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Original poster

Postman opening my front door - who do I complain to?

96 replies

FlameInHell · 27/10/2007 12:16

It has happened a couple of times before - parcels appearing on my mat that can't fit through the letterbox. Today I was sat on the stairs as he opened my front door and threw a parcel in

I'm fuming - had a go at him, asked him not to do it, and he rambled about us not being in a lot and it saving taking it back to the sorting office - even with me explaining that if we are not in the THE DOOR IS LOCKED. He didn't even try knocking

I could have been naked, I could have a small animal that shoots out of any open door, I could accuse him of rape for all he knows.

Who do I complain to? The local sorting office? A helpline of some sort?

I miss my old postman

OP posts:
dinny · 27/10/2007 14:16

mine just locks when you shut it as it's a yale, iykwim

VioletBaudelaire · 27/10/2007 14:16

If I was going to be walking around the house naked I would (and do!).

MeMySonAndI · 27/10/2007 14:44

Ok, let me see... you sometimes are around naked, have young children who could easily escape, or may be hit as they play by the door. Could you please explain to me why you don't lock the door? all those reasons even without the postman opening the door seem to be enough for me to keep it locked but then, I found DS and his little friend when they were barely 2, at the other end of the street, in the middle of the night, wearing nothing but their pijamas... so ]I might be biased.

seeker · 27/10/2007 14:52

Isn't it funny how different things upset different people! If I was upstairs or didn't hear the knock, I would be furious if the postman didn't try the door and if it was open put a parcel on the mat! I'd be ringing up saying "Why didn't he just try the door!"

saadia · 27/10/2007 14:55

I'm amazed that there are people who don't keep their front doors locked - not a criticism, just amazement.

Megsdaughter · 27/10/2007 14:56

We never lock our door when in, in fact we never lock our door!!!!!!

We went on holiday once for a month and never locked the door, in fact we hadnt even closed in properly!!! next door closed it on the way to work in the morning!!!!

We do live on a Army camp, behind the wire, but still must stop being so lax.

preggersagain · 27/10/2007 14:57

dear god our front door is rarely locked even if we're out! i do lock the doors at night but never in the day.

MeMySonAndI · 27/10/2007 14:57

The other day I was walking to town and saw a couple of rough teenagers trying every single front door in the street, until they found one open. They yelled at the door and as nobody came out they just walked in. Have been locking both front and back door religiously ever since.

lailasmum · 27/10/2007 14:57

I think if it bothers you so much then lock it then the problem is solved and you know your children can't get out as well, it doesn't take long for them to build up the strength to open those doors so you are probably saving yourself a potential problem.

People have different ideas of what is normal and I would rather have my friendly postman take the time to do that than put me out by missing a parcel. Maybe he just thought that he was doing you a favour and you having a go at him was a bit rude, maybe a gentle word would have been more appropriate. And you could have told him that you have a kid that likes to try to escape. I expect you'd probably find that the postman knows exactly where the jumpy old ladies live and doesn't do the same to them.

jalopy · 27/10/2007 15:05

That's what I was wondering. Do you live in an idyllic place where there is no crime. Do such places exist?

zippitippitoes · 27/10/2007 15:10

if i left the door unlocked i'd thin k someone might open it ..mine is a yale and doesn't really opccur to me to feel odd about it being locked ie i don't think of it a being locked in

jalopy · 27/10/2007 15:11

For those who go on holiday or go out without locking your houses up, surely you're not covered by insurance.

ADragonIs4LifeNotJustHalloween · 27/10/2007 15:11

My door's locked if it's shut.

Anyhoo, I wouldn't complain unless he does it again now you've asked him not to. He probably does think he's been doing you a favour/being helpful. My usual postie signs for recorded items for me so I don't have to go to the sorting office!

zippitippitoes · 27/10/2007 15:12

yeah i wopuldn't complain that seems prety unnecesary and tonbridge wells like

ADragonIs4LifeNotJustHalloween · 27/10/2007 15:12

And, quite frankly, I'd rather my postie saw me naked rather than me have to load up the SmallDragons and drive to the sdding sorting office in the centre of town with crp parking...

seeker · 27/10/2007 15:36

why would you lock your door when you're in?

jofeb04 · 27/10/2007 15:51

Flame,
It may be worth having a chat with your postie the next time you see him, explain the reasons as to why, and perhaps suggest somewhere (maybe a neighbour) to leave the parcel.

My door is never locked when I am in the home. I've got two young children, and still my door is not locked. My dc can not leave the front garden (they can't open the gate or get down steep steps!).

I feel upset that someone has to lock their own door when they are in their own house.

And, fwiw, I have been burgled before when I have been out of the house, and I am still not worried.

MrsBadger · 27/10/2007 16:20

For what it's worth, I think most of us who are saying 'wtf is the door unlocked?' have Yale type locks that open with a handle on the inside but need a key to get in from the outside.
We don't all lock ourselves in with keys during the day - apart from anything else it's a big ol' fire risk.

ADragonIs4LifeNotJustHalloween · 27/10/2007 16:38

Yes, I can't imagine having a door that's not automatically locked from the outside when you shut it.

expatinscotland · 27/10/2007 16:43

this house has two doors - one front door, a small foyer and then a glass front door.

we only close the front one if the weather is cold to keep the heat in.

the postie will open it and leave parcels in the foyer if we're not home.

no one locks doors here so we're not bothered.

saves us a long trip to the sorting office.

in the city, however, i didn't leave the front door open.

i mean, if you don't want any folk coming in, why not lock it?

it's not just posties who'd try the front door, after all. some kids do it for pranks.

lock your door then!

i wouldn't complain.

you already went ghetto at him.

TnOgu · 27/10/2007 16:46

Our postman does the same expat.

He sometimes stays and has a chat too.

SatanGeorge · 27/10/2007 16:48

We have a mahoosive porch and I leave the front door (yale) unlocked when I home.

The postie always puts parcels into the porch and then bangs on the internal door to let me know. Last week he almost fell into the living room because he automatically went to knock, without looking, and discovered we had removed the internal door

SatanGeorge · 27/10/2007 16:49

I am home

TheWickerCam · 27/10/2007 16:50

People whose doors open from the outside, aren't you afraid of getting burgled?

expatinscotland · 27/10/2007 16:51

i gave ours biscuits the other day, TnOgu .

of course, he sweet-talked one by saying, 'the savour of whatever you're baking is taking the heart from me.'

but seriously, if you don't want people opening your door then why not lock it?

as kids we used to go trying peoples' doors as a prank.

if one were open we'd peak our heads in and start shrieking or clack clangers and then run away.