Neighbour outraged I ignored the door

[Scrumbler]

For context I've lived in my home for 6 years, I have a baby and we get on with our neighbours very well usually.

Yesterday someone banged on the door a few times and I ignored it. I never answer my front door because everyone who I'm expecting use the side door. We get a lot of cold callers and religious people who knock alot so I will never answer it.
Today I see my neighbour and his son has a bandage on and I asked what happened, he'd had an accident yesterday in the street, my neighbour said his wife knocked on my door at the time for me to call an ambulance because she's panicked and left her phone in her house so I said I'd heard the knocking but didn't know what it was.
He looked at me completely gone out and then asked me why I'd ignored her. I explained I obviously didn't know it was an emergency or I would have course answered. But he told me I was selfish and slammed his door as he went in.
I carried on taking my shopping out of the car and then his wife comes out asking if I'd ignored her! I told her I don't answer that door and didn't know it was an emergency but she just went mad shouting how horrible that was and asked what kind of person doesn't answer there door.

I know their probably still shook up but I didn't know what had happened.
To clarify, their child seems fine from what the dad told me before he found out I'd ignored the door and turned out to be a very minor injury. I feel awful it happened but I didn't ignore them on purpose knowing they were needing an ambulance so I think they've been a bit over the top.

The cavalry will be along in a minute to say that no one should ever answer their front door and that doing so is an invitation to be murdered but, frankly, I don’t know how people actually cope living like this - and your OP demonstrates why. Your neighbour needed urgent help from you for a medical emergency for their child. You ignored repeated banging, not just a knock that might be a cold caller. No reasonable person in your situation would’ve ignored it.

Your neighbours don’t get to demand you answer your door. You, in turn, don’t get to complain that they’re pissed off that you ignored them during a medical emergency.

Have you really never needed to contact someone by knocking on their door without giving them notice? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve knocked on someone’s door to tell them that there’s rain going through the upstairs window they left open or that the rain is getting the laundry on their balcony wet or that their car lights are left on or that there’s a parcel dumped on their porch that’s likely to get stolen. I think this attitude is really just making a rod for your own back, saying “no” to cold callers is much easier than realising too late that you ignored something important.

I think not answering the door is a bit weird - I get why you do it, though.

Surely going back in their own home for the phone would be quicker then repeatedly banging on yours

It’s your front door, and (apart from someone with a search warrant or other legal power of entry, who won’t need you to answer the door anyway) you can answer it or not as you see fit.

But I agree, as an adult, it is a bit weird to be scared to answer your own door.

I’d assumed (perhaps correctly, perhaps incorrectly) that she’d rushed out without her keys too?

I have no time or understanding for people who have a generic “I don’t answer my door if it’s not pre planned or it’s the wrong door” just bloody answer it!

They are being unreasonable to call an ambulance for a minor injury. Sound like drama llamas and he was downright rude.

It is your choice whether to answer your door or not and I think your neighbours are being rude, Did you make it clear to them that you did not know it was them rather than not knowing it was an emergency.

It's completely up to you whether or not you chose to answer your front door.

You did not know it was them or that there was an emergency.

It sounds like your neighbours are the type to try and point the finger of blame ... there is no blame they can send your way OP.
You are not there to attend other people's emergencies, you could've been asleep, in the shower, just putting the baby to bed or out.
Your neighbour should have knocked once, accepted you weren't going to answer and then sorted out their own problem.

You did nothing wrong at all.

I just cant get my head around the no door answering and no phone answering brigade. I dont know anyone in real life who think like this, its really weird

They sound dramatic, but I agree with PP, I don’t really understand the ‘not answering the door’ thing.

It is hardly your fault if your neighbour is an airhead who panics in a minor emergency.

Yabu not to answer the door to anyone. I've never understood this on Mumsnet. If it's a cold caller it's not hard to say not interested thanks.

So she left her phone in the house in an emergency and that somehow becomes your fault/problem ?

Ultimately your door, your choice as to whether you answer it or not.

I think it's really odd not to open your door in the daytime. Late at night I can understand. To not even look to see who it was makes it even odder.

Your neighbours actions were a bit strange too but she was in a panic.

The who cold caller thing is just silly. I doubt you get lots and any occasional one can be told politely that you're not interested. Answer your door FGS. Poor kid and poor neighbours.

Just answer the sodding door. Use a chain/peephole or whatever if you are concerned about safety.

If it's a chugger or whatever you just tell them to go away but sometimes people have legitimate reasons to knock.

Yesterday someone banged on the door a few times and I ignored it. I never answer my front door because everyone who I'm expecting use the side door. We get a lot of cold callers and religious people who knock alot so I will never answer it.

The other week I had someone "unexpectedly" knock on my door. It was the gas emergency people investigating a leak next door and we had to evacuate the house of 4 hours. It's not the first time either!

I don't understand why people "never" answer the front door. Seems totally bonkers to me.

No one is obligated to answer their door.

Just answer the door.

Get a ring doorbell if you must and then you can see who it is.

When we found a bomb, the police had to evacuate the house adjoining ours. It could’ve exploded and killed someone. Imagine just ignoring that! But I’m sure that OP would find a way it was the police’s fault if she got killed or injured.

This ^

You did not know it was them or that there was an emergency
Exactly @TossieFleacake ! So most people err on the side of neighbourliness and answer the door - not ignore the banging "several times"
Sitting inside without even considering options other than cold caller is self centred

Never heard of this refusing to answer the door except on MN. Rude and selfish IMHO. And pretty silly too. As in the case of an emergency.

Just ignoring the door is weird af. Yabu.
I have a spyhole which I use to avoid cold callers.