Questions about a possible haunted security camera/ceiling corner.
4I work in a store. We have a space toward the back that used to be part of the main store that was fairly recently (this year) partially blocked off to be a work/storage area. It originally had coolers and shelving. At the end of the day, when I would go back to clean the cooler doors, there would often be a clicking noise from the upper southeast corner of the (very high) ceiling. I eventually decided that the security camera up there had been taken over by a computer hacker somewhere who was watching us, and the clicking noise was the camera following me, and sometimes I would smile and wave in that direction for no particular reason. It was fine.
Awhile back, one of the managers told me that the other manager thinks the store is haunted and always felt like she was being watched when she was in the back of the store. I was like, “oh, that’s silly,” and then, almost immediately, “wait, the corner over by the door?” And then explained my whole theory and the clicking, and he replied that the cameras don’t click. We laughed.
Then, the coolers were removed and replaced with a bunch of shelving, some of which obscured the southeast corner of the ceiling, and the clicking stopped.
Earlier this week, I was back there briefly doing something and I was greeted by a clicking noise from the northwestern corner of the ceiling where there is a security camera. I looked up, smiled and said, “You moved!” And then I thought, oh, should I have done that?
Here are my questions:
Is the store were I work haunted?
Do security cameras make clicking noises?
If the store is haunted, should I acknowledge the entity?
And finally, should I mention this to someone, or wait and see if anyone else notices anything?
- 8 comments, 12 replies
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Click back in morse code.
@Kidsandliz I don’t know, I’m all for a neighborly greeting, but that may be a little too Fox sisters/Mr. Splitfoot for comfort.
In the order of the questions:
Yes.
Only when haunted. Learn more code as @Kidsandliz suggests so you can tell what they want.
Yes.
Call the Ghost Busters. If you can’t get a hold of them, then have someone else stand back there (without telling them why) and see if they get the same feeling you get.
@jst1ofknd I will watch all my co-workers with an eagle eye for signs of spiritual discomfort.
@jst1ofknd The house a block down the street from me was on Ghost Busters. I went through it Halloween with some other people from work and reluctantly paid an overpriced $10 to do so (side note they clear $24,000 doing tours at Halloween alone - nice side gig) - people come from miles apparently. They have blue tooth (not shared that it is bluetooth enabled) “ghost detectors” (allegedly left behind by the TV crew) and the tour guide finally asked someone to put their phone away because might “interfere with ghost detection” (this while the tour guide was holding tablet she was messing with to then set it off for us to see ghost proof). Their B&W “old” photo of a ghost and “orbs” was a shadow on the wall and the orbs were reflections in glass stuff of the spotlight they shone to get this (the angle was the same and you could sort of see the spotlight in one glass thing). The “rocking” violin was a lose floorboard… All in all it probably looks better doctored on TV than in person in a shabby, big, turn of the 1900’s house that likely needs that extra income to keep it in one piece.
There is nothing that should click on your average stationary camera. But there are PTZ cameras that could click as they try to move, especially if a gear was wearing out or had a broken tooth. Sometimes places have those kind of cameras set to “patrol” where they scan a preset pattern automatically, so it’s not required that someone be controlling the camera.
I’d say the place isn’t haunted, just creepy.
You could have fun with this by increasing the haunting for your scared manager’s benefit. This could turn epic by Halloween if you can do it and keep the secret (and a straight face).
@djslack So, you’re saying the ghost is deliberately breaking the cameras?
@mossygreen That’s what you can tell your manager
Respectfully, I disagree with @djslack. Yes, in fact, many stationary cameras do clicky. This occurs on every one of my cameras when the IR cut is activating or deactivating the IR illuminating LEDs in the camera. WyseCam, Funlux, Zmodo, Samsung and Foscam, all my cameras do this.
It’s most noticeable when I walk into a dark room and switch on the lights, or switch them off when I leave. However, in a room that’s not overly bright, simply walking around the camera view can change the perceived light balance and cause the IR cut to switch states. Also opening an outside door, opening the refrigerator, anything that changes the ambient light levels can cause this.
PS: the solution for an overactive IR Cut Filter is to adjust the camera’s light sensitivity setting. Sadly, not all cameras allow easy access to this setting. Some less expensive cameras actually have a little potentiometer which requires disassembling the camera to gain access (my oldest Foscam).
@ruouttaurmind So you’re saying that, while the store is probably haunted, it’s unlikely one or more spirits are using the security camera settings to communicate?
@mossygreen I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that is likely so.
On a positive note, I doubt the geist(s) will trifle with the store for long. They’re probably going to get bored there and follow you home.
I feel that the general consensus is that while the store may or may not be haunted, the security cameras are probably not involved, and if a camera that was not clicking just started doing so, I should probably tell a manager in case it’s malfunctioning. But not the manager who may still think the store is haunted, even though she only thought she was being watched from a corner and has no opinions about the clicking.
Has anyone actually looked at the camera footage?
Is it a steady beat, or are the clicks erratic?
@Moose Ohhh do you suppose a steady beat is a robot heart beat? :snicker:
@Moose I would know if there were a Gorgar pinball machine in the ceiling.
Mysterious clicking noises in dark secluded areas? Ever seen Mimic?
KuoH
@kuoh No, would it be helpful?
@kuoh @mossygreen
Protip: Usually when someone mentions a movie in these conditions, it is probably best to not watch it.