Talk of The Villages Florida - View Single Post - Are we getting too paranoid?
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Old 10-09-2014, 12:26 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by redwitch View Post
A landscaper stopped by a house on Fenwick to see how the yard was doing. He was in his personal vehicle. He got out of the car and pulled a few weeds and left. As he was leaving via the Sanibel gate, the police came roaring in. The police turned around and pulled him over. They had gotten a call that two black men had been checking out the house.

To say the landscaper is upset is putting it mildly. No one asked him what he was doing at the house although he felt it was pretty obvious since he had not been near the house itself.

So, were people being good neighbors in calling the police? Would they have called the police had this been two white men in the yard? What would you have done?
In answer to your question, yes, I think we are getting too paranoid.
I guess I'm a minority of one. I would definitely NOT have called the police.
I might have watched someone who looked out of place, to see what they were doing.
If he pulled weeds, I would have assumed that he was under contract to the homeowner to pull weeds on the lawn.
If he looked in the windows and tried to open the lanai door, I might have been concerned.
But he was only pulling some weeds.
I think it's a big over reaction to call police on a man who stops and does some gardening.
I don't blame the landscaper for being upset.
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