ABU to put a note on my very rural door telling randoms to eff off.

[KnickersandGnomes]

Possibly outing but I'm a bit freaked out. Nearest neighbours are over a mile away, they really are - I live in the middle of nowhere. Couriers wont deliver because they swear they can't find the place blah blah etc etc.

I have some pretty horrid health issues, mostly Lyme Disease based and they leave me so tired and wrung out.

This afternoon I had some unexpected knocking at my door which I ignored followed up by a woman's voice in my garden and banging on my living room, bedroom and porch windows.

There was nothing put though my letter box and my garden gate was left wide open (mahoosive no no as I have five dogs) and it's left me both angry and scared.

I don't like or want to be angry and scared but I am both now so I'm hoping that the Mumsnet wisdom can help?

I have no recent partner that I have parted with on bad terms and because of my illness I live a very quiet life these days so I am utterly lost?

OP

This would freak me out too. What happened to privacy?

In the current climate, it could be a nosey Parker doing a welfare check or, almost worse, an official doing a welfare check.

I’d put up a sign saying “Covid 19 - do not knock”.

Do you have a gate, if not, can you afford it after this?

I mean a tall gate btw.

If you have Lyme Disease, you might be on the government doom list?

Are you ok in general OP?

I'm the most anxious person I know but I still pop my head round the blinds if I get an unexpected knock.

It sounds like she either needed help or was checking whether you do.

If she comes back or this happens again the best thing you can do is shout through the door "who is it? Can I help you?"

Otherwise you're going to be worrying about it for days on end.

I’d put up a sign saying “Covid 19 - do not knock”.. Not sure why you would want people to think you had Coronavirus.

Just get this

Sparkling “ Not sure why you would want people to think you had Coronavirus. ”

Are you serious?! I can’t think of a better way to keep people away at the mo. 😂

AJPTaylor .........

Blimey. Just stick a note up.
"I don't answer the door to anybody. If it's an emergency, tough. Please die elsewhere"

"P.S, if my house is on fire just carry on walking past"

I don't think it's very funny to say you have it if you don't @LilacTree1. I assume the OP would still like to receive mail etc. And if the Op did need medical treatment at home that's not fair on the paramedics/ambulance crew is it?
Plus you don't have it forever.

Oh Sparkling

You didn’t used to be so serious. 🤷🏻‍♀️

What happened to privacy?

Well from the description of how desperate the woman seemed to be to get an answer it sounds very much like some sort of emergency. In which case privacy is neither here nor there.

For all the people who can't fathom that some people don't want to open their door not only on this thread, but any time someone mentions not answering a door is it really that difficult to understand that other people may be different from you?

Clearly there are those who don't or can't open the door for any number of reasons. Some of those reasons are perfectly reasonable and valid. Some of the reasons may be a little overly precautious, paranoid, odd, whatever. But nonetheless, these people have their reasons, and they're just as entitled to their way of living as you are.

Why is there so much hostility toward people who just want to be left alone?! There is no obligation to answer the door.

It probably was someone checking to see if you are OK op.
One good dog is usually enough to stop a gate being opened. I'd get a few geese as back up for your 5.

@Sparklingbrook I just nearly woke my son up as I was laughing so hard at that sign you’ve posted. Thank you for the much needed chuckle!

thecat mum doesn’t live in the middle of nowhere but in a London suburb

Recently a very large chap came round banging on doors and windows. Mum and another elderly resident were terrified. He went round the little cul de sac (not a euphemism 😂)

We found out later a couple of people were in, working at home, but decided not to answer as they were also nervous. Round those parts, it’s likely he was just trying to gain entry for dodgy purposes, there’s been a lot of that crime round that way.

but it’s not impossible this lady was also going to claim “emergency” to case the joint.

I often think the response by those who say “emergency” means they have never been targeted.

It's a good sign isn't it @Clickncollect, I would get one myself but I am one of those freaky, weird door answerers.

Anyway joking aside

OP, I think in the current situation, if you don’t answer the phone etc it’s most likely someone has tried a welfare check. If you have a shielding letter, it might be an idea to call them. Sorry, I know it’s a pain.

She went into your garden?! I would have opened the door to one of the largest of your dogs and told them to see her off your property...
... but that might run the risk of virus spreading to your poor pooch.

This is peak mumsnet. Super rural, no one for at least a mile. No relatives. Health issues. A STRANGER KNOCKS.

We were banging on the windows of a neighbour here the other day. She's elderly, and none of us had seen her for a while. We'd tried knocking the door at different times of the day but no answer. Eventually, after 15 mins of standing knocking, we begin to worry and start knocking on the windows for a response. She finally answered, apparently didn't have her hearing aids in but saw us at the window. We were worried she was dead.
Probably someone checking in.

The only time I’ve ever been freaked out and a bit scared of a knock at the door seas about 2am in the morning, I was really frightened, it was a woman, she then walked down the road and got in a car and sat in it for ages, then she turned around and mounted the curb outside my house and sat there, anger and self defence or whatever took over at this point and I went out and banged on her window and asked what the fuck she was playing at, she had the cheek to jump out of her skin and say I frightened her 🤣 anyway turns out she was from some security company coming to remove my partners electronic tag (despite him having moved out and was living elsewhere, and also, not due to get off tag for another 5 weeks or so) why the hell would they do that at 2 in the morning?!?!

The style of the OP is very familiar. I think this is someone who has name changed.

@Namechangex10000 you were with someone with an electronic tag and yet we’re scared of a knock at your door?

I recently had a guy hammering hard on my door at nearly midnight, I came close to hiding but it seemed a tad desperate so I plucked up the courage to go to the door. It was the gas board and there was a big leak and the side of my house! Dug up for a week fixing it. Good example of why to check

Try not to worry OP. It was probably a welfare check. Answer the door next time, if only to get rid once and for all.

If you are really scared of people knocking on your door (and the evasive answers make it seem like you have good reason to be) then a ring doorbell or similar would probably make you feel better. At least you'd be able to find out what they wanted Nd no be left in a state worrying

Do put a sign on your door. It would panic me too when you live so rurally. Maybe she was lost or needed help.