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Original poster

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:
abbey44 · 29/08/2021 00:38

George Harrison, looking for a party being held by a fellow rock star just up the road from where we lived at the time. I did an admirable job of being super-cool and not the slightest bit star-struck to his face (as you do when you're 19) but as soon as I shut the door I was belting round the house yelling like an idiot (also as you do when you're 19) Grin

Queryquestion · 29/08/2021 09:31

I think there's a magazine called chat that has lots of stories from real life.

Roselilly36 · 29/08/2021 09:38

Not where we live now, but before, went to the door was asked if I wanted any knifes sharpened, a few days later another knock at the door, did I want to buy any fish.

prettyteapotsplease · 29/08/2021 09:46

Let's say I lived at number 22. Now and again I'd get a free sample of nappies through the letterbox - no name of intended addressee and no clear return address. A mystery as I had no children and the previous occupants were elderly.

One early evening the doorbell rang and on the step was a young mother with a small child holding a present and a Happy Birthday balloon. "We've come to the party!" - er, no such party. She said that her friend who she'd met at the school gates told her that she lived at number 22. I had to send them on their way with apologies. I never found out where they were meant to go - another number, another street? Perhaps their host wondered why the nappy samples never arrived. I never found out and the nappies kept on coming. Eventually I moved and I wondered if the next people were also bemused by the same deliveries. I shall never know.

CigarsofthePharoahs · 29/08/2021 10:05

Two plain clothes police officers looking for the former owners. We had no idea how to contact them.
In our previous house we had takeaways, deliveries and all sorts who wanted a house with the same number on the street perpendicular to ours. The only time I got cross was being woken up early by a landscape gardener. He was quite rude when I opened the door as I had "kept him waiting". So I didn't feel at all bad telling him to get stuffed and learn how to read a map.

DGRossetti · 29/08/2021 10:34

A few years ago, it was a PCSO who asked if we'd heard anything suspicious the previous night as a neighbours chickens had all been stolen.

After digesting the fact that we had neighbours (actually across the road and down a few doors) keeping chickens and we'd never known, I suggested it may have been a fox.

"Oh" said the PCSO "Do you think foxes eat chickens ?"

I almost - almost - said something. But it seemed a lot easier to agree that it must have been a well organised gang and take their card in case I remembered anything.

TartanJumper · 29/08/2021 10:46

Some random woman asking if their child could use the toilet at my grannie's house.
She had an outside one in the garden, so she let them in through the side gate while my dad kept an eye to make sure they left pronto afterwards.

Tempusfudgeit · 29/08/2021 10:51

A boy asking to come into our garden to retrieve his ... drone. God, I felt old.

ManorMouse · 29/08/2021 11:06

In a rented house: Plain Clothes police looking for the previous tenants a few times as well as debt collectors. The previous tenants were running some scam by getting cars and household contents on HP and then selling them.

In another rented house: Uniformed police quite regularly. The previous tenants were drug addicts and kept giving our address as being their current one.

My own house: I used to get the police coming round looking for a woman. I got several court summons for a woman I didn't know but was using my address as hers. It was usually combination of the same names - Jane Mary Smith, Mary Smith , Mary Jane Smith etc. I got nosy one time and read the summons. Drunk & Disorderly and resisting arrest. There's a couple of ne'er do-wells at the other end of my street so I suspect it was one of their mates.

An elderly man who grew up in the house opposite mine. He had dementia (my father had it so I recognised the signs). For a couple of years, he would call to my house on occasion and start asking after long-dead neighbours. After a couple of visits, I managed to get in touch with his daughter so, when he called round, I'd let her know so she could come and collect him.

GinJeanie · 29/08/2021 11:12

A police officer in plain clothes asking if we'd give permission for our front upstairs room to be used for surveillance (they never said why but were watching a house across the road). We agreed and had a camera installed too. They made a right mess of the window frame when it was removed and had to come back to right it. We got a box of Quality Street and a box of Maltesers to say thank you 😆

Backonceagainwiththe · 29/08/2021 11:24

Once had someone knock on a Sunday morning and ask to buy some crack. Got straight to the point too. No messing around. Initially we were a bit Confused Then remembered previous occupant had drug problems and perhaps was small time dealer (estate agents had said his wealthy parents owned the flat and they'd given up on him eventually and sold to us. They had a very posh correspondence address and flat was quite grotty which is why we could afford it!). He'd been gone 6 months when this happened. The guy did not believe we did not have any for sale and dealer friend no longer lived there either, said 'are you sure?' and he lingered for ages looking lost and hopeless. Quite sad really.

Backonceagainwiththe · 29/08/2021 11:28

Current house was previously owned by old people. Not old old.. they're still very much alive as far as we know they went to a retirement place. In the last couple of months we have had every few days mailshots from a variety of cremation and funeral type places. A crazy amount. Initially it really freaked me out that I'd suddenly got old enough to be on a 'death mailing list'. Just hoping its linked to old owners... otherwise I need to start getting through that bucket list.

NeverDropYourMoonCup · 29/08/2021 11:44

A half naked women showing me her back, braless and wearing what looked like a fluorescent yellow floss like thong.

It was our next door neighbour in a lovely, but extremely close fitting orange dress that she couldn't quite do up and had got stuck in halfway when getting ready for a wedding.

I laughed and zipped it up whilst DP thanked his lucky stars that I'd been at home and the one nearest the door at the time.

PaperMonster · 29/08/2021 21:12

@GinJeanie my parents got their internet paid for a year when their house was used for surveillance!

GinJeanie · 29/08/2021 21:44

@PaperMonster - bit better than a box of sweeties! 😆😂

PaperMonster · 29/08/2021 21:53

@GinJeanie - I know! You were robbed!!

GinJeanie · 29/08/2021 22:28

@PaperMonster - hmmm, by the cops! 🤨😆

AmyDudley · 29/08/2021 22:49

I had a drunk bang on the door in the middle of the night once shouting 'Give me ten pounds. Pleeeeeease just ten pounds' He was poking his hand holding his bank card through my letterbox which he had mistakenly decided was an ATM. Took a lot of convincing to get him to bugger off.

UnlimitedChipsAndSalsa · 29/08/2021 22:50

@AmandaHoldensLips

A man knocked at the door and demanded that I show him my tits for an official survey. It turned out to be a scam. I felt so stupid.
@AmandaHoldensLips I read this two days ago, and I still laugh every time I think about it!
icebearforpresident · 29/08/2021 22:56

Got up one morning to find a dog in my landlocked back garden. House next door was empty, next door on the other side was a commercial property and there was a 6ft wall at the end of the garden because my house at the time backed directly on to a river. Dog looked healthy and was friendly enough, I literally opened the door and it wondered through the house and out the front. No idea how it got there and never saw it again.

Iusedtobeatroll · 29/08/2021 23:31

Someone trying their hardest to sign me up to a new martial arts class.
Normal except for the fact I was 37 weeks pregnant and the size of a double decker bus. A martial arts class was the last thing on my mind at the time.

Excitedforxmas · 30/08/2021 00:15

A toddler that had escaped from a neighbouring house!

callow · 30/08/2021 00:31

A family wanting to scatter ashes in my garden.

The deceased lady had grown up in the house over 70 years before and it was her dying wish to have her ashes scattered in my garden.

I did let them (at the very end of the garden).

WatchMyChops · 30/08/2021 00:47

@Justyouwaitandseeagain I thought the man was pretending to be your DH’s father Grin

@PaperMonster They paid for your parents’ internet to then surveil them? Was it some kind of pilot study?

I had a Jehova’s Witness come to my door, I politely said that I wasn’t interested and closed the door, only for them to continue speaking through the letter box. I then had to have a conversation, via the letter box, to request to be removed from their mailing system 😅

CrimeJunkie01 · 30/08/2021 04:07

A man tried to deliver a brand spanking new transit van to me last year. I checked the paperwork, he had the right address. It was very odd