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Post by myshelly on Feb 1, 2015 0:30:26 GMT
I always keep my door locked and I never answer it.
Anyone who knows us knows we don't use the front door we use the door that faces the private street behind the house.
There's no good reason for someone to be at the front door.
In OP's situation I probably would have gone and turned the front porch light on and ruffled the curtains a bit so it was clear someone was home, but would not have opened the door.
I don't think you were wrong to send your DH for the gun.
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Post by freecharlie on Feb 1, 2015 0:33:35 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. you get a citation for not picking up one paper? |
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akathy
What's For Dinner?
Still peaing from Podunk!
Posts: 4,546
Location: North Dakota
Jun 25, 2014 22:56:55 GMT
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Post by akathy on Feb 1, 2015 0:45:25 GMT
My doors are locked 24/7. I live alone in a small town of about 1,200 just 8 miles from a small city of around 45-50,000. We've got a lot of people drifting through from all over the U.S. because of the oil and building boom and they aren't all upstanding citizens. I know the cop here quite well and would call him if anyone I didn't know rang my doorbell at 10:00 PM. I'd also call my son-in-law who lives 2 blocks away.
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Post by freecharlie on Feb 1, 2015 0:47:01 GMT
My doors are locked 24/7. I live alone in a small town of about 1,200 just 8 miles from a small city of around 45-50,000. We've got a lot of people drifting from all over the U.S. because of the oil and building boom and they aren't all upstanding citizens. I know the cop here quite well and would call him if anyone I didn't know rang my doorbell at 10:00 PM. I'd also call my son-in-law who lives 2 blocks away. we have a lot of the oil and gas here as well. |
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suzastampin
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,587 
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Post by suzastampin on Feb 1, 2015 0:48:58 GMT
We open the window and find out what they want before we go to the door.
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Post by joylynaroundthebnd on Feb 1, 2015 0:52:19 GMT
I don't answer the door, ever. I know people ring the door bell to see if someone is home, but I guess I am willing to take that chance.
If you don't tell me you are coming, I will not answer the door. The people in my life know that.
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mallie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,253
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Post by mallie on Feb 1, 2015 0:58:50 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. You can get cited for having a newspaper in your driveway? Sheesh. |
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Post by flanz on Feb 1, 2015 1:01:59 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. Excellent advice!! |
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 20:12:36 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2015 1:05:31 GMT
It would be our neighbor out for a walk. And we would still be up.
BUT
After midnight. No comment
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Post by cmpeter on Feb 1, 2015 1:06:38 GMT
I could never do what the OP did because we don't own guns. I would have looked out the window and answered if I knew who it was. We live in the suburbs, all the houses are on 1 acre lots. if I felt like there was a threat, I would let my dog start barking. Our doors are always locked.
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conchita
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,141
Jul 1, 2014 11:25:58 GMT
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Post by conchita on Feb 1, 2015 1:14:42 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. you get a citation for not picking up one paper? Yes freecharlie and mallie, I received a damn citation for a single newspaper that was left on my driveway. I cursed up a storm when I read it and it took great effort not to call and ream them out over it. One stinking newspaper that I have no control over being delivered and we never read. Ridiculous doesn't even begin to describe it.  |
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Post by jameynz on Feb 1, 2015 1:24:39 GMT
I live semi-rural - my front door is open most of the day when we are home for the dog to go in/out + it's summer in NZ at the moment. The door stays open until we go to bed - 10.00 to 11.00pm (although last nite I got home just after mid-night from scrapping and the door was still open!)
The dog barks non stop when someone he doesn't know comes on the property
Last night about 1.20 am he barked, woke us up and he ran to the front door - hubby got up to have a look - and there was someone outside our property fence, who just ran off when Cujo went running outside, still barking!
However, if I was home alone (door would have been shut long before then), and there was a knock on the door - we check the window next to the door before letting them in.
I personally don't think you over-reacted OP - I think you were wise myself
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azredhead
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,755
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Post by azredhead on Feb 1, 2015 1:29:59 GMT
My dogs would go NUTs first. I would also think something was very wrong. Last time that happened our neighbor/close friend was in a car accident.
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Post by 950nancy on Feb 1, 2015 1:35:07 GMT
If I had a gun, I would have grabbed it until I was sure they went away. We've had some crazy robberies around here and the grandma down the street shot the guy who busted in her window. They followed the blood and found him.
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Post by gmcwife1 on Feb 1, 2015 1:39:01 GMT
After I crawled out of bed, I would look out the peep hole while letting the German Shepherd Dog bark her head off. If I knew the person I would put her in the crate. If I didn't know them I'd let her keep barking and tell them to go away or come back tomorrow, depending on what they wanted.
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Post by melanell on Feb 1, 2015 1:41:12 GMT
Around here, I'd guess it was someone at the wrong house. We've had that a few times over the years at more than one home, both in the suburbs and the rural outskirts of town. And whether I answered the door or not they'd figure it out.  Whether or not I answered it would have more to do with what I was doing at the time than anything else. For just a handful of knocks or doorbell rings, I would not likely think of police, weapons, or property checks, but if something that I considered truly odd or unsettling happened, then perhaps I might think of any of those things. But that doesn't mean that I would think anyone else would be wrong to do/think of any of those things if it happened to them. I think you should do what feels right to you on a situation by situation basis. |
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Post by txdancermom on Feb 1, 2015 1:44:46 GMT
I think you acted appropriately. I probably would have gone down the hall close to the door (our door has windows) and while I called 911, call out to see who was there.
we live in a suburban subdivision
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Post by pretzels on Feb 1, 2015 1:48:30 GMT
Small town. I'd, ummm, well, open it. What else would I do?
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Post by winogirl on Feb 1, 2015 1:50:41 GMT
10pm? No way. I don't even answer my door at 10am. Most likely it's someone trying to sell me something and at 10pm...probably a prank or someone up to no good. I watch out the upstairs window until they leave. I have a security system and signage that indicates that.
<---- I do live in the city but I would lock my doors and not answer no matter where I lived. Maybe I watch too much ID channel, but I've seen so many stories about people who don't lock their doors because they live somewhere "safe" and paid the ultimate price. The one story that sticks out to me is one where a lovely young woman with a career and a nice house in a small town was murdered in her own home because some outsider entered her small town and went down her street trying doorknobs until they found hers unlocked.
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Post by 950nancy on Feb 1, 2015 1:57:10 GMT
Small town. I'd, ummm, well, open it. What else would I do? I love that you can do that. How big is your town? |
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gizzy
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,553
Jul 20, 2014 1:06:15 GMT
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Post by gizzy on Feb 1, 2015 2:01:48 GMT
I don't think you overreacted in your circumstances.
I'd like to think i'd be sensible and ask before opening, but past behavior has shown that I always run to the door & open it widely. The kids are better than I am about not opening the door.
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Post by freecharlie on Feb 1, 2015 2:02:06 GMT
Small town. I'd, ummm, well, open it. What else would I do? I love that you can do that. How big is your town? Not pretzels, but since I am the OP and I live in a small town, I thought I would answer. For me, this was out of the ordinary. On a summer night when the kids are still out and about or a Friday night with a football game at the high school would have elicited a different response from us. The town I live in is between 1500 and 2000 people and that includes the rural folks who have an address that lists our town, so not all of them are in town proper. |
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Post by 950nancy on Feb 1, 2015 2:02:30 GMT
This did happen to my neighbor during the holidays. It was about eight o'clock and the lady lived two doors away, but has Alzheimer's and got confused. I am glad they opened their door. The guy is a retired navy officer with more guns than I can count! He also has a malamute that is about 130 pounds and looks like he would eat you for an appetizer.
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Post by melanell on Feb 1, 2015 2:18:24 GMT
This did happen to my neighbor during the holidays. It was about eight o'clock and the lady lived two doors away, but has Alzheimer's and got confused. I am glad they opened their door. Our next door neighbor just moved into a facility, but he was doing that...going out at odd times, and then getting confused and going to the wrong doors. Sad.  |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Feb 1, 2015 2:19:04 GMT
We live in a rural/suburban area on a quiet street, houses spaced far apart so there would be no reason for anyone to be out there at that time of night. Our dogs would alert us long before the person got to the door, and if anyone actually came up to the door they would go totally berzerk. Wouldn't matter if it was DH or a total stranger, day or night, they go crazy. I can see out the window near the door without anyone seeing me, so I'd look and see who it was. If the porch lights weren't already on, I'd turn them on. Neighbor, family or friend, I'd open the door and see what was up. Anyone else can go pound sand. I would tell them, "I'm sorry but I can't keep the dogs contained right now."
I work from home, and we keep our windows and doors locked at all times.
OP, I don't think you overreacted at all. My DH would probably do the same thing.
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Post by 950nancy on Feb 1, 2015 2:27:14 GMT
Just because you have a gun does not mean you were going to put bullets through the door. What if it had been an intruder with a gun? Why shouldn't you have the same advantage? The rental next to us has had more than their fair share of meth/marijuana makers/sellers. I think we should have gotten a gun. If those walls could talk. There was also a drugged out GI who was going around robbing houses several years ago. He kicked in windows and finally ran into a neighbor who took him down. Why don't I have a gun? My kids are way past the age of worrying about firearms and their safety.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 20:12:36 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2015 2:36:36 GMT
We have big windows in the front of our house and you can see who is ringing the bell. I live in a quiet neighbourhood and someone at 10 pm ringing the bell is in distress. I would first identify who it is and then answer it if I knew who the person was. If not I would not answer it.
My dogs would also let me know someone was at the front door. Very loud and clear.
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tincin
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,415
Jul 25, 2014 4:55:32 GMT
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Post by tincin on Feb 1, 2015 2:38:29 GMT
I would look to see who it is. If I know them, no problem. If I don't know them, I ask through the door what it is they need.
ETA - In the area I live in there have been a rash of break ins where it is suspected the burglars tried to see if anyone was home before the kicked the door in. I always want those outside to know I am inside. In the past week alone there have been two incidents where a car pulled in the drive and a person knocked on the door. When the home owner answered the door, they jumped back in their autos and sped away.
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tincin
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,415
Jul 25, 2014 4:55:32 GMT
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Post by tincin on Feb 1, 2015 2:42:21 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. It makes perfect sense to arm yourself if you feel threatened. As you said, it isn't as if you shot through the door or answered the door with a gun pointed at it. |
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Post by gmcwife1 on Feb 1, 2015 2:47:57 GMT
This did happen to my neighbor during the holidays. It was about eight o'clock and the lady lived two doors away, but has Alzheimer's and got confused. I am glad they opened their door. The guy is a retired navy officer with more guns than I can count! He also has a malamute that is about 130 pounds and looks like he would eat you for an appetizer. My dh is retired Navy and we have guns in the house but I wouldn't have even thought to grab one  |
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Whether or not I answered it would have more to do with what I was doing at the time than anything else.
