To not understand why none of my neighbours answered the door

[Ihateitalot]

I moved in a month ago. I needed to get 10 year old dd from school but there was an issue with my front door not closing. I could have gone out the back but there was still the issue that the front door would literally not close.

I knocked on houses to see if someone could keep an eye on my door for max 15 mins. I could see some neighbours through their windows completely ignoring me or peeking back at me and then disappearing. The neighbour across from me I couldn’t see, but while I was phoning my mum to collect dd for me she answered the door for an ASOS parcel! Just so rude.

I’m beginning to think it’s because my face doesn’t fit, if you know what I mean. Next door but one completely blank me, and have crossed the street when they see me coming. I didn’t bother knocking on theirs.
One of the neighbours across from me was initially friendly, so I thought. He came over asking who my landlord was, then preceded to blank me every time after.

I feel like moving again.

Same @givemyheadpeaceffs im in dublin and if there's a ring or a knock id have to go and answer the door! Cant ignore it. That might be rooooooood.
Cant have that.

If that’s the case, I’d get the hell out of Dodge.
I’m White, but lived in Cities most my life, and when visiting rural friends once even had the plod ask what was I doing.
Walking my dog in the rain.
Alert! alert! 🚨 stranger in the village!

The absolute whiteness of rural areas does seem extremely noticeable-
I don’t think I’d want to live in some villages where “Curtain Twitching “ is a thing .

Oh come off it. You can't move into a new area and immediately expect your new neighbours to look after your property and be responsible for your front door if you haven't fixed it or arranged things properly to accomodate appointments or deliveries.

Nothing to do with race. Just lack of your organisation I"m afraid.

Same. I'm wfh, visible from the living room window, but if I'm in an online meeting or call I can't get up and answer the door.

Obviously if it appeared to be an emergency -person covered in blood just been hit by a car etc - I'd get off my call and answer, but otherwise I don't.

I also don't open the door to people with charity lanyards, the lads who go around trying to scam you into dodgy double glazing etc.

I answer the postman, and if I've invited someone.

I wouldn't mind if doing this whether it was a new or old neighbour. She only wanted them to keep an eye while she did the school run.

If I was able to do it at the time I would. It's not like it's a huge imposition.

I don’t get the people who don’t answer their door.

In the past I have taken in the neighbour’s children in an emergency, given a neighbour water when hers was cut off by road works, phoned the fire brigade for a neighbour who’s house was on fire, (Long story about why she knocked on our door rather than phone herself), called a neighbour’s son when she had locked herself out.

Perhaps it’s because I grew up in a small village where everyone knows everyone.

If you had knocked at my door this morning we wouldn't have answered the door as we were both working from home.
All four of my adult DC were working from their homes today.
One was doing an online exam and the other three were in meetings.
Maybe if you had called at the right time they might have opened the door but chances are they wouldn't have.

I don't know if your neighbours are racist or not.
Just because it's a white area doesn't mean it's more racist - it's individual thing.

I live in a very white lefty town where I suspect people are welcoming to everyone.

Abs you didn't knock on my door, because .............

I never answer the door unless I'm expecting someone or a delivery. I like my neighbours and talk to them and would answer if I thought they needed help with something but I wouldn't know if they were knocking as I wouldn't check!

It's probably nothing personal. Lots of people don't like answering their doors unless they are expecting someone and may have their reasons, I know I have mine!

Indeed! I often open the door to one of two neighbours who regularly give me their excess baking…. not good for the waistline but delicious. One neighbour actually delivers cakes to about a dozen nearby houses on various “occasions” such as Christmas, Easter, Bank Holiday etc. She doesn’t speak much English but the language of cake is universal.

But if it is racism what a horrible bunch of bastards!

I can’t answer the door because I tend to be wfh … I can’t believe people think you aren’t allowed to knock on peoples doors.

I really hope it isn’t racism.

I don't answer doors unless I know a parcel might be on the way.

Once when I answered the door I got sexually assaulted by the meter reading guy. Another time I answered the door to a strange man with some random story on why he's there and he turned out to have been stalking me.

That's more than enough for me. I'll pass on the cupcakes.

As a result of my experiences I'm not at all judgey if someone else doesn't come to the door. Happened yesterday with the downstairs neighbours (and I needed their assistance). Fine by me. Maybe they were butt naked.

Of course it is not racism!

I don't answer my door unless I am expecting someone. They were probably unnerved, doubly so if they are old and frail. I am not sure why you would immediately assume if was racism.

My neighbour sat at his table when I knocked, and carried on sitting there in full view until I went away again, unless it was an emergency I wouldn't expect him to jump up and attend to me if he was otherwise busy.

We tend to text if we need to talk about anything, or call if it is urgent ie your dog is running in the street. Facebook is there for everything else. Either be persistent and keep knocking letting them know it is urgent or better still pop round when things are not so pressing and swap numbers with everyone so you can always contact them and vica versa.

Some people are rightly careful now. Not because you are new, but because we got the door knockers here or Jehovahs, it is usually nothing good or helpful these days!

**because we GET the door knockers or Jehovahs.

Don't flame me Mumsnet, some of my best friends are middle class 🤣

Op, your neighbours sound awful!

They sound either weird, rude or racist or any combination of these tbh. Sorry I hope they get better.

Also my door doesn't stop knocking with endless deliveries and shopping etc, I am kind of sick of it and avoid at all costs answering if I can possibly help it, I also don't want to take in even more parcels for other people.

Wait and see what they are like in person before deciding to move.

@lameasahorse

*glad I do not live next to you!!

I'm pretty glad about that too.*

Not need to get so bitchy about it. I was just saying I wouldn't expect a total stranger, new neighbour or not, to look after my house or children.

I'm sorry you feel this way in your new home ok.would u feel brave enough to go introduce yourself.

Was it the first time you knocked on their doors?

I do think it’s odd that you wanted someone to watch your front door when you could have easily put something up against it and gone out of the back.

They could ofcourse not like you but since they didn’t even answer I would assume it was because they thought you were a salesperson and I wouldn’t have answered whilst I was getting ready for work either.

You also sound very trusting to let your neighbours know you’ll be gone and your home will be wide open.

I think it would be massively coincidental if every single neighbour had a reason for not answering their door, as some posters seem to be suggesting. I agree it's deeply weird.