Never ceases to amaze me...

[stevie_d_64]

Y'all are going to just love this...

I'm sitting here parusing and posting some on another thread...

I hear a knock on the door...Its Saturday, 9:30am, I'm not totally up for the day just yet, and we are not expecting anyone to be just dropping by...

Two yutes have opened the front storm door to the house and are knocking (pleasantly I suppose)...I had just retrieved the homeland defense pistol and proceed to inquire through the closed and still locked front door to who it is and what do they want...

Wife Unit is still lounging around and pretty much has my back, armed only with the cell phone and the TV remote...

Ok, back to the front door...

I ask them what do the want after I tell them to close the storm door...

"We're here to read yo meter."

I ask them (still through the closed and locked door) both to produce their company credentials...

"Uh, ok sir, we left them in the truck, we'll come back in a few minutes..."

(Thats all the time I needed)

I quickly donned outside clothes and went out front to take a peek...No truck or vehicle on any corners up or down the street...

But I did see the same two yutes in a "car" driving up the main drag beside my house just as I was going back inside...

Just a vague description of the car, and the yutes in that car...No tag...

Anyway, with all the discussion about service calls, and what to do in situations like this...

I guess the next thing to do would be to give the Houston Police Department a call and let them know what happened...sigh...

Don't need to be a rocket scientist in Houston to figure out something just didn't smell right here...

No chasing, no hand-wringing in what firearm to deploy, no direct getting into the face of someone who actually "might" be doing their job...Just a hunch that someone unexpectedly knocking on my door didn't seem right...

If it had been someone needing help in an emergency...I think I'd have had that covered as well...

Just another day in paradise I suppose...

I need a nap now...

[seamusTX]

I've never heard of meter readers working in pairs or on Saturday.

- Jim

[BrassMonkey]

Nothing smells right in Houston...

[Texican_gal]

Yes, call the law quick, maybe they can get them!

Good for you for being on the ball.

I cringe when I think how many people would have opened the door.

Another scam is to offer to mow your yard (but they have no mower with them!) while they scan the front room of your house, and see if a person is alone.

I watched a guy do this in Austin once years ago. He didn't try my door, and I knew why. He must've already creeped our property and discovered the two very alert loud potentially dangerous dogs!

I called the cops; they didn't find him ....

I also went in search of him in my car but he must've hopped someone's fence and been hiding in the back yard 'cause I didn't find him either.

[BrassMonkey]

You went looking for trouble? Tsk Tsk...

I also went in search of him in my car but he must've hopped someone's fence and been hiding in the back yard 'cause I didn't find him either.

[sybil1976]

Personally, I would have invited them on in. But I'm kinda hard up for entertainment these days.

[Venus Pax]

I got a strange visitor about a year ago that "uh, made deliveries in this area." He really got his drawers in a knot when I wouldn't open the door.

I called the sheriff's dept.

[Smokewagon]

Typical let's see if anyone is home here. You know the rest.

[Mike from Texas]

"We're here to read yo meter."

Last time I checked, there ain't no meters in my house. Good job for being alert. I used to not necessarily think twice about letting the kids answer the door but now I only answer it myself.

[razoraggie]

Too bad some one interrupted your bowl of Cheerios on a Saturday. Way to be alert and quick on your toes. If they had gotten past you, atleast your wife could've quickly switched the remote to "The View". One look at Rosie would have sent me running.

Out of curiosity...What part of town did this occur? Might want to disclose this to keep others on their toes.

Again....nice job in keeping your cool. Glad things turned out for the better this time.

[ScubaSigGuy]

Good job Stevie and thanks for sharing. I came home from the office one evening about a 2 months ago to have my fiance' tell me that a guy was on his way back to try and sell us some un-framed paintings and prints . I asked her why she opened the door to a strange man and she reminded me that she can take care of herself and that we live in a good quiet neighborhood. Now she is pretty petite but very strong (runs triathlons) but she doesn't look very intimidating and probably makes an enticing target. She just doesn't believe me that there are bad people out there and they are not afraid to come into our "quiet neighborhood" and take adavantage of the good will of others. Of course he came back and after a short interview I determined that he was OK. Then I got stuck buying (at her request) a print that has yet to be framed. At least I didn't pay what he was trying to charge her .

[stevie_d_64]

Too bad some one interrupted your bowl of Cheerios on a Saturday. Way to be alert and quick on your toes. If they had gotten past you, atleast your wife could've quickly switched the remote to "The View". One look at Rosie would have sent me running.

Out of curiosity...What part of town did this occur? Might want to disclose this to keep others on their toes.

Again....nice job in keeping your cool. Glad things turned out for the better this time.

I'm a little father up the Gulf Freeway from you...

Closest major intersection is I-45 and the Beltway...

Looking back on it, as I came up to the door (ain't peepholes great!) one of their hands came up as they opened the storm door (again) to knock (again) that hand swept across and momentarily blocked the view...(Big time alarm bells went off) At that point I told them with no fan fare to close the storm door and state their business...

The rest is history...

I'm telling you guys...When I get the chance to put Houston in my rear view mirror...It won't be soon enough...

Also, with the call I made to HPD, I called the Pct. 2 Constables office that overlaps our area...Their investigator has not heard of any reports like this in the area in a while, so unless they get another one, I'm not sure if this (and hopefully it will not be) a start of a trend...

I may also write up a small incident article to be published in the local community newspaper...Just so that my nieghbors can be aware of this incident...

I don't know if there is anything else to do, or can be done...

[Roy D. Mercer]

Personally, I would have invited them on in. But I'm kinda hard up for entertainment these days.

May I suggest solitaire?

I guarantee you will win everytime!

[NcongruNt]

Nothing smells right in Houston...

You got that right.

[razoraggie]

I'm telling you guys...When I get the chance to put Houston in my rear view mirror...It won't be soon enough...

Amen to that....I love Texas and all, but my wife and I feel as though this city is falling apart. We recently visited San Diego and if we had the money, we would have been there last week. Only problem is that there are VERY limited carry laws and I do mean VERY limited.

I do find it a little humorous that they asked to check your meter but yet asked to come inside. Morons