this post was submitted on 30 Nov 2025
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I've been seeing poop in a path which is connected to the gates of my house. This has happened 3 times now over 1 or 2 weeks. When I saw the poop first, I thought it must be a dog. But everytime it dries (every 3 or 4 days), a mysterious pile of new shit is dropped on the old shit. It's (very) black, very smelly and in the EXACT same spot!! Right on top of the dried shit!! I'm convinced it's a human being. I've decided I'm gonna hide in some bushes nearby and catch them doing the deed. But what do I do then? What if they don't care and continue doing it? How do I make them regret it without getting into trouble? It'd be nice if they couldn't tell it's me.

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[–] okwhateverdude@lemmy.world 101 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Jump out of the bushes while furiously masturbating. Scream at them to "KEEP GOING I AM ALMOST THERE PINCH OFF THAT HAWT STEAMING LOAF DADDY". Pretty sure one of two things will happen: Either they freak out, pull up, and high tail it out of there never to be seen again, or they lock eyes with you and maintain that connection through a slight squint and some grunts. Make sure you record it and post this to the internet.

[–] cRazi_man@europe.pub 40 points 3 weeks ago

one of two things will happen

So both outcomes are a win in this solution.

[–] dumbass@piefed.social 24 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

I second this, you gotta out weird them, I suggest covering yourself with peanut butter while doing what they said.

[–] Evil_Incarnate@sopuli.xyz 20 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Keep going, I'm almost there

[–] Karl@literature.cafe 14 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I don't think it's possible to outweird someone who shits in public

[–] Speiser0@feddit.org 38 points 3 weeks ago

Skill issue.

[–] dumbass@piefed.social 20 points 3 weeks ago

Well, we know who's house we can shit out front of now!

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[–] Nemo@slrpnk.net 92 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

As someone who's actually had this problem (in an urban area) and actually solved it, here's what I did: Changed the shape of my fence so the amount of privacy the serial shitter was afforded was significantly reduced. Changed the position of my gate so that it no longer opened near the convex corner the shitter favored. They found a better spot and moved on.

[–] volvoxvsmarla@sopuli.xyz 35 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

As someone who's actually had this problem (in an urban area) and actually solved it

That's honestly quite remarkable

[–] Nemo@slrpnk.net 10 points 3 weeks ago

it was a wild few months

[–] IWW4@lemmy.zip 46 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

You think someone is shitting outside in a public space and your plan is to surprise them in the act?

Form the annals of what could possibly go wrong.

I don’t know where you live, but I am going to assume it is suburban or rural, is it possible to light the area?

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[–] Bo7a@piefed.ca 44 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

Raccoons like to poop on top of their old dried poop. raccoon poop looks a lot like human poop. especially when more than one animal is using that latrine.

in the forest they often do it where two trails meet.

think about that before jumping out of a bush.

and if it was a raccoon don't handle that poop please. call animal control.

[edit to add] if you want some nightmares; google 'pinworm human infection' and then stay far away from raccoon droppings.

[–] Karl@literature.cafe 12 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm from a place in an asian country where there is generally no wild animals. Wild animals are a spectacle here. There is dogs tho

[–] Manjushri@piefed.social 6 points 3 weeks ago

Follow them home, yeah, but then just get a shovel. Then every time they shit on your sidewalk, scoop it up and put it on their own porch.

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[–] Speiser0@feddit.org 33 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

I'd like to inform you that for shit matters there's /c/shittyasklemmy@lemmy.ml.

[–] Karl@literature.cafe 25 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Just... How many people are having the exact same problem??

[–] Speculater@lemmy.world 46 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
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[–] mannycalavera@feddit.uk 27 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

Could be a fox? 🦊

Buy a camera. Catch them in the act. Call police. Have them arrested. Sadly this is the only way to deal with people (assuming it's a human doing it).

[–] mech@feddit.org 22 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

When you call police to deal with a problem, you now have 2 problems.

[–] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I have never once thought "Thank goodness the police are here!".

[–] mech@feddit.org 7 points 3 weeks ago

I did, once. Drove a rental car and someone bumped into me, putting a scratch in the fender.
The rental's policy was that every accident, no matter how small, needs to be looked at by police for compliance and insurance reasons.
It took them an hour to get there, and I was glad to see them, cause it meant I could finally drive away after they were done with their useless song and dance.

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[–] irish_link@lemmy.world 22 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Either this, or use the camera and set up a sprinkler.

[–] tacosanonymous@mander.xyz 16 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

lol.your suggestion is to install a bidet.

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[–] Drbreen@sh.itjust.works 25 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

In 2 days time on Ask Lemmy:

There's some creep hiding in bushes in a path which is connected to the gates of my neighbours house. What do I do??

[–] Venus_Ziegenfalle@feddit.org 19 points 3 weeks ago

In 3 days:

My neigbors are doing this weird fetish thing where one openly shits on the ground and the other one watches from the safety of his shrubbery. What do I do??

[–] Asetru@feddit.org 12 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

In 2 days time on Ask Lemmy:

There's some creep hiding in bushes in a path which is connected to the gates of my neighbours house where I usually shit at. What do I do??

FTFY

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[–] sixtoe@lemmy.blahaj.zone 23 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

take a bigger shit on their shit. assert your dominance.

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[–] thespcicifcocean@lemmy.world 23 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Follow them home and shit in front of their house

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[–] hanrahan@slrpnk.net 22 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Can you install a trail cam ?

Or just poop in that spot to show dominance!

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[–] Delilah@lemmy.blahaj.zone 19 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)
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[–] LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world 18 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (7 children)

What's the maximum amount of time you could tolerate hiding in the bushes with spiders & bugs, unsure when/if the serial shitter might ever return? Would you be willing to hunker down in the spider bug cold pokey bushes all night long & all the next day, and on day 3 at 4:42am you finally catch the shitter in the act? Will you have no tent? No sleeping bag? Snacks? Activities to pass time? Do you not have a job & duties to attend to, this wouldn't interrupt your week at all? Probably much easier to install a camouflaged motion-sensitive camera to capture the shitter. Then what you do? Turn the camera footage into the police.

[–] Karl@literature.cafe 9 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (5 children)

Damn, you're right. Idk when he's gonna show up. As for cameras, I'd have to buy them online and by the time they arrive, vacation would be over.

[–] SirSamuel@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

You're in a developing country (I'm a pedant and third world means not allied with the US or the USSR, which doesn't exist anymore). You're on vacation. You won't be there much longer. Leave an envelope with $20 in it and a note that says "Stop shitting here and have this with our blessing. Shit here again and we will follow you, take the money, and beat you. We are watching"

Or don't. Whatever. You're not there long enough to receive a package from Amazon, so why stress about it? A street sitter has a lot more problems in life than someone who can go on vacation. Their continued existence is probably it's own punishment

Oh here's an idea.

  1. Cover the pile with sand/Kitty litter.
  2. Get a little flag of the local football team, or whatever the local favorite is, and plant it in the sandy shit pile.
  3. ???????
  4. Profit.
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[–] Greg@lemmy.ca 14 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Sounds like a territorial claim. You should probably do a bigger poop next to theirs in order to assert dominance.

[–] jimmycrackcrack@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago

Lawyer here, this is true and it's very important you get on to this promptly, the law in this area works similarly to trademark claims, it's a use it or lose it kind of scenario. You might legally own the title to the land but if someone else is laying a claim publicly like this for all to see in such a clear and intentioned manner and you do not respond and defend your claim vigorously and in similar fashion, you may be found to have relinquished that title. Make sure to get lots of fibre.

[–] mech@feddit.org 13 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Take a photo with a flash. Call them a sick bastard and walk away.
If it happens again, post the photo on every street light and sign post around the neighborhood.

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[–] morphballganon@mtgzone.com 9 points 3 weeks ago (18 children)

You observe the poop is literally black, and your conclusion is it must be from a human?

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[–] sic_semper_tyrannis@lemmy.today 8 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Do you live in an area with lots of homeless? That seems most likely who would do that. Or some mentally deranged person. Either way, be careful with those types of people.

You could try the photography/videography aspect to bring them to justice or the classic scare and/or beat them with a baseball bat

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Super soaker full of pepper spray/oil. Spray them in the any sensitive exposed area.

[–] angelmountain@feddit.nl 7 points 3 weeks ago

Trail cameras can be quite inexpensive

[–] skeezix@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

set up a few video cameras to catch them. Then once you know who it is, send stills and videos to their family. post on social media.

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[–] Xatolos@reddthat.com 6 points 3 weeks ago

Can You Go to Jail for Pooping in Public? https://legalclarity.org/can-you-go-to-jail-for-pooping-in-public/

It's possible for legal consequences if you can get video of them doing it.

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