Found a stranger passed out on our back porch

Well that was an odd way to start our Sunday!

About 6am I heard some noise - a little *bump* or something. Shirley was - and still is - asleep. This will shock her when I tell her later. Anyway, I took a peek out to our lanai - the patio area around the pool in the back. There was a gentleman passed out just outside our sliding glass back door - mostly prone but with his head leaning at what looked to be a very uncomfortable angle up against the wall.

Stepping outside, I asked who he was. No response. Asked another time or two and he stirred. I asked where he lived. This might have been when he slowly made his way to a standing position. He said, "right here", gesturing palms down as though patting the ground a few feet below. I replied, "Dude, you don't live here. This is my home. Where do you live?" Again the same gesture with the same words, "right here".

Great. I was guessing that the gent was extremely intoxicated, but figured it was also possible that he was mentally challenged and lost. Either way, he did not seem to pose a threat to others. But I was worried that he'd fall in the pool; I did not want to have to fetch a semi-conscious individual out of the water.

Putting a hand on his back, I gestured to a chair a few paces away and invited him to have a seat over there. I went back in and dialed 911 (police). The dispatcher remained on the phone with me until the police arrived. While on the phone, I described the gent: white male, about 30 years old, approx 5ft 8inches, 180pounds. Was wearing light-colored slacks and a red t-shirt with the word "Random". How appropriate. As the operator and I chatted, I could see the gent's shadow through the closed drapes. He was now trying to open our sliding glass door (which I locked again when I went back in after our initial meeting). He was first trying to slide the door, then was trying to lift it out of its tracks.

It turns out that he lives nearby. Apparently he'd taken a cab (so glad he took a cab instead of driving!). The dispatcher - and then the police - told me that they'd had a report that a cab driver dropped a passenger off just a bit earlier, and the passenger had been a tad confused. I brought the 2 officers through the house to the back. They were able to assist the gent with finding where he really lives ...which is not "right here".

We know a number of our immediate neighbors -- the folks next to us on either side, and next to them, and next to them. We know the folks who live across the street and next to them, the folks who live behind the folks across the street, and the folks who live behind us. This gent lives in the area, but not quite that close. So he most likely was able to get the cab driver to the general area, and then whether the cabbie decided he'd had enough of the passenger, or the gent really believed that he was seeing his house ...he ended up on our lanai.

Some of our friends, relatives, acquaintances probably would have chosen to go outside carrying a firearm, and I could see something like that taking a very sad twist. On the other hand, this gent could have been armed and dangerous (he wasn't), so perhaps it would have been better if I had just called police without engaging him.

The one thing of which I am confident is that this gent is going to feel terrible (in more ways than one) when he awakens after a few hours of sleep. For now, one of us is going to grab a shower and a cup of coffee, and try for a more normal start to the day. I am thankful that things worked out ok :)