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View Full Version : Maybe I watch too many crime shows...



jenniebean
10-01-2008, 10:15 AM
... but yesterday I witnessed a really bizarre scene at DL.

(mods, didn't think this belongs in trip report since it's not really a trip...?)

So, as several of you know from my other postings, I go to DL to do my homework, usually at the Plaza Garden Stage/Carnations Plaza in the pavilion. First of all, the pavilion was quite crowded when I first arrived at 3:30ish, probably due to the absurdly hot day, but pretty much everyone was gone by about 4:30/5.

That's when I notice this kid (15-18?) hanging around the bridge that goes from the hub under the sign with the lights (there are three bridges in the area-- this will be known as bridge 1) holding a walkie talkie very close to his mouth & talking into it, & holding it very close to his ear to listen. We used to do the walkie talkie thing before cell phones were available to every walking creature, & you're supposed to hold it pretty far from your mouth & ear to get a clear signal. But whatever, I figure he's just playing with a friend or something... until I notice he keeps looking over at me while talking into the wt. The pavilion is empty at this point except for me & a mother paying attention to her baby beside me. The kid then walks over to the outside rail surrounding the pavilion & sits there, checking his watch & looking side to side every few seconds &, once again, staring me down while I pretend to not watch him. Out of the corner of my eye, as soon as the mother turns away, he hops over the fence & immediately sits in a chair, leaning back & looking like he's trying to hard to appear relaxed. Then he picks up some small packet, that I hadn't noticed before, left on the table in front of him, suspiciously looks around again, & hunches over it in his lap, opening it as he turns away from me. Meanwhile, because I watched waaay too much "Law & Order" & "Without a Trace" & "Cold Case" this summer, I was scribbling down every descriptive feature of this boy & the exact times everything was happening. After pocketing whatever was in the packet, he walked back over to bridge 1 & starts talking into the wt while checking his watch & checking to see if I was watching. Still glancing over, he pretends to casually lean on the bridge & look at the little stream... & reaches into his pocket & pours some powder into it! Um, what? So he notices that I saw him. Mind you, this kid creepily has his eyes fixated on me, & I don't know where mom & baby went. He keeps nervously checking his watch & talking into the wt, with no response I assume, because when he's not looking at me, his eyes are darting around or checking the time. After about 5 minutes, he leaves via the hub.

I'm about to pack up my stuff to find security when he shows up AGAIN at the next bridge towards the castle (bridge 2). Now he's just leaning on the railing staring directly AT me. Then, because I occasionally fancy myself some kind of amateur detective :rolleyes:, I pretend to look for something in my bag, at which point he spins around, dumps more powder into the water, & spins back to make sure I'm not watching. Then stares some more. He leaves by way of the path around the castle to the left.

...& shows up again a few minutes later on bridge 3! Once again, leaning on the railing, staring at me until he thinks I'm not looking, & throwing powder into the water. Stares some more. At this point, I actually feel quite uncomfortable, & while there are usually security guards who walk by my little spot every half hour or so, none this time. I think he saw me writing stuff down every time he did anything, because then he walked right up in front of me, focusing on my book, which I turned to a different page. Remembering the sentiments on the "selling fastpasses" thread, I dug out my phone for a picture. Back to bridge 1 for more nervous wt business & watch checking... &, of course, the stare down. Then he left.

At the end of the day, I went to city hall to find a security officer, who basically seemed like he could care less. He suggested that, because it's illegal, sometimes people are sneaky if they're spreading someone's ashes (yes, I've read that thread, too) & ignored my "But then why the walkie talkie? Why the whole leave a package & have someone else pick it up business? Can you do a water quality check?" questions. He assured me he'd go patrol the area in case the kid came back & that I shouldn't worry.

I'm guessing that he remained calm about the whole thing because it's Disneyland & they don't want people to panic.

But do any of you have a guess as to what was going on? I thought it might be soap, like when kids pour bubble bath into fountains to make them foam over for a prank, but when I looked, no suds. Then again, might be nothing & I just have "some imagination," as Mickey would say.

dznyphreak
10-01-2008, 10:26 AM
That sounds really weird and definitely suspicious. How big was the packet? Because I wasn't picturing it big enough to be someone's ashes.
My other guess/assumption was that it could have been some sort of "illegal substance," but then it wouldn't have been dumped into the Castle Moat, then, would it? And it would take a lot of soap to get the moat to foam, as there isn't any fountain in it.

Hm. Curiouser and curiouser...

Crazy4DL
10-01-2008, 10:27 AM
Yikes, I have no idea but I would have spooked long before you did!

Very odd behaviour. Hopefully it was just some kid playing some part. It seems as if he were really doing something truly illegal he would have stopped when you were sitting right there paying attention to him.

Cathy at the Park
10-01-2008, 10:31 AM
Very odd.

But maybe you should cut back on your crime show viewing, just a tad:D

Cathy

Wobble
10-01-2008, 10:46 AM
That is weird and very suspicious. I don't think it's a result of too many crime shows; you were just being observant and following your instinct.

Maybe it was just some kid being a jerk, acting specifically creepy to bother somebody. I guess to me it depends on the packet - how big was it? Are we talking Sweet'n'Low sized or like half a sheet of paper sized? Also, the walkie-talkie was a bit weird, but maybe it was one way... maybe there was no one on the other end (unless you heard it make noise, at which point I am totally wrong!) Maybe it was just a way to keep people away from him. Or perhaps he was recording himself talk?

I would definitely call DL or talk to them again if this really bothers you... And I can understand if it does, because it would bother me a lot, worrying about the water and what was in the packet. Let us know if you hear anything else.

MiaTurner
10-01-2008, 10:49 AM
My other guess/assumption was that it could have been some sort of "illegal substance," but then it wouldn't have been dumped into the Castle Moat, then, would it?


That was my guess at first too; but the reason it would go in the moat would be to get rid of it, I assume.

But who knows, for all we know a thread might pop up in a few days:

"I was messing around you know, talking to my friend in our walkie talkies and this girl starts staring me down, so I like, tried to pretend I didn't notice her. Then I tried feeding the fishes in the moat and she started writing down everything I was doing so I was getting kinda freaked out and went to tell Disney security"
:p

Leofoenget
10-01-2008, 11:28 AM
I vote for ashes.

Bolivar
10-01-2008, 11:30 AM
I would have pulled out my cell phone and talked into it while staring him down. I wouldn't have actually been on with anyone, but I would have watched his reaction to that. If he was up to no good he likely would have taken off.

My guess is that it was just a teenager playing around.

Nonamia
10-01-2008, 11:38 AM
My vote would be for ashes as well.... The walkie talkie could have been connecting him to other family members at different locations....doing the same thing... Maybe they wanted it done at a certain time? And the odd behavior could be because of it being illegal and all... lol

We may never know.......

I think I watch too many crime shows too... lol

jenniebean
10-01-2008, 02:38 PM
I guess to me it depends on the packet - how big was it? Are we talking Sweet'n'Low sized or like half a sheet of paper sized?


That sounds really weird and definitely suspicious. How big was the packet? Because I wasn't picturing it big enough to be someone's ashes.

It looked like a packet of gum, the kind with the little squares you have to push through the aluminum (or whatever that metal is).


My other guess/assumption was that it could have been some sort of "illegal substance," but then it wouldn't have been dumped into the Castle Moat, then, would it?

That's what I totally thought, too! As if me seeing him spooked him & he tried to get rid of it, which is why I tried telling the sec guard the table in case it WAS drugs & they needed to check for trace powder, especially seeing as people eat off of it. Ignored.


Also, the walkie-talkie was a bit weird, but maybe it was one way... maybe there was no one on the other end (unless you heard it make noise, at which point I am totally wrong!) Maybe it was just a way to keep people away from him. Or perhaps he was recording himself talk?

That's almost creepier :|

Sarah B in SD
10-01-2008, 03:28 PM
Maybe it was a prank/dare/initiation of some sort...:confused:
Good on ya for being so observant, I am also a very observant person, the behavior was VERY odd!
Except that it was such a small amount, it sounds like ashes...so the Mom w/ the baby left the package for him???

Ohthatjeff
10-01-2008, 03:37 PM
This is what I would bet was going on:
It was indeed ashes (or soap). The kid kept staring at you because he knew you were watching. Odds are that the person holding the other walkie-talkie was standing nearby acting as a lookout for security and noticed you watching and taking notes. Likely the lookout was trying to figure out if you were a CM and alerted the kid.

HTanner
10-01-2008, 03:39 PM
You know, good for you for saying something. I had a weird occurrence on September 10, 2001, and to this day, I wish I had said something.

I was flying from SLC to SFO on Southwest. When I boarded the plane, three men caught my eye - they were middle eastern, I believe. They caught my eye because they just weren't acting normal. They were sitting in a triangular configuration - all in aisle seats. They seemed to know each other when no one was watching, but if someone came by, they would look away from each other. Then, bizarrely, one man got up in the middle of boarding and left the plane. He just walked off the plane.

He came back a few minutes later, sat down, and no one said a word.

All through the flight, they kept looking at each other. Occassionally, one would get up and pace to the front of the plane or back of the plane. They never made eye contact with anyone except each other.

Of course, we all know what happened the next morning. To this day, I wonder if I had said something about their suspicious behavior - and I thought it was suspicious enough that day to tell my mom about it - if I could have prevented part of what happened. I really feel like I witnessed a last minute "training" run.

Shudder....

jenniebean
10-01-2008, 05:02 PM
Except that it was such a small amount, it sounds like ashes...so the Mom w/ the baby left the package for him???

Sorry, clarification -- the mom & baby were sitting at a table on my left, the kid was two tables down on my right. When I walked in, every other table was taken, as well as some chairs, so I wasn't paying attention to who sat there :(

&, a little OT, but I know this was a concern in my homework thread-- yes, the pavilion was crowded, but it was a billion degrees outside, so I was going to sit, drink my water bottle & pull out my map that has all the suggestions & notes on it... but then people started leaving, lol.


Odds are that the person holding the other walkie-talkie was standing nearby acting as a lookout for security and noticed you watching and taking notes. Likely the lookout was trying to figure out if you were a CM and alerted the kid.

That's what I thought, too... after lifeguarding for four years, I'm really good at scanning for weird details, so I looked everywhere I could think of so where someone could be. No sight of them, which might mean there were binoculars involved, which is even creepier.


To this day, I wonder if I had said something about their suspicious behavior - and I thought it was suspicious enough that day to tell my mom about it - if I could have prevented part of what happened. I really feel like I witnessed a last minute "training" run.

That is an awful thing to have on your conscience. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be training on Southwest since they used American, so I don't think you need to be second-guessing yourself. Honestly.

june1st1997
10-01-2008, 05:20 PM
I really feel like I witnessed a last minute "training" run.

Shudder....

James Woods ( the actor) was reportedly on a flight with Mohammed Atta and other of the 9/11 hijackers (I could be wrong about the people part). Anyway James woods did report suspicious behavior on a flight from NYC. No one took him seriously.

I doubt even if you had reported it, that pre 9/11 anyone would have taken you seriously or done anything about it.

Do not carry this with you. Just be thankful it was only "training".

HTanner
10-01-2008, 06:17 PM
James Woods ( the actor) was reportedly on a flight with Mohammed Atta and other of the 9/11 hijackers (I could be wrong about the people part). Anyway James woods did report suspicious behavior on a flight from NYC. No one took him seriously.

I doubt even if you had reported it, that pre 9/11 anyone would have taken you seriously or done anything about it.

Do not carry this with you. Just be thankful it was only "training".

Thanks for this post.

I haven't really felt blame for not saying something, but I do sometimes play the "what-if" scenario. Then again, at the time, I don't know what I would have said. They looked weird?

Besides, even if I said something and they took me seriously, would anyone have ever believed that the small group I found was part of a bigger group that was going to do what they did?

TheDisneyDude
10-02-2008, 10:29 PM
I vote for ashes.

I second this vote...