Driving Down Alleys and Going In Backyards (Kelowna)

[Kelowna_Born]

Spring is barely here and already the lurkers/thieves are out looking around again.

Sitting down watching the 5pm news and a fellow parks in the alley, strolls all the way down my back driveway to my back door about 100 feet from the alley. Knocks on the door and asks if I had any donations for a school funding drive. He said he noticed I had a piece of scrap metal laying against the inside of my fence.

I told him "No that's my metal i'm going to use sometime".

Fellow was mid 30's 6'5 with a large beard wearing a hard helmet and safety vest driving a early 90's black mini-van.

I reported him to the RCMP and they gave him a call and told him not to be going to peoples back doors or backyards again.

Maybe he was just looking for scrap, or maybe he wanted to see what I had laying around further in my backyard for when the sun goes down. Or if no answer, kicked the door off the hinges and loaded up.

Keep an eye out, write down there plate number and description and make the 2 minute phone call.

[Frisk]

Creepy, but I don't think he broke the law.

[Relentless]

Creepy, but I don't think he broke the law.

Not yet!

[Bsuds]

I would think that being in the back yard without permission might be considered trespassing.
It certainly would be in my yard as it is completely enclosed.

[Swoop]

...does there really need to be a law in order to know you shouldn't just go walking through someone's backyard?...

[Grandan]

had a guy arrive at my door asking if the old car across the creek in my neighbours yard was for sale. He was driving a 5 ton truck and likely would have loaded it up if there was no one home.
Before I fenced my yard I had the following items stolen:
A 30 ft ladder
An engine stand
A gas power washer
My bicycle that I had owned for over 30 years
My John Deere riding mower
I had 2 cars vandalized, windows smashed in, sunroof jumped on
Graffiti on my buildings
Golf balls thrown at my windows (that could have happened with or without fence)
Attempted break in of my out buildings
Because of the configuration of my property, it is not easy to see who comes and goes.
Since I erected the fence, I have had fewer problems.

[dogspoiler]

Motion detector lights are a good idea, is there a type that will let out a loud noise when it turns on ?

[Bsuds]

Motion detector lights are a good idea, is there a type that will let out a loud noise when it turns on ?

We have one over the side door on the garage and it didn't deter 3 drunk teenagers from trying to break in when we were home!
One of those motion detection sprinklers would probably work better! lol

[Grandan]

We have one over the side door on the garage and it didn't deter 3 drunk teenagers from trying to break in when we were home!
One of those motion detection sprinklers would probably work better! lol

I've heard that playing polka music deters teenagers too!

[Frisk]

...does there really need to be a law in order to know you shouldn't just go walking through someone's backyard?...

You literally need laws for everything nowadays. Some people are too clueless to figure out whats right and wrong.

[Grandan]

Locked doors, fences,cameras, alarms are all needed to deter the low lifes.
Driving around Palm Springs a few years ago I got a chuckle with the sign outside many residences: "ARMED RESPONSE"
They don't fool around.

[Dizzy1]

Am I missing something? A guy walks up to your door - knocks and asks if you need a piece of metal he saw in your yard and you found it necessary to report him to the RCMP?

Had he just been scrummaging in your yard with out your permission - that's one thing but if he asked you that's a bit much.

[Queen K]

Spring is barely here and already the lurkers/thieves are out looking around again.

Sitting down watching the 5pm news and a fellow parks in the alley, strolls all the way down my back driveway to my back door about 100 feet from the alley. Knocks on the door and asks if I had any donations for a school funding drive. He said he noticed I had a piece of scrap metal laying against the inside of my fence.

I told him "No that's my metal i'm going to use sometime".

Fellow was mid 30's 6'5 with a large beard wearing a hard helmet and safety vest driving a early 90's black mini-van.

I reported him to the RCMP and they gave him a call and told him not to be going to peoples back doors or backyards again.

Maybe he was just looking for scrap, or maybe he wanted to see what I had laying around further in my backyard for when the sun goes down. Or if no answer, kicked the door off the hinges and loaded up.

Keep an eye out, write down there plate number and description and make the 2 minute phone call.

This sounds extremely similar to an incident I reported here on Castanet, in a similar type thread.

We had one window open in the front of the house, but were painting the back room.
Guy rings the doorbell, claims he's collecting cans for a kids cancer charity.
Only he's filthy, pot emblem t-shirt, no id, no charity designation, no nothing.
He parked his dark coloured older van a few doors down.

I think he was just trying to see if anyone was home with the window down.

And that thread went on and on for pages with a division between two opinions 1. I was paranoid or 2. I was dead on in my suspicions he was really looking for an easy break-in/theft.

[JLives]

You would not do well in my neighbourhood. The menfolk are constantly perusing each other's yard loot . We have people ask to buy stuff all the time.

[Swoop]

Am I missing something? A guy walks up to your door - knocks and asks if you need a piece of metal he saw in your yard and you found it necessary to report him to the RCMP?

Had he just been scrummaging in your yard with out your permission - that's one thing but if he asked you that's a bit much.

...I think the fact that to get to the house from the back alley was a bit of a walk - and one would first ask, why not come to the front door?...I'm unclear if the OP's back yard is fenced, but fenced or not, I too would be certainly uneasy with someone 6'-5" strolling through my backyard at 5 o'clock in the afternoon and taking inventory of what's there and whether I might want to give it away...certainly nothing wrong with calling the non-emergency number to report something unusual, which I would think most would feel this is - that's what it's for...