More Prowlers in Southie

I managed a work-from-home day today with our weekly ice/sleet/rain event, and as usual was quite productive. It's probably a combination of a much faster Internet connection and fewer distractions. I left my house just three times, twice for dog walks (Rosie still had her play group and arrived home drenched - $15 well spent!) and one more time to buy milk, clean off the car, and (as usual) shovel the sidewalk.

During my shoveling, I saw a parking enforcer ticket a resident parked at the end of our side street. I almost parked in that same spot a couple nights ago, but knowing that for some odd reason cars at the end always seem to be ticketed, I thought better of it. Perhaps they are citing them for proximity to the curb cutout.

A few hours later during the final walk, I saw not only another parking enforcement vehicle shining the bright lights atop its car - I'm guessing the side and front lights allow them to spot resident stickers from inside their vehicles - but also two police cars circling the block.

Strange, I thought.

Could they also be seeking parking offenders?

Triple duty in Southie?

Nope. Instead we appear to have a prowler lurking.

Another prowler. Great.

I saw the police stop at a neighbor's house. Out emerged a woman who I always see walking her pooch. Either we have the same schedules, or she's simply always walking her dog.

I overheard her mention to the officers that she was on another dog walk (naturally) and she saw an unwelcome guy testing the handles of random parked vehicles. It appears he tried to break into a car familiar to her, and after discovering that it was locked, attempted another one, triggering the car alarm in the process (which come to think of it, I heard the alarm from my kitchen before we left for the walk).

Just what we need. More reports of attempted break-ins.

I find it a bit amusing that I fit the description of who she saw - white dude wearing a hoodie. Even though I had a dog in tow, I saw the cops peering my way, judging and wondering if they stumbled into the good fortune of seeing the perpetrator right there on the street.

Good thing I didn't bolt. That would have been an awkward chase. Icy sidewalks, holding a dog, and me being not guilty and all...