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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Trick or treaters letting themselves in

277 replies

Backaffyaspookybitch · 31/10/2016 18:41

First off, I've had a hard day so I might be slightly narky.

My DS has been ill all day - loaded with the cold and a temp of 39. I've just picked him up from my mum's (been at work all day) and trying to get him into a cool bath and get some calpol down down him. He's just miserable and my DH is working away.

I put him in the bath and I hear the door. I know it'll be trick or treaters but I can't leave my son in the bath (he's 2) so I decide to just ignore it and see if they come back later.

Oh no. The door opens and in walks the boy from next door whom I do know accompanied by 4 or 5 other children! Their mums are standing at the bottom of my garden shrieking with laughter and encouragement.

These children were standing in my hall way shouting and laughing Confused

I got my DS out the bath, ran down the stairs and I asked them to leave and closed the door.

I actually got a bit of a shock that they'd be so bold!

I never even gave them sweets Sad

WIBU to ask them to leave?

OP posts:
Creampastry · 31/10/2016 20:27

Why the hell would you leave your door unlocked?! Be grateful it was kids and not someone else.

Cantgetmyoldnameback · 31/10/2016 20:29

Well I've learned something new today! All the places I have lived in have been old (Victorian/Edwardian), maybe that's why they've all had Yale type locks - maybe more modern places with modern front doors have the type where you have to lock them?

Everyone I know, whose house I've been to, has a Yale lock too, oh apart from my brother's just thought of that, they have a lock you need to lock or people can just walk in, and their house is a newish place.

KinkyAfro · 31/10/2016 20:32

Just cancel the cheque

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 31/10/2016 20:35

YANBU.

It's not just rude it's unsafe as well. What if you had a massive dog that you always secure before you open the door?

LouisvilleLlama · 31/10/2016 20:36

Am I the only one who thinks Yale locks arent that great? Only time I've lived in a place with Yale locks was when renting a room in student accommodation, but the main house door still had a normal door lock? Which were extremely easy to get into if say you locked yourself out! Looking at my door I don't even think and can't imagine how I'd fit a Yale lock on my door

user1471461436 · 31/10/2016 20:37

We dont lock doors. Criminals are in the minority and if someone desperately wanted in theyd smash a window anyway. Plus my dog sounds really aggressive. Id say to the neighbours in conversation some money went missing from your house on monday and so you are needing to review your cctv to put the wind uo them a bit

Natsku · 31/10/2016 20:41

Very rude, especially the mums for laughing about it.

Can understand not bothering to lock your door though, I never lock my door when I'm in as our doorbell doesn't work so we've instructed friends to just walk in. Half the time I didn't bother locking it when we were out either at our last house as I'd forget after leaving it unlocked during the day (so DD could get in and out to play)

M0stlyHet · 31/10/2016 20:43

Bloody hell OP, they had some cheek. I'd be going round tomorrow to have words!

(When I lived in the inner city of a big northern city, damn right I kept the door locked all the time... now I live in naice suburbia in a leafy cathedral town, I don't bother. Horses for courses. And I deliberately don't have doors that can slam and lock themselves behind me because I'd spend half my life accidentally locking myself out.)

littlesallyracket · 31/10/2016 20:43

I would be absolutely livid if kids let themselves into my house, and even more livid if their parents were cheering them on. Who the hell teaches their kids it's OK to do that? When I was little I knew all our neighbours really well and lots of them had kids my age (and people didn't lock their doors, either) but if you knocked and they didn't answer, you didn't EVER just walk in. There's no excuse for that.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 31/10/2016 20:44

Am I the only one who thinks Yale locks arent that great?

They are not. They are good for securing door when you are in, and to get out quickly in a fire, bit we always use a deadlock as well when house empty

Lorelei76 · 31/10/2016 20:48

Louisville of course break ins occur when people are home.

Re Yale, I don't mean that in particular - other brands are available lol - but something similar, if somebody feels like they want to lock the door but risk not remembering or being too distracted to do it.

DamsonInDistress · 31/10/2016 20:49

And once again this is why I will never live in a house without both a Yale lock and a deadlock on all external doors. I cannot understand why anyone buys these ridiculously unsecure pvc doors, or doesn't replace them at the first possible opportunity if you move to a place with them already installed. It would be the first thing I'd book for the day after I moved in!

Natsku · 31/10/2016 20:51

I have Abloy locks which are supposed to be very secure (if I actually lock them!) but like someone else said, if someone really wanted to get in they'd just smash a window.

Aeroflotgirl · 31/10/2016 20:51

Piss poor behaviour, the parents shod know better, how disgusting. Lock the door now and next time call the Police.

fuxxake · 31/10/2016 20:58

How very bloody rude! I would be hugely pissed off at that. They def wouldn't have been gettin any sweets off me, Halloween or not. A good kick up the arse maybe...

Cantgetmyoldnameback · 31/10/2016 20:58

Oh yes we also have another lock as well as the Yale type, which we lock with a key when we go out. Actually we have two of each as we have 2 front doors (flat in converted house). Plus on the inside front door we have installed a metal plate (bolts on the inside) next to the lock that prevents anyone opening the Yale lock by point through the gap between the door and the frame.

LouisvilleLlama · 31/10/2016 21:00

Electronic code locks have intrigued me, where you have no key, but can unlock it by a code, fob or mobile, but I don't have that much faith in technology yet haha

SpookyPotato · 31/10/2016 21:02

We always lock the door when inside, and to answer the people about yale locks, I've never lived in a house where it locked by itself and I've lived in lots of different places! Always lock from both sides. YANBU though OP, they definitely shouldn't have come in.

BendydickCuminsnatch · 31/10/2016 21:08

I have never seen these doors that don't lock behind you!

Also why the sad face that you didn't get to give them sweets? Hmm that's weird. They don't deserve them so don't waste your emotions feeling sad that you've got extra sweets in the house.

Mummyamy123 · 31/10/2016 21:09

That's mad!
If I knew a neighbour had a 2 year old I would be avoiding knocking at all around bed time!!
How rude xx

9oclockinthemorning · 31/10/2016 21:11

No yanbu OP.

On a completely different note though, a doctor recently told me not to give cool baths or even sponge baths to reduce a temperature as it actually raises the body's core temperature. Hope he feels better soon, it's awful when they are ill.

Believeitornot · 31/10/2016 21:12

Were the mums laughing at the fact they'd let themselves in or just getting them to do trick or treating and generally encouraging that?

Either way, why on earth was your door unlocked. But then again I'm from London where that would be unheard of.

knaffedoff · 31/10/2016 21:12

I am sorry this happened, from another perspective my 5 yr old has tonight entered several properties, he was told each time "get out the house" and I would add that it probably appeared that I wasn't that bothered. On the contrary, I didn't want to cause a scene and spoil what should be a really fun evening. Could your neighbour have been laughing with embarrassments as I was?

I very much hope your son gets well soon x

MrsDc7 · 31/10/2016 21:13

User... I've seen you on a few threads now and you are purposely rude and antagonistic. You clearly just do it to get a reaction. You are pathetic

BastardGoDarkly · 31/10/2016 21:14

Grin kinky

Whether OP locks her door or not is really by the by, I'm Shock children of any age would just walk in a strangers house, and even more Shock Confused that accompanying adults would let that happen! I'd be mortified!

Hope your DS gets well soon OP.