Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Stranger Danger

13 replies

JaffaCake70 · 27/10/2021 22:07

Hi all

Something slightly unusual happened earlier this evening and I'd just like your take on it.

It was around 6pm, I'd not long been home from work and was chatting to my partner on the phone when I heard a knock at the front door (I was home alone).

I looked through the spy hole and saw a young woman standing outside the house so I opened the door. The young woman had an open laptop in one arm and a mobile phone in the other hand.

The woman looked a little agitated and said that she lived down the street (I haven't lived here long and keep myself to myself, therefore I don't really know anyone on the street apart from one set of neighbours). She then said that she was trying to participate in a job interview on her laptop but her house alarm had started to go off (I'm not sure why she couldn't turn it off) and she couldn't continue with the interview in her own home so could she come into mine for around 30 min's to have her interview!!

I was really taken aback as I just think this is a bit of an odd thing to do. I have never seen this person before, she has never seen me, yet she knocks on my door and asks to come in for half an hour?!!

Anyway, I made an excuse and did not let her inside my house. It's basic common sense that we don't let strangers into our houses isn't it?

I'm asking here as I felt a bit mean afterwards, she did look a bit distressed, but surely I did the right thing?

Sat here wondering with no one to ask so thought I'd put it to the Mumsnetters :-)

OP posts:
bestcattoyintheworld · 27/10/2021 22:21

Up to no good I would say. It's very easy to turn an alarm off. She was probably agitated because she needed her next fix which was why she was trying to gain access to a house to rob.

LibrariesGiveUsPower45321 · 27/10/2021 22:28

No way. Either about to rob you or scouting to see if you’ve got anything worth value.

Every McDonald’s and Starbucks has free WiFi.

Tomthumbsbigbum · 27/10/2021 22:36

Sounds dodgy to me. Why did she choose your house and not her immediate neighbours who she's more than likely exchanged some pleasantries with.
You did the right thing I think. She could have toggled her laptop to her phone using 4g and gone somewhere outside or in a car if desperate.

Original poster
JaffaCake70 · 27/10/2021 22:40

@Tomthumbsbigbum I'm not sure if she'd tried other houses before mine. She was looking up and down the street as she was talking to me as if to see where she could try next.

The whole thing has unnerved me a bit tbh. I'm home alone tonight and should have been asleep ages ago (4.30am alarm!) but now I can't sleep as my over active imagination is telling me that the woman and her gang know that I'm home alone and they're coming back to break in!!! :-(

OP posts:
Helptonight · 27/10/2021 23:01

How about ringing 101, let the police know you've had a weird interaction. You never know they might have had other reports and will send a car to do a check for anything suspicious. Hope you get some Zzz's soon Flowers

Duchess379 · 27/10/2021 23:07

Very dodgy - sounds like she's scouting your house to see what you've got. Report it online to your local police & make sure you keep doors/windows locked when you're not in

Redarrow2017 · 27/10/2021 23:56

This reply has been withdrawn

Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

TurnUpTurnip · 28/10/2021 00:12

The alarm thing could be true as it happened to me and no it wasn’t easy to turn off! I had to call the emergency council, though saying that I still wouldn’t let someone in even if it was true, I’ve lived in my house for 6 Years and I still wouldn’t have knocked on the neighbours and asked to come in as I’m just not close enough to them in that way never mind a stranger

Ijustknowitstimetogo · 28/10/2021 00:16

What is an ‘emergency council’?

TurnUpTurnip · 28/10/2021 00:27

It’s a council house I’m sure you know what I meant, I had to call them to come out to sort the alarm as it was so screeching the house down, I had a flood but like I said sure you know what I meant 🙄

Snoopfroggyfrogg · 28/10/2021 15:41

It could have been true, I was I a rented place and thought the burglar was defunct as I had no details or codes for it but it went off in a power surge and nobody could get the sodding thing to stop beeping! You did the right thing though, she could have been anyone.

Original poster
JaffaCake70 · 28/10/2021 21:08

@Snoopfroggyfrogg The thing is, I believe she was probably telling the truth, but I still think she's a bit loopy to be knocking on a strangers door asking to be let inside for 30 min's. It's not just my suspicion of her, but also the fact that she is a young woman, willing to go inside a strangers house. I could be an axe murderer!!!

OP posts:
dawngreen · 08/06/2022 13:52

Maybe wanting to try and sell some thing dodgy to you or to steal.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page