This is just creepy. After dark some thumb tacks appeared on the sidewalk in front of my place

[KurtNYC]

I walk my dogs twice a night. Before bed and when the sun comes up...

We live in the 2nd floor. Around 9:50 my dogs reacted like there was someone on the sidewalk that they knew. They prompted me to the front door. I went down and looked for anyone or anything they dropped (because the male does that, drops his tennis ball from the 2nd floor and it bounces around and winds up under a car or something or people throw it back. Nothing.

Then we went for a walk and we get to the front of the building and there are 4 of those old school metal thumbtacks on the sidewalk! Some are point up and others have been crushed sideways but still viable. Right under the spot where my dogs look out the window and near the door but in a dark spot.

Now I am think of who may hate me or my dogs or just wants me to move out but it may be just a coincidence because there are offices on this street and people park at the curb and stuff spills. Earlier this evening I put empty grocery bags in the slots between the 2 parking meter heads for people that don't carry bags because there is poop on the sidewalk downstairs every morning (the tacks may be intended for them). Ugh.

There is one person, unfortunately, who has been off the deep end recently and flipped off my other neighbor at random while driving by and blasted his stereo for hours, blames some one elses decor for the reason his house won't sell, etc. Also the shop downstairs and I have had differences about them dumping their food trash in the backyard -- spoiled fish and cheese with flies and maggots. And they know how much I love my dogs. They were in the shop late today and watched me go in the front door. Ewww.

I hope I am just being paranoid but if it was intentional that is way messed up. Even the fact that I have a couple of semi-reasonable suspects is messed up.

[unkachuck]

1. you're giving me the creeps....

....you may be just a little bit paranoid, but then again, paranoids could enemies too....

"....spoiled fish and cheese with flies and maggots."

....yummy, may I suggest moving to better neighborhood?

[KurtNYC]

3. it's a gourmet "artisanal" cheese shop

and this is a small town (not NYC) so there is no better section. The one crazy dude is trying to move. He bought a house in this market, spent $50K on improvements and now he can't sell. He is dead broke, can't pay the taxes on the house and is buggin.

I don't really think it was the cheese guys bc they have dogs and aren't crazy enough to do the tacks. Plus the tacks were right in front of their shop door. If it was them it was probably unintentional (just like every other stupid thing they have done to us like shut off the heat or leave their stereo on all night). They can give me grief with no effort or thought at all.

The other guy has time on his hands and is miserable.

[Renew Deal]

2. That's probably intentional

And horrible. People are crazy. It's probably not who you think it is.

[KurtNYC]

4. I have been the target of random crazy once before

and it wasn't even a person that I knew at all. So I agree if this is someone crazy enough to try and hurt my dogs then who it is doesn't have to make ANY sense or have any connection to me.

[Renew Deal]

5. Do you live in an apartment building?

Maybe this has nothing to do with you.

[KurtNYC]

6. It is a 3 story building, the first level is a shop

then me, then one other apartment on the 3rd floor and they are sweet as cake.

[Renew Deal]

7. You're probably safe to assume that this is a coincidence and has nothing to do with you

But it's worth being careful (not paranoid).

[Poll_Blind]

8. 4 thumbtacks?

I think you're reading too much into it. Don't worry, I do it too. Lots of people do. Sometimes its about good things, sometimes its about bad things.

It's a side effect of having inordinately large brains. Again: Our brains are too big. They sometimes put disparate facts or hunches together, pulling little bits of "evidence" from our daily lives and present us with a false justification for an event.

Just toss it out.

Even a smoothly running engine has a backfire now and again.

PB

[Joe Shlabotnik]

9. It depends.

If you can rule out bratty, neighborhood small children then I would be concerned (for the dog's safety). Thumb tacks don't appear accidentally. A broken bottle, sure, but not thumbtacks. Thats either the work of juvenile pranksters or someone disturbed.

[JDPriestly]

10. Be careful. You can't know whether the tacks were deliberately or

inadvertently dropped. You just can't tell.

We all need to be careful -- and you were. So you did the right thing. You are safe.

You don't need to worry. You are OK. Whether the tacks were placed there or just fell out of something will become clear in time but the odds are that this was just a coincidence and not directed at you. You sound like a good person. I can't imagine why anyone would want to hurt you. You will be fine.

I'm such a worrier. I know how you feel. Some of us are just like that. It's just anxiety.

You should write about this experience in a notebook or diary. Note the date and how you feel. Then you can keep track not just of the event but also of your feelings about it.

Some people would not have noticed the tacks. You not only are very observant, but, since you thought about what the tacks might mean, who might have put them there, why and what might have happened that didn't, you probably have a great imagination.

I'm thinking you could write an interesting story about this. Imagine all the things that could happen, all the possible explanations and just write about them. It would be fun to put it on paper. Put your worry to good use.

I feel pretty certain that your fear will just pass. But put it to good use while it is there. Write it down.