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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Freaked out by 2am knock on the door

150 replies

PinglePongle · 14/08/2017 11:18

Can't stop thinking about this so hopefully someone will come along and give me some ideas as to what this person wanted!

We had a knock on the door and someone rang the doorbell last night, we have cctv on the front door so didn't answer but standing there was a lady around 65-70 with a walking stick chewing gum standing at the door. When we didn't answer she then went round to ours cars and started to look through the windows (maybe tried the handles)

I can't for the life of me think why she would be knocking on our door, she didn't look frightened / concerned about anything, in fact she seemed quite bolshy chewing gum standing at the door. She then walked back up the street slowly with her walking stick and didn't knock at anyone elses in the row.

We called the police and they said that they had a similar call from a neighbour and would send someone out.

What on earth could she have wanted? Seems strange that a lady with a walking stick would be trying to steal our cars whilst standing on a bright floor lit drive after knocking?

We live on a quiet street, keep ourselves to ourselves and you have to come a way in to our corner plot to come off the street

OP posts:
differenteverytime · 14/08/2017 13:50

The OP did call the police.

You can't really compare a person knocking quietly on a single, out-of-the way door to a person who screamed in the street. That's obviously going to alert anyone in the vicinity to your presence, and hopefully bring them running to help.

LinkPlease · 14/08/2017 13:52

Only on MN is it a cardinal sin not to open your door to a random in the middle of the night. I genuinely don't know anyone in RL who would express disdain if I told them I hadn't opened my door to a stranger in the middle of the night. Yes it could have been someone needing help, equally it could have been someone intending to do harm. It is not selfish to put your own safety and that of your children's before that of a stranger, it's instinct.

streetface · 14/08/2017 13:53

Actually MudCity where I used to live that's exactly what they did. Knocked on our doors, claimed to be the police, rushed you as you opened the door and stole your keys. Father in law was a victim, three people in the adjoining road the following two weeks. Gang was caught and in prison now. Enfield North London. Easy to look up. I'm originally from Edmonton North London. No urban myths required. Open your door there at 2am and prepare to die.

maudeismyfavouritepony · 14/08/2017 13:53

I would have called down from the window!

Maybe you left the car lights on?

Maybe a cat was trapped in your garden?

Long lost Aunt come to tell you she's leaving you all he money?

Next time, find out and you won't ask here Grin

Original poster
PinglePongle · 14/08/2017 13:53

Agreed, I'm not going to start opening my door to all at 2am because a poster on mumsnet told me I should from now on...

OP posts:
PopcornNRedwine · 14/08/2017 13:55

Someone is always knocking our door at strange times. The area I live in isn't great, so I certainly wouldn't open the door or give any intimation I was home at all.

You are not obligated to open your door to anyone at anytime.

PoisonousSmurf · 14/08/2017 13:55

I myself would not open the door at 2am. We had an open prison down the road and they regularly wander around our street.
One prisoner used to meet his 'lady of the night' down by the garages!
I would only call out from an upstairs window and then call the police.

WorraLiberty · 14/08/2017 13:55

Jeez, two adults in the house.

One could at least have called from the window, without opening the door.

PoisonousSmurf · 14/08/2017 13:56

'have'

Medeci · 14/08/2017 13:59

Agreed, I'm not going to start opening my door to all at 2am because a poster on mumsnet told me I should from now on...

Fair enough Smile. Would you consider calling from a window instead?
It might stop you thinking about it afterwards and worrying why they knocked, like you are now.

AcrossthePond55 · 14/08/2017 14:03

My mum did this. I found her outside peering in my car windows one night. Her neighbour brought her back another night, she was knocking on her door. This was in the early to mid state of dementia and was a part of our decision to put her in a care home.

I understand not wanting to open your door to any stranger and I thank you for calling the police. Hopefully it won't happen again, but if it does please consider calling through the door or out a window. If she is a vulnerable adult, she's in more danger outside alone than you are safe behind a locked door.

BusterGonad · 14/08/2017 14:05

I'm with Agent people are crazily paranoid these days!

CurbsideProphet · 14/08/2017 14:05

Where I live there has been a spate of late night attempts to break in/burgle houses/cars. They knock on the front door to check if anyone is in (ie. lights go on/door opened), then attempt to open the front door and / or car. We've been advised not to open the door if we hear knocking in the night, as the likelihood is that it would be a ruse.

DidyouseeEthel · 14/08/2017 14:22

If a friend told me her family had been attacked/and or robbed at 2 am (by a stranger) in their home my first question would be 'How did they get in?' My second question would be 'Why the fuck did you answer the door to a stranger at 2 am?'.

No way would I answer the door, and a middle aged man puts on 20+ years when he dresses as a woman. Our local news has just reported a woman at a roundabout stopping for someone lying in the road, she was hauled out of her car by his accomplice and she's now hurt and car-less. Shame she wasn't 'paranoid'.

DearMrDilkington · 14/08/2017 14:31

I think you did the right thing. But I live in an area surrounded by towns with high knife crime and break ins are very regular.

There's no way I'd open the door at 2am, dp probably would though. Hmm

notevernotnevernotnohow · 14/08/2017 14:31

If someone knocked on my door in the middle of the night, I'd be thinking it was a potential burglar who was trying to work out who lives in the house (because typically a man, if there is one on the house) would be the one to answer the door at that time

Do you not think there would be much easier ways of working out who lived in a house than knocking on the door at 2am and showing your big burglar face to the occupants to id you later?
Hmm

And what kind of crime ridden places do you people live in?

Mmzz · 14/08/2017 15:14

It doesn't matter what I think a burglar should do to work out what he's likely to face, it's what they do that counts. And what they do is knock on the door when everyone is asleep and see who answers. If it's a little old lady or a slightly built young woman, then they can be reasonably assured that she probably doesn't have a 14 stone 6 ft tall man cowering behind her.

notevernotnevernotnohow · 14/08/2017 15:35

And what they do is knock on the door when everyone is asleep and see who answers

And learned this in your many chats with burglars where they told you all the tricks of their trade?

Try some logic, at least.

imamouseduh · 14/08/2017 15:40

You all seem to be a highly paranoid bunch. Just how badly crime-ridden do you think this country is?? I bet you all forward on those ridiculous 'OMG share just in case' posts on FB, too.

KungFuPandaWorksOut16 · 14/08/2017 15:44

This is my theory.

Who You more likely to open the door too late a night? A little old lady or a man.
My money is on the little old lady.

It's been heard of before of men dressing up as a woman too commit a crime and gain entry into places. I wouldn't have opened the door, and the fact the police have had a similar call in my mind would mean you did the right thing.

Mmzz · 14/08/2017 15:48

What's wrong with you? I learned it somewhere... maybe reading the neighbourhood watch regular email that contains police warnings or watching some crime stoppers programme or in a newspaper. I honestly can't remember.
I've got no dog on this fight. Find it credible or incredible, I don't care. I was just relating what I learned somewhere, and have now forgotten the source as it's not that important to my life.

notevernotnevernotnohow · 14/08/2017 15:50

You read it on FB or heard it as a story. It's not true. It's illogical. It makes no sense.

Stop repeating nonsense where the entire point is to frighten people and make them as paranoid as you are!

CoveredInFondant · 14/08/2017 15:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Mmzz · 14/08/2017 15:59

Well I definitely didn't read it on Facebook as I never use it and I can't ever remember hearing it as a story because it would be from Adobe who I would be having a conversation about burglars with and I don't recall ever having one as I know very few people who have been broken into.

notevernotnevernotnohow · 14/08/2017 16:29

So you haven't a clue where you heard this vague notion about burglars, you don't know anything about burglars, you know almost no-one who has ever been burgled, but you feel confident telling other people how burglars operate and what they do, even though it makes not the slightest sense?

Do you always give advice on such shaky grounds? You shouldn't.