Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Really loud door knocking...

106 replies

Spuddybean · 15/08/2012 18:00

Not really sure if i was overreacting. This morning i was sitting eating my breakfast in my dressing gown (9ish). I am 38 wks pregnant (not sure if that's relevant to my mental state!). Suddenly there was the loudest rapping of our letterbox. It really made me jump. It was about 10 sustained/continuous bangs.

I thought the house was on fire or something. So i raced to the door to see the post man holding a package. I said to him politely 'next time can you not knock like that please, you really frightened me' and he looked furious and said 'how am i supposed to knock then' and i replied 'perhaps a bit softer and not for so long, it was really loud'. He then stormed back to the van shaking his head (didn't get me to sign the slip) and muttering and swearing and drove off.

I could understand if he had knocked gently first but he hadn't. Also our front door opens straight off the street into the living space, so you really don't need to rattle the hinges for us to hear it.

I am very tired as not sleeping well, and the way he reacted has made me think maybe i was in the wrong. But i was really expecting him to say 'oh sorry' not give me a load of verbal.

No biggy in the grand scheme of things of course, but AIBU to think that kind of alarm raising banging should be kept for emergencies? How would you knock on a door? i always start gently.

OP posts:
TopCuppa · 15/08/2012 20:41

Actually, thinking about it a postman once let hinmself through the side gate through to the back garden and left a parcel by patio doors. I had missed the door as had just got out of shower- he very nearly would have caught me half naked!

Original poster
Spuddybean · 15/08/2012 20:45

Whoever amazon use usually just chuck my books two doors down over their side gate, preferably when it's raining. Then when i check my order 2 days later it says it's been delivered but 'left in my porch' (which i don't have). Neighbours never use their alley so i have had parcels discovered 3 months later.

OP posts:
NetworkGuy · 15/08/2012 21:47

Time to add a porch Grin

Sorry, couldn't resist (but it might come in handy if you are having to get door key out, while holding your forthcoming child, and it is raining hard).

ISpyPlumPie · 15/08/2012 21:54

YANBU - one of my pet hates is over-zealous knockers. One of the worst offenders is our window cleaner, or more accurately his gf who he sends to collect the money. We have a perfectly functioning doorbell but she insists on wrapping loudly on the (allegedly) just-cleaned window. I have said in an admittidely totally PA manner "the doorbell does work" on more than one occasion, alas to no avail.

Original poster
Spuddybean · 15/08/2012 22:10

No room for a porch network as i said our front door opens straight onto the street. Which is shit really for noise and parking issues.

OP posts:
Dollydowser · 15/08/2012 22:18

YANBU. Recently my doorbell went at the same time as loud knocking, it scared me as it sounded so urgent. It was a bloody chugger, I gave him an earful and he said it was because where he was from doorbells didn't work!

naturalbaby · 15/08/2012 22:19

we had a porch fitted last year, now half the post gets dumped on the doorstep - right under the letter box.

AmberLeaf · 15/08/2012 22:27

Think YABU.

Maybe what you said to him initially sounded ruder than you thought?

He's just doing his job.

icecold · 15/08/2012 22:49

What's a chugger?

AmberLeaf · 15/08/2012 23:11

Chugger = charity mugger. You know those annoying drama students that harrass you on the street and sometimes at home for your bank details and a monthly donation to xxxxx charity.

NameChangeGalore · 15/08/2012 23:14

YABU. How about he taps the door with his pinky next time, would that be low enough for you? Or maybe he should get a pin and drop that infront of your door.

Bunbaker · 16/08/2012 07:37

I expect this delivery man reads the threads on MN from those of you who say they never answer the door if someone knocks. I am always astonished by the number of people who don't answer a knock or ring of the doorbell.

Original poster
Spuddybean · 16/08/2012 09:17

Ha namechange because that really is the only alternative. You can either shake the foundations of a house and terrify the inhabitants or tickle the door with your pinky, no happy medium. ;)

bunbaker i answer the door to everyone but the mad charity collection lady who puts an envelope in the door then waits for me to return home from work, (i just get upstairs to change) then she knocks on the door (repeatedly because she has seen me go in, so she know's i'm there!). Every time i have answered it she seems most indignant that filling the daily envelope hasn't been my immediate priority after work. DP sometimes scoops up the envelope with all the takeaway ads and puts it in the recycling, and she gets really angry if we don't still have it - most bizarre.

OP posts:
TudorJess · 12/09/2012 09:56

If the postman swore after I'd asked them a simple question I would report them.

DinosaursOnASpaceship · 12/09/2012 10:24

My postman did this once. It was about 9am but I had a newborn and had been up all night, he'd finally fallen asleep about half an hour before and I had just drifted off when the door banged really loudly. The baby howled, I burst into tears and trudged off with screaming baby to answer the door. Postman was very apologetic, even though I hadn't said anything to him (I must have looked a state) and then came back 2 hours later, knocked quietly and walked away. I opened the door to find a McDonald's hot chocolate and dairy milk on the door step Grin

2rebecca · 12/09/2012 10:26

Our door is very solid with no knocker, we have a bell though and I hate people who ring the bell for either a long period or press it every couple of seconds. Just ring the bell briefly and then wait.
Doors without bells are a pain and I do tend to knock hard on them as the person may be upstairs in the bathroom with a shower on, where as bells usually have a speaker upstairs as well as downstairs. 10 bangs is excessive though.

EdMcDunnough · 12/09/2012 10:29

Yes I have this from a few people, some delivery drivers do it a lot.

Others are much more normal. Plus we have a buzzer. Some people use both.

I actually screamed the other night at 9pm and it was only a pizza man who had got the number wrong Smile He was very apologetic - don't know if he heard Blush

EdMcDunnough · 12/09/2012 10:30

When I have a small baby in the house I tend to make a sign to sellotape to the door, asking people to knock quietly. That seems to work.

TudorJess · 12/09/2012 10:37

That's lovely Dinosaurs

Ilovedaintynuts · 12/09/2012 10:44

YABU

If I was a postman that is how I would knock.
I would want to make sure I was heard and not risk the person missing their parcel.

He hasn't got time to do 'three light taps....listen for 10 seconds....3 harder bangs....listen for 10 seconds....5 very hard bangs....listen for 10 seconds' at every house. Just on the off chance a heavily pregnant woman eating her cornflakes gets spooked.

However AFTER I had a baby I had a sign I would put on the outer door saying "do not knock, baby sleeping. Postman please leave parcel behind the bins". Obviously depends where you live.

MummyPig24 · 12/09/2012 11:25

Delivery people/postmen always knock really loudly, scares the crap out of me and more often than not wakes up napping dd. YANBU.

sugarice · 12/09/2012 11:28

Does anyone know if Spuddy has had her baby yet Smile

SooticaTheWitchesCat · 12/09/2012 11:29

YANBU I really hate it when people knock madly and it makes me jump. Sometimes they ring for ages on the bell, which is really loud anyway and also hammer like mad at the door knocker. Once it was so bad it not only made me jump but set my DD off screaming. I was mad by the time I got to the door! The man could obvioulsy see how mad too and could see my DD crying so he did apologise.

cheekybarsteward · 12/09/2012 13:45

I thought the postman always knocked twice? Grin

BeauNeidel · 12/09/2012 13:56

Delivery people knock loudly and for a long time because if you are in the shower you will get annoyed that you are in and they didn't wait for you to open the door!

YABU, sometimes you are not expecting things and they make you jump. This will also happen when your baby arrives. You need to let it go.