To not answer door to neighbour

[Koalababy]

It’s 8 am and neighbour has rung my doorbell twice already. Have no idea what they want but I don’t feel like answering the door. They probably know I’m in which is why they keep ringing the bell but AIBU to ignore until I feel like it?

intheenddoesitreallymatter

I'd text her.

"Hi Neighbour, D(S,D,H,Cat,Dog) said you knocked earlier. We are quarantining so I won't knock on. What's the matter?

Good grief, why would your neighbour have your text number?

Furrybutts

I am the totally wrong person to answer this as I never answer my door.

People who don't know me well will ask, " don't you want to know who it is?"

Nope.”👏

@Ginfordinner

Why wouldn't you answer the door? There are far too many self important posters on this thread. What makes you think that your time is more important than the person who has taken time out of their lives to dare to knock on your door?

Are you taking the piss?

Assuming you're not, you are quite the little supercilious busybody AREN'T you?! You'd get a bloody sharp short-shrift from me, if you displayed THAT attitude towards me in real life. Thank GOD you are not a neighbour of mine. I bet half the houses in your street are for sale aren't they?!

By the way, yes my time IS more important than some random nobody (that I am not expecting,) who is knocking on my door.

And if that makes me self-important, then I will quite happily wear that badge.

NEWSFLASH: whether I answer my door or not, has got fuck-all to do with you.

Got that? Good!

@LowlandLucky

A few years ago a neighbour knocked on the door asking for help, she had found her Husband dead in his bed. Hope you never need to call for help OP, maybe some will ignore you.

@StillCoughingandLaughing

And what did you do to help that a doctor or the police couldn’t have done? Unless you live next door to Lazarus, I’m guessing your next door neighbour’s husband was still dead even after you answered the door.

PMSL! Brilliant.

The kind of underhand passive-aggressive guilt trip bollocks (from a few posters,) is amusing at best, and ludicrous and offensive at worst.

Who the fuck do they think they are, that they think can TELL people they should answer the door to every random fucker who knocks?! And if they don't, they're bad people?

But a lot of us do have abusive exes or anxiety . It is a really common thing. No need to be snarky about something which causes so many of us a lot of pain.

I'm sorry, don't think I made myself clear. I listed those as valid reasons for not answering the door.

I guess that I am lucky that I have nice neighbours and don't get anyone (as far as I know) dodgy who rings our doorbell.

Besides, I am far too nosy and would want to know why someone rang my doorbell.

TBH, I don't know anyone who never answers their doorbell or a knock. Maybe because I live in a friendly area?

I had to chuckle at the poster who had to shout through the letterbox to tell someone their cat had died.

How I wish I was only woken up by a neighbour knocking on my door at 8am. Currently I'm being woken up by large diggers and steam[?] rollers, 8' from my living room/bedrooms by 8am, due to a large property development going on alongside our house. On the other side of the house we have another property development ongoing.

However, aside from that yes, if my neighbour was knocking on my door at that time I'd definitely answer; but that's because I know they wouldn't do that unless they felt a real need to. It obviously depends on the individual neighbour situation. I'd be wafting about in my nightie then (and maybe not even that), so they'd need to be desperate to knock on my door.

@Ginfordinner

You've left me seriously wondering if you answer your phone every single time it rings regardless of what you are doing for fear of wasting the callers precious time.

Do you do this? Carry your phone round everywhere and answer it every single time that it rings, regardless of who it is? How is this different?

if my neighbour was knocking on my door at that time I'd definitely answer; but that's because I know they wouldn't do that unless they felt a real need to.

Same here., but I know my neighbours, and know it would be a very good reason.

"Same here., but I know my neighbours, and know it would be a very good reason."

OP has already stated that her neighbours are a pain and frequently waste her time.

No ignore them last time I answered my door to a neighbour they wanted me to flush my loo cos theirs was blocked????!!!! Idiots

@Ginfordinner

A lot of mumsnet bingos on this thread.

If you don't live in a rough area
Don't have an abusive ex
Don't suffer from anxiety
Have nice neighbours
Aren't on a call

Why wouldn't you answer the door? There are far too many self important posters on this thread. What makes you think that your time is more important than the person who has taken time out of their lives to dare to knock on your door?

Do they need an appointment to do this?

How ironic that you’re talking about Mumsnet Bingo - and then you trot out the ‘needing an appointment’ line that we always get on these threads.

Does it really not occur to you that there might be a middle ground between turning up unannounced (and therefore suggesting that YOUR time is more important than that of the person you’re calling on) and having to make a written appointment with a calling card three weeks in advance? What’s so wrong with a quick call or text saying ‘Can I pop over tomorrow?’ or whenever? And yes, I do understand there are genuine emergencies and it’s not always possible to check - but despite all the examples on this thread, I think house fires and gas explosions are actually pretty rare.

@DenisetheMenace

makingmammaries

*Why wouldn't you answer the door? There are far too many self important posters on this thread. What makes you think that your time is more important than the person who has taken time out of their lives to dare to knock on your door?

Do they need an appointment to do this?*

Anyone who is so self-important that they believe they have the right to disturb my household at 8am when they probably have no idea of our working patterns can bugger off.

Yes! I feel the same way. Same with the phone.

A real emergency is something like house being on fire, a heart attack etc. someone needing a chat can wait.

I am genuinely perplexed to hear there are people who are so interested in knowing why someone is knocking on their door that they would get out of bed at 8AM to answer the door. Maybe because I've always lived in cities...we often have people at the door, and it is never interesting. Mostly it is delivery men, sometimes for ourselves, sometimes others. Occasionally someone wants to sell us something, or wants us to donate money to charity.

We get on well with our neighbours, if they ring or we ring it is because we need to discuss property issues or someone has received a parcel. We answer if it is convienient, as do they. If it's not convenient we try again at another time, no one gets upset. We do email or text as well when needed. I have never in my life had an emergency requiring the assistance of a neighbour, and no one has ever knocked on my door seeking emergency assistance. I just don't see why you'd assume any knocking at your door would even be interesting, nevermind urgent!!

@MumtherofCats

I am genuinely perplexed to hear there are people who are so interested in knowing why someone is knocking on their door that they would get out of bed at 8AM to answer the door. Maybe because I've always lived in cities...we often have people at the door, and it is never interesting. Mostly it is delivery men, sometimes for ourselves, sometimes others. Occasionally someone wants to sell us something, or wants us to donate money to charity.

We get on well with our neighbours, if they ring or we ring it is because we need to discuss property issues or someone has received a parcel. We answer if it is convienient, as do they. If it's not convenient we try again at another time, no one gets upset. We do email or text as well when needed. I have never in my life had an emergency requiring the assistance of a neighbour, and no one has ever knocked on my door seeking emergency assistance. I just don't see why you'd assume any knocking at your door would even be interesting, nevermind urgent!!

Exactly!

don't get me started on those people selling dusters!

Surely they can sell them on internet

Our neighbour knocked the other day early. They had BT due and needed access to the drain DH was parked over 🤷🏻‍♀️ It’s not always a moan.

We did have an early morning knock on the door from our neighbour once. I was in the shower but luckily DH was home and answered the front wondering who it was. He was surprised to see neighbour as most people know to come through the gate and to the kitchen door and they also have a side door and we usually knock on there as they don’t always hear the front door. Neighbour was white as a sheet and had struggled to get to the door... he had just fallen off his roof. He is a joiner and was re- roofing there house. DH took him to hospital.

We usually open the door but not if I am in the shower before work, not if I am on the loo and occasionally not if I am still in bed. Though usually I check to see if there is a van/ car there. If it someone else’s parcel I am not getting up for that. Luckily I did check recently it was our builder and the delivery hadn’t turned up at the house he was building ( they were in Leeds) so he came to ours early. First time ever he was usually late. He thought it was very funny when I greeted him in my dressing gown.

I wouldn't. Yesterday one of my neighbours complained that a pigeon had flown from my roof to their fence. But my neighbour is a loon

What did they want, OP?

@Ginfordinner

But a lot of us do have abusive exes or anxiety . It is a really common thing. No need to be snarky about something which causes so many of us a lot of pain.

I'm sorry, don't think I made myself clear. I listed those as valid reasons for not answering the door.

I guess that I am lucky that I have nice neighbours and don't get anyone (as far as I know) dodgy who rings our doorbell.

Besides, I am far too nosy and would want to know why someone rang my doorbell.

TBH, I don't know anyone who never answers their doorbell or a knock. Maybe because I live in a friendly area?

I had to chuckle at the poster who had to shout through the letterbox to tell someone their cat had died.

Lol my neighbours cat died and I didn't have the heart to tell them. Poor cat . Poor neighb.

@ginandwineandbaileys

I wouldn't. Yesterday one of my neighbours complained that a pigeon had flown from my roof to their fence. But my neighbour is a loon

What???!!

*Exactly!

don't get me started on those people selling dusters!

Surely they can sell them on internet*

I am now picturing all these very enthusiastic door responders living in their remote countryside homes running to the door in their pyjamas to greet their annual doorbell caller...

Surely anyone who lives in a bigger city/town can't be bothered for every knock on the door! I guess if you live very remotely it would be a rare occurance and perhaps more interesting

I guess if you live very remotely it would be a rare occurrence and perhaps more interesting

That pretty much sums us up. An unexpected knock at the door is pretty unusual for us, and when it does happen it is always for a good reason. And as life is so dull these days it adds a bit of excitement

I did read the OP's update about her neighbours not being very nice. My earlier response (which admittedly was badly worded) wasn't in response to her.

Well I had my CV-19 jab this morning and went to bed PM because I was feeling a bit achy and shivery. In that time 2 people knocked on my door and Im damned if Im going to get out of bed for some random person Im not expecting. If its important they can try again or leave a note.

My in laws neigbours knocked on their door very late one night, they weren't going to answer but good job they did because huge sparks were coming from the chimney on to the roof, they didn't notice a thing! But seeing as your neighbour is a serial complainer I'd be tempted to ignore it too.

Please tell me you put your phone up to your ear and pretended you were chatting on it, then smiled and waved through the window just to piss her off.