Really scared as neighbour knocking on the door at this time

[Sinead777]

I’ve recently moved into a new house. My partner is currently abroad with work so it’s just me in the house. I was just having a really relaxing bath, reading a good book, when I heard a loud banging on the downstairs door. Assuming it’s a neighbour (we live in a quiet cul de sac and not sure who else it’s likely to be), but anyway I obviously just ignored as in the bath but he continued knocking. It’s left me really scared/jumpy, sorry to be a dramatic woman making an issue out of what is probably nothing, but isn’t it a bit late to be knocking on people’s doors? Our front door has a large glass panel in it so even if you are on the upstairs landing someone on the door could see you, so I literally don’t even want to come out of the bathroom. Would anyone else find this odd or have I been watching too many programmes about serial killers lol

I dont think you're unreasonable not yo answer the doid. I would have looked out of the window, or if I was naked and in full view just have shouted down.
I would definitely get a blind over the panel in your front door at he moment, but actually change it altogether in the long run.i wouldn't feel happy knowing someone could break the glass and easily open the door. your description makes it sound like the glass component is a large portion if the door, or feel much safe with a solid door).
Turn your lights on. Make a noise and have a good look out for lurking axe murderers😉, or to check there font seem to be any major calamities outside. It's entirely possible anorher neighbour didnt open their door for a delivery and the courier tried other neighbours instead. here they just jump the box in the flower bed in the torrential rain all night without knocking, so its destroyed by the morning

At Christmas could well be a delivery from someone who is sending you a gift direct from the seller, so you wouldn’t necessarily need to have ordered sthg yourself. Though I guess a card would have been left.

However re you thanking the poster who told you about burglars knocking to make sure the house empty- that’s all the more reason to come to the door, surely?!

A good friend of mine very recently got beaten to within an inch of her life by her partner, and he smashed up her phone. She escaped and knocked on a neighbours door and they didn’t answer. Luckily the second house did even though it was 3am. She could have bled to death on the pavement if they hadn’t.

I knocked on someone’s door late night. They had left their keys in the door. The car fob was attached. I thought I was being helpful. I clearly terrified the poor woman.

Also! Surely if burglars knock to see if someone is in, its best to let them there is, rather than be caught in the bath by a man with a swag bag.
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I wouldn't answer the door gone 9pm. I'd get a chain on your door & some window film for the door panel (Amazon £8.99). They might be doing a recce to see if anyone's in, you can't be too careful.

If it was urgent, like a fire, they’d call the fire brigade AND shout through the letter box!
If it was a delivery driver, there’d be a note through the door.
If it was a neighbour with something urgent, they’d call through the letterbox or if it’s your car lights, they’d leave a note.

It’s probably someone delivering something to the previous occupiers. @Sinead777 get a curtain for your front door and leave the tv on timer till 5am.

@Sinead777 can you make your front door look different to how it did when whoever it was knocked? Tape a sheet or towel over the glass or something, so they know someone’s in? Or tv as I suggested.

To the people making rude remarks, I’ve just googled and the vast majority of burglars knock before doing anything else. Many also pose as a passer by needing help.

Yep.

And now they think you're out.

Really scared? Really? Get a grip.

The last time my neighbour loudly knocked on my door late at night it was because his baby had stopped breathing and was desperate for help while waiting for the ambulance. I took the baby, helped keep him breathing and then looked after the other kid when he went to hospital. I'm glad I answered the door, and I bet my neighbour was too.

Many years ago when my dc were babies, Mr former was out...it was nearly 11pm and I was about to go to bed. Doorbell rang...i nearly jumped out of my skin. We had a spy hole and an intercom so I spoke through that...was a man who claimed to live opposite (he didn't, I knew who lived in my street) telling me a sob story about how his electric metre had run out...told him I had no money, he looked really pissed off and left thankfully. Was very pleased i hadn't opened the door. Took ages for my heart to stop beating fast...it really shook me up.

Your house, you're not obliged to open the door if you don't feel comfortable.

I was out, out cold reading this boring non event thread.
Another " I read this on Facebook" quote, sooo it must be true!

Here's a novel idea, how about getting one of those camera buzzer things on the door?

That way you will know if it's a axe wielding murderer, or a lost hgv lorry driver with his 30 tonne artic parked up in your drive, or perhaps if your lucky Mary Poppins passing by for a cup of tea.

Either way you'd be well prepared and if all else fails you could always dig a moat around hour house with a draw bridge, which you can pull up at night so you have no callers.

If none of these appeal you could always move from that lovely village of Midsomer.

Jesus. It’s YOUR house. Just because someone knocks doesn't mean you have to answer. Knocking on someone's door doesn't mean they MUST open it.

If it's a fire then call the fire brigade.

If there's danger, shout through the letter box.

Keys in door, car lights on, pop a note in if no answer.

Delivery driver, that's what while you were out cards were designed for.

Get a curtain or some film to cover the glass.

It could well be kindly - parcel, lost cat, vulnerable elderly neighbour , depends how it is done.

Once I had somebody knocking on my kitchen window late at night, shining a torch in. They had accessed the garden by way of the railway line. Turned out to be the police looking for an intruder they had reports of! I was more scared by them than a supposed intruder.

I'm not scared to open a door late at night but if I'm in a warm relaxing bath at thd end of the day, the queen, the pope and prince charming could be at my front door, I'm not getting out of the bath!

I’m sorry you are scared op, but I’m sure there is no reason to be. I’m not naive, I have had my fair share of people knocking on my door for negative reasons, including but not limited to - the police, in the middle of the night, more than once. My stalker, again, more than once. A paramedic, once. A burglar, who later returned to burgle my house and set it on fire. Neighbours complaining at me about noise or parking. And several times people who I am sure were up to no good but I couldn’t put my finger on why. For example, asking if I want my tree cut down or to change my electric meter or something random, without documentation, at odd times, looking scruffy, etc. I’ve also had to knock on people’s doors with negative news, problems or unexpectedly at odd times. For example, when finding a cat dead in the road outside a house, when finding a toddler in a nappy wandering alone outside, Ive also found a lost dog twice, once on finding a set of keys dangling from a car door, when finding cars with their lights on. Once at 2am to ask them to call 999 for a road accident (not mine), once I knocked on a door to tell them their trampoline was seven gardens away due to high wind...

The one thing I’m struck by is that in every case, answering the door was a better option than not doing so.

I always answer the door. At least five times a day at the moment!

I never knew (until MN).that answering your front door was such an issue.
I grew up in the days when neighbours would walk in your house shouting 'cooey' if your door was unlocked ...
I rather liked it.

People knocked on each others doors/ rang the bell all the time - you just answered it - we never thought anything of it. It was how you communicated but I guess now there are so many other ways of communicating that if someone knocks it might be considered sinister.

I'm the one always chucking my clothes on shouting out 'Hang on!' if someone's at the door when I'm not in a fit state to answer it and then terribly apologetic for making them wait - and annoyed if I'm not quick enough and they've gone away and wondering what I missed.

Do you have a neighbour who might be unwell. Maybe look out and see if there is any drama or lights on.
Yanbu to be spooked, pp's have no idea where you live. Some places do have push in door robberies.
I'd say it was a neighbour, install a video camera for the future and put it out of your head.

I have lived alone out in the woods for years but sometimes I get scared and I have learned that it is good to pay attention when I do.
Put some decorative cling film on the window that is making you nervous. You will be delighted at the difference it makes.

YANBU to be a bit shaken up by someone banging on the door late at night, when you weren't expecting anyone, especially as you were relaxing in the bath at the time and were probably in a pleasant world of your own. YANBU not to answer your door to any unexpected caller - a knock on the door is a request, not a royal command.

But YABU not to install something over the glass in the front door, to prevent people peering in at you and encroaching on your privacy. Or get a glazier to change it to obscure glass (but you might still need a curtain across it at night to stop you feeling like you are on display to the world when you have lights on).

It was probably a delivery driver, desperate to get his last delivery done, and not caring who he disturbed in the process. I find they often knock in quite a strident way, even when they are trying to get us to take a delivery for someone several doors away. I guess their jobs are quite stressful with the traffic being so heavy and being paid per delivery, so I don't blame them for trying, but I feel no guilt about not answering the door to strangers - my door, my home, my choice.

To counter some of the other comments, I nearly let an attacker into my house once. The doorbell went late at night and I assumed it was my anxious neighbour whose son was away. Just when I got to the top of the stairs a man started talking through the letterbox. He'd seen me changing my top in my bedroom and apparently that was me sending signals to any men on the street who were looking up at my bedroom window that I wanted sex. He stayed talking through the letterbox for ages and I couldn't move because I would have had to walk past the door to get to my phone. If I'd run for the door when I first heard it... I don't want to think about it tbh.

If you can't afford frosted glass/new door just get some opaque window film. It's cheap and easy to fit. You just measure it - be a bit generous, you can always trim it - and then just put it up.

A lot of you have very polite burglars. In my area (Herts) they just break in, don't give a shit if there are people in the house or not.

I'd be worried it was a burglar. Ignore it. You should never feel you have to open the door to someone unless you want to. if your house isn't on fire it i sunlikely to be a life threatening emergency.

EmeraldShamrock If it was a neighbour that was unwell though, wouldn'tthe person who knocked o9n the door be able to phone for an ambulance for them?

LemonTT Could you not have posted the keys through the letterbox? I get very anxious at night and when people knock on my door., I tend not to answer it unless I am expecting someone.