Someone rang our doorbell at 11 p.m.

[Mom2Two]

I am a little freaked out. I'm home alone with the kids right now and a strange man rang the doorbell at 11:00 p.m. We were all asleep, but he rang it twice so I looked through the glass on the door and he asked to use the phone. I told him no and then he was trying to tell me to call someone, but I couldn't hear him very well because my dogs were barking. He grew frustrated trying to tell me and said he was going next door.

I called dh and he said to call the police to have them check it out (we live near a highway). I did and they sent someone out. The police just called me back and said that the man who had come to the door had a wreck down the road.

Now I feel bad!!! Should I? Would you of done the same thing?:confused:

[Unicorn]

You did the right thing. Unfortunately these days you can't be too careful.

[Diane]

Oh no, you absolutely did the right thing. You were protecting yourself and your children. It's best to say, I'll call for some help and call the police. I'm sure that man understands your situation and I'm sure he hopes his Mother/Sister/Wife does the same as you.

[Linda...inOwasso]

You absolutely did the right thing. I would've called the police IMMEDIATELY. Seems odd to me that he wouldn't have a cell phone with him. Glad you're okay!

Linda

[Cay Gibson]

You did right. A woman by herself (or with children) in a house should never be expected to do anything other than what you did. Calling the police served two positives: (1) protecting your family and property (2) helping the person who was stranded.

You did good.

[GreenKitty]

There is no way I would have opened the door either! You did just fine! Who knows what could have happened or who it could have been!

[readwithem]

Agreeing with the others. He was probably stressed from the accident - but shame on him for being upset with you for not opening the door. Hope you got some sleep after all that!

[Snickerdoodle]

Seems odd to me that he wouldn't have a cell phone with him.

You did the right thing. Not everyone carries a cell phone.

[momofkhm]

There's no telling with people these days. I'm surprised he didn't just say "I had an accident down the street, could you call the police?"

Be safe and keep your kids safe!

[Danestress]

Now I feel bad!!! Should I? Would you of done the same thing?:confused:

I would have done the same thing. Or rather, I would have called the police immediately rather than calling DH who can't really do anything about it from a distance. But if he had a wreck, the police were the right people to call anyway.

[Scarlett]

You did the right thing. Many years ago I had an experience of a man asking to use the phone. I didn't let him in and as he walked away and thought he was out of my sight he turned up the side of my house to look in our bedroom window! I called police, but he got away. Very creepy.

(It is good news that he was an actual person in distress....you'd really be freaked if the police could not have located him)

[Elisabeth in IL]

Yes, you did the right thing! I'm glad the police called you back so that you could rest a little easier. By calling the police, you did what he wanted you to do anyway.

[cin]

He was probably upset about his wreck, but in a few days, he'll understand, and probably wonder why ANYONE would open the door at 11 pm to a strange man!!!

[OnTheBrink]

You definitely did the right thing.

Over the summer, I noticed two people breaking in to the house across the street, which had stood empty for a year. They were using a crow-bar to pry a window open. I called 911 and as it turns out, it was the owner of the house! I felt a little silly, but honestly, why wouldn't they use a key for the door? The dispatcher said I did right by calling, because anyone using a crow-bar to enter a house that's been empty for so long is suspicious, but I sorta feel like Gladys Kravitz now. LOL

[unsinkable]

You definitely did the right thing.
I sorta feel like Gladys Kravitz now. LOL

10 points for Gladys Kravitz reference! :)

unsinkable

[Cadam]

If your dh was there he could have handled it but a alone with a house full of kids, I would have done the same thing. If he was terribly hurt he wouldn't have been able to walk up to your door right?

[nancypants]

As sad as it is that it has to be this way, you definitely did the right thing. I would have been so freaked out!

A couple of days ago a man here pulled over to help some people stranded on the side of the road with a "broken down vehicle." Before he could even get all the way out of the car to go and help them they brutally attacked him! So now the police are recommending that you never stop to help someone on the side of the road, just to call the police. It's so sad that it has come to this but it's just not worth the risks, even though they are probably in reality fairly low.

[LauraQ]

Actually, I think you did the right thing to call the police--this way, if he's legit (really needs help), and *noone* feels okay letting him in to use the phone, the police will arrive and he will get the help he needs. I think you did the right thing. It's just not safe to let a strange man into your home to use your phone (or even to open your door a little to pass one out to him) at 11:00 pm, even if your dh *were* home (even more so since he wasn't). Dh used to work 4 days offshore at a time, and we had many nights all alone, so I had lots of time to think of various scary situations and how I would handle them. Now that my kids are old enough to stay alone for short periods while I run up the street to the grocery store (2 min drive, small town with VERY low crime rate, 4 neighbors we know well on our block), we've drilled them on what to do if strangers knock when mom & dad aren't home. We would have been *very* pleased if our kids had thought to do just what you did--call one of us, and also call the police.

[Lisawa]

Yes.. you did do the right thing! Calling the police and letting them come take care of it... you called 911 and if he needed help ( and he did ) he called too, so help was on the way about the same time...

Home alone with the kids can be so scary.... even though you were sleepy, you did the righ thing! Be proud you could think on your feet like that!!

Lisa

[Lady Katherine]

Sadly, yes. The few kooks out there spoil it for everyone else.

[mommybee]

Seems odd to me that he wouldn't have a cell phone with him. Glad you're okay!
Linda


You know I work with at least three people who absolutely hate cell phones......won't carry one. One lady even said that in the event of an accident someone nearby always has a cell phone so she doesn't need one. So it doesn't seem so odd to me anymore after talking with them.

I can't imagine not having my cell phone with me.

Oh, and I would have done the same thing. I get incredibly creeped out by people knocking on my door and almost never answer it.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I had someone knock on my door at 4 am once (and of course my dh was gone!) I opened and talked to then out of an upstairs window. That way they couldn't get to me but I could still find out what was wrong! (It was the police looking for the felons who used to own our home).

[Luanne]

I would have just called the police. You have to protect yourself and your children.