Once in law enforcement, always in law enforcement

It is true that I have never actually been in law enforcement, I lived with a member of their club for 18+ years and during my formative ones for that matter.  I am the safety girl and am suspicious by nature when it comes to strangers.  This was not a handy trait to have while dating (or maybe it was) because I can name more than a couple occasions where my "warning" system went off while being chatted up by some guy at a club.

I know for a fact that one time my radar saved me from being alone with someone who was, within weeks, accused of sexual assault on a young woman of my own age.  Poor girl, but whew!

Working mostly from home means I see a side of my neighborhood that most people don't see.  I know which households are home during the day, which have the occasional visitors (lawn care, merry maids and other wonderful services) and which don't.  It is a quiet neighborhood, and I do not like it when my doorbell rings unexpectedly during the day - especially when my car is in the garage and it is not obvious from the street that anyone is here.

It happened today while I was downstairs having lunch.  I greeted a young man in his 20's in jeans, a work shirt and facial hardware (the eyebrow piercing doesn't scream safety to me... sorry for the generalization but it doesn't.)   I half opened the door while unlocking my phone (to have easy access to 911 if needed ) and he started in on some story about how he works for a meat delivery company, "you know, like fresh steak" and that they had extra stuff and his boss told him to get rid of it, and did I want "free meat?"

"No, I'm good." I said as I was closing the door

He looked at me like I was crazy. "You don't want free meat!?  Well, alright."

I shut the door and watched him walk to his truck.  Then the "wannaba neighborhood patrol" came out in me and I stepped out onto my front porch and snapped a picture of his truck and noticed that his "co-worker" was knocking on other doors where no one appeared to be home.  They looked at me, piled in the truck and left.

What he doesn't know is that my iPhone camera is SHITTY and I can't even read the printed phone number let alone the truck plate number .  In the CSI world it could be enhanced, but in my world it is blurry.


I'm sure they were casing the neighborhood and my little stunt on the porch will keep them away for a bit, but it felt "hinkey" (police speak for odd).  I looked up their "business name" online and it doesn't exist and the phone number (that I can make out) is a fax number.

Now I find myself popping out to the window like Gladys Kravitz every time I hear something...
"Oh Abner, you'll never believe what I saw outside!"

I'm thankful that we have the house alarm and that we use it.  I'm not quite to the point where we need to install a panic room (which ironically, was the movie I was eating my lunch to) just yet, nor do I think I need the alarm on while I'm home alone.

Time and paranoia may change that.  We'll see.