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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Strange man ringing doorbell at this time of night

111 replies

HouseIsOnFire · 18/02/2023 00:32

My doorbell just went off and someone was hammering the door, by the time I was out of bed it went again but when I got downstairs he was getting in car and driving off. Definitely don't know them, did get the reg and make of car.
AIBU To be freaking out???

YANBU normal response!
YABU surely just had wrong address

OP posts:
IndiaDreamer · 18/02/2023 08:05

MsCarriePooter · 18/02/2023 07:26

Never ever ever open the door or even go downstairs. NEVER.

Open an upstairs window, shine a strong torch powerfully on them and say,

'Stop knocking. You are going to waken the whole house.'

If it is a wrong food delivery, they can tell you but even if they tell you that someone has been run over outside your front door, don't open yours. Let them go to a neighbour.

So it's ok for the neighbour to open the door?

ScruffGin · 18/02/2023 08:13

Happened to me years ago when I was home alone, I answered the door with my dog (who is very large and barks very scarily, but it's actually friendly). This guy jumped back 6ft and looked terrified 😂
He was actually a policeman and there had been a burglary over the back and they wondered if I'd seen anything.

TaRaDeBumDeAy · 18/02/2023 08:17

Blueberrymuffin03 · 18/02/2023 01:29

Open your bedroom window next time, I always do this now day or night.
We are on the end house and used to get this alot and we've had quite a few incidents that have been very odd, my dog has a scary bark and doesn't take kindly to strangers so he's seen off a few oddballs. Never answer the door.

On crimewatch once someone stuck their head out the top window instead of opening the door and got shot through the chin/head with a shotgun.

shrunkenhead · 18/02/2023 08:18

@SpringIsSpringing23 exactly my thoughts too!
@IndiaDreamer and what if no other neighbours answer the door and the man dies?! The whole someone-else-will-do-it attitude stinks!

Dragonfly97 · 18/02/2023 08:21

This happened to me a few months ago, it was 11.30pm, my dog started barking so I looked out and some bloke was coming up the path. I was on my own, so I opened the bedroom window and he mumbled something I couldn't understand. I told him to shut the gate on his way out, then watched him go to his car and get on his phone; I realised then he was a pizza delivery bloke. He'd been mumbling "You order food?" I could've had free pizza 😉 frightened me to death at the time as I'd just been falling asleep and Ddog went beserk. Flats down the road with the same house numbers, so there was a mix up.

GnomeDePlume · 18/02/2023 08:25

We have a labrador/border collie cross. He got on very well with the cat (cat was in charge of the dog).

Suzi888 · 18/02/2023 08:28

DixonD · 18/02/2023 00:57

This happened to someone a few roads away from us. The young lady opened the door and three people burst in (one a woman) and they burgled her at knifepoint.

Jesus…

Danielle2500 · 18/02/2023 08:30

Really? You can’t imagine why a woman living alone might be frightened by late night knocking on door? Yes somebody could be in trouble or equally they can be burglars.

oakleaffy · 18/02/2023 08:52

@HouseIsOnFire
I had this at 10 past midnight
I was Fuckung terrified.
The motorcycle rider was shining a torch through my windows
he was banging on glass. And the front door.

I was shaking with fear.

My male neighbour went to see what noise was

A Fuckung Deliveroo man
he stayed outside over ten minutes!!!

oakleaffy · 18/02/2023 08:53

Edit: Deliveroo delivery to wrong house.
the banging for ten mins and torch through windows was terrifying for a lone woman

liveforsummer · 18/02/2023 08:56

Whenever someone knocks on my door, day or night I pop my head out there window rather than go downstairs to answer. Im not surprised you were unnerved

oakleaffy · 18/02/2023 08:57

TaRaDeBumDeAy · 18/02/2023 08:17

On crimewatch once someone stuck their head out the top window instead of opening the door and got shot through the chin/head with a shotgun.

Show quote history

Chap Dh taught opened his door at 9 pm - was stabbed in chest.
Police think mistaken identity as he’d only just bought the house.

He survived- but after that I never open door without first checking out of upstairs windows.

Bingoflings · 18/02/2023 09:16

Scary stories on here, chins being shot off etc.
I would have been scared @HouseIsOnFire .
Once when I was waiting up for DH to finish his shift (ETA midnight). Watching a programme about murder on TV like you do. Massive thud on door the way DH knocks. Stupid here opens it thinking it's DH but it was the new neighbor on the end and I actually screamed. He had come for his parcel. Scared the life out of me.
15 years before when we were students a guy knocked on our door when I was home alone. I looked out the window and he was standing on the doorstep holding a massive branch that had come off a tree (half the size of him). I didn't answer the door and reported to 101. Turns out he was on drugs and didn't know where he was.

liveforsummer · 18/02/2023 09:17

On crimewatch once someone stuck their head out the top window instead of opening the door and got shot through the chin/head with a shotgun.

If this was the intent don't think you'd be any safer with a downstairs window which was what op intended. Apart from anything though I cba going down the stairs if I'm not required to and if someone unexpected is knocking at the door it's likely I don't need to which is why I always pop my head out the window

Original poster
HouseIsOnFire · 18/02/2023 09:43

Mystery bloody solved 😡 my batshit neighbour (please see previous thread) was coming home from a night out and ordered takeaway to my address by accident!
I put it on street whatsapp and woke up to PA answer that I should have seen who it was as they didn't get their food! No apology or anything, of course 🤬

OP posts:
MargaretThursday · 18/02/2023 09:45

I woke to hammering on the door once. I was in a haze of tiredness with baby dd2 and just stood at the window in silence.
After a bit he drove off, and I could hear dd2 beginning to disturb so I stayed still by the window.
About 20min later he returned, and came back up the path carrying a toolbox.
I panicked, phoned the police and he clearly heard me and fled.

The police said because we'd left the downstairs light on (for me feeding dd2) he'd probably thought we'd left it on as a security light when away and his banging on the door was to confirm that no one was there. They said another time switch a light on and flush the toilet to make it clear there's someone at home.

So the op wasn't being totally ridiculous thinking he was casing the joint.

Datafan55 · 18/02/2023 09:55

HouseIsOnFire · 18/02/2023 09:43

Mystery bloody solved 😡 my batshit neighbour (please see previous thread) was coming home from a night out and ordered takeaway to my address by accident!
I put it on street whatsapp and woke up to PA answer that I should have seen who it was as they didn't get their food! No apology or anything, of course 🤬

Do the neighbours not know where they live?!

(and .... My, people are entitled. I'd be horrified if I'd woken someone up/scared them late at night)

Original poster
HouseIsOnFire · 18/02/2023 10:02

Datafan55 · 18/02/2023 09:55

Do the neighbours not know where they live?!

(and .... My, people are entitled. I'd be horrified if I'd woken someone up/scared them late at night)

Show quote history

God knows! Am fuming, it's brought back all past incidents of CF!

OP posts:
Datafan55 · 18/02/2023 10:02

(hopefully you replied by DM or under your original post;
'Sorry (wally), that you are upset you didn't get your food. I had no idea it was a takeaway. All I knew was that it was past midnight, I was asleep, and a loud noise woke me, leaving me to worry about who it was and worried something was wrong.

I normally order takeaways to my own number as I know what number I live at')

PortiasBiscuit · 18/02/2023 10:04

I am always haunted by the thought of that girl who was killed in Ibstock. So many neighbours heard her calling for her mother that night and nobody did anything.

Rodneyisaplonker · 18/02/2023 10:08

I can’t believe folks would call the police if someone knocked the door at 12.30. That’s outrageous.

Milky4 · 18/02/2023 10:12

Could have been a taxi driver or food delivery but I'd be getting a ring doorbell nonetheless!

Milky4 · 18/02/2023 10:13

Sorry- just seen the update! Glad mystery solved!

TeenLifeMum · 18/02/2023 10:15

We had this, it was next doors dominos order at 3am! They were drunk and put the wrong delivery number!

Johnnysgirl · 18/02/2023 10:16

Oh, wow! Was it left on your doorstep?!