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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be Furious at this Delivery Driver

230 replies

BoredandConfused · 15/05/2017 13:57

Delivery due today and I'm working from home to receive it. See the driver from my downstairs office and get up to go to the door...literally about eight feet away. He knocks and immediately tries the door to my home. Door's unlocked, starts to open and I'm already there to see him do this. He quickly shuts it when he sees me approach the door and apologises when I open it and roast him but I'm fuming!

This is the second time that this has happened in a week, the first time, the delivery wasn't even for me but for a Neighbour (my annoyance the last time was lost in the fact that they didn't even have the right house) Both times, car on the drive and no attempt from the driver to wait for someone to come to the door. I genuinely don't know if it was the same person both times.
AIBU?

OP posts:
PuppyMonkey · 15/05/2017 20:40

( I wasn't being serious about the restricting creativity thing) Grin

I just lock the door automatically, never even occurred to me not to. Doesn't matter where I've lived.

Funnily enough I've only ever hd a Yale lock on one house - all the others, I've had a keyhhat you have to turn (takes about a second). I also keep the keys well away from the door, as advised by Local bobby who visited after we got burgled a couple of years back.

Original poster
BoredandConfused · 15/05/2017 20:42

At the risk of throwing in a dog to chase the cat.... I have a theory about cars...as long as there is nothing inside them to steal, you're better off leaving them unlocked.

A vandal, is a vandal and will do damage anyway but if someone is going to break into your car on the off chance that there's something to steal, you may as well leave it open to prevent damage.
Most actual car thefts come after someone has stolen the keys and I am led to believe that hot wiring is all but a thing of the past due to modern car security.

OP posts:
NavyandWhite · 15/05/2017 20:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ohbehave1 · 15/05/2017 20:51

If you leave your car unlocked and someone steals it you are totally uncovered by your insurance. They have easier access to the bonnet pull to get to the engine bay and also can release the hand real a lot easier.

And leaving the front door unlocked is the same thing. The day you are burgled will be the day you find you are not covered.

To be fair the the delivery driver they were probably up against it time wise, and maybe thought they could just drop it inside the front door. Maybe they have tried to deliver before and their experience of delivering to you is a bad one and you have never been in or take an age to get to the door.

Either way a simple question to the driver would normally suffice. There is no news to lose your temper with someone - they were simply trying to deliver something you ordered.

Original poster
BoredandConfused · 15/05/2017 20:54

Fair comment Ohbehave re access to the bonnet.

OP posts:
Fragglez · 15/05/2017 20:55

As the car key is 10ft away behind an unlocked front door I'm not sure locking the car would make any difference, realistically...

Ohbehave1 · 15/05/2017 20:56

Fragglez 😂😂😂. Spot on.

Pardonwhatnow · 15/05/2017 21:01

This thread makes me very glad a live somewhere with zero crime.

I don't know where the door key is, we don't even lock it when we go on holiday.

I can't imagine living somewhere where I felt I had to lock the door even when I was in the house, must be a nightmare

Original poster
BoredandConfused · 15/05/2017 21:09

Car keys are never left downstairs Fragglez Wink but I like your style anyway!

OP posts:
Original poster
BoredandConfused · 15/05/2017 21:10

Where do you live, if you don't mind me asking Pardon?

OP posts:
Pardonwhatnow · 15/05/2017 21:15

Isle of Man. A cul de sac of 8 houses on a housing estate of about 300. Village is about 2000 people, nearest town is five minute drive away and about 25,000 people. Total island population about 89,000. There are parts of the island where we couldn't be so relaxed.

Friends and neighbors come and go as they please even if we are out.

I do object to family members leaving purses, wallets etc on unlocked car seats but to be fair to them it's never been an issue.

soapboxqueen · 15/05/2017 21:15

So to the people locking their doors while they are in, do you open windows? Do you shut them when you leave a room? Surely a burglar could just as easily gain entry (obviously depending on window size/style) and invalidate insurance.

Original poster
BoredandConfused · 15/05/2017 21:23

Sounds good Pardon. Somewhere I've always wanted to visit but not got round to it yet. Had to cancel a holiday today, as neither DP nor I can have the full week we had originallybooked off, might take a couple of days and do a bit of exploring.

OP posts:
user1493759849 · 15/05/2017 21:26

I do still wonder what would happen if you got robbed when the front or back door was open/unlocked, when you were in the house.. I mean, awake, in the day, in the house, going about your business, watching telly, doing housework etc.... Has this ever happened? Has anyone ever known anyone get robbed in this manner? when their door was unlocked...

I do wonder if your insurance would pay out. In the (unlikely) event of this happening. Probably worth people looking into their policies. I really have no clue you know.

It's probably because I have never known anyone get robbed while they were in the house... Downstairs, in the living area...in the day... Only one person I know got robbed when they were in the house, but it was 1.30am, they were asleep in bed (and the doors were locked!)

Never known anyone get robbed while they were IN the house - in the lounge, or kitchen, or dining room.

Must say though - re 'pardon' I wouldn't go away and leave the doors unlocked. That's well risky and your insurance definitely wouldn't cover you!

NavyandWhite · 15/05/2017 21:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PuppyMonkey · 15/05/2017 21:42

It really, really isn't a nightmare to lock a door. ConfusedGrin

user1493759849 · 15/05/2017 21:48

When you are in, in the day time, awake, downstairs; it really, really isn't a nightmare to leave a door unlocked either.

NavyandWhite · 15/05/2017 21:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ThouShallNotPass · 15/05/2017 22:01

Oh please, leaving a car unlocked and unattended is very different to leaving a house unlocked and ATTENDED. Your insurance would be paid out if someone nicked your car whilst you were outside of it, scraping the windows with the engine on. It happened to someone I know. Thief jumped in and took off. Insurance paid because even though she wasn't IN the car she was with it. Same thing with houses.
My poor old granny got paid out when she invited a sneak thief IN! She had no idea, the woman talked granny into letting her in and she stole a load of jewellery right under her nose.

Pardonwhatnow · 15/05/2017 22:02

It really, really isn't a nightmare to lock a door

No. Clearly it's not.

To me it would be a nightmare to live somewhere where I wasn't comfortable and relaxed enough in my own home that I felt I had to lock the door all the time.

NavyandWhite · 15/05/2017 22:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GnatsChuff · 15/05/2017 22:09

pardon has reminded me of where we lived a few years ago. DH was overseas for 3 months and I was weekly commuting. I used to leave the back door unlocked so my neighbours could get in and water the plants, pick up post etc. Another house, we used to leave the garden door physically open for the dog to go out. There really are places still where this is possible. It is just impossible to imagine if you haven't lived in them.

By contrast, as a student, in a large city, someone did walk into our flat mid-morning and helped himself to a few bits before my flat mate realised it wasn't me.

Pardonwhatnow · 15/05/2017 22:10

I feel comfortable here. It's a gorgeous spot. I just lock the door when I come home. It makes no difference to anything.*

That is fair enough and works for you. I have no problem with that.

I wouldn't like it. I would hate the idea that a friend or family member couldn't get in if they wanted to without me unlocking the door or them having a key.

Horses for courses, no right or wrong answer.

PuppyMonkey · 15/05/2017 22:12

i do feel comfortable and relaxed in my own home - I just lock the front door as a matter of habit and get on with my day - if only so so the zombies (and annoying delivery people) can't get in. Wink

PuppyMonkey · 15/05/2017 22:13

Oh yeah and the relatives Grin