BLSamuel Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Our oldest daughter was home Wednesday afternoon before going to work when she heard the dogs barking. Next she heard the front storm door open and someone trying the door knob without knocking. Couldn't really get a look at the window from where she was at and didn't want to be seen. The storm door closed and she could tell the person was walking towards the drive way. She said she tried to look at the windows in the next room but wanted to stay out of site. She next heard the back storm door open and the door knob being tried. She then heard a vehicle pulling out of the driveway and looked out and saw a small white pick up truck with an amber flashing light on top pulling out of the driveway. She went to the front door and found a gas meter tag to read it and call in. One of our dogs is often tied where they can just reach the meter or not quite reach the meter. I think my wife said they can just reach the meter with the current chain. We've aske them numerous times to give us a heads up and we'll keep the dog(s) in when they're coming but no... Natually she didn't think to call 911 or our neighbor who is retired and was at home. We live out in the country so calling 911 probably wouln't have done much good unless a deputy happened to be real close. My wife called and complained to the gas company who said they'd call back in a couple of days. I'm planning to call the Sherriff's office tomorrow so they have a record of such suspicious activity. I think it's time to replace the garage door which we can't lock as it's been split for years, probably when we moved in, and has swollen up enough the door won't latch. The door frame and threshold are all in need of repair. If they tried the back door, who's to say they didn't try the garage door? That said I should check before I go to work in the morning or before going to bed to see if anything's missing. Just looking in everything looked fine but it's a disaster so it might not be readily apparent if anything disappeared. Any good excuse why a meter reader would be trying the doors? I can't think of any legitimate reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Call the gas company back and demand to know why the guy was trying to enter your home.... Press the matter... It would not be the first time that recently hired "meter readers" got a job like that to be able to gain access to homes. Or... bad guy has pickup and buys yellow light, wears fake shirt with company logo, carries a clipboard, and does burglaries...... I'd be suspicious... very suspicious.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy W Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Ditto. Even a legit gas man could be looking for an easy opportunity... lots of people don't lock their doors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverSport Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 he'd have a reason to knock on your door or ring the doorbell...NOT try the doors...report it... Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSamuel Posted October 9, 2008 Author Share Posted October 9, 2008 My wife has reported to the gas company. They will be called back if we don't get a response soon. I am about to contact the Sherrif department as soon as I get off this morning's teleconference at work which just ended. Trying doors, especially without knocking is extremely suspicious. Trying doors after knocking is very suspicious actually, but trying before knocking is an even stronger indication they're up to no good. Top suspect if anything disappears from our garage in the near future. Time to replace the wasted entry door. Might have already but our backdoor required replacing so that came before the garage door. There's always a softball bat or 2 near the doors... not good if they're armed but pretty good if they're not. I suspect my family will be better about keeping the doors locked. That said, one of our cars was unlocked in the driveway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSamuel Posted October 9, 2008 Author Share Posted October 9, 2008 Just notified the Sheriff's office. So now it's been reported. I think they said they'd try to patrol the area more in the next few days. No other reports of such activity but you'd never know if you're not home. If nothing else this will motivate me to replace our worn out busted garage entry door I should've replaced a couple of years ago.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 I'm glad you have reported this to the sheriff. Trying to gain entry to a residence is indeed extremely suspicious. Good idea on replacing the garage door, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.4knee Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Get a good working line Malinois that will happen only once[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSamuel Posted October 10, 2008 Author Share Posted October 10, 2008 As far as I know the gas company hasn't tried to contact us. My wife who was home sick yesterday noticed a similar if not the same truck in our driveway yesterday but didn't see the person and it left shortly thereafter and she didn't notice anyhting amiss. I think she had just gotten out of bed, probably due to the dogs making a ruckus. I think I'll start by calling the gas company and see if our meter's been read. The first day a tag to read it ourselves and call in the reading was left. My wife checked it and one of the numbers is between, it looked like rolling to a 4 to me - between a 3 and a 4? I think I'll call the Sheriff's office again. I'm not sure there's a problem with them coming out a second day to try again, except why leave the tag to read it ourselves? Of course we're assuming the white truck with the flashing light on top is the gas meter readers.... I forgot to ask my wife if she noticed anything on said truck. Definitely be replacing our garage entry door this weekend. May be time to let Bridget our big ole stupid (probably mostly an act) but lovable yellow Lab sleep in the garage.... of course she may bark initially but then will probably loose interest and take off like she did when she had a oppossum cornered under the steps. Of course she may knock them ever running out the door. She showed up one day not too long after Swoop, the Border Collie (?) puppy our daughter had found wandering aimlessly in the rain in the middle of the road a few months after Bowser our 14+ year old black Lab / Blue Heeler had passed away. Arrived about the same time as her cat. And never left. Or I should say kept comin g back. Swoop had obviously been abused and always cowered when new people approached and would not go into a crate. Ran accross the road in front of a truck who stopped or slowed down. Driving slowly the poor thing ran under the tire. Poor guy almost cried when he brought her up and put her under a tree for my wife who unfortunately witnessed the whole thing. Wasn't a thing he could've done but thankfully Swoop didn't suffer more than a minute or two. Now Bowser was a watchdog - friendly to people he could trust, hair raised and ready to rumble when he felt we were threatened. Maybe we should put Leewee the stupid little mutt, we think a cross between a Jack Russell, Dachsund, and Beagle (the pound was sure on one but had crossed out the 2nd and replaced with the 3rd. Probably all 3 and God only knows what else. Has the little dog attitude.... (thankfully not the hyperactive weiner dog I was expecting) in the garage, he'd be likely to chomp on stranges but don't trust him where he can get to the cats. Talk about stupid, most of them get caught instead hissing of hissing up a storm and swatting him in the nose. Sorry for the rambling... up a bit too late last night and then our oldest daughter is talkative.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSamuel Posted October 10, 2008 Author Share Posted October 10, 2008 Just looked at our gas bill. Estimated meter reading on 10/08. I did notice it says next meter reading between 11/04/2008 - 11/06/2008... but after this, maybe I want to keep one of our dogs closer to our house...... So.... if that was a gas truck that returned yesterday? Why if they've already estimated the meter reading? And why the next day after leaving a tag on the door. We're assuming the white pick up truck is for the gas meter reader and it could be coincidence my daughter found the tag after the white truck with amber light pulled away. Not sure I understand the estimated readings on my bill as they're 810 for 10/08 and 787 for 9/08 but I could swear the left most number, the one we're not sure about looked more like a 4 to me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 but after this, maybe I want to keep one of our dogs closer to our house...... My first thought is, if they're up to no good, they just might kill your dog (I've had 2 of mine shot by hunters so I've learned the hard way) My second thought is... do you have one of those remote sensors? I don't know what they're called but it allows the gas company to simply drive by and receive your numbers verses having to walk up & check. On my house, I've got one of those on my electric meter (maybe they don't do them for gas?) My bigger thought would be...if you DO have one of those RF sending units on your meter... then I'd be real worried. Also... did you say they came to your door and essentially drove away? Isn't it reasonable that the meter guy would be stopping at EVERY house? Why would they simply stop at yours? (gack...as I wrote that, I think I now recall that you live in the boonies like I do) hmm...so if you live in the boonies like I do, AND if the guy was in fact up to no good, then I would have simply expected him to break a window. Someone can come to my house & break a window and there will be nobody around to hear it. For them to NOT break a window and to get in vehicle to drive away would suggest to me (at my house) that they were legit. This doesn't excuse the door rattling though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSamuel Posted October 10, 2008 Author Share Posted October 10, 2008 Called the gas company. They do not come back to read the meter a second day. Ours may be estimated most of the time anyway. Though they didn't know what kind of vehicles their meter readers use. Called the Sheriff's office again. They had patrolled the area and will check a little closer for the next couple of days. I'm going to work from home the rest of the day in case this suspicious vehicle returns. Probably nothing, but trying the doors even with knocking just smells fishy at best. Yep. New entrance door in the garage this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSamuel Posted October 10, 2008 Author Share Posted October 10, 2008 I don't live in the boonies like Coytee ... just out in the country only a couple of miles from town and we have neighbors, pretty much a string of houses around the corner of the field. We don't really know for sure this was the gas meter reader. We don't know it wasn't. No RF sensor unit on the meter but they did say they can send us a card to fill in the meter reading and then put it where they can get to it. Might try that. Once we fiugure out what's going on. It's the coming to the front and back doors and trying the door knob without knocking that's suspicious. And then a similar or same truck the next day. The gas company says they estimate if they cannot get a reading. It's the turning of the door knobs, trying to get in that's suspicious. Anyhow, motivation to replace the wasted entry door on the garage I should have replaced a couple of years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Definately suspicious activity. My gut instinct tells me they are 'casing' the place, seeing when someone is home. Can you park a vehicle there that is not yours, say a relative's, for a week or so, and move it around the yard a few times? Along with leaving a light on, opening and closing different curtains, making it look like someone is home all the time. Chances are if someone is looking to break into it, then they will chose someone else's home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSamuel Posted October 10, 2008 Author Share Posted October 10, 2008 Definately suspicious activity. My gut instinct tells me they are 'casing' the place, seeing when someone is home. Yep my gut is telling me that also. That trying the door thing with no knocking. Though criminals often knock and pass themselves off as survery takers or something if someone answers the door. No relative nearby. But one of our neighbor's is a retired fire fighter who would probably take it personally should one of his neighbors get robbed. Can easily look out his TV room or bedroom window into our driveway. His first comment was, I was home, why didn't she call.... he had been salmon fishing the past week or 2.... And our neighbor on the other side works at home so not the easiest daytime target. The Sheriff's department has been notified and is patrolling the area for the next few days. The gas company was a bit overly defensive - we don't do that kind of tone. Maybe not but if it is one of their employees, then he's obviously not following protocol and they need to have a talk with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipsch Employees Trey Cannon Posted October 10, 2008 Klipsch Employees Share Posted October 10, 2008 I would work from home for the next week and leave the door UN-locked while waiting with a shot gun. If he falls back out the door, drag him back in... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 They usually run an estimate every other time, at least here in the city. So if the ending reading on your next bill has an E, that means that they never read the meter and perform an estimate. Check your past bills and see if this is the pattern- one actual reading- next is estimate- so on. If this is the case, there should not have even been an employee at your home this past month, dog or no dog. I'd get in touch with a manager at the gas company. And the next truck that pulls in, get it's number and stop the employee and ask for his identification card, all utility people should carry one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 I'd get in touch with a manager at the gas company. GOOD advice. Ask for the supervisor, and keep going up until you get someone who cares. Then, a letter to the editor might elicit a response... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSamuel Posted October 12, 2008 Author Share Posted October 12, 2008 I'd get in touch with a manager at the gas company. GOOD advice. Ask for the supervisor, and keep going up until you get someone who cares. Then, a letter to the editor might elicit a response... Yes. Very good advice. Our local (I think within the last few years since we livved here) was bought up by a larger utility, or at the very least closed down their local offices in the last year or two. So getting someone who really cares could be difficult. But getting a supervisor or manager is excellent advise to get some answers. Not even sure it was the gas meter reader but it sure looks that way. They still need to provide some answers - when did they come? - what vehicle does the meter reader drivve? (they probably don't know as it sounds like it's contracted out as my wife says one of her co-worker's gas meter reader arrives in an old beater car that's about to fall apart) I need to check our bills as it may be estimated most months. They come, they see the dog(s), they leave. My wife has asked them at least a couple of times to let us know when they'll be coming so we can move the dogs. I think they came when she was home once and she held the dog so they could read the meter. I willl try to check the last few bills as this month and last were both estimated. This time the customer service represntative did say they could send us a card to record the reading and put in another location when they'd come. The current bills do list a range of days they'll come. My wife and myself both called them but they didn't tell either of us when they did come though from the door slip we know the gas meter reader had been here. Could've been someone else in the truck. Working from home the next week if possible might not be a bad idea. Park what I would've driven to work behind the garage.... and work likes us to work at work more these days but are still reasonably flexible. I also have to take our youngest daughter out of town for a doctor appointment Monday morning and have an out of town funeral to attend Tuesday. So definitely be at least driving by home after I drop her off at school - might even be near the time the truck has been here depending on the length of the appointment. Will probably be back later Tuesday. Gotta get my sorry behind back to replacing our garage entry door. If they also tried it (most likely) they've figured out I can't lock it and would've had a nice view of it's contents. May be time to let one of the dogs spend a few days in the garage though they like being outside better when it's nice out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 I can picture that song playing as the "meter-dude" drives away in a hurry with scraps of pants in a bloody trail to where his little truck was parked.... "Who Let The Dogs Out".....[:|] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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