I know how contentious this subject is. Until now, I never answered the intercom when it goes because I'm not expecting anyone and it's usually someone trying to get into our block of flats who shouldn't be in there.
But yesterday, maintenance people accidentally cut through the gas pipe in my flat floor. It was very bad get out this second bad. It took them ten minutes to switch off the gas supply because they needed a key to get into the service cupboard which nobody had.
In the meantime, I'm buzzing all the intercoms to get people out of the building whilst one maintenance person knocked on doors to evacuate and the other tried to find the gas cut off thing.
They must have been Mumsnetters because just one person out of 16 answered the intercom and some that didn't were taken out by the maintenance people.
I know IABU in that every situation isn't going to be a possible fire or gas explosion. But I was so frightened yesterday and it was such a serious incident that I wanted people, including myself, to consider answering the door or at least look out of the window if it rings.
I know there are wider safety concerns in the background of this post and I think there's probably a lot of flapping going on back at the housing association.