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the doorbell rings - what is the most unusual thing you opened the door to?

162 replies

purplesequins · 27/08/2021 19:22

the last couple of weeks we had a few people trying to pick up the key for an air b&b
clearly something was wrong in the instructions.

OP posts:
TwooThirty · 27/08/2021 19:59

The police, telling me to lock all my windows and doors and to not answer the door to anyone because the extremely violent ex of the previous resident was just out of prison, on his way over in a state and not likely to be civil if he arrived to find out she’d moved and not told him.

They posted a PC on street and I sat inside the house secretly peeking through the curtains every ten minutes. After a few hours nothing had happened (that I saw) and the PC was gone.

FetchezLaVache · 27/08/2021 20:00

A tiny, elderly Irishman in an impressive state of inebriation. At half midnight in the middle of winter. Asking for directions as he claimed to be "on a promise" (but I think he was clearly just looking for company and my living room light was on).

Still friends with him actually, although he gave up the drink after breaking his back falling downstairs pissed aged 80.

Splann · 27/08/2021 20:01

I’ve just remembered another odd knock at the door. When we had the big snowfall in 2010 we had a neighbour knocking on the door at 7am. During the night our car windows had opened themselves and the car was full of snow. It was an old thing and the electrics were dodgy, the snow must have triggered something. Weirdly other than temporarily soggy cold seats the car still worked fine for several more years.

Smileansrheworldsmileswithyou · 27/08/2021 20:04

My first boyfriend, not seen him for about ten years, but I didn’t recognise him as he had long hair. I’d just moved back and had bumped into his parents in supermarket. He went round my parents and asked them where I lived. Next time I saw him, about five years later I didn’t recognise him either as he’d gone bald!

romdowa · 27/08/2021 20:05

A woman knocked on our door asking to speak to the owner of the house. I told her that we were the tenants and the owner didn't live here. She then tried to say she was from the letting agents and asked to come in, I asked her what was the letting agents called and she looked up the road at the house two doors up that was for sale and just said that one 🤣🤣 she then kept insisting I let her in as the owner was expecting her. Eventually I had to just shut the door on her. It was so odd that I logged it with the police. I felt really nervous after for some reason as well.

PandemicAtTheDisco · 27/08/2021 20:08

Late at night I had a smoker in need of a light. She saw the light was on and came into garden and hammered on the window after knocking on the door. She seemed most shocked to see me and very annoyed I didn't smoke and didn't have a light for her - I later thought it was more likely she was one of my cheating ex's women and she didn't realise it was my house and not his.

I've had a drunken man who I thought was my ex at first because he sounded like him and was yelling at my door telling me to let him in. He'd been thrown out and had no money left and nowhere to sleep. I've no idea why he called at my house. He was going to have to walk to his mother's house which was 2 miles away.

I occasionally get the friends of a neighbour who moved out a few years ago from 3 houses away from mine. Her house looks nothing like my house. They call around asking where she is. I never really talked to her and have no idea. They want to use my toilet. They want me to pass on a message (despite having no idea of where old neighbour now lives). The last time was pre-covid and it was raining. They wanted to come in until it stopped raining. I've never let them in. I'm not friendly despite how chatty they always are. I wonder how many other peoples doors they knock on.

Aposterhasnoname · 27/08/2021 20:09

A completely naked man. I swear this is true, I’ve posted about it before.

And seconds later, a police car drew up and the copper asked if we knew him. When we said no, he said “it’s ok, he’s diabetic” came down the drive and led him away, complete with hat covering the vital area.

DH And I just stood and gaped. And to this day we have no idea WTF was going on.

Fluffycloudland77 · 27/08/2021 20:09

A leprechaun selling double glazing. I lied and said I was a tennant.

Justyouwaitandseeagain · 27/08/2021 20:10

My DH once answered the door at our first flat. The man at the door said “Son?! It’s your dad!” … DH had to explain that his son had long since moved out Hmm

Natsku · 27/08/2021 20:11

The police returning my 7 year old daughter at 3am!

Justyouwaitandseeagain · 27/08/2021 20:12

We also used to get loads of foreign tourists turning up with huge quantities of suitcases thinking we were a B&B (when the B&B was actually further down the road)

HistoriaTrixie · 27/08/2021 20:13

The three-year-old from across the street, who promptly charged into our kitchen on a hunt for blue popsicles! Her parents weren't home and she'd done a runner on the older sister who was babysitting her. I walked her back across the street (sadly without blue popsicles) and made sure they had a good eye on her.

AnneElliott · 27/08/2021 20:17

Two men hammered on my door late at night asking to be let in. I did it let them in and they proceeded to try and break the door down.

Luckily the police came within about 4 minutes and nicked one of them- the other had made off. Unfortunately for reasons that are too outing to explain the useless CPS declined to charge him for attempted burglary.

mutedrainbows · 27/08/2021 20:17

I opened the door years ago around 6:30am when my family was getting ready for school. I must've been about 12. Some woman was at our door (weird because we lived in the middle of a neighbourhood, not off a main road or anything) and asked what time it was - I said 6:30am and she said "morning or night?" Then she asked if she could use our bathroom and for whatever reason I let her. She was in there for about 20 minutes. Mum was less than impressed 😂

AnneElliott · 27/08/2021 20:17

That should say 'I didn't let them in'

trumpisagit · 27/08/2021 20:21

The escaped prisoners were asking for a lift to the next village. My Dad said yes, as they had said they were walkers and one of them had hurt their ankle.
Luckily the helicopter came over before my Dad found his car keys.

MargaretThursday · 27/08/2021 20:22

Several:
Plain clothes detective after previous occupant
Lady at 2am (dh still up) who had had a row with bf who'd chucked her out of her car in the middle of nowhere and we were the first light she'd seen on in a house.
Dominoes pizza (not us! managed to find the real owners)
Had a number of requests to park workman's vans/skips as we're on a corner with a drive and most people around don't have drives. I normally say yes (skips normally pay quite well and let me put a few things in so it works both ways) as they're in the way far more on the road and we have a double drive and one car. Neighbours do other things for us, so it's good feelings all round.
Inebriated man who swore it was his house. He came back the next to to apologise and collect his phone that he'd left on the doorstep. he told us he was never drinking again. Grin
3yo on scooter who'd got separated from mummy. She was unbothered, but wanted me to take her to her house (which had a white door and next door to Sarah. I needed a little more description to find the house!) I was just calling the police when I heard desperate screeching. Mummy was definitely bothered when we found her.

And my favourite: A cold caller who, when dh opened the door, asked him if his parents were home. Dh told him he was the home owner, the two children he was holding were his own, and he was over 30yo... Dh isn't very patient with cold callers anyway, but that was a record set for how quickly he got rid of them. He was somewhat put out. I laughed lots and that really helped. Grin

Wigeon · 27/08/2021 20:23

Ben Elton! Who was canvassing for the Labour Party at the last election.

Slightly mortifyingly I didn’t recognise him, and only realised because he said he’d got a video going up on Jeremy Corbyn’s Twitter feed shortly (just thought he was doing something as an ordinary Labour supporter), and when I checked the Twitter feed I realised it was blimmimg Ben Elton! ShockBlush

2018SoFarSoGreat · 27/08/2021 20:23

A raccoon rang our Ring in the middle of night. With its nose.

Following week a lovely black cat came and did the same. It had a smart red collar so was obviously hoping my cat would be enamored 😍

I rewatched the video footage of both many times.

Groovee · 27/08/2021 20:24

A dominos pizza and when I looked blankly at the guy he was like enjoy. Shouted dd. It wasn't hers. Guy then repeats the address and he was in the wrong street 🤣

purplesequins · 27/08/2021 20:28

yes, we had an almost naked guy knocking on rach door in our street one night.
to be fair we lived in an area of townhouses thag all look very similar, especially at night.
he went out to buy fags and got lost.

OP posts:
Ahwig · 27/08/2021 20:32

My mum and dad had just moved into their new house. It was 1958 and a very thick fog had appeared. Mum and dad were decorating the lounge and it was about midnight as it was their first place they were excited about decorating it. There was a knock at the door and a man asking if this was Broadside street. It was byt he didn’t know that as the thick pea Souper fog was so bad you couldn’t see anything in front of you. He lived in the street and he had noticed a small glow ( the lounge lights) and that was the only thing he could see. He then touched the gates counting as he went to find his own house.

Robertthebrucesthistle · 27/08/2021 20:33

A police officer asking if he can leave his riot shield in our house, with very strict instructions not to post pictures on Social Media. My young ds at the time was made up!

ShaunaTheSheep · 27/08/2021 20:37

Mid-morning, I opened the door to a solemn young man in a black suit. I must've look bemused because he said . I was so shocked, I managed to blurt out sorry I think you have the wrong address. He looked completely mortified and backed away apologising profusely. And drove away in his black private ambulance.
Poor lad, what a mistake to make.

Twospaniels · 27/08/2021 20:40

A 3 yr old child who lived half a mile from me along a country lane with no pavement!!!! When I walked him back his grandmother was not even aware he had gone out of the house.

Next doors labrador

I live in the back of beyond so rarely get anyone knocking on my door