Just had an odd experience

[lauraw4321]

*goes to lock garage door*

[Lady Florida.]

Wow, Chris! That's scary.

 

I guess all my years of living as a single woman (I married late) either alone or with female roommates is still with me. It's habit to lock doors behind me and to always have the garage door down. I've locked dh out more than once when I've gone into the garage, noticed the side door unlocked, and locked it. What I failed realize was that he was outside doing something and I just locked him out. 

 

 

That or some sort of mental fugue.  Rare, but not impossible. 

 

I have accidentally mistaken someone else's car for mine.  I didn't open the door, but went up to it and last minute realized oops that's not my car.  It seems like that would be harder to do with a house unless all the houses looked the same or something.

 

And yet, I don't think of locking my car like I do my house. I was once on the receiving end of what you did. I was sitting in the Target parking lot texting dh to let him know what my plan was before I started driving, when someone opened my door. There are all kinds of "could have happened" scenarios, but it was obvious that the woman who did it was just as flustered and shocked as I was. She thought it was her van. She even thought she unlocked it with the remote. Of course she apologized profusely and I assured her all was fine, but now if I'm not going to drive away immediately I manually lock the door (both of our vehicles lock automatically once you put them in drive).

[Anne in CA]

Wow, Chris! That's scary.

 

I guess all my years of living as a single woman (I married late) either alone or with female roommates is still with me. It's habit to lock doors behind me and to always have the garage door down. I've locked dh out more than once when I've gone into the garage, noticed the side door unlocked, and locked it. What I failed realize was that he was outside doing something and I just locked him out. 

 

 

 

And yet, I don't think of locking my car like I do my house. I was once on the receiving end of what you did. I was sitting in the Target parking lot texting dh to let him know what my plan was before I started driving, when someone opened my door. There are all kinds of "could have happened" scenarios, but it was obvious that the woman who did it was just as flustered and shocked as I was. She thought it was her van. She even thought she unlocked it with the remote. Of course she apologized profusely and I assured her all was fine, but now if I'm not going to drive away immediately I manually lock the door (both of our vehicles lock automatically once you put them in drive).

This reminds me of something that happened to my youngest last fall. Since we live in the middle of nowhere I was meeting her cheerleading coach on a deserted road to pick her up after a game. The place we were meeting is a kind of meeting spot for lots of people and I was a little late. DD (15yo) told me that when they pulled up there was a small car waiting with someone in it. She thought it was my Prius and opened the door to get in, but it was her good friend's boyfriend. They had just broken up and he has a lot of siblings in a small house and had driven out there to be alone with his thoughts. Both of them were really freaked out to see the other. I was horrified that dd had almost gotten in a strange car. The next day good friend and the boyfriend got back together and all was well, lol. Teens.

[Hilltopmom]

Man, my garage doesn't even have a door:(

[Loowit]

That would be scary.

 

One night when DH was getting home late at night, around 3 am, he saw a couple teenage guys headed down our driveway from the carport.  DH was in his police uniform since he was getting back from working a shift on reserve duty.  He had a nice long chat with them and he said they were pretty nervous.  It didn't appear that they had taken anything, and we haven't seen them back.

[Chris in VA]

I only got her first name--although she mentioned her last name, I was too freaked to remember it later.

 

Jen. Jen who lives in Arlington.

 

If you ever meet her, ask her what happened.

 

She travels in a sedan.

 

Possibly with a raccoon.

[skimomma]

I've done that and I know a lot of people have done the same. I even once got to trying to unlock the door and realizing it wasn't my car when the key didn't work.

 

When I was working there was a guy in my office who mistook another car in our parking lot for his. He said he realized it wasn't his after he got in and sat down and thought something felt different about that car--it was clean. :laugh:   His dad was a car dealer and explained that there are about 10,000 different key/lock sets so it would be unusual to have the same key work in another car in your area. But this guy bought his car in another state and had just moved to our area. Still, what are the chances? Anyway, he found the woman whose car it was and told her what happened--she got all offended about it, sheesh!--and he ended up getting a new key/lock combo for his car.

 

About 20 years ago, I came out of the grocery store to find my car GONE.  I did note that there was another car in the parking lot that was exactly the same color and model.  I called the cops and they were able to track down my car by running the other car's plates.  An older man had my car.  He brought it right back as soon as the cops called and was mortified.  Our ignition key worked in each other's vehicles and I never locked my car so the door was unlocked.  Both cars were clean and pretty empty inside.  I could totally see myself having driven off with his car except that it was in a very different area of the lot.  It was a small town and we bumped into each other several times.  I always made triple sure I was indeed in my own car after that!

 

I live in a college town and our house, along with many of our friends' houses) are in areas with lots of student rentals.  I have two friends who have found random drunk people in their house within the last year.  No one locks their doors.  One found a girl undressing in her dd's bedroom!  She was able to redirect the girl to her own house across the street.  The girl came over the next morning with many embarrassed apologies and specifically apologized to my friend's dd for scaring her so much.  The other family found a drunk young man eating cereal in their kitchen at 3am.  Again, he left willingly and came back to apologize.

 

But the funniest one is somewhat of a local legend.  It happened many years ago.  Drunk young man wanders into an old lady's house, strips, and put himself to bed on her couch.  She is none the wiser until morning when she finds the naked man on her couch, snoring away.  Instead of freaking out and calling the cops like any sane person, she washed his clothing and then made him pancakes and coffee!    They ended up cultivating a close friendship and he shoveled her driveway for the rest of his school career.  It made the paper, photos and all.

 

As warm and fuzzy as that all is, I now lock my door at night and try to remember to lock my car.

[bettyandbob]

I only got her first name--although she mentioned her last name, I was too freaked to remember it later.

 

Jen. Jen who lives in Arlington.

 

If you ever meet her, ask her what happened.

 

She travels in a sedan.

 

Possibly with a raccoon.

I was thinking how stress can get you in a mental fog. 10 years after I moved I drove "home" and found myself staring at my old house. I sat for a minute wondering why I got there.

 

Arlington is not terribly far from you. I wondered if this person were the daughter or grand daughter of the previous Rector.

[TranquilMind]

I was sitting on my couch watching The Voice about 45 mins ago and a total stranger walked into the room from my garage.

She stood there while I (startled) asked Who are you? She gave me her name and asked who I was! I asked her where she thought she was, and she said, "At my home, in Arlington." Arlington is 30 minutes away.

 

Very weird.

 

She left as I left the room (very briefly) to get my husband (who couldn't have heard me because he had headphones on two rooms away). SHe drove away--we checked the cars in the garage and nothing is missing, that we can see. She did not seem altered or drunk.

 

I called the police. They came and took a report.

 

Now I'm still a little freaked out.

How did she get into your garage?  Was the door open?  If she had an opener, it should not have worked on your garage.  If it did, that IS creepy.

 

I can see this happening with a person who might be developing Alzheimer's. 

[Chris in VA]

I was thinking how stress can get you in a mental fog. 10 years after I moved I drove "home" and found myself staring at my old house. I sat for a minute wondering why I got there.

 

Arlington is not terribly far from you. I wondered if this person were the daughter or grand daughter of the previous Rector.

 

No, but that's a good idea.

 

[Chris in VA]

How did she get into your garage?  Was the door open?  If she had an opener, it should not have worked on your garage.  If it did, that IS creepy.

 

I can see this happening with a person who might be developing Alzheimer's. 

 

Yes, the garage door was open. The door that leads out of the garage into our den (small, regular door I've probably also called the garage door in this thread) was unlocked (because the big door locks so we don't need to lock both).

Sorry for the confusion.

[zoobie]

I only got her first name--although she mentioned her last name, I was too freaked to remember it later.

 

Jen. Jen who lives in Arlington.

 

If you ever meet her, ask her what happened.

 

She travels in a sedan.

 

Possibly with a raccoon.

Well that should narrow it down. :rofl:

 

Diana P.'s idea is a good one. If you know the previous residents, their daughter could need help.

[cintinative]

Our retired state trooper friend yells at people who leave their garage doors open. If I have our garage door open for long periods, I lock the door to the house from the garage.  I am pretty paranoid. I have heard too many stories. So glad you are okay!

[Chris in VA]

Well that should narrow it down. :rofl:

 

Diana P.'s idea is a good one. If you know the previous residents, their daughter could need help.

 

I answered up thread. Not the daughter of the previous residents. We do know them, as this is a church rectory. At least there's that!

[Chris in VA]

We had to laugh--

 

I thought of that State Farm commercial with the guy on the phone and his wife walks in--

 

Her: Who are you talking to?

 

Him: Jen, from Arlington.

 

Her, grabbing phone: What are you wearing, Jen from Arlington?

 

Jen: A zip up fleece with my hair in a pony...

 

Her: She sounds hideous.

 

Him: Well....

 

 

:lol: :lol:

[staceyobu]

DH once ran out for a quick errand and left the garage door open. The kids and I were in the house.

 

When he came back, two guys were in the garage grabbing beer out of the extra fridge. He jumped out of the car and started screaming, "GET OUT OF THE GARAGE!" They started running and he immediately changed course and started yelling, "DROP THE BEER!"

 

They dropped the beer and ran.

 

And, our lovely beagle watchdog, who can sniff out the garbage truck from a mile away and will spend half the morning howling about it, quietly snoozed...

[Mom2Five]

Ugh, I don't want to seem unsympathetic if there is mental illness involved or an honest mistake etc. I mean I'm not heartless, but I would have ran for a gun and then asked who it was and why they were in my house lol.

Our rental is back on the market and I've had people pull up right behind my van and honk at us...I don't know what the point of this is. Then I had someone stand at the door knocking for 15 minutes (I don't open the door for anyone, period). Then went back to the car and his friend got out walking around all suspicious with his hood pulled over his face (we are in FL so not cold). That was almost enough to make me have the police come out and see why these people wouldn't leave. I have high anxiety lol.

[lynn]

 

Wow, Chris! That's scary.

 

I guess all my years of living as a single woman (I married late) either alone or with female roommates is still with me. It's habit to lock doors behind me and to always have the garage door down. I've locked dh out more than once when I've gone into the garage, noticed the side door unlocked, and locked it. What I failed realize was that he was outside doing something and I just locked him out.

 

 

 

And yet, I don't think of locking my car like I do my house. I was once on the receiving end of what you did. I was sitting in the Target parking lot texting dh to let him know what my plan was before I started driving, when someone opened my door. There are all kinds of "could have happened" scenarios, but it was obvious that the woman who did it was just as flustered and shocked as I was. She thought it was her van. She even thought she unlocked it with the remote. Of course she apologized profusely and I assured her all was fine, but now if I'm not going to drive away immediately I manually lock the door (both of our vehicles lock automatically once you put them in drive).[/quote

 

Another family in our co-op had the same van as us I got them mixed up a few times wondering why my remote to unlock the door wasnt working. I have also almost gone to the wrong car because Dh moved and another time at the post office not paying attention just saw grey car and went to it.