Once is being a good neighbor and twice is being a busybody

At around 12:30 A.M. on 3/28/2012 I was getting ready to hit the sack so I went around checking all the locks and alarms on our doors and windows.  When I opened my front door to take my customary “last look” outside I noticed that one of my neighbors across the cul de sac had left his garage door wide open.  Aside from the possibility of having his garaged-goodies pilfered, this neighbor and his wife usually leave the connecting door between the house and garage unlocked, which is not a prudent thing to do in our fair city.

The neighbor’s house looked as it usually did when all have turned in for the night.  This presented a dilemma.  I did not have their phone number so I could not call and wake them.  I did not know them well enough that I felt comfortable marching across the street and pounding on their front door to wake them.  I felt it was unconscionable to just go to bed and ignore the possibilities, so I used the non-emergency number to call in the overworked and understaffed local gendarmes.  I explained the situation to the dispatcher and then kept a watch from inside the safety of my front door until two squad cars, one a primary and the other a backup unit, rolled up at around 12:50 A.M.  With flashlights, the uniformed officers entered and searched the garage for signs of foul play, then one officer came across the street to ask me if it was normal for them to leave their garage door open; I answered that it was never before left open this late.  The other officer rang the neighbor’s doorbell and knocked on the door until someone answered.  The cop explained what the commotion was about, the neighbor closed the garage door and all was well.

So, at 1:00 A.M. today I noticed that the same neighbor had turned in and his garage door was AGAIN wide open.  What did I do this time?  I did nothing at all.