I wasn’t 100% sure I was going to blog about this but after reading the Hostess’ blog today and also hearing the news of Sean Taylor’s passing after being shot by an intruder I figured why not share. Some of you guys know I live in a transitioning neighborhood. In DC that means the haves and the have not live side by side in the same neighborhood. There’s a half way house for women 2 blocks away, ray ray and ‘em down the street, grand parents, single women, men and young upwardly mobile couples all in the mix. I’m a city girl born and raised in Brooklyn so I am always careful about my surroundings and make sure I’m secure in my car and in my home as best as I can be and make sure I have gotten to know my neighbors on all sides of me. Not just because I live in a major city with a crime issue but because safety should be everyone’s number 1 concern even in middle America and even in the ‘burbs. Hell there are gangs fighting in Gaithersburg, MD and people go missing and are attacked everywhere in this country from the hood to classy and rich neighborhoods.
As I sat on my couch watching an episode of the 1st 48, for which I blame the Hostess for introducing me to, and talking to a friend at about 11:20 PM someone rang my door bell. No one I mean no one just rings my door bell that late at nigh so I knew it wasn’t someone I knew but then when the hard knock on the door followed I thought maybe it was a neighbor, as I walked toward the door I called out and asked who it was. The person responded and said their name, which I didn’t know and said they had ID. Since that meant nothing to me I responded that they should go away and I didn’t care. The person then proceeded to put their hand through the mail slot to show me their ID and I could tell that they were trying to look through the slot. I went red and was pissed and scared all at once. I started yelling and said I was calling the cops which I immediately did. My friend on my cell phone and 911 on my landline. I’m grateful the dispatcher waited on the phone with me until they showed up because I was shacking with anger and a bit scared hell I’d been watching the 1st 48 which is about solving murders.
The person who I believe was a female was long gone by the time the police showed up and unfortunately I didn’t actually look outside because I was busy dialing 911 and didn’t want to get near the door or window in case. I made my statement and will be following up with my neighborhood list serve, the police list serve for my area and at the next community meeting. The person probably just wanted money but showing up on my doorstep at 11:20 PM and sticking your hand into my mail slot puts me in attack mode and the only way I know how is to make sure my house is secure and my alarm is on at all times and by making a big stink about this and alerting the powers that be (neighborhood commissioners and police) that more patrols are needed
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15 comments:
Oh hell naw!!!
Oh my goodness! I'm glad everything is okay. Do you actually get mail delivered through your slot? If not, you may want to consider having it sealed or replacing the door.
I'm glad you're okay. Transitioning neighbourhoods aren't ... transitioning. At least not as quickly as the new folks would like. I have mixed feelings about gentrification. On the one hand, I think it's hot that parts of cities and towns that had fallen into disrepair and had been all but written off have made a come back. On the other hand, I feel badly for the people who lived there when things weren't so shiny and new. Now, they have to leave ... as they see infrastructure improvements and new parks being built. They have to be wondering where all that was when they were still able to afford to live there, yanno?
I'm glad you are okay!
Criminals are bold! We live in a "good" neighborhood in the city. My husband stopped a burglar in the act of robbing us a couple weeks ago, I meant to finish my blog about it. Since then I'm slow to open the front door and super cautious when going in the garage alone.
People and their crack just mess stuff up for everyone.
i'm sorry that happened to you. i hope you're not as scared, and i'm so glad you were smart about it and proactive about it.
i live in a transitioning neighborhood too. i know what it's like.
LMAO @ Hostess because she took my first thought!!
Honest, I am SOOO glad you're OK. Who in the hell would do that? Who gives a crap about "having some damn ID"!?!?!!!?!!
I'm with Gecko. Get that slot sealed IMMEJATELEEE!!! And as soon as Kedar gets better, I'm sending him up to trot up and down the street and scare the undesirables for a few weeks.
I live in a relatively new community, but the downside to that is that it is quickly being taken over by some of the people that were displaced in the city.
We even have our very first homeless guy. I had gotten lax about not locking my back fence and I don't have an alarm, but I do worry with all of the changes taking place.
*hugs*
You should have kept their hand and nailed it to the outside of your door as a Christmas wreath
I don't answer the door at the time of night without my peacemaker (gun) in my hand, simply because of the incident you just described.
damn! i'm glad you're ok. WTF is "I have ID????" mofos are crazy! i feel you on the 11:30pm door knocks -- if you knockin' on my door at that time you got the wrong damn apt!
GET A GUN! Criminals and Crazies have them, it's time to level the playing field!
Seriously...I am glad you were ok but I know all to personally the realities of a transitioning neighborhood. I too live in one in DC. And being a single woman, you just have to do everything you can to secure your person and property. Self defense classes arent a bad look either. Oh and an alarm on all windows and doors LOL!!
OR if there is a next time, call me (i cant live that far from you DC aint but . dat big, I'll come over with my shank and cut her dumb azz. She was probably hopped up on crank or something
Dang, That is some serious stuff. I always watch the first 48, and i became obsessed, But i start losing sense so i stopped watching it. Its good to know that you don't BS when people do stupid things like that. Its true no where is safe. You could be as rich as whatever and still dumb A$$ people could do harm. I used to live where young guys get kill every year or something, one summer when i was 14 locked out in front of my house, those "special" unit cops with them long guns just come running in the yard and dang were i scared...
Sorry for the long post...
Yeah she was setting you up for a push in, you should have stabbed her in the hand.
Get rid of that mail slot.
Yeah, stabbing her in the hand would have been my suggestion too or let loose on the eyeball with some hair spray or bug spray.
Girl! You did the right thing. That's just crazy. What's the ID supposed to mean if you still don't know that person from Adam?
Glad you're okay, sweetie. You did the right thing, and you acted quickly, so kudos to you.
I think about stuff like this quite often when I'm at home, which actually surprised me. I never thought about stuff like that before. I've always been careful of my surrounds like you, but didn't think of someone actually harming me until I began living alone. It's a scary thought to have someone try and invade your space like that. I think I would have had the same emotions about it as you had.
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