Kicking the anthill

Minor excitement in my neighborhood this morning as a fellow who was either off the right meds or on the wrong ones gave several people the alarmed creeps over the course of the morning.  He ultimately followed my next-door neighbor right up to her house, making inappropriate conversation, and increasing the "eww" factor by choosing to take off his shirt as they approached the door.  She went inside, locked the door, armed herself, and called for help.  Presently her husband and his co-worker arrived (armed) to block off our "loop" on both ends, while various other neighbors ventured out (armed) to see what was up, the phone tree having reached most nearby households by that time.  Two sheriff's deputies arrived to take him into custody at about the time more distant neighbors started driving up (armed) to look into something they'd heard on the scanner.

Once he'd been hauled off, my neighbor's husband came home to hear the details from her.  When she got to the part about the guy taking off his shirt, her husband's face assumed a dead-eyed expression I'd never seen on it before.  He's normally the most amiable of fellows.  His face made me want to back up a step.

We get the occasional passers-through who irritate us mildly by loitering on our loop for the apparent purpose of drinking a six-pack and dumping the cans before driving home, or perhaps waiting for a chance to ditch an old appliance rather than spend the time or money necessary to leave it at the dump.  We invite them to clear out, but we don't go ape.  This guy didn't do or say anything overtly threatening.  Nevertheless, he punched every button we own, inducing that atavistic reaction of "snake.  Kill it."  The sheriff's deputies were giving his truck and his person a thorough searching the last I saw.  If he was carrying, he picked the wrong way to call attention to himself.

10 comments:

  1. Eric Blair11:55 PM

    Don't mess with Texas.

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  2. Sounds like the deputies were more protecting him than protecting you from him. :) That's as it should be.

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  3. It's good to have neighbors you can count on.

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  4. Yep. Good neighbors are a great thing.

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  5. Convicted felon, rifle and meth in the truck. I just hope the search was solid: plain view or exigent circumstances.

    The guy's a welder, with a welding rig on his truck. With the Eagleford shale boom, that should make him golden, but the meth got him. Meth does not make you discreet.

    I'm kind of disappointed in Mr. "I've got to save the neighborhood from itself" park ranger. Too busy rousting golf carts to notice a guy who'd been bothering people all over the peninsula for hours. This should have been his shining hour.

    And we didn't have a fourth-degree black belt with a samurai sword, either. We need to shape up the civil defense around here.

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  6. That's true. But may I suggest Albion Swords instead? They have something for everyone.

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  7. That's quite a selection! I've always wanted a home-defense system that deserved a name. And my 30th wedding anniversary is coming right up.

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  8. Anonymous1:41 PM

    Texan, maybe you should hint about his-n-her swords for the anniversary. :)

    LittleRed1

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  9. Well, if it is for that degree of special occasion, you might consider one of their Museum line.

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  10. DL Sly2:02 PM

    Ooooooh
    Shiny!!
    Now to think of a viable reason to *need* yet another one....or three.
    0>:~}

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