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The original was posted on /r/tifu by /u/One-Lab-1495 on 2025-08-11 02:08:40+00:00.

So, I (28F) live alone in a quiet little suburb where the only crime we see is someone stealing a garden gnome. I’ve recently moved in and the place is equipped with a pretty sophisticated security system. It’s one of those fancy systems that loudly broadcasts “System Armed” or “System Disarmed” whenever it is turned on or off. Frankly, I’m still trying to get the hang of it.

Fast forward to last night, or rather around 3 am earlier today. I was up for a late-night snack and accidentally nudged a window. I failed to remember the alarm was set to ‘away’ mode instead of ‘night’ mode. ‘Away’ mode means everything gets armed, including motion sensors and window sensors.

Boom. Sirens blare. Lights flash. My sleepy brain fumbles for the disarming code but I mix it up in my panic. The alarm continues shrieking, echoing through the quiet suburb, and I’m certain I’ve woken up half the neighborhood.

Meanwhile, I’m frantically scrambling to call the alarm company to let them know it’s a false alarm. On top of that, I’m trying to soothe my terrified cat who is hiding under the bed. After what feels like an eternity, I finally get them on the line and provide my passcode to verify it’s me. I’m a sweaty, frazzled mess, but at least it’s over, right?

Wrong.

Just when I thought I could retreat back to bed, I see blue lights flashing outside. My heart sinks as I open the door to two very grumpy-looking police officers. It turns out that in my panic, I had taken so long to call the alarm company that they had already informed the police.

It was an embarrassingly awkward 15 minutes explaining the situation - all while in my polar bear PJs and fluffy slippers. They left with a stern warning to learn how to operate the system to avoid false alarms.

So now, I’m here, in the middle of the night, writing this post because I’m too embarrassed to fall asleep and face my neighbors tomorrow.

TL;DR: Accidentally set off my house alarm at 3 am, panicked and took too long to disarm which led to the police showing up. Now I’m the resident ‘Drama Queen’ of my quiet little suburb, with a traumatized cat and a bruised ego.