To think you don't just keep ringing the doorbell if no one answers?

[Sparrowlegs248]

I'm at home, was putting my two small children to bed. Ive been really under the weather all week, so we all had a bath, got in pjs and were going to bed. My doorbell rang. I ignored it (2 yr old not quite asleep and would have got up and fully woken up if I'd gone downstairs). It's cold, dark, and I was in my nightshirt. The doorbell continued to be ring repeatedly. It's really quite loud. I went downstairs and unplugged it in the end.

Surely if the house is in almost total darkness and there's no response, you stop? Everyone along the road (rural, about 7 houses) knows I have young children and it was 7.30pm, bedtime.

Aibu to think give up after a couple of goes??

I’m too nosy not to answer the front door. And I get too many parcels. It could always be a courier.

I don’t care about answering the door in a nightie - that’s their problem not mine.

@xdestarx

"anyway, have had virgin twice in 2 weeks!"

@Noooodles that is insane!

My mum answers the door to everyone, and whilst on the positive side she knows everyone, is very sociable, on the other she has had all sorts of people doing jobs for her’ that they happened to notice like painted her garden wall, and she is very naive. I was quite worried when I overheard her say to a bloke, who just happened to pass and wanted to know if she wanted her gate fixed, she told him her husband has just died, lots about herself (so clearly telling someone she lived on her own).

I told the man she was fine and didn’t need anything and he looked dodgy as anything.

What do you mean, that you don't care who it was??!! When we now all want to know!! My bet is on a connection to the property next door (if it's empty, could the previous occupants have left owing money/have not tied up loose ends etc?

Ring. Doorbell.

It's a game changer. Easy as pie to install and you can see who is at the door from anywhere in the world, then decide whether or not you want to speak to the person via the speaker in the doorbell.

We usually didn't answer our doorbell as we could peek out the blinds and see who was there. Now we don't even have to get out of our chairs.

I would be driven bonkers by not knowing who it was. I have actually checked back on this thread several times to find out who it is. Each time forgetting that the OP didn't open the door so she doesn't know. But still I want to know, it's like an unsneezed sneeze. And it wasn't even my bloody doorbell.

I'm one of those people who firmly believes that nobody should visit my home without significant advance warning (written invitation preferable) but I sprint to the front door every single time the door bell rings because it might be important

(it never is. It's Amazon. Always.)

I have a pack of dogs. They answer anyone arriving at the gates, whether they ring the bell or not! Much easier solution than all this hand wringing....

I’m completely in the “just answer the door” camp.

"anyway, have had virgin twice in 2 weeks"

Oh! THAT'S why people are so keen to answer the door!

Not my preference, but no judgement 😂

I finish work early on a Friday, and often have a bath when I get in. The DPD guy always comes about 5.30ish, so the other week I hauled myself out of the bath at the doorbell, thinking it was him with something for us or next door. It was a bloke from Vodaphone, who then came back the next evening when we were eating dinner. I think not answering the door has merit!

I don't answer the door if I've seen its a lanyard-wearing salesperson or chugger approaching the door.

I stay on the sofa and rather enjoy their perplexed faces peering in at me

@CorBlimeyGovenor sorry, maybe I'll find out tomorrow?

Not to do with next door, elderly man went into residential care in the spring, lived there 40+ years, rented from the farm.

Alittleodd

"But still I want to know, it's like an unsneezed sneeze"

Who thinks of those a millisecond after they haven't happened?

You say "it's always Amazon" but you're expecting them, surely?

I’m too nosey not to answer the door but I always bloody well wish I hadn’t.

Usually Mormons or chuggers or tree surgeons.

shed on fire is rare, I think. and someone calling with a genuine emergency rather than being up to something, or after something is rarer still.
but even so, after getting no answer, and shouting what's wrong through their letterbox, I'd try neighbour's, or phone box/ mobile to alert fire brigade. failing all that ring from home, as you did.
yellow-jacketed man came morn talking about problems with drains a few doors down. they had had problems in extending into back garden. I groaned at the thought of yet again having to have borough sanitary engineer come into my back garden, move things to lift inspection cover, ask me to flush toilet and only then believe that we have not diverted or interfered with the drains.
so I said, I'm not at all happy about this, whereupon he turned and ran away. I suddenly realised it was not a genuine inconvenience
but attempted burglary by artifice.
it gave me quite a chill, to think how close I had been to real danger.
don't know why he scarpered so quickly. maybe he was a newbie, apprentice hoodlum. maybe because I was annoyed rather than alarmed, something in my voice or manner deterred him. I am usually alert to scams etc, but because the purported scenario had occurred previously, I was working on that script in my head.
do be careful, everyone.

@Elderflower14 @Longlongsummer yep, it’s shit. We are putting the house on the market soon, we need somewhere bigger and it’s just expedited our plans.

But honestly I’d never answer the door now past 8pm. Everyone who is important has a key (MiL, DM, two best friends) and if someone was in “trouble“ again I’d call the police etc but not let them in. And cold callers past 8pm and fuck off, it’s relaxing time!

DD has just married and bought a house. Her DH works away and they are installing a security system with camera doorbell linked to their phones. They will see in real time who's at the door even if they're miles away from home.

This happened on our street once, several didn't answer, some did.
I did and wasn't burgled, a couple didn't answer and were done.
You need to look at any boundaries you may have for markings that can be a code for their mates to burgle the house.
The Police told us to do this whenever anyone rang who we didn't know or were suspicious of.
It was replicated throughout the area and the code markings are nothing new.
I always answer even if from a window.

It’s up to you whether you answer your door or not, and odd of someone to persist when you don’t answer. If there’s some sort of emergency, or your car lights are on or something, they could always shove a note through after getting no reply.

I always remember my DM answering the door and if it was 'one of those' types of callers selling something, she would open the door, look them up and down and shut it saying "not today"

I would never answer the door after dark unless I was expecting someone. People can phone/text to advise of their (unexpected arrival) and if I don't know someone is coming I would never answer the door. YANBU.

“ they could always shove a note through after getting no reply.”
So in order to tell you you’ve left u to our car lights on, they have to go home, find a pen and paper, write a note and come our again to put it through your letterbox,,,,

regmover I think it’s great that you spotted a twat stealing a lawnmower and did something about it.
. However honestly I would have rather let it go, than get dressed properly, answer the door to someone and then go out and confront the lawn mover thief who was probably a git from the village with no money prospects or friends.

may I also recommend Ring doorbell? Life changing. In fact, so much so that I often look at myself coming and going just because.

I also very occasionally (when at work) get a glimpse of my lovely DH during the day, if he actually responds to the doorbell ringing. Which he often does, odd fish that he is :)

It is only in Mumsnet where people don't answer the door

in other words: someone is doing things in a different way and I am completely shocked that the entire world doesn't act the way I do

Thing is, you could reverse that: only on Mumsnet are people always available to answer the door, never on the loo, in the shower, on the phone, working, shagging, bleaching their moustache, in bed ... and would never leave a door unanswered.

I wouldnt answer the door in my current house when its dark (Country, in the middle of nowhere, pitch black dark outside, long drive way, no reason for any body to come down the drive, you cant see us from the road and actually not many people know theres a house down here)
But in the day i do....