Walking into people's houses without knocking - does anyone here do this?
I ask, because I was just sitting here faffing around on the forum, when my kitchen door (which I can see from my armchair) just opened. My first thought was that I hadn't shut it properly and it was the wind, and I looked up - and saw a bloke peering in! I gasped, he gasped, and he said 'oh, sorry love, wrong house!' He seemed pretty genuinely surprised, but he kept looking and didn't shut the door. I calmed down a bit, and said 'yes, wrong house...' and as he still didn't do anything, I got up and walked over and shut the door in his face, saying 'I'll shut the door again then'. He then knocked on the door again! And again, and again. He eventually gave up and went away.
What didn't dawn on me til later, is surely if you know someone well enough to just walk in without knocking, surely you'd know which house it is? To get to my back door you have to walk down between my car and the neighbours, down the dark side of my house, past the bins, and round into my very dark back garden (my outside light doesn't work). I find it really weird that you'd do that and yet not know you were at the wrong house... or am I being paranoid?
The only houses I walk in to without even knocking are my parents, and my granny when she was alive. Although come to think of it, with my granny, I would knock and walk in, so she didn't get a shock to see me suddenly appear. We did have a neighbour when I was younger who said we should just walk in, but that was because she could never hear her door as her living room was miles away from the door. How common is it these days?
You were very brave to go close up to him and shut the door in his face,
I would have got a weapon and scream at him to back away before I come close to shut the door!
I think you had a lucky escape! You could have been dead if you did not shut that door,
That would have scared me! I remember being alone in the day at my parents house when i was around 18. They live in a detached house in a quiet area, nice little cul de sac in a tiny village. I heard a knock on the front door so i answered it and it was a salesman asking for the homeowners. I said they were at work and he left. No sooner had i sat down on the sofa he was banging on the patio door! I jumped and answered it and he said oh sorry i thought this was another house.
I was scared because to get to the patio doors he had to walk through the front garden, through the gate into back garden then to the door. Its quite obvious to anyone that it was one house not two. All the houses and bungalows in the road are detached and there is no possible way he got lost and thought that there was another house hiding behind mine. Personally i thought he was checking gardens and seeing what was in the lounge.
Well done for remaining so calm, o/p. Maybe he was trying to gauge if there was anyone else in the house with you. If you had looked more scared, he might have guessed you were alone.
I was thinking more of some kind of salesman or something - he was dressed fairly smartly and had a bright red fleece on, didn't strike me as burglar like attire. And if he'd been bent on getting in and doing something he'd have walked right in I'd have thought. He had plenty of time to.
Door's locked now anyway
Im not going even to go there on how a fleece is smart (even though I wear one with my work sign on it when im cold):o
Seriously though that is a burglar or worse scoping your house. contact your neighbours and the police. My doors are always locked.
That would have scared me! I remember being alone in the day at my parents house when i was around 18. They live in a detached house in a quiet area, nice little cul de sac in a tiny village. I heard a knock on the front door so i answered it and it was a salesman asking for the homeowners. I said they were at work and he left. No sooner had i sat down on the sofa he was banging on the patio door! I jumped and answered it and he said oh sorry i thought this was another house.
I was scared because to get to the patio doors he had to walk through the front garden, through the gate into back garden then to the door. Its quite obvious to anyone that it was one house not two. All the houses and bungalows in the road are detached and there is no possible way he got lost and thought that there was another house hiding behind mine. Personally i thought he was checking gardens and seeing what was in the lounge.
I used to say. He's in the bath/ on the phone, he's asleep he's on the night shift. The last one I would usually use as the first to always sound like crime prevention answers
My lounge faces the back garden plus the window is high up so no one can peer in.
Even when I am home, I always have the doors locked and have started using the peep hole I have in the door. I also take the keys out the door and have them out of sight. I feel a bit safer knowing the keys are not in the door for some reason.
i keep telling my dad to keep his door locked. Usually when he is at home watching the TV, he is prone to falling asleep. I keep telling him to lock the door, even when he is in to avoid someone walking in on him. Both me and my sister have keys so it should not matter if the door is locked.
I even knock on the door to my doctors examination room - even though I have just been called and he is expecting me.
The only place I don't is at my elderly inlaws (just because I know they leave the back door open and don't want them getting up to answer the door). I announce my presence as soon as I open the door though.
Once this unknown black guy was sitting on the curb outside my house, At first I thought he was waiting for a friend, then I popped my head out of the window because I was paranoid to get a closer look, and looked at me and waved me over,
I was scared because, I live in a quite residential village era, and there are hardly any or no black people!
Glad I didnt go, he left and never was seen again!
I have a disability and often have to have carers. They do this all the time and it does annoy me so I try and remember to lock the door But then they often have to do this because they visit a lot of elderly people who might not be able to answer the door, so I can understand it in a way.
I only walk into my parents without knocking and I have a key for it anyway. I hate it when I have my office door closed and people walk in without knocking, I think it's really rude.
Oddly enough I was thinking about this a few minutes ago and then I show this thread.
A few weeks ago I went to my aunts house to give her some milk and I noticed her door was open so I just walked in. She was shocked to see me and I said you left your door open she then locked it when I left. And no she wasn't expecting me.
The only time I walk in without knocking, if I am in my friends room, leave to get a drink or go to the loo and come back. That's barring the places I have keys for; my parents house, my flat, family if they're expecting me.
You must have misunderstood my post a bit. I just meant that it's a good reason not to get too friendly with anyone (in my opinion). I just used the street/close area as an example because that's probably where a lot of people are friendliest.
A woman in navy trousers and jumper carrying a clipboard knocked at my door about two years ago saying she was from British Gas, when I asked for ID she ran down the street. I imagine in these days of never ending cold callers a nondescript uniform is a great disguise for opportunist burglars or people trying to get your bank details.
To be honest Wheelie , if I had to own up as working for British Gas, I'd have legged it too..
I don't do it personally,but we have the odd family member who does.They tend to knock first,then let themselves in.It's the same with insurance men,postal deliveries etc.They just knock and let themselves in.
Well! Just had a policewoman round again saying that next door had had a handbag stolen by a walkin opportunistic burglar, and had I seen anything recently? I said OMG YES! Had guy walked in and reported it, but couldn't remember what day. She checked my incident number, and it was the same day! The lady next door had her handbag taken about half an hour before my incident. It's possible they aren't linked, but the chances must be tiny, so I'm assuming it was the burglar that I saw. Sounds like I had a lucky escape, and I'm glad I trusted my judgement (and DS!)
I don't even walk in to my flatmate's room without knocking, figuring that she wouldn't appreciate it if I walked in and she was getting undressed. I have been tempted to 'forget' to knock. Only tempted, though.
Well! Just had a policewoman round again saying that next door had had a handbag stolen by a walkin opportunistic burglar, and had I seen anything recently? I said OMG YES! Had guy walked in and reported it, but couldn't remember what day. She checked my incident number, and it was the same day! The lady next door had her handbag taken about half an hour before my incident. It's possible they aren't linked, but the chances must be tiny, so I'm assuming it was the burglar that I saw. Sounds like I had a lucky escape, and I'm glad I trusted my judgement (and DS!)
what a shock for you.at least you know he didn't want any confrontation,so you don't need to worry about him coming back.
Comments
Me too, I would have shit my pants while searching for a nife!
You were very brave to go close up to him and shut the door in his face,
I would have got a weapon and scream at him to back away before I come close to shut the door!
I think you had a lucky escape! You could have been dead if you did not shut that door,
let the be a lesson learnt!
I was scared because to get to the patio doors he had to walk through the front garden, through the gate into back garden then to the door. Its quite obvious to anyone that it was one house not two. All the houses and bungalows in the road are detached and there is no possible way he got lost and thought that there was another house hiding behind mine. Personally i thought he was checking gardens and seeing what was in the lounge.
Im not going even to go there on how a fleece is smart (even though I wear one with my work sign on it when im cold):o
Seriously though that is a burglar or worse scoping your house. contact your neighbours and the police. My doors are always locked.
I used to say. He's in the bath/ on the phone, he's asleep he's on the night shift. The last one I would usually use as the first to always sound like crime prevention answers
Even when I am home, I always have the doors locked and have started using the peep hole I have in the door. I also take the keys out the door and have them out of sight. I feel a bit safer knowing the keys are not in the door for some reason.
i keep telling my dad to keep his door locked. Usually when he is at home watching the TV, he is prone to falling asleep. I keep telling him to lock the door, even when he is in to avoid someone walking in on him. Both me and my sister have keys so it should not matter if the door is locked.
i used to have my door unlocked all the time for friends to walk in, if there was a knock it was generally someone unwelcome.
If I'm home alone, I always have both my doors locked, I'm a nervous person
I would have been terrified if I was you OP, you are brave!
I even knock on the door to my doctors examination room - even though I have just been called and he is expecting me.
The only place I don't is at my elderly inlaws (just because I know they leave the back door open and don't want them getting up to answer the door). I announce my presence as soon as I open the door though.
I was scared because, I live in a quite residential village era, and there are hardly any or no black people!
Glad I didnt go, he left and never was seen again!
A few weeks ago I went to my aunts house to give her some milk and I noticed her door was open so I just walked in. She was shocked to see me and I said you left your door open she then locked it when I left. And no she wasn't expecting me.
You started it!
Look:
Are you not contradicting yourself?
what a shock for you.at least you know he didn't want any confrontation,so you don't need to worry about him coming back.