Pissed up neighbour knocking on my door

[Elliss2018]

My neighbour has issues with alcohol, majority of the time she's lovely but there's times when she's obviously drunk.

This eve, I'm preparing tea, my boys are playing, and she knocks on the door. So I open it and she's stood there, obviously drunk and she looks angry. She said she can't cope with the noise anymore, the screaming from the boys my boys are 7 and they're not the quietest but definitely not screamers. So I said, they're just playing and they're not being loud, she said it's 7 o'clock in the morning so I said no it's evening time. I said we are just about to have tea and closed the door.

This has made me feel so uncomfortable and slightly anxious. She's never said anything like this before, we have lived next door for two years, it's a semi-detached. Was I unreasonable to just shut the door?

If an angry, drunk person was at my door then I’d be inclined to close it as well.

Perhaps go round and talk to her tomorrow to explain that she seemed to have had too much to drink and you didn’t want a scene in front of your children, but you’re sorry if they are noisy and will try to keep it down.

Good for you, don't get drawn into confrontation

Thanks for replying, I think I will need to have a word. My DC were asking what was wrong with her when I'd shut the door. Just wish I didn't feel so weird about it, my DP thinks I should just forget about it as it's likely she won't even remember this tomorrow.

I wouldn't open my door to her again. I don't bother with drunks.

I wouldn't worry - you did the right thing. You can't rationalise with drunk people. I wonder if she passed out from drinking then woke up and assumed it was Sunday morning? Not that that excuses her behaviour, just thinking about the evening / morning confusion!

Wow! Well done you, you handled it brilliantly IMHO. Don’t feel weird about it, the weirdness is on her for being drunk and thinking it was a.m. she probably won’t remember it in the morning and there may be nothing to gain from bringing it up but YWNBU.

I think you're right Kat! Thanks for your replies, I feel much better now. Just hope she doesn't fall asleep with a fag in her hand

Q

It's like you live next door to my neighbour. Also a drunk and also complains about the noise of my children to the council/through passive aggressive notes through the door all the while playing smooth radio at an unacceptable level. Id keep a log of any incidents just in case she escalates. I fear she might have latched onto the perceived noise - ours started with rats in the adjoining wall... Only we have a sold adjoining wall not a cavity and there is zero evidence of any rats

You handled that fine. I would of also done the exact same thing. I really wouldn’t worry. I abhor to think what my neighbours think. I have two girls. Who I’m incredibly blessed with. Both are super well behaved. But there are times when we shout. Or they run around. They are children after all.

But that was super

Perhaps go round and talk to her tomorrow to explain that she seemed to have had too much to drink and you didn’t want a scene in front of your children, but you’re sorry if they are noisy and will try to keep it down

Nah don’t do this. You’ve not done anything wrong. I certainly wouldn’t be answering the door to her again if you think she’s drunk.

Omg emotional, she always puts notes through the door! She complained about my mums dog barking once but normally it's just odd stuff.

No I wouldn't speak to her. I'd be too pissed off.
I'd wait and see if she approaches you again when she's sober and explain that she frightened both you and your children because she was angry and seemed very drunk and all she had to do was speak to you in a polite manner.
I'd leave the ball in her court frankly.

YWNBU at all and handled it perfectly. Don’t give it another thought

@elliss2018 the drink must turn them into complete morons! Mine thinks she's totally reasonable but avoids any face to face contact with us at all costs - a blessing I guess!! I'm hoping the drink will.wipe her out soon enough and I pray for normal every day neighbours I'd definitely keep logs of stuff in case she ramps it up - bloody drunk neighbours