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Original poster

Would this scare you?

29 replies

saadia · 11/06/2006 22:42

One Friday, at midnight, dh was alseep upstairs with ds1. Ds2 was sleeping downstairs on the sofa. I was downstairs just shutting off lights, checking doors etc ready to go up when I passed the front door. We have a blurry window and net curtain on the front door so you can't see out clearly but I noticed that a car had pulled up outside the house and the brake lights came on. Then someone started knocking on the front door.

I was terrified, grabbed ds2 and fled upstairs to wake dh. We looked out the window and saw the car and a man at the door. Dh went downstairs and yelled through the door "What do you want?". I thought we were all about to die, that a gang was about to break in to rob us. The man said "taxi". There are a few roads in the area with the same name as ours so could be an honest mistake. Dh said "We didn't call for a taxi" and the man went to his car and after a while drove off.

When I told this to friends and relatives, some thought I had totally over-reacted and shouldn't have been scared, while others admitted they would habe been terrified as well. I was just wondering what the MN view was.

OP posts:
WideWebWitch · 11/06/2006 22:43

Nope, wouldn't have occurred to me to be scared when someone knocked on my door, esp with dh there!

edam · 11/06/2006 22:43

I can see why you were startled. But I wouldn't be worried about it after the event. You hadn't been watching a scary movie, or anything, had you?

moondog · 11/06/2006 22:47

No
Used to have all manner of folk knocking when i lived i n the centre of town.

Original poster
saadia · 11/06/2006 22:47

no edam, I must just be a wuss Blush.

OP posts:
edam · 11/06/2006 22:48

aw, bless you!

handlemecarefully · 11/06/2006 22:49

Would have been scared at the time (particularly since we have electric security gates, lol) but not bothered after the event (given that there is a plausible explanation)

Beauregard · 11/06/2006 22:49

I probably would have been friggin Angry

Rhubarb · 11/06/2006 22:50

We used to get taxis at strange hours and pissed off take away delivery men. I think it was a mistake, but trying to convince a pizza delivery man that I had not ordered a pizza at 2am whilst trying not to wake up my newborn dd was not very pleasant!

Original poster
saadia · 11/06/2006 22:53

thanks for your responses - you guys are brave [impressed emoticon].

OP posts:
marthamoo · 11/06/2006 22:55

Not with dh there, but I was woken once at about 3am by someone hammering on the front door when dh was on call, and there is no way I would have opened the door (turned out to be some pisshead with the wrong house - I peered out of the window)

Tortington · 11/06/2006 23:31

think its much depends on the area in which you live. i wouldn't have had this reaction in my present home but may have done in the past.

mrsbang · 11/06/2006 23:38

I've had taxi drivers, and takeaways delivered at strange hours.

TBH, it doesn't scare me, but I never ever go near the door (tis usually me as DH often at work overnight) just open the bedroom window to tell them they've been given the wrong info/got the wrong house. Have been lucky in that they're usually extremely apologetic, rather than abusive (I know that happens to some folk).

It can be "startling" though, if you're not used to it, or if you're asleep and they wake you up.

SparklyGothKat · 12/06/2006 00:31

we had the police banging on our door at 4am one night! I woke up wondering 'what the hell!!' opened the door with the chain on, heart thumping, to 2 police officers and a sniffer dog!! Shock Apparently something had happened on the field nearby and the dog traced it back to our house Shock I still think it had something to do with my dodgy neighbours.

TwinsetandPearls · 12/06/2006 00:37

I would not answer the door at that time, that is what dp is for! Grin

Chandra · 12/06/2006 00:38

We had that a couple of months ago (no brake lights though!) They knocked the door as if the house was on fire which startled me a bit especially as the dogs had just been barking a lot and... I thought it was the neighbour coming to complain about the noise Blush... and yes, the neighbour it was, but to tell us that somebody was stealing a bike from our back garden.

Original poster
saadia · 12/06/2006 10:19

I think I need to toughen up. I do get very shaken by these things and if dp hadn't been there I would have been beyond terrified. In fact I have even thought up an escape route in case anyone every breaks in.

I think mrsbang's idea of calling from the bedroom window is a good idea if anything similar happens in the future. I am just so paranoid about them knowing that there is a woman alone at home.

OP posts:
southeastastra · 12/06/2006 10:49

i would have been worried too, you're not the only wuss!

Original poster
saadia · 12/06/2006 10:51

thanks southeastra Smile

OP posts:
tenalady · 12/06/2006 10:52

I think it depends on your neighbourhood. I would of been cautious naturally at such a late hour.

Blu · 12/06/2006 10:53

If I thought I was about to die etc, I would be terrified - but I don't imagine that someone knocking on myu door will result in instant death! Smile

wannaBe1974 · 12/06/2006 13:01

would have been unnerved but would never have thought of it as being a robber or anything, would be more likely to have thought it was someone bearing bad news. Worth remembering that most burgleries happen during the day while people are out or while they're away on holiday, and that those who do burgle during the night generally don't park their car outside and knock on the door.

I grew up in South Africa and therefore I know all too well the feeling of utter fear when you hear a noise outside, thinking that it could be someone about to break in and do you and your family harm. Generally though the UK is a lot safer than a lot of countries and unless you live in an area which is well known for drugs and violent crime I'd try not to worry too much.

Original poster
saadia · 12/06/2006 13:14

yeah I suppose my sense of perspective is a bit skewed. The area is OK, it's not posh but it's not rough either. I mean it is a pleasant place to live but you do sometimes hear drunken youths shouting at night. Actually all your comments have helped alot, I just get very affected by news stories about break-ins and violence.

OP posts:
southeastastra · 12/06/2006 13:57

i was awoken one summer night at 4 in the morning by a drunk bloke shouting 'im gonna kills you kenny' frightened the life out of me, it was so scary. Im a wuss totally overactive imagination, someone knocking on my door after 10 frightens me! Smile

Original poster
saadia · 12/06/2006 17:32

same here southeastastra, luckily dh was home when this incident happened but he sometimes travels and works late and those nights I take the dss up early to bed and go to bed early myself.

One time though it was 3am in the morning, I was pg and sleeping in the spare room as our room was being decorated, and dh was away. The window from our side wall is right opposite next door's window, and someone there put the light on and it really seemed as though someone had put the light on in our house - that really freaked me out.

OP posts:
jamese · 12/06/2006 18:00

would also have woken up DH so he could go to the door etc.

In fact someone did knock of our door at about 10.30pm and I got DH from upstairs to open door... It was someone I knew dropping something off.

I felt really silly about jumping and thinking oh hell, how is it and getting DH.

But def at midnight I would know it wasn't a friend etc. (they would phone first).