Would this qualify as vigilantism?

[Baitball Blogger]

Scenario: Let's say there's a residential community that has a history of mismanagement due to the self-interested decisions by a couple of cliques in the community. This has resulted in a tense situation for newcomers who learn, belatedly, about the turf that has been staked out from prior verbal agreements. Strong words have been known to be exchanged between neighbors because it's never easy for the newcomers to adapt to this surreal good ole boy environment; but, still life must go on.

Let's say one of these newcomers has a healthy pre-dawn walking gig, which he shares with friends who come from outside the development. The friends drive in, and all go on a walk that takes them out of the development. When they return, they promptly get in their cars and leave. No one sticks around. So, how much of it is vigilantism if someone from the "good ole boy side" takes an interest and physically drives into our community (maybe it's a relative) to watch the group as they conclude their walk?

[BubbaFett]

1. It sounds like everyone involved

has wayyyyyy too much time on their hands.

Don't any of y'all work?

Seriously, who has time for shit like that?

[Baitball Blogger]

7. Personally, I give kudos to the walkers

They're all gone in time to shower, eat breakfast and make their seven o'clock jobs. I hope they start a trend.

[annabanana]

2. I suppose a cat can look at a king.. but if the attention is MEANT to

be intimidating, raucous laughter at the "watcher" might be the most effective response.

[Baitball Blogger]

9. Let's just hope the cat doesn't have a carry permit.

[Nye Bevan]

3. Is this actually about posters on DU?

Whether it is or isn't, I don't really understand it.

[Baitball Blogger]

5. Nope.

It's about living in suburbia.

[FSogol]

4. More of busy-body-ism than vigilantism. Laugh and wave at them. n/t

[Baitball Blogger]

14. I have no reason to approach anyone in the early morning hours.

Wouldn't do it just as a precaution, given what happened to Trayvon.

[FSogol]

16. I don't see anywhere in my post where I suggested approaching them.

Not really a red letter day for reading comprehension on DU.

[Baitball Blogger]

18. I understood what you were saying.

It's all good. Just the thought of approaching anyone to wave to them in the pre-dawn hours gave me a moment of reflection.

[FSogol]

20. Wave from where you are. They'll probably drive away quickly. n/t

[HappyMe]

6. It sounds like hell on earth.

Everybody minding everyone else's business.

[Baitball Blogger]

8. Nothing is normal in a community which was once sued for conspiracy,

among other tortuous actions.

[HappyMe]

11. I would get the hell out of there.

[Baitball Blogger]

13. This is America.

I don't believe it's any different any where else. I just happen to see what goes on behind the curtain because of events that occurred shortly after we moved in.

[HappyMe]

15. Well, I haven't ever lived anywhere

where busy bodies are the rule of the day. The only time I have heard about bizarre goings on and back stabbing was from friends that had to deal with HOA and condo boards.

[Baitball Blogger]

17. You know, I think you may have tripped over the source of all the strange

things that go on around here.

BINGO!

[HappyMe]

21. The friends eventually sold their condo and fled.

They had a hard time selling because of the board. Word of their lunacy had spread to real estate agents, and then buyers. It was sold to a couple that wasn't going to live there full time and didn't give a crap about the drama.

[Baitball Blogger]

23. I think the era of the HOA is going to peak soon.

Good idea on paper, but everything is lost in the execution.

[HappyMe]

26. You could be right about that.

The HOA idea didn't take into account the power crazy, the overly anal, gossipers and other assorted trouble makers.

[FSogol]

19. Wrong - "I don't believe it's any different any where else."

I've always lived in pretty cool places and get along with neighbors, strangers, HOAs, etc. Once in a while there is a "you kids get off my lawn" guy or a someone obsessed with where dogs pee person, but never what you are describing.

[Baitball Blogger]

22. Well, if life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

Think of the positive: If it's that out of the ordinary, I might find a platform for my blog, which I hope to start soon.

[unblock]

29. i'm guessing you meant "tortious".

although i suppose a conspiracy could be tortuous as well....

[Raine1967]

10. Sounds like some kind of intimidation.

or a really funky closed group of dog walkers.(seriously, Dog walkers have a whole commique unto themselves…. ) I'm going with the former.

Can you give some more details about the pre-dawn walking gig?

[Baitball Blogger]

12. Here goes:

The walkers do not have dogs. They are exercising by walking. They stay on the street and leave the development by the most direct route. They do the main part of their walking out on public roads. I commend them for their routine.

However, their activities have brought attention in the community. One was a dog walker who I caught craning her neck as she looked down the street where the walkers were concluding their routine one day. And the other might be, MIGHT be, a car that comes into the community just minutes before the walkers conclude their walk, and then the car leaves when all the other cars are gone.

[Raine1967]

24. Oh. I think I understand.

So they really have no reason to be be walking in your community —

That's more intimidation to me if I am understanding this.

and it sucks.

Vigilantes take the law into there own hands. These people seems like they are trying to intimidate.

[Baitball Blogger]

27. No, I'm not sure you have it.

The people who are coming in to walk are there with a valid invitation. They drive to the person's house and when they all arrive, they at once leave immediately by foot, exiting through the entrance. They don't linger around, they don't walk back through the development, they leave where they can put in a good hour on public sidewalks, where there are no houses along the street.

And when they return, they leave the community immediately after.

The reference to the vigilante has to do with the car that comes into the development just minutes before their walk concludes, and the car sticks around until the last of the walker's cars leaves.

I'm not even sure that the walkers realize that he's there, since this is something new that started last week.

[Raine1967]

33. Ok, I totally misunderstood the OP now that you clarified.

I am sorry about that.

This person is trying to either intimidate these walkers or has more nefarious thoughts. It's not a vigilante, yet.

do the walkers know about this? I would suspect not, and my next question, can the police be called about your concern? This is all really stalky.

[Baitball Blogger]

34. Always appreciate it when someone gives me a chance to clarify.

Part of the reason why I haven't written a draft that I'm satisfied with is that nothing makes it through the self-editing process. Even after others have given me a thumbs up, I'm still looking for the right voice to use.

Meanwhile, I'm going to keep an eye on the situation. Could be a fluky thing where someone just happen to come into the street to pick someone up and stayed just long enough to depart right after the last car drove off. I doubt it, though.

If I'm right, then writing about it on this site will probably result in the necessary changes. It is one thing when they get involved with conspiracies against their neighbors, but it's a double affront when they don't allow us to live normal lives because they're tortured by their own guilty consciences.

Oh, what a wicked web, as they say. I may judge them harshly when it comes to their ethical and moral choices, but I'm pretty sure that they have learned how to use the google by now.

[KMOD]

36. Could it be someone who is picking up one of the walkers

who perhaps carpooled there, but are now going separate ways?

Also sounds like it could be stalking, to me.

[geardaddy]

25. Sounds like intimidation.

The best course would be to ignore the watchers.

I live in an HOA (condo) and have that kind of a person on the board. It's best to ignore them, if possible.

[Baitball Blogger]

28. For now, he seems to be parked well down the street where I suspect

the walkers have not spotted him. If I see something develop that I feel needs to be reported, I'll probably make a phone call.

[Daemonaquila]

30. It's nosy f*****ism.

Me, I'd probably just go pee on their car door after the second incident. But then, nobody ever said I was civilized.

[GeorgeGist]

31. If the spy car is coming in from outside on a regular basis ...

at a regular time, I'd take pictures of the driver and the car; including one of the license plate.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

32. I don't think so, but it is a little creepy.

I don't see any reason to suspect the people walking are up to no good. I do see a reason to suspect the watcher has nothing better to do with their time, or perhaps has sinister intentions. It kind of sounds like something a stalker would do.

[ManiacJoe]

35. No, none of that would qualify as vigilanteism,

as least by any normal definition.