If someone knocked on your door late at night, would you open it?

United States
September 9, 2007 4:42am CST
Tonight someone started knocking on the neighbors door really loud and it almost woke up our entire family. Luckily I was the only one up working on My Lot at the time, so it posed little more than an annoyance at the time. Mostly, I was worried that the annoying knocking sound next door would wake up my little kid at 3 AM and she wouldn't want to go back to sleep. I guess the person next door finally opened their door, because the knocking stopped after about five minutes. Personally, I would not have opened the door. First off, no one I know would dare come calling that late at night/early morning, so it would definitely have to be a stranger. And second, it's dangerous to open your door to strangers that late at night. When that happens to you, how do you handle it? Do you get annoyed and call the cops on the person making such a ruckus? Do you get scared that someone is about to break into your home?
4 people like this
27 responses
@AmbiePam (85447)
• United States
9 Sep 07
I would never open my door to anyone who was knocking on it late at night. I'd call out, and I'd try to sound annoyed and not timid, and if it was a family member, and I could tell it was a family member, I'd let them in. I have a peephole, but at night I can't see who is standing on the other side of the door. If it was a family member, I would assume something bad had happened and no one wanted me to have to hear about it over the phone. If it was someone else, I'd get rid of them and if they wouldn't go away, I'd announce my intentions to call the police.
@AmbiePam (85447)
• United States
9 Sep 07
Our police have such a big area to cover, that I would want to try to be sure before calling because of it. Also because I live in an apartment, and if the police showed up, everyone would get up, and the apartment manager would be very cranky. So I would want to be as sure as possible without putting my personal saftey at risk.
• United States
9 Sep 07
I would do the same as well. Or, maybe just call the police instead. Not sure. It hasn't happened in awhile to us.
2 people like this
@r_yuen (332)
• Indonesia
9 Sep 07
Have to check it first.. Is they are my family, I will open it. If not, then I prefer not to. If he keeps knocking, I might go down and prepare something behind the door. Lately, there are so many bad people attempt to break into your house. You don't even know what are they up to. One thing for sure, they have bad intentions. Knocking on the door late at night can only mean 2 things : emergency or terror.
@AmbiePam (85447)
• United States
9 Sep 07
Probably true. That's a good point.
2 people like this
• India
10 Sep 07
Corret even i do the same.
@brew2x (3094)
• Philippines
9 Sep 07
I think it will be scary if you are alone, it might be a madman knocking but I would still going to check out first who it is and won't immediately call the cops. If I could just ignore it until the knocking stops then I definitely would, but who knows it also might be someone I knew that needed help.
2 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
10 Sep 07
It would absolutly terrify me! But I'd have to know who's on the other side of the door because it could be one of my relatives or friends in trouble or even myself in trouble for my house could be on fire and I don't know about it. However one has to be very careful though because it could be somebody out to hurt you or rape and/or rob you. So it's very understandable why you wouldn't want to open the door. I wouldn't want to either at that time of night.
1 person likes this
• China
9 Sep 07
well,it must be very annoying when in the midnight somebody knock at ur door.but it happens sometimes.we have to do sth. i have to see that i never want to knock others door at that time,and i believe others think the same way,if they do,they maybe have problems they can't handle.that means they need help.so i would be happy to ,nomatter how much i want to sleep .i can understand.and i can handle it rationally.
1 person likes this
@sephrenia (567)
9 Sep 07
I'm one of those who will open their door late at night but that's because my mum works shifts as a patrol and response security guard and she knows I have sleep problems so I may or may not be awake when she comes knocking. If I am, obviously I call out through the door to see if it's someone I know and if it isnt then i wont open it no matter whats going on but if it's my mum then yeah, I'll open the door and let her in for a coffee before she goes home. If I'm not awake then she just goes straight home anyways.
2 people like this
• United States
9 Sep 07
Yeah, but you have to open the door for your mom. I think that's a law or something. And, if it's not, then it should be. Especially when a mom goes out of her way to check on you. It's sweet that she would do that.
1 person likes this
9 Sep 07
My mom is pretty cool like that and I check on her too. I really dont like the fact that she is all alone on a night shift and could meet goodness knows who so I ring her regularly to check on her just to make sure that she's okay :)
@TDonald (1421)
• United States
10 Sep 07
If you plan to knock on my door late at night, you better call first and tell me. Plus there's 911. And if you try to come in forcibly, the last thing you might hear would be a loud bang.
@Ravenladyj (22904)
• United States
9 Sep 07
Well I would check to see who it is...if its a stranger then no I might not open the door, I'd have them talk to me through the kitchen window, then again I might cause its the middle of the night and I'm not the brightest when half asleep..but we have two dogs who woudl be flippin out so I'd not be all that worried.....HOWEVER when I was still living in Canada it wasnt thta uncommon for ppl to knock on my door or call at all hours of the night really
1 person likes this
@KrisNY (7590)
• United States
13 Sep 07
Wow--- if I knew the person I would open the door- If I didn’t no way! I’d call the cops and report someone at the door at a weird hour of the night- How spooky! I wonder why someone was coming over so late and knocking on the door- and what in the world were you doing up at 3AM working on mylot?? I’m sound to sleep at that time. You are dedicated. I wouldn’t call the cops if someone was knocking on the neighbors door- unless I saw them trying to break in- or if they looked suspicious!
@ryanphil01 (4182)
• Philippines
10 Sep 07
I would have opened the door if I knew the person very well. If I couldn't recognize the individual then I would have asked the person knocking at my door in the middle of the night who he is and what he wants. If he does not answer then I would probably call our local 911. Further, it's not safe allowing or entertaining strangers in our house.
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
9 Sep 07
It depends on who he is. If it is someone whom I know, I think that I will surely open the door for him to let him in to show my politeness. If it is someone I don't know, I would not open the door to keep safe not to let in some bad guy. It should always be the best policy for us to be cautious to strangers.
• Canada
10 Sep 07
No...if I were home alone and someone knocked late at night...forget it. We have a peephole and I would definitely check that first and ask them to identify themselves. If I did not know who they were and they persisted I'd all the closed neighbour...and if no one could assist me...the police would be next. It is sad state of affairs...but lets get real here...there are some strange people in them thar' hills! We live amidst some hills! LOL
• Philippines
9 Sep 07
I would be afraid if someone will knock my door at 3AM.But I will peep in the window to know who is knocking. I will not open him or her if I don't know personally. But if I know the person, then I might as well open the door for definitely something is wrong with him or her. Otherwise he/she won't come to you.
1 person likes this
@nyumix (1658)
• Belgium
10 Sep 07
If I know that I'm not expecting any body, I would prefer not to open the door. in case it's an important thing, the person should have call me first to let me know that he or she would come to my house.
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
10 Sep 07
We have a peep hole so I would look through that. If I didn't know the person then I would ignore it altogether. If they persisted then I might have my husband answer it or else call the cops. I have never had anyone wake me up at that time so fingers crossed it doesn't happen to me or our neighbors.
• Philippines
10 Sep 07
thats an easy question :) its no not unless he/she shouts and calls my name and if im expecting somebody to arrive during that time
• United States
10 Sep 07
Oh! That's never happened to me, not yet! Thankfully. But I def. would not answer the door if that happened. Especially since the knocking was so loud, that makes it sound kind of angry. But, that late at night, I would not answer the door...my older sisters and brother in law have keys to the house so they wouldn't need to knock.
• Singapore
10 Sep 07
I would definitely get annoyed and check out who is making that noise if the knocking is persistent. I won't be afraid of someone trying to break into my house because nobody did that in open before in my country.
@joshboz (1209)
• Australia
10 Sep 07
i will also definitely not open the door at once. in our country many roberry, hoe heist,massacre of the entire family hgappened because of unknowingly opening the door at night. what i would do is to peep in the window near the door to determine whose the person if i cannot recognize him then i will never open it even he is begging to open it for him whatever his/her situation.safety is my first priority.
@ladybug565 (2216)
• United States
10 Sep 07
I would open my door late at night if it was someone I know otherwise I wouldnt. I wouldnt call the police though unless they wouldnt go away. I dont get scared of someone breaking in because I have a dog.