3am car alarm question - help! Anyone around?

[marthamoo]

Just been woken by banging on my bedroom wall and then the doorbell ringing. Next door neighbour (who is lovely btw) saying please can I do something about the car alarm as it has been going off all night and she hasn't slept a wink (it is very, very windy). I am at the back of the house and hadn't heard a thing. Dh is on call, I don't "do" cars, and I don't know if there's a way to lock it without having the alarm on. I've left it unlocked instead and won't sleep a wink now in case someone pinches it.

Oh help....

umm don't really do them either, but I guess you could just try to lock the car, if you've not already and see if it'll do it without automaticaly turning the alarm on? sorry but neither of ours are alarmed.....(no one's in need of nicking ours! they're welcome if they wana try!)and can you tell my dd not to wake her poorly mummy up then go back to sleep please....(whose now nursing lemsip)

I tried that - the alarm is still on whether I lock it with the key or the beeper on the key fob. Why are these things always when dh is at work?

Poor you btw - drink your Lemsip and try and get some sleep. Frizbe-dd: don't wake your poorly Mummy up!

Thanks marthamoo, I hope you get the alarm sorted, does it start beeping again as soon as you lock the car?

No, just when a gust of wind buffets it I think. It went off again when I was finding the key. It really is loud too - it's the car horn and it goes "BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!" I feel terrible - poor woman has work tomorrow.

oh yikes....what a nightmare.....sorry I'm no use when it comes to car alarms, do you have rac or owt like that, surely they could come to see to it?

We're with the RAC - but guess who has the membership card in his wallet? Not sure this would count as an emergency call out though.

Go to bed and try and get some sleep! Hope you feel better soon.

And my tummy's rumbling now - how can I be hungry at 4 in the morning? I'm going back to bed, will be up at 6, can see if car's still there then.

sure it will be, my throats hurting too much to sleep at mo.....ho hum....

Have you got one of those anaesthetic type sprays? If not, go and get one tomorrow (today...aaargh) They numb your throat long enough for you to get to sleep. Going now, night night x

good advice, thanks I shall take it!

Car's still there. Phew! I guess I'd better lock it before I take ds1 to school.

Any MN experts on de-sensitising car alarms? I guess we can't deactivate it as it would invalidate the insurance.

It's been going off all morning. I think my neighbours are organising a lynch-mob.

So I rang my Dad - he couldn't understand it, said it must be a fault, then as an afterthought said "oh...this is probably too obvious...you have checked all the windows are shut properly."

That's so obvious isn't it? Only a real eejit wouldn't check that. And yes, ds2's window was open a couple of millimetres - because he keeps fiddling with the winding handle. I know he does this, yet it didn't occur to me to check

I am going to make ds2 take some flowers round to my next door neighbour!

And wasn't there a thread somewhere about removing window winding handles....?

OMG how embarrasing sorry I didn't think of that at eeek o'clock!
still at least you were here to talk to me in the middle of the night eh?!
I reckon a bar of choc as well as flowers for the neighbour.....
Glad you got it sorted.

oh marthamoo. I'm so sorry, but I am laughing It is just the sort of the thing I would do. I hope your neighbour forgives you.

I need to go out and get some flowers - what disguise can I wear? We have various outfits - Harry Potter, Jango Fett, a pirate, a mummy outfit (the bandaged type) and a Spiderman suit. Oh and Buzz Lightyear.

How's you throat this morning, Frizbe? Have you been to the chemist yet?

Kayleigh, I am so . But I don't do cars - I was just pooing myself at having to put the key in the ignition to check the front windows were OK (they're electric). My Dad was going "it can't go anywhere - it's in "Park") I am such a car-wuss.

PMSL!

Marthamoo, wanted to hear how you got on with your neighbour. Or have you not plucked up enough courage yet ?

I bought her a bouquet in M&S and just grabbed her on her way to the Post Office to buy her evening paper. Apologised profusely again and blamed it all on ds2. She was fine - she is really lovely anyway, I couldn't wish for better neighbours. We even had a giggle about how we must have looked at 3.30 am, standing in the street in our dressing gowns, hair standing on end, lashed by the wind and rain...

I also gave her our 'phone number so if there's a next time she doesn't have to leave her house!

fingers x'd we all get better sleep tonight then! my throats fine at the mo, thanks for asking, I've gotten more lemsip, dequadin and that spray you suggested! feel almost human again!

Glad you sorted it out with her Marthamoo. You are lucky to have good neighbours.

I know I am - I've had the other type too and good ones are to be cherished!