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Post by freecharlie on Jan 31, 2015 23:25:34 GMT
Last night, someone rang our doorbell close to 10 pm. It was like someone hit the doorbell four or five times in a row. I honestly can't remember if they knocked or not.
Since this has become a thing on my Facebook feed, I wondered what the peas would do in that situation.
I'll tell you what we did after a little while, I don't want to influence anyone. If you could answer with where you live (not specifically, but suburban, city, rural, small town, small city...) and what your response would be to this situation, I'd appreciate it.
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Post by hop2 on Jan 31, 2015 23:28:09 GMT
I'd freak out
No one I know shows up at 10 pm without letting you know first
Rural/ suburban setting
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Post by 950nancy on Jan 31, 2015 23:29:59 GMT
I would never answer it by myself. We have a peep hole and the front porch light is on at night. I would call my neighbor across the street and have them scope it out because someone could be checking to see if you are home. We live "in the city" and too many weird stories about people pretending to be in need. Ain't no one got time for that!
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Post by darkangel090260 on Jan 31, 2015 23:31:33 GMT
answer it, because my family does not call at all they just show up. Friends know just come in the back door they are unlocked until I go to bed.
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Post by AussieMeg on Jan 31, 2015 23:33:15 GMT
I would quickly lock the front door (if it wasn't already locked), turn on the porch light and call out "Who is it?". I live in the suburbs.
I wouldn't open the door, but I would definitely respond to let the person know we were home, so they didn't try to break in thinking no one was there.
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Dani-Mani
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Post by Dani-Mani on Jan 31, 2015 23:33:24 GMT
I would not answer and keep aware (peeking out another window to ensure they leave). If they linger around the house and I don't know them, I'd call 911. I don't care where I live--rural or urban.
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Post by scrapsotime on Jan 31, 2015 23:34:10 GMT
I'd check the peephole and if I didn't know who it was I would use the intercom to see what they wanted. If dh was home I'd send him and he would do the same.
ETA: I live in a small city.
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Post by christine58 on Jan 31, 2015 23:34:11 GMT
I live out in the country....if someone rang my doorbell...it would not get answered at that hour
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paget
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Jun 25, 2014 21:16:39 GMT
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Post by paget on Jan 31, 2015 23:35:05 GMT
Depends. We live in the suburbs in a cup de sac. I'd look out my living room window and see who it was. If it was a neighbor or someone I knew or the police or something like that I'd open it. If not, I'd ask what they want (though the window- they'd be able to hear me) or have dh do it-- although if he was home he'd just answer it without even looking out the window.
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Post by hop2 on Jan 31, 2015 23:35:39 GMT
Oops duh I forgot to answer what I'd do
I'd look to see if I knew the person ( can see from upstairs without being seen ) if not I'dcall someone like the police non emergency number because there is NO reason to be at our house that late if your not expected unless its to do something bad. We are way off any main roads on a cul de sac in the very back of a neighborhood. It would be next to impossible to accidentally end up at our door 'for help'
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Post by pierkiss on Jan 31, 2015 23:35:51 GMT
If my husband were home is probably answer. Or at least peek out the side window to see who was there. If he were not home is not be answering. If someone I knew were ringing the bell that late, and I didn't answer, they would have enough sense to call my cell. They for sure wouldn't drive all the way out here for help, because we live far outside of town in a bean field.  |
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Post by papersilly on Jan 31, 2015 23:36:59 GMT
Talk through the door to let them know someone is home. Tell them I am on the phone so they know someone off site is a hearing "witness". If it is someone I don't know, I tell them I'm not interested and goodnight. If they claim to need help, I would call 911 for them. This is what the police said to do when they came and spoke to our neighborhood watch group.
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gina
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Post by gina on Jan 31, 2015 23:37:32 GMT
It would probably be my family at that hour (we never sleep!) so I'd look out the window t check, then of course let them in.
If I looked out and did NOT recognize the person, I'd absolutely NOT open the door.
I live in a NY suburb.
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blue tulip
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Post by blue tulip on Jan 31, 2015 23:38:01 GMT
we don't have a peephole, we need one. we live in a subdivision now, I would call out the window nearest the door and see who it was. would definitely not unlock the door without checking in some way who it was. sad thing is, being new in the neighborhood, all our neighbors are strangers to us so I wouldn't be able to tell if who they said they were was true in that case. :/
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Post by gillyp on Jan 31, 2015 23:38:12 GMT
I'd let the dog answer it! We have a big German Shepherd who is very vocal but an absolute softy. We live in the country where the nearest neighbour is about 1/4 mile away. Someone at the door at that time would freak me out so the dog would be on one side of the glass door with me so I could see who the visitor was before deciding whether to open the door.
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Post by shelby on Jan 31, 2015 23:39:17 GMT
We live in a neighborhood with houses on half acre lots. We have had the doorbell ring at that time of night a couple of times. We have decorative glass in the front door and security lights that come on whenever anyone steps on the front porch so it is possible for us to see whom ever is at the door. If it is someone we know we will open the door. If it isn't someone we know we only open the door as wide as the safety lock allows and speak with them. If it is any later and we don't know them we don't answer. Our dog is so loud when the doorbell rings I think anyone would be afraid ti come in.
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Post by gracieplusthree on Jan 31, 2015 23:43:39 GMT
I would go look out the window in the door and see who it was.
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Post by epeanymous on Jan 31, 2015 23:45:29 GMT
I live in the middle of a large city and this happened to me once, a few years ago. My husband wasn't home (and we did not have a car in the driveway); my kids were home. After years of representing burglars who would knock for the purpose of seeing if anyone was home and break in if there was no answer, I decided I was better off making it clear that the house was occupied and told the person to leave. He wouldn't say what he wanted or leave, so I stood there with a cell phone and called the police very loudly. He left at that point.
I think all of my options were bad.
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Post by leftturnonly on Jan 31, 2015 23:46:15 GMT
I'd discreetly look out a window to see what was going on. I would not open the front door without a good reason. Rural suburban. ETA - whether I'm home or not, there's a vehicle in the driveway & lights on. One time when I was a college kid, we were home for the summer. I went over to my friend's house - she lived with her parents still - and knocked on their back door. At night. I was met with a loaded shotgun and her dad.  "It's just me! Lefty! Is Yourdarlingdaughtermydearfriend home?" Lesson learned that night, that's for darn sure. |
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BarbaraUK
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Post by BarbaraUK on Jan 31, 2015 23:51:49 GMT
That happened here at midnight last night! I wouldn't answer and would go upstairs to look and see if I knew the person knocking on the door.....if not I would not even consider opening the door!
Small town, UK
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Post by freecharlie on Jan 31, 2015 23:53:23 GMT
Ok, well nobody answered with what we did, and that is okay.
I live in a small town in the middle of nowhere. Our police "force" is typically one officer and that person could be anywhere from a couple of blocks to 25 miles away.
The way our house is built, we don't have a front window our the living room and the view from the front facing window would not show a person because there is an egress where the door is. I've purchased a peep hole, but just hadn't got around to putting it in.
When the door rang, I jumped up, locked the door (will probably lock it now for a while), and yelled loudly "Who's there?" and immediately after for DH to get his gun, which he did.
I have a fb friend who is up in arms because we armed ourselves. We didn't answer the door with a pistol pointed at the porch, we didn't shoot through the door, but if someone had tried to get into our house we were ready.
I really think it was probably some butthead kids doing the Ding Dong Ditch thing and not someone looking to break into our house. We did go outside together and search the property and there was no one there.
I know there are pro and anti- gun people on this board and I respect your decision to have or not have guns. I wonder how many think we over reacted.
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Post by padresfan619 on Jan 31, 2015 23:54:03 GMT
I live in a large, busy suburb, specifically right off the freeway and a medium sized shopping center. The Dairy Queen is right behind my backyard fence. If someone rang my doorbell at 10 PM my dog would go nuts. He's a well behaved dog but the doorbell sets him off. If they hadn't been scared off I would look through our powder room window and see if I knew them.
I wouldn't answer the door for a stranger at 10 PM. But if it were a neighbor or a friend I would answer the door. My cousin and her daughter live in the same neighborhood so it isn't unheard of for her to drop by (and I don't care if she does, but that's a whole other thread) but it would be odd at 10 PM.
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Post by padresfan619 on Jan 31, 2015 23:59:03 GMT
Ok, well nobody answered with what we did, and that is okay. I live in a small town in the middle of nowhere. Our police "force" is typically one officer and that person could be anywhere from a couple of blocks to 25 miles away. The way our house is built, we don't have a front window our the living room and the view from the front facing window would not show a person because there is an egress where the door is. I've purchased a peep hole, but just hadn't got around to putting it in. When the door rang, I jumped up, locked the door (will probably lock it now for a while), and yelled loudly "Who's there?" and immediately after for DH to get his gun, which he did. I have a fb friend who is up in arms because we armed ourselves. We didn't answer the door with a pistol pointed at the porch, we didn't shoot through the door, but if someone had tried to get into our house we were ready. I really think it was probably some butthead kids doing the Ding Dong Ditch thing and not someone looking to break into our house. We did go outside together and search the property and there was no one there. I know there are pro and anti- gun people on this board and I respect your decision to have or not have guns. I wonder how many think we over reacted. I don't think you over reacted, especially with your police being so far away. Being prepared is not the same as shooting through your door. |
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tiffanytwisted
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Post by tiffanytwisted on Jan 31, 2015 23:59:20 GMT
I would quickly lock the front door (if it wasn't already locked), turn on the porch light and call out "Who is it?". I live in the suburbs. I wouldn't open the door, but I would definitely respond to let the person know we were home, so they didn't try to break in thinking no one was there. This is what I would do as well. I used to have a peep hole and thought I missed it until I saw on the news last night that some poor woman was shot at through her peep hole. Not trying to scare anyone, but something to think about! ETA: I live in the suburbs. |
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Post by pelirroja on Feb 1, 2015 0:00:12 GMT
I live in the suburbs and have had door knocks after midnight. They go unanswered. I have LEO family members and have heard too many stories so my doors are kept locked (even in the daytime) and I'd never open a door after nightfall if I'm not expecting company.
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Post by padresfan619 on Feb 1, 2015 0:02:13 GMT
I also always keep my deadbolt and front door knob locked. No matter what time of day.
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rickmer
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Post by rickmer on Feb 1, 2015 0:21:02 GMT
that has happened when dh has been home, he peeks thru blind and it has been someone who needs $10 more to get home to ....... whatever. dh grew up downtown and is used to blowing off creeps that knock on your door at 3pm to 'bum a beer'. seriously.
if i was home alone, i would never answer the door, wait for them to go away with hand poised on phone with 911 on redial. wouldn't think of packing heat....
i live relatively close to downtown in the largest city in canada (which someone reminded me recently is the 4th largest city in north america).
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Post by psoccer on Feb 1, 2015 0:21:36 GMT
I live in a town of about 60,000. It's a pretty quiet town. I would look through the peephole. In fact, last night someone knocked on our door about that time. I honestly thought it was the police. My daughter had gone to a basketball game and then to In and Out. Sh wasn't home yet. She has a key to the front door and the code to unlock the garage door so I wasn't expecting her to come to the front door, she usually comes through the garage. You really can't see through that peephole so I just opened the door. It was my daughter. I probably should be more on guard.
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conchita
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Post by conchita on Feb 1, 2015 0:29:28 GMT
Considering where you live and time of night, it's good and practical of you to be prepared.
I had someone ringing my doorbell the other morning at 7 am. My husband wasn't home and I wasn't going to put on a bra and go all the way downstairs to find out who it was. I had at least another hour or two of sleep left! Lol. It turned out to be a citation for having a newspaper left on the driveway. They deliver a complimentary newspaper (you get it whether you want it or not) each week to all the residents. We never read it and it usually goes straight in the recycle bin. We forgot to pick it up and they cited us for it. Bastards.
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 20:11:37 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2015 0:29:36 GMT
When someone knocked on our door at midnight, we answered it.
(It was a nice man letting us know the back hatch on our car was left open).
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"It's just me! Lefty! Is Yourdarlingdaughtermydearfriend home?"
