Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Stakeout

I did my first stakeout today. I had always considered doing one, especially three weeks ago when I was stalking this asian guy (I ended up tracking him down at his work.)

I had finally gotten ahold of the people near my school, and even better I had just done a (pretty good) audition for this talent competition. So I was totally geared up to drive out to Corona and deliver four documents to a single household (it would make me feel better about the gas I had wasted on the drive out to Hemet yesterday.) 

Corona is one of those cities you find between hills in California, tight tracts of McMansions separated by long expanse of nothing. I found the place easily enough. It was crazy, almost like an island of suburbia, the only place nearby was this shopping center right next to it that was monopolized by Vons. 

I pulled up to the house and I could already feel the burning looks of the neighbors. Maybe it's just me but I swear that I get looks like, "What on Earth are you doing here." Maybe I should wash my car. I'm expecting to be on my way pretty quickly because there's a car in the driveway (granted the car has a cover on it but I figure they're the kind of people who are weirdly anal about stuff like that.) No one comes. I check my phone, it's 7:30, I figure I'll wait and see if anyone shows up. I write down my notes, move my car so that I'm not conspicuous, and I pull out my book.

By the time 8:15 rolls around I've given up. I drive to the Vons monopoly nearby and get a sandwich. I drive back to check one last time. It's 8:45 at night and these people are still not home. And don't give me the "they were hiding" line because no one in suburbia would hide for that long. If it was somewhere like South Gate I'd say you have a point but this was not hiding territory.

And so I drove back to Redlands, tail between my legs, faced with the prospect of having to drive out to Corona all over again. Luckily there was chocolate cake and raspberry jam waiting at home... so maybe the night wasn't a total waste.

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