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Original poster

If you thought intruders were in your home....

46 replies

BattyBadgerBadger · 22/10/2005 03:53

...at night, when you were in bed, what would you do?

Assuming you didn't have a DP to send downstairs!

I just found myself; first, considering calling the police then thinking better of it on the basis of a couple of bangs. Then warming up in the hope that if anyone was down there, they'd be long gone by the time I got downstairs.

Thankfully everything's fine, though I'm still considering it possible that someone was trying to get in.

If you were in a similar position, when would you consider calling the police?

Prior to now I would have said that I'd have called them if I was concerned at all to the point that I keep my mobile upstairs at night, but, it's strange how the mind works in the midst of a situation!

OP posts:

auntymandy · 22/10/2005 05:58

I think I would have frozen and hid under the covers.
Do you have a neighbour you could call?
Glad everything is ok. You poor thing, bet you wont go back to bed

suzywong · 22/10/2005 06:18

Apparently the thing to do is just yell to them to get out, and leave them a clear exit. Horrid things only usually happen when an intruder feels cornered and has to fight their way out.

Obviously most of us wouild have weed ourselves and only be able to squeak in a high girly voice, but you get the gist

auntymandy · 22/10/2005 06:20

'excuse me please, but could you go before I s**t myself'

freakyzebra · 22/10/2005 07:06

Pick up something heavy & start shouting...

philippat · 22/10/2005 07:47

definitely make a lot of noise getting up so they have lots of time to get away. Then call the police (you could always type 999 then have your finger on the ring button ready as you went downstairs).

spagblog · 22/10/2005 08:02

I would say loudly, "Darling, I think I heard something, can you go down and check" Then thump about upstairs and hope that they take the opportunity to leg it.

I scared myself silly once.
I heard a crash downstairs, but DH wouldn't go and look. I crept downstairs and found a vase on the floor next to a window I had left open. I assumed that the wind had blown the curtain, which had knocked the vase over.
I went back to bed, but became aware that something was in our room. I lay there petrified and then saw a shadow come round to my side of the bed. I screamed and bolted...frightening the nextdoor neighbour's cat!

I couldn't believe that my 6ft5 DH wouldn't go and check for me!

tigermoth · 22/10/2005 08:20

I'd quietly grab something heavy before making any noise to scare off the intruders, just in case they didn't go and I needed to protect myself. Would be quaking with fear.

LilacBump · 22/10/2005 08:30

i'd ring the police (phone next to the bed) and make sure DD is safe. any intruder would get the shock of their life seeing me run downstairs naked!

screwyslittlegoblins · 22/10/2005 09:09

I would get children and me in one room shut the door and baracde myself in. Then if I had the phone upstairs I would call the police being very vocal about it so it could be overheard and if didn't have a phone on me I would pretend to be calling the police very vocally (then hopefully they would run and leave us alone)

Hulababy · 22/10/2005 09:18

I'd get a burglar alarm sorted the very next day!

zippitippitoes · 22/10/2005 09:38

I regularly have nightmares about this characterised always by the fact that I can't manage to dial the right numbers on the phone however many times I try.

Dp used to work nights (has stopped for the time being) and being in the town centre I frequently though there were people trying to get in (side and back alleys to the house)In fact they are generally drunks. I 'm afraid I adopted the frozen under the covers daren't get out of bed to go to the loo posture.

WickedWestCountryLass · 22/10/2005 13:29

I have a cricket bat in my bedroom for this very event. I would probably call the police if I really thought someone was trying to get in/was in the house and hide in the wardrobe with my kids and the bat.

Smurfgirl · 22/10/2005 13:55

Cry. Then probably ring the police but I live in a grotty area and so if I heard stuff I probably WOULD be being broken into!

Kidstrack2 · 22/10/2005 13:57

When I was 17 and lived in a 2bed flat in a not so nice area, with my 3m old son, I heard this banging and chapping at my door it was 2am, my heart was thudding as I got out of bed and crawled along the hall to my living area to reach the phone (just incase they had seen me through the glass door although it was pitch black) I crawled back along my hall into my bedroom with the phone, and I couldn't remember my previous foster family phone number and they only lived round the corner on the same street, this was a telephone number i called every other day as I remained quite close to my foster family, but for the hell of me my fingers would not press the buttons and my head wasn't working, then I remembered my mob phone was charging in the kitchen, I crawled back along the hall while the banging continued with my heart thudding and I managed to call the number that I had stored in my mob, my foster dad came running round in a matter of mins in his boxer shorts, and the young man legged it that was trying to get into my flat, my foster dad named the guy and told me he was a known drug user, he waited with me until I called the police, the police were too busy so they said they would be out first thing in the morning, my foster dad said he would go home and check back in the morning, I couldn't sleep and about 3.30am I heard a quiet knock on the door, got up and went to answer it as I thought it was either the police or my foster dad checking on me, on the way down the stairs of my flat I grabbed an axe out the old coal bunker at the bottom of my stairs don't know why I did this but I did, and I'm so glad now I did because it was the same guy trying to get into my flat again, I could see him trying to put his hand through the letter box and grab the keys that were in the door, he was yelling my girlfriend is in your house, (of course he had the wrong house) but when I tried to yell back at him to explain it was the wrong flat etc nothing came out, I had lost my voice and my heart and my throat felt as if it were about to explode, I grabbed the axe and used the wooden end of it and chapped his knuckles, he then started screaming and pulled his hand from my letter box, I grabbed the keys ran back upstairs and dialled 999 I just managed to get the words :man trying to get in house; out before hanging up, police were there in 15mins by which time I had got myself into a state, they said grab your things and we will take you round to your foster carers house I got some clothes together and then I suddenly remembered my ds I had totally forgot all about him sleeping peacfully in his moses basket, I grabbed him and went and stayed away for a few days. I later left the flat and moved in with my dp. I now live in a terraced house upstairs/downstairs and feel much more safer I have so many locks and latches on my doors now, I have learned not to leave my key in the door!

suzywong · 22/10/2005 14:03

F^^^^ck!!!!!!!!!!!!

what an ordeal!

Miaou · 22/10/2005 14:06

Kidstrack that's awful, really makes me shudder! Thank god you managed to phone your foster parents. A similar thing happened to me a few years ago (before the kids were born) and it's true, your memory and ability to reason goes completely out of the window.

I thought we were being broken into a few months ago, just after we had moved house - I could hear the front door being rattled in the middle of the night. I immediately woke dh to go down and investigate! (he was less than chuffed as he was in the altogether!). Turned out it was dd2 sleepwalking and trying to get out of the front door - since then we lock the doors and take the keys out at night !

zippitippitoes · 22/10/2005 14:11

I had a friend who was at manchester university several years ago who was at home in a shared house and no one else was in. An gang armed with guns broke in and rampaged through the house, luckily she wasn't injured but (obviously)terrified out of her wits. She moved out.

Kidstrack2 · 22/10/2005 14:20

Actually mean't to add that the particular place and street that I lived in then, was on the news yesterday for a gun and drugs being found in a holdall just a few blocks from where I used to stay.

Chandra · 22/10/2005 14:27

MY only suggestion is turn on the lights, but don't go out of your bedroom, and be prepared to lock yourself in if it is necessary. If after 5 minutes after turning the lights on (and made enough noise to let the "thiefs" know you are wide awake and likely to go and check) you continue to hear varied and clearly human produced noises, ring the police. IMO most people who gets injured in house roberies are those who "bravely" go and check. Please remind yourself that whatever precious is something in the other room it is not worthy of risking the life of one of your family.

The police will not be there fast enough to protect your property anyway, you may only expect a speedy reaction if: a)You live next door to the police station or b)you tell them that somebody had been seriously injured...

fuzzywuzzy · 22/10/2005 15:20

This has happened to me several times, dp works shifts and some nights I'm a lone.
I tend to tiptoe back downstairs, mobile in hand ready dialled awaiting me to hit the connect button.
I tend to check and re-check all windows and doors about a million times when I'm home without dp at nights. Maybe being a mother has made me more courageous, previously I would be of the hide beneath the duvet brigade, but I can't lie in bed, thinking someone could be in our house and potentially hurt my babies....

fuzzywuzzy · 22/10/2005 15:24

Yikes just read some of the responses, mebbe wouldn't be quite so brave if I lived in an iffy area, my area is lovely and the neighbours can be counted on to come round to help should the need arise...thank God!!!

pixel · 22/10/2005 16:03

When we had our pub the alarm was always going off and frightening us out of our wits. DH would go downstairs, baseball bat in hand, and I would be left wondering how long I should wait before calling the police. It usually turned out to be something like a poster falling off the wall and crossing the infra-red beams!

This thread has made me realise that I really should get in the habit of taking to mobile upstairs at night just in case.

alittlebitscary · 22/10/2005 16:57

God i did this last night. I kept hearing a thud. made dh go down but he didn't check to my satisfaction lol. a bit later i went down, checked even the loo, behind the sofa (forgot to check in the fridge ....)

this morning i went and checked the side gate. it had been banging - oh well better safe than sorry.

juice · 22/10/2005 17:32

hi all. if dh is away for the night i usually take something to bed with me that would certainly frighten away anyone if they tried to get into my house.
i live in the countryside so no neighbours close enough and no street lights.

jamese · 22/10/2005 20:31

I had an incident a couple of years ago (before DD) hubby was away one night and I though I heard a noise in our front garden. then another at the window, then another in the loft.

I was surprised how much energy I had at this point - had actually got dressed and put shoes on, opened the bedroom window etc to look outside. When I heard the noise from above I then freaked out and phoned my mum to come and get me (3.00am). I then ran downstairs to the front door - forgot to get the front door key and shut myself in the porch.... Sh*t myself (literally) then waited for mum to come (she has spare keys in her car). then went home with her.

I was convinced that someone was in the house - and that my dogs would be harmed somehow. Anyway never found any evidence that someone had been in - and then a few weeks later heard the same noises. It turned out that someone a few doors down from us also has pebbles in the garden, shutting the front door sounded like our windows shutting. and the noise from the loft was actually a bird etc. Goes to show how when you are scared everything sounds much worse and closer. Can't believe I got my mum (70) out of bed at 3.00am and into her garage to get the car etc - She was much more at risk than me...

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