We live in a world where almost everything is captured on camera. Whether you're in a store or on a street, chances are you're on camera somewhere.
Sure, it's a little creepy, but most of us have resigned ourselves to the fact that we have no control over when we are filmed.
But the thing is, someone has to watch those cameras, and as it turns out, they are the ones who seem to get freaked out the most.
So often, security cameras end up capturing some pretty weird stuff. Some of it is beyond explanation, while others are potential near-miss encounters, but either way it ends up freaking people out.
Reddit users have been sharing their creepy security camera footage stories, and it's enough to send a shiver down your spine.
1. The disappearing prisoner
One Reddit user worked at a prison, and noticed an inmate in an area they shouldn't be at two in the morning. While the inmate wasn't doing anything other than sitting down, he obviously had to get someone to go get him out of there.
"I got the sergeant's attention and told him someone was in there, and gave him the spare key to the room," they explained. "He went to go check it out with a couple of other people, but by the time they got there, the room was empty. They searched for like 15 minutes but there was definitely no one in there."
2. "Your doorbell detected a visitor"
Even if you've never experienced your home being robbed, you know that it would be a horrifying thing. One Reddit user shared their near miss with a haunted looking photograph.
They received several notifications on their phone thanks to their motion detecting doorbell that continued to say "your doorbell detected a visitor" with a photograph showing nothing. They assumed it was a stray dog or cat setting off the motion sensor until finally one picture showed the true "visitor."
The person was likely trying to case the house to rob it, but thanks to the camera in the doorbell they were stopped.
Honestly, without a system like this, it could have been a lot worse. If you want to get yourself one, you're in luck, they aren't even all that expensive. It's only $99, which is obviously a lot cheaper than replacing all the stuff inside your home. Get one here.
3. Ghost in the night
The person who shared this image also shared pictures from miliseconds before and after, where the figure seemed to appear out of nowhere. They motion sensors detected something so they took pictures, but there are no images of the person before or after they were in that spot.
"You cannot see this "person" enter the camera view," they shared. "They just appear there for one second and disappear into thin air. Lets suppose the motion sensor malfunctioned for a second and didn't activate the camera when that "person" entered into view, it should have worked if they were walking across the street for [around five] seconds.
4. Watch your back
One farmer had to set out a camera because his sheep were disappearing, and his discovery was scary to not only him, but the neighbor who had been wandering through his yard.
The neighbor was allowed to walk through the property, so it wasn't unusual when he walked by the camera, but moments later the farmer saw something else.
"The camera caught my neighbor walking by, then like 30 seconds later a mountain lion walked by it stalking him," the Reddit user said. "It apparently never attacked as he was fine, but he had no idea how close he was to that thing."
5. Ghosts need to go to school too
One school in Ireland reported some spooky phenomenon, however as a skeptic I don't know if I believe them. The footage is convincing though, but anything that happens in October always feels like a Halloween prank to me.
Deputy principal Aaron Wolf submitted the footage, saying, "We couldn't understand how this had occurred. If it is a prank, it's very well done!"
The school is built on a kind of spooky landmark, so if any place was going to be haunted, it's a good bet that it would be this one.
"The school is built on a site known as Green Gallows,'' Wolfe said. "In the 19th century, criminals were hanged here. We only found that out on Monday. The pub nearby is actually called the Gallows."
The school claims they don't have the resources to edit the material themselves, so you can judge for yourself if you think it's real.
I think the moral of the story is that while it can be creepy to check the cameras, it's always good to have them in place. Consider setting up a few floodlight cameras, you can often find them for around $70, and can sense motion and record what they see. Get them here.
Some even allow you to have a two-way conversation between the camera and your phone. This can be helpful for many reasons, not just burglaries, it's also helpful if you have kids who are just starting to stay home for the first time, or deliveries you want left on your doorstep. Get it here.