Found a stranger passed out on our back porch

Well that was an odd way to start our Sunday!

About 6am I heard some noise - a little *bump* or something. Shirley was - and still is - asleep. This will shock her when I tell her later. Anyway, I took a peek out to our lanai - the patio area around the pool in the back. There was a gentleman passed out just outside our sliding glass back door - mostly prone but with his head leaning at what looked to be a very uncomfortable angle up against the wall.

Stepping outside, I asked who he was. No response. Asked another time or two and he stirred. I asked where he lived. This might have been when he slowly made his way to a standing position. He said, "right here", gesturing palms down as though patting the ground a few feet below. I replied, "Dude, you don't live here. This is my home. Where do you live?" Again the same gesture with the same words, "right here".

Great. I was guessing that the gent was extremely intoxicated, but figured it was also possible that he was mentally challenged and lost. Either way, he did not seem to pose a threat to others. But I was worried that he'd fall in the pool; I did not want to have to fetch a semi-conscious individual out of the water.

Putting a hand on his back, I gestured to a chair a few paces away and invited him to have a seat over there. I went back in and dialed 911 (police). The dispatcher remained on the phone with me until the police arrived. While on the phone, I described the gent: white male, about 30 years old, approx 5ft 8inches, 180pounds. Was wearing light-colored slacks and a red t-shirt with the word "Random". How appropriate. As the operator and I chatted, I could see the gent's shadow through the closed drapes. He was now trying to open our sliding glass door (which I locked again when I went back in after our initial meeting). He was first trying to slide the door, then was trying to lift it out of its tracks.

It turns out that he lives nearby. Apparently he'd taken a cab (so glad he took a cab instead of driving!). The dispatcher - and then the police - told me that they'd had a report that a cab driver dropped a passenger off just a bit earlier, and the passenger had been a tad confused. I brought the 2 officers through the house to the back. They were able to assist the gent with finding where he really lives ...which is not "right here".

We know a number of our immediate neighbors -- the folks next to us on either side, and next to them, and next to them. We know the folks who live across the street and next to them, the folks who live behind the folks across the street, and the folks who live behind us. This gent lives in the area, but not quite that close. So he most likely was able to get the cab driver to the general area, and then whether the cabbie decided he'd had enough of the passenger, or the gent really believed that he was seeing his house ...he ended up on our lanai.

Some of our friends, relatives, acquaintances probably would have chosen to go outside carrying a firearm, and I could see something like that taking a very sad twist. On the other hand, this gent could have been armed and dangerous (he wasn't), so perhaps it would have been better if I had just called police without engaging him.

The one thing of which I am confident is that this gent is going to feel terrible (in more ways than one) when he awakens after a few hours of sleep. For now, one of us is going to grab a shower and a cup of coffee, and try for a more normal start to the day. I am thankful that things worked out ok :)

Comments

[Shirley]

Perhaps it's best that I slept! The poor cats, especially Jeebus (the big twitchy one), is rather spooked this morning. They were both in the bench-box, their 'safe house' so to speak. Glad the guy didn't destroy anything.

[Megan]

I would've thought it was just Aaron coming back to collect his wood :)

Glad to hear that everything turned out OK in the end, and that the man was smart enough not to attempt to drive himself home.

[Calon]

It sounds like I missed a really good time.I stayed home all day yesterday and feel much better for it.

As for the "Stranger" on the lanai, wow - having been a victim of a home invasion, I don't know I would have been so calm.

Good job Joe,Calon

[Aaron]

Well, you needn't worry about me returning to collect my wood. It's yours to keep. I just ask that you treat my wood well, for one day it may end up saving your life.

Did it ever catch last night? I lit one in the yard just to check the moisture levels, and it seemed to catch quite well.

[Mike Little]

Good thing you called the "people catcher" to catch stray people. To me, it's ALWAYS best to let the pro's handle it but good to be prepared just in case. I might not have been inclined to wake him up. Are they sure he is a suburban resident? He sounds like so many of the homeless people we've met in the NW. The pool liability thing is really scary! You get blamed for his night out! Very glad it worked out.

[Shirley]

Aaron, I'm not sure that we can say that your wood actually caught - until we threw more varnished umbrella pieces in with it. We did manage to roast quite a few marshmallows though. So your wood was quite pleasing to the soft white squishy things. :)

[Bob]

What did Shirley think when you told her? Or did you?

[Shirley]

I was kind of bummed that I missed the action. But with my insomnia problems, sleep is always a good thing. I'm still wondering if looking through the blinds of the door on one of my early morning trips to the bathroom, I spotted something that I thought was a bag of cat food. I try not to catch the cats attention in that bathroom at night but thought I saw a shadow moving but heard no meow. Not sure. Kind of creepy to think about it now.