It’s yet another typical, awesome day in the Shores. Looking at the view from my townhouse I notice two men, wearing relaxed clothing – much like one would attending a friendly party holding clipboards filled with paperwork. I immediately figure they are selling something or conducting a survey so I prepare for them to stop by the house. However, the men seemed to be selective and did not stop to talk to me. I saw them veer left to continue through a green belt area, still on foot, no vehicle in site.

I had almost forgotten about the men until I took my dogs out for a walk and ended up following them around the complex. At this point, the investigation was on – the dogs were alert and I had my walking shoes on. In passing, I was able to get close enough to hear a neighbor speak to the men. They ‘appeared’ to be offering Comcast services. As they made their sales pitch, I heard my neighbor respond, but it’s what he said that concerned me enough to share with all of you.

In a polite attempt to get the salesmen to move along, my neighbor told them that he is, “just about to leave on a trip, his bags are packed he is ready to go”. The salesman asks my neighbor when he’ll be returning and my neighbor simply replies that he’ll, “be back on Tuesday”.

I hope my neighbors’ statements spark your attention or at the very least get most of you wondering why anyone would tell a stranger when they will not be in their home. Even if one is caught trying to avoid solicitors, a statement of such kind would never be safe

We all must be observant to our surroundings and never assume strangers approaching our homes have completely honest and sincere reasons for making contact with us. We must also warn and share this type of an interaction with our fellow neighbors. These men could have been legitimate contracted employees of Comcast; but we all need to be cautious and err on the side of requesting validation before discussing business with any company.

The safety of our neighbors is all of our responsibilities. There is no special training required, no special talents needed and it really isn’t anything complex; we all just need to pay some attention to our surroundings and stay aware. Harboring care and concern for your neighborhood is healthy and wise.

If anyone could pose as a salesman, how many other ways could a stranger be so visible that we tend to overlook them in our own front yard? Just a thought . . .

— Rick Gutierrez
— Redwood Shores resident