange?  It's strange to me that tourists think that it is OK to just walk through our partly open gate, down our driveway and into our back courtyard/pool area to look around and snap photos. One even came up on the back porch peering in the French Doors! Another got in our golf cart to have her friend take her photo at the wheel. I don't think I'll ever get used to that kind of audacity.
> 
> Hundreds of people walk past our house weekly, sometimes daily, taking photos. Horses and carriages and tour vans go by and pause. We often have film/TV production companies filming on our block. Apparel retailers photographing models for their catalogues and web sites. Brides having their photos taken by professional photographers...families for their annual Christmas card. We've even had a ballerina in a tutu, "en pointe." We get "second line" like bridal parties walking down the middle of the street on the way from church to reception, musicians of various sorts leading the parade. These, I am used to.



Glynda, what's your address?  Sounds fabulous!  I want to come visit.  

Dave


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## Passepartout (Sep 25, 2018)

Glynda said:


> It's strange to me that tourists think that it is OK to just walk through our partly open gate, down our driveway and into our back courtyard/pool area to look around and snap photos. One even came up on the back porch peering in the French Doors! Another got in our golf cart to have her friend take her photo at the wheel. I don't think I'll ever get used to that kind of audacity.
> 
> Hundreds of people walk past our house weekly, sometimes daily, taking photos. Horses and carriages and tour vans go by and pause. We often have film/TV production companies filming on our block. Apparel retailers photographing models for their catalogues and web sites. Brides having their photos taken by professional photographers...families for their annual Christmas card.
> 
> These, I am used to.


I sort of imagine it like the animals in a zoo describing their life. Sorry Glynda, I can't say I'm envious. Oh, I'm envious of the grandeur you live among, but not of being the 'spectacle' that others come to point, think, "Oh, how quaint!" and act like jerks waving their selfie sticks about. 

Paula and I have both thought about how magical a place you live in. like a living museum. Yup envious. It would be nice though, if visitors could be more thoughtful of people like you who live there.

Jim


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## VacationForever (Sep 25, 2018)

Glynda said:


> Hmmm...strange?  It's strange to me that tourists think that it is OK to just walk through our partly open gate, down our driveway and into our back courtyard/pool area to look around and snap photos. One even came up on the back porch peering in the French Doors! Another got in our golf cart to have her friend take her photo at the wheel. I don't think I'll ever get used to that kind of audacity.
> 
> Hundreds of people walk past our house weekly, sometimes daily, taking photos. Horses and carriages and tour vans go by and pause. We often have film/TV production companies filming on our block. Apparel retailers photographing models for their catalogues and web sites. Brides having their photos taken by professional photographers...families for their annual Christmas card. We've even had a ballerina in a tutu, "en pointe." We get "second line" like bridal parties walking down the middle of the street on the way from church to reception, musicians of various sorts leading the parade. These, I am used to.


What kind of home do you have?  Are you a celebrity?


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## frankf3 (Sep 25, 2018)

Kel said:


> Wow.  Entertainment in the neighborhood.  Glad no one was hurt.
> 
> No. 1.  When I was in high school (1970 something) a VW bug came around the corner behind our house and rolled over and landed upside down.  All we heard was crunch crunch crunch.  My Mom, my sisters and I ran and looked out the upstairs window and saw four guys crawling out of the VW bug.  They rocked it back onto its wheels and took off.  It happened so fast.  All we could do was laugh.  What can I say, it was the 70’s and they all looked a bit like Jeff Spicoli.
> 
> ...



Major props for the Jeff Spicoli reference!!       (And apols for the OT post, I just couldn't resist...).


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## Iggyearl (Sep 25, 2018)

Glynda said:


> Hmmm...strange?  It's strange to me that tourists think that it is OK to just walk through our partly open gate, down our driveway and into our back courtyard/pool area to look around and snap photos. One even came up on the back porch peering in the French Doors! Another got in our golf cart to have her friend take her photo at the wheel. I don't think I'll ever get used to that kind of audacity.
> 
> Hundreds of people walk past our house weekly, sometimes daily, taking photos. Horses and carriages and tour vans go by and pause. We often have film/TV production companies filming on our block. Apparel retailers photographing models for their catalogues and web sites. Brides having their photos taken by professional photographers...families for their annual Christmas card. We've even had a ballerina in a tutu, "en pointe." We get "second line" like bridal parties walking down the middle of the street on the way from church to reception, musicians of various sorts leading the parade. These, I am used to.



Glynda, you live in a fairy tale land.  "Kevin" from the Courtyard Calhoun took us on a night time tour of the historic district of Charleston when we visited.  So quaint, so charming, so quiet at night.  Most gates were open and most fountains were flowing.  I can see where some idiots might consider it their option to infringe on your privacy.  Ugly Americans....  Do you, by chance, live by Bill Murray?


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## Glynda (Sep 25, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> Glynda, what's your address?  Sounds fabulous!  I want to come visit.
> 
> Dave


We live in the Historic French Quarter of Charleston, SC. Let me know when you are coming!


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## rapmarks (Sep 25, 2018)

Glynda said:


> We live in the Historic French Quarter of Charleston, SC. Let me know when you are coming!


We have had strangers pull in driveway and take our firewood, or go in our backyard and pick blackberries


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## DaveNV (Sep 25, 2018)

When I lived on Orcas Island in Washington state's San Juan Islands, we'd get thousands of tourists every day who'd come to spend time on the island.  It really is a beautiful place, but some of these visitors thought it was their personal playground, built just for them.  They would trespass on private property, doing all kinds of things that was very hard to believe.

My house was a half mile down a narrow road.  There were other houses here and there along the road, all on acreage, and set back from the road.  Mine was like that.  One time I caught bicyclists in my fenced fruit orchard, eating fruit from my trees.  When I challenged them, demanding to know what they thought they were doing, they said, and I quote, "We didn't know this was anybody's property.  We thought this fruit was for everyone." 

Excuse me???  They had come off the road, traveled about 200 feet down my driveway, through a latched gate with a No Trespassing sign, across a mowed field  and climbed a tall fence to get into my fruit orchard. I not-so-politely invited them to leave before I called the sheriff.  I started locking my gate after that.  Disrespectful jerks. 

Dave


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## klpca (Sep 26, 2018)

Gosh. I feel kind of left out...but that's ok. The only thing unusual that has ever happened was one evening when my chatty friend Debbie came over to borrow something. We got to talking outside by her car, it must have been between 9 and 9:30. In our typical suburban neighborhood we watched a bobcat, a raccoon, and an opossum walk out from between our house and our next door neighbor's. We live on a canyon so no real surprise - but the real surprise was watching them cross the street to head over to the houses that aren't on the canyon. I imagine that they don't cover their trash and/or leave their dog food outside. I had no idea that our neighborhood was like Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom.


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## Pens_Fan (Sep 26, 2018)

Apparently, they made porn movies in my basement before we owned the house.

I have spent many hours searching for positive proof of this.


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## WinniWoman (Sep 26, 2018)

Well- this past winter, one snowy Saturday night hubby and I were sitting in our den when all of a sudden there was a knock on the door. As we live in the woods and were not expecting anyone, we were cautious with opening the door. There was a man standing there and an SUV with another man inside. He seemed drunk. My husband spoke with him from our upstairs bedroom window.

He told us he mistakenly turned into our (hidden) driveway and realized he meant to turn into the one on the property next to us- vacant land- and when he realized it he tried to back out of the incredibly steep incline and his SUV rolled over and fell down into the embankment into a stream on our property. He had to climb out. He was lucky to be walking.

Our driveway is a nightmare in that spot, but what really was freaking me out is I couldn't understand why he would be going to a vacant lot in the dark during a snowstorm! He claimed he worked for the contractor who owned that property. But still, on a Saturday night in the dark during a snowstorm? Why?

We called the state troopers and it was like pulling teeth to get one over here. Finally one came after the guy left. The guy had said he would come back the next day to get the vehicle out. The trooper claimed she would try to get a tow truck in the morning and also went to his home, but the guy did come the next day with another man and somehow flipped this SUV (amazing- the guy did it alone by himself with wedges) and then they used a back hoe (from the vacant lot- the back hoe remained on the road we live off of) with a chord to pull the vehicle out.

Do you know this guy drove the car home? And miraculously there was no damage done to our driveway or bridge, which was a big concern to us.

Funny thing was- when this initially happened we never heard a thing as our house is so far back, and our den is in the back of the house, and of course, being winter, our windows were closed anyway. Which is why we have a security system.


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## geist1223 (Sep 26, 2018)

The blue light story above reminded me of an incident back about 1980. I was in the USMC. We owned a house off base. Most of the neighborhood were Marines. We would be deployed on a regular basis. One night several of us caught a peeping Tom. A teen age boy from several neighborhoods away. Cops were recalled. The Cop had everyone in the neighborhood tell the boy he was not allowed on our property. This was so if caught again the boy could be charged with Criminal Trespass. The Cop also explained to the boy that most of this area of town were Marines and that one day he would press his nose up against a window and he would end up with a .45 caliber round in his head. That did not happen but - several months later he was at it again. The Husband was deployed but the wife's father (retired Marine) was visiting. Wife's father chased the boy into the woods and beat the #%&* out of him and left him laying in the woods. Boy survived but he never came back to our neighborhood.


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## WinniWoman (Sep 26, 2018)

rapmarks said:


> We have had strangers pull in driveway and take our firewood, or go in our backyard and pick blackberries




People sometimes cross country ski across our land. I really don't mind, But I do mind the occasional hunting poachers that decide to build a tree stand and put out salt licks on our property!!

Come to think of it, one Friday night when our son was just a toddler, a group of guys on ATV's came roaring up our driveway and rode around in our back yard. Hubby jumped to his feet and went out into the car and chased them onto the road until they disappeared into the woods. It was scary- again because we are alone and secluded.


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## CanuckTravlr (Sep 26, 2018)

Glynda said:


> We live in the Historic French Quarter of Charleston, SC. Let me know when you are coming!



Glynda, we may be two of those tourists next March (the ones taking pictures from the street, NOT the idiots coming up onto the porch).  We will be staying at the Embassy Suites for a couple of days in between a week at HGVC Ocean Oak in Hilton Head and a week at HGVC Ocean 22 in Myrtle Beach.  You are so fortunate to live in such a charming, historic district.


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## Talent312 (Sep 26, 2018)

Booby-trap list from https://www.skilledsurvival.com/homemade-booby-traps-protect-home/
The ones that are legal and not likely to cause injury or death...

*1 – The Air Horn Trip Wire Booby Trap*
*
2 – The Explosive Trip Wire Booby Trap
-- *_I'd want to protect trees from the firecracker._

*3 – The Sound Grenade Booby Trap*
First, pick up a few of these new Sound Grenades.
Tie a thin natural colored tripwire to either end and then around nearby trees.
This setup will pull the pin on the Sound Grenade and emit an ear piercing 130 dB siren.

Placing tripwires around your property will allow you some much-needed sleep.
Because you can rely on them to wake you at the first indication of a trespasser.


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## Passepartout (Sep 26, 2018)

Talent312 said:


> Tie a thin natural colored tripwire to either end and then around nearby trees.
> This setup will pull the pin on the Sound Grenade and emit an ear piercing 130 dB siren.
> 
> Placing these tripwires around your property will allow you some much-needed sleep.
> Because you can rely on them to wake you at the first indication of a trespasser.


This doesn't even make ANY sense- unless you are just kidding. How can putting 130 dB sirens around one's quiet, secluded home do ANYTHING but scare the bejezuss out of the residents? Sure, it may scare the intruders away, but after an ear-splitting alarm rousts you from a sound sleep, just TRY to go back to sleep. 
Somebody also has to get dressed and go out and find, and reset those 'natural colored tripwires'.

I don't have a solution to offer, but this isn't it.


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## easyrider (Sep 26, 2018)

The strangest thing ever to happen at my house was an owl landed above my bedroom deck rail one night and starting hooting. It woke me up and eyeballed me when I looked outside. Eventually it flew away. That next afternoon I was told that my son's friend who lived about a mile down the road had passed away that night. He was 19 and went on many camping trips with my son and I.

Bill


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## DaveNV (Sep 26, 2018)

easyrider said:


> The strangest thing ever to happen at my house was an owl landed above my bedroom deck rail one night and starting hooting. It woke me up and eyeballed me when I looked outside. Eventually it flew away. That next afternoon I was told that my son's friend who lived about a mile down the road had passed away that night. He was 19 and went on many camping trips with my son and I.
> 
> Bill



Sad story, but pretty cool!

Dave


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## Icc5 (Sep 26, 2018)

Besides having 2 bobcats and a few weeks later a mountain lion go through our backyard I would have to say when we were sitting down fo Christmas several years ago and hears all kinds of noise in my brother's kitchen and his wife calling for him.  The skylight in his kitchen cracked, broke open and rain just started pouring in.  He never had a problem with it before.
Bart


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## Talent312 (Sep 26, 2018)

Icc5 said:


> ...[W]e were sitting down for Christmas several years ago and hear all kinds of noise in my brother's kitchen and his wife calling for him.  The skylight in his kitchen cracked, broke open and rain just started pouring in.



Santa + his reindeer?


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## PigsDad (Sep 26, 2018)

CanuckTravlr said:


> Glynda, we may be two of those tourists next March (the ones taking pictures from the street, NOT the idiots coming up onto the porch).  *We will be staying at the Embassy Suites* for a couple of days in between a week at HGVC Ocean Oak in Hilton Head and a week at HGVC Ocean 22 in Myrtle Beach.  You are so fortunate to live in such a charming, historic district.


If you aren't completely committed to staying at the Embassy Suites, I would suggest looking at staying at the Doubletree instead.  Much better location and there are comparable rooms / suites for, what we found, the same price / HH points.  We were there in July and had a great time!

Kurt


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## Patri (Sep 26, 2018)

Glynda, make your house less attractive and photogenic. Like paint the shutters orange or something.


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## CanuckTravlr (Sep 26, 2018)

PigsDad said:


> If you aren't completely committed to staying at the Embassy Suites, I would suggest looking at staying at the Doubletree instead.  Much better location and there are comparable rooms / suites for, what we found, the same price / HH points.  We were there in July and had a great time!
> 
> Kurt



Thanks for the suggestion, Kurt.  We would have preferred to stay at the DoubleTree instead, but as of March 1st, 2019 it will be closed as it is transformed into Liberty Place Charleston by Hilton Club.  The latter is scheduled to be open by mid-2020.  Since our stay is after March 1st, the next best alternative, IMO, was the Embassy Suites at Marion Square Park.


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## PigsDad (Sep 26, 2018)

CanuckTravlr said:


> Thanks for the suggestion, Kurt.  We would have preferred to stay at the DoubleTree instead, but as of March 1st, 2019 it will be closed as it is transformed into Liberty Place Charleston by Hilton Club.  The latter is scheduled to be open by mid-2020.  Since our stay is after March 1st, the next best alternative, IMO, was the Embassy Suites at Marion Square Park.


Ahh!  I knew they were building a Hilton Club location in Charleston but I didn't know the site was going to be the existing DoubleTree.  I thought the DoubleTree was a great old hotel with unique character.  Do you know if they are just remodeling the hotel, or are they tearing down and building new?  In either case, it will be a great location!

Kurt


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## pedro47 (Sep 26, 2018)

This is not strange to a wild turkey hunter or maybe not. This is not wild turkey hunter season in Virginia. Well I have had fifteen (15) young wild turkeys in my backyard in the early mornings and in the later evenings for the past two (2) weeks. Plus, those young turkeys are gaining n weigh day by day.


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## WinniWoman (Sep 26, 2018)

pedro47 said:


> This is not strange to a wild turkey hunter or maybe not. This is not wild turkey hunter season in Virginia. Well I have had fifteen (15) young wild turkeys in my backyard in the early mornings and in the later evenings for the past two (2) weeks. Plus, those young turkeys are gaining n weigh day by day.




How do you like these 2 two who were looking through our back doors a few years ago? LOL!


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## rhonda (Sep 26, 2018)

A couple weeks ago a stolen truck was abandoned in our front yard.


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## bluehende (Sep 26, 2018)

mpumilia said:


> How do you like these 2 two who were looking through our back doors a few years ago? LOL!View attachment 8343




Did you invite them in for dinner.


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## WinniWoman (Sep 26, 2018)

bluehende said:


> Did you invite them in for dinner.



They were lucky my husband was not home or THEY would have been dinner! Ha! Ha!


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## Glynda (Sep 26, 2018)

rapmarks said:


> We have had strangers pull in driveway and take our firewood, or go in our backyard and pick blackberries



Whoa!  Some nerve!


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## Glynda (Sep 26, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> I sort of imagine it like the animals in a zoo describing their life. Sorry Glynda, I can't say I'm envious. Oh, I'm envious of the grandeur you live among, but not of being the 'spectacle' that others come to point, think, "Oh, how quaint!" and act like jerks waving their selfie sticks about.
> 
> Paula and I have both thought about how magical a place you live in. like a living museum. Yup envious. It would be nice though, if visitors could be more thoughtful of people like you who live there.
> 
> Jim



It's a choice we make because as you said, it is a "magical" place. We like walking and especially like having restaurants, shops, theaters, galleries, etc. surrounding us. I like your "animals in a zoo describing their life" comparison. It does feel like that at times. Always people peering in.


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## Glynda (Sep 26, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> What kind of home do you have?  Are you a celebrity?



Our property walls are actually more historic than our house! During the Civil War a grist mill was on our property. The style of our house is a Charleston single house, minus the piazzas. It's not historic. The original house was built in 1954. The addition later. However, the gentleman who had it built dealt in Charleston architectural antiques so a number of the elements of our home are from other old local buildings and houses. The house seems to fool most of the tourists and even some tour guides! For us, it's all about location, location, location!


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## DaveNV (Sep 26, 2018)

Glynda said:


> Our property walls are actually more historic than our house! During the Civil War a grist mill was on our property. The style of our house is a Charleston single house, minus the piazzas. It's not historic. The original house was built in 1954. The addition later. However, the gentleman who had it built dealt in Charleston architectural antiques so a number of the elements of our home are from other old local buildings and houses. The house seems to fool most of the tourists and even some tour guides! For us, it's all about location, location, location!



All kidding aside, it sounds like it is a remarkable place to live.  Now, keep them dang tourists out! 

Dave


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## dioxide45 (Sep 26, 2018)

This happened literally five minutes from our prior home. I drove past this spot every day on the way to work.


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## Glynda (Sep 26, 2018)

Iggyearl said:


> Glynda, you live in a fairy tale land.  "Kevin" from the Courtyard Calhoun took us on a night time tour of the historic district of Charleston when we visited.  So quaint, so charming, so quiet at night.  Most gates were open and most fountains were flowing.  I can see where some idiots might consider it their option to infringe on your privacy.  Ugly Americans....  Do you, by chance, live by Bill Murray?



No, Bill Murray is said to live on King Street. However, I have had several Bill Murray sightings and one encounter. I was a docent for the Historic Foundation at a house on Church St. I was assigned the kitchen/family dining area of the house and was giving my spiel when the back door opened and this scruffy man in a baseball cap walked in, stepped around my group, behind the counters, opened the refrigerator door, and grabbed a beer. I was puzzled because he obviously knew his way around, but he didn't look like family. They were upstairs dressed as if for church. He walked towards the den, turned around and grinned at me. We were all speechless when we saw who it was. A little bit later ,when there was no one but me in the kitchen area, he came back down, walked up to me with finger pointed and lightly touched a design on my sweater, saying he liked it. He told me he had thrown a book to a person who was in line outside to tour the house and asked if I thought they would give it back. I told him if he had thrown a book at me, I wouldn't give it back! He walked out. That's my big Bill Murray moment.


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## Glynda (Sep 26, 2018)

DaveNW said:


> When I lived on Orcas Island in Washington state's San Juan Islands, we'd get thousands of tourists every day who'd come to spend time on the island.  It really is a beautiful place, but some of these visitors thought it was their personal playground, built just for them.  They would trespass on private property, doing all kinds of things that was very hard to believe.
> 
> My house was a half mile down a narrow road.  There were other houses here and there along the road, all on acreage, and set back from the road.  Mine was like that.  One time I caught bicyclists in my fenced fruit orchard, eating fruit from my trees.  When I challenged them, demanding to know what they thought they were doing, they said, and I quote, "We didn't know this was anybody's property.  We thought this fruit was for everyone."
> 
> ...



Right, they thought that!  Sheesh! 

Those who end up in our back courtyard have to come in one of the front gates, down the driveway to the back. They then have to walk between my car and the golf cart to open another gate to get into the courtyard! We try to leave the pair of driveway gates closed but have a small walk-in gate that we leave partially open so that we can get deliveries. There is a law in SC that photos of another's property can be taken from a public sidewalk/street but not on the premises without the owner's permission. I see so many tourists on someone's property posing for photos.  I have been know to say "That's private property" when I'm feeling grumpy!


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## Glynda (Sep 26, 2018)

CanuckTravlr said:


> Glynda, we may be two of those tourists next March (the ones taking pictures from the street, NOT the idiots coming up onto the porch).  We will be staying at the Embassy Suites for a couple of days in between a week at HGVC Ocean Oak in Hilton Head and a week at HGVC Ocean 22 in Myrtle Beach.  You are so fortunate to live in such a charming, historic district.



Ah! You will be staying in the old Citadel building! That's a good location especially for the newer restaurants and the nightlife on upper King Street.


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## Glynda (Sep 26, 2018)

Pens_Fan said:


> Apparently, they made porn movies in my basement before we owned the house.
> 
> I have spent many hours searching for positive proof of this.



Chuckle!


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## Glynda (Sep 26, 2018)

PigsDad said:


> If you aren't completely committed to staying at the Embassy Suites, I would suggest looking at staying at the Doubletree instead.  Much better location and there are comparable rooms / suites for, what we found, the same price / HH points.  We were there in July and had a great time!
> 
> Kurt


Yes, the Doubletree is in the City Market area and easier for walking. But above Calhoun also has it's own vibe. Just depends how much one likes to walk and what they want to do and see. For example, the Embassy Suites is very close to the Aiken Rhett House (one of my favorites) and the Manigault House. Both open for touring. It is next to the Visitor's Center and there are lots of good restaurants one block over on King Street and on up it. On the other hand, Upper King is known around here as "little Bourbon Street." I am happy the bar scene has moved up there. We no longer have the amount of vandalism that we once had.


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## Glynda (Sep 26, 2018)

Patri said:


> Glynda, make your house less attractive and photogenic. Like paint the shutters orange or something.



I don't think that the BAR (Board of Architectural Review) would approve those changes!


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## VacationForever (Sep 26, 2018)

We have been planning to go on the 7-day Discover Southern Charm Collette tour using Marriott Vacation Club points for next Sept, with the tour starting in Jacksonville, going through Savannah and ending in Charleston.  I assume we will get to see the area around @Glynda 's home.   With this year's hurricane we are having second thoughts... we'll see.


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## Glynda (Sep 26, 2018)

CanuckTravlr said:


> Thanks for the suggestion, Kurt.  We would have preferred to stay at the DoubleTree instead, but as of March 1st, 2019 it will be closed as it is transformed into Liberty Place Charleston by Hilton Club.  The latter is scheduled to be open by mid-2020.  Since our stay is after March 1st, the next best alternative, IMO, was the Embassy Suites at Marion Square Park.



I'm confused. Last I read, Liberty Place Charleston is going to be built on the corner of Calhoun and East Bay Streets.  Not in the market area on Church St where the Doubletree is.


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## Glynda (Sep 26, 2018)

PigsDad said:


> Ahh!  I knew they were building a Hilton Club location in Charleston but I didn't know the site was going to be the existing DoubleTree.  I thought the DoubleTree was a great old hotel with unique character.  Do you know if they are just remodeling the hotel, or are they tearing down and building new?  In either case, it will be a great location!
> 
> Kurt



It's just a renovation.  It is not going to be the timeshare, Liberty Place Charleston.


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## Glynda (Sep 26, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> We have been planning to go on the 7-day Discover Southern Charm Collette tour using Marriott Vacation Club points for next Sept, with the tour starting in Jacksonville, going through Savannah and ending in Charleston.  I assume we will get to see the area around @Glynda 's home.   With this year's hurricane we are having second thoughts... we'll see.



We didn't get anything from Hurricane Flo!  And you just never know.  Get trip insurance!  Sounds like a great tour!


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## CanuckTravlr (Sep 27, 2018)

Glynda said:


> It's just a renovation.  It is not going to be the timeshare, Liberty Place Charleston.



Ahhh!  Thanks for clarifying that, Glynda.

I was told that the DoubleTree was closed for a major renovation when we tried to book after March 1st.  The date coincided roughly with the timing for the new Hilton Club property.  I did not know the exact location for it, other than historic downtown Charleston.  HGVC has previously converted parts of other Hilton properties for other Hilton Club locations.  I therefore made an assumption that turned out to be incorrect.  My bad!!  

In any case, it left us with the Embassy Suites as our next best choice.  I read about its history as the old Citadel and it sounded interesting.  Looking forward to our visit.


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## artringwald (Sep 27, 2018)

If we lived in a rural area, it wouldn't be strange, but in the suburbs and a block from the freeway it seems strange to see these in our front yard:






And these in our back yard:


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## TravelTime (Sep 27, 2018)

I love Glynda’s stories. It sounds like sometimes it is better to be invisible!!!


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## Glynda (Sep 27, 2018)

CanuckTravlr said:


> Ahhh!  Thanks for clarifying that, Glynda.
> 
> I was told that the DoubleTree was closed for a major renovation when we tried to book after March 1st.  The date coincided roughly with the timing for the new Hilton Club property.  I did not know the exact location for it, other than historic downtown Charleston.  HGVC has previously converted parts of other Hilton properties for other Hilton Club locations.  I therefore made an assumption that turned out to be incorrect.  My bad!!
> 
> In any case, it left us with the Embassy Suites as our next best choice.  I read about its history as the old Citadel and it sounded interesting.  Looking forward to our visit.



Understandable! When we bought our Bluegreen Points deeded at the Lodge Alley Inn in Charleston, we were told that there were only two timeshares in Charleston, LAI and Church St Inn, and there never would be more. Well, Bluegreen has built another on upper King St and now Hilton is coming in. Neither the new BG or Hilton locations are the best but both are close enough and the city is growing (out of control) so the future may have them as stellar locations. You will be near lots of the newer restaurants above Calhoun in the upper King St area and off the beaten path enough not suffer from the bar scene noise.  Enjoy!  If I can help in any way, let me know!


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## Glynda (Sep 27, 2018)

TravelTime said:


> I love Glynda’s stories. It sounds like sometimes it is better to be invisible!!!


Thank you so much!  Sometimes I think I "talk" too much and go on way too long with my posts. 

It's a mixed bag of feelings. There is that swelling of pride (for lack of a better expression) of living here and being complemented and "envied" (as I once envied others when I was just a tourist here) and frustration at the lack of privacy and outrageous things some tourists do.


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## Glynda (Sep 27, 2018)

If anyone ever needs any help with information on Charleston or wants to meet up when you are visiting, I'm happy to help and meet other Tuggers!


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## bizaro86 (Sep 27, 2018)

Pens_Fan said:


> Apparently, they made porn movies in my basement before we owned the house.
> 
> I have spent many hours searching for positive proof of this.



Searching how? With a black light?


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## easyrider (Sep 27, 2018)

bizaro86 said:


> Searching how? With a black light?



I thought they were watching bad movies, lol. The black light seems reasonable, lol.

Bill


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## clifffaith (Sep 27, 2018)

The house we bought two homes ago was owned by a high ranking coast guard officer for over 30 years. Depending on where he was stationed, the home was rented out for fairly long periods of time until he retired. We were told from neighbors who lived in the gated community that the house was at one point occupied by a doctor who performed illegal abortions. They claimed their were bloody footprints on the wall. More than one person told me this, but what the heck?! 

The story we enjoyed telling visitors was that our home used to be half a mile further down the road -- there was a landslide in Portuguese Bend in the late '50s and many homes, ours included, were picked up and moved before they slid into the ocean. They held a "Last Days of Pompeii" party during the time people were losing or moving their homes. Land is still moving -- it is on our regular route and pretty much as soon as they smoothe out the buckling street and re-pave, they have to start all over again.


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## Talent312 (Sep 27, 2018)

clifffaith said:


> The house we bought two homes ago was owned by a high ranking coast guard officer for over 30 years...



I thought you were going to tell us it was haunted by a sea captain,
like in... "The Ghost & Mrs. Muir" - the novel, movie and TV series?

_BTW_, the movie had some interesting credits:
Gene Tierney, Rex Harrison.. Natalie Wood (as a child).
.


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## VacationForever (Sep 27, 2018)

Glynda said:


> If anyone ever needs any help with information on Charleston or wants to meet up when you are visiting, I'm happy to help and meet other Tuggers!


  We will take you up on the offer!  Sept 2019...


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## mentalbreak (Sep 27, 2018)

My husband’s older brothers had a paper route during middle/high school - a few years before a high profile missing teenager disappeared from the route.


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## Glynda (Sep 28, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> We will take you up on the offer!  Sept 2019...



Looking forward to it!  Will PM you.


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