I'm terrified!

[DVC~OKW~96]

When we first moved (so were in a new area...) I scared myself silly by reading a bunch of true crime stories about the general area... (the state, not just the immediate area we were living in).

I am still afraid to post something for sale in the newspaper, or on any of those "lists" where it would bring a stranger to the house. That was the MO of a vicious killer.

I also freaked myself out so badly that we had a radio wave security system put in...

So, help you calm down? I probably didn't much.

 

[luvmyfam444]

E=mrsbert;33607413]IMHO... I don't think you overreacted at all. This exact thing was going on in a town next to mine. The burglars were calling numbers and if the homeowners didn't answer the phone, they went to the house and knocked on the door. If no one answered, they broke in and stole as much as they could carry.

The burglars obtained the address and phone numbers online from the white pages.

You obviously got the feeling something wasn't right and acted on it.[/QUOTE]

oh GREAT! Now you've got me paranoid! I already never answer the door - IN THE DAYLIGHT....

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Thanks. Now that the initial stress is gone I feel better. I will be leaving a couple of lights and my tv on tonight! My dogs normally will bark (not always) if people are at the house and they sleep on my bed, so that also makes me feel better. Not that they are the least bit threatening once you actually see them.

Even if it really was nothing, it drove home the point that I need to make the security changes I was planning on now rather than later. It's easy to become complacent if you are not careful.

 

[IDoDis]

I'll bet it was nothing. If you didn't answer the door, and they called to see if you were home and they thought no one was home, they would have attempted a forced entry. Also, LOTS of people don't answer the phone, especially with caller ID and it being someone you didn't know. Sounds like a robot call or a wrong number.

So does sound like you jumped the gun. I'll bet dollars to doughnuts it's a telemarketing company or just a wrong number. Sometimes I dial the wrong number and realize it after I hear the machine message. I'll hang up and a few minutes later the person will call back and say, "Um, you just called me." I just say, "Sorry, wrong number." Happens to me the other way around, too.

A funny story about when I was a teen -- My family was out of town on a ski trip but I decided to stay home and had my BFF come spend the weekend with me (we were about 16 years old). When we were getting ready for bed, my friend came knocking on my bathroom door saying she heard a noise outside of the bedroom window and that someone was out there. I was pretty casual about it all and said, "Ah, I'll bet it's nothing or just the neighbor's cat prowling around."

I went up to the window and lifted up one of the slats on the mini-blinds only to see a pair of eyeballs staring right back at me! I let go of the blinds and jumped a foot back and whispered for my friend to call 911. After the call, we looked out the window some more and started to recognize a couple of people who were friends of my brother. I went outside and told them all to leave because we got scared and called the police. They were drinking beer in our front yard because they thought everyone was out of town. It's funny thinking about it now, but was not so funny back then.

 

[paintnolish]

Thanks. Now that the initial stress is gone I feel better. I will be leaving a couple of lights and my tv on tonight! My dogs normally will bark (not always) if people are at the house and they sleep on my bed, so that also makes me feel better. Not that they are the least bit threatening once you actually see them.

Even if it really was nothing, it drove home the point that I need to make the security changes I was planning on now rather than later. It's easy to become complacent if you are not careful.

Yeah, I have two Shelties, so they really won't be able to protect me from a homicidal maniac, but he sure won't sneak up on me! Oh, wait, we're trying to make you feel better. Sorry.

 

[brasswillow]

I was housesitting for some friends a few weeks back. I took full advantage of their gaming system and was playing Rock Band late at night. Part way through a song the alarm system started to blare, saying the window in the breakfast room as compromised. It freaked me out! I sat up for 3 hours. My first fear was that the police would show up and I'd get in trouble and then my other fear was that a bad guy was going to get me.

Fortunately it was just that the music had been too loud and I disarmed the alarm before it could alert the police. Hopefully you can rest, it can be nervewracking to be alone.

 

[Jennasis]

Seriously, the police had no problems and told me I did the right thing, so why does it matter to you? 911 told me I did the right thing, so why does it matter to you?

There is no reason for a stranger to be knocking on my door this late at night. None. I repeat, the police told me that I absolutely did the right thing in calling them. They felt it was serious enough to send not one but two cars to my house and thoroughly checked out my property to make sure that nobody was there. They also said they would make it a point to patrol tonight. I did not pretend there was more going on than there was. I simply gave them the facts and they felt it was a valid use of the system.

I will say it again: I am a single woman in a new area. Excuse me if I am a little cautious when people come onto my property after dark.

There are plenty of reasons why someone might knock on your door that late at nigh (since when is 9pm "that lat")t. Would you like a few that spring to mind?

Someone's car broke down nearby
Someone is missing a child/pet and is looking for them
Someone is lost

However, those excuses are the same ones a criminal would likely use to gain entry to your home. Perhaps you could invest in apeephole? My MIL has one and loves it! Dead bolts for all doors, maybe a security system (or the sign to stick on your lawn saying yoiu have a system.)
Regardless, I hope you are able to make the necessary adjustments to safeguard your home. We have 3 dogs that barn like loons at the sligtest sound of a human outside. BIG DOGS.

We also have motion lights and flood lights everywhere. My neighbor (about 1/4 mile away...it's farm country) says my house is lit up like an airport.

 

[lillygator]

ITA.

I was kinda scratching my head at the original post too....
Someone hung up on your machine, and you might have heard a knock....
Make yourself a nice cup of herbal tea, and find some old sitcoms on TV, I dont think you really have anything to be worried about tonight!

She did not ask if anyone thought she overreacted.

well you know message boards....!

 

[luvmy3]

Like a pp said, the phone call was probably a telemarketer. They use automated dialing systems that can't determine if an answering machine or a real person pick up. If they have trouble connecting they can tie up your line, or in your case your answering machine.
The knock on the door would have freaked me out too, but you said you weren't sure you even heard a real knock on the door. You were probably still rattled by the phone call, that you were just hearing things.

 

[DaParkers]

OP, I think you overreacted, BUT, I don't blame you. Too many women don't take their safety seriously. How many women have to be raped, assaulted, and killed before all women take their safety seriously? Might I suggest some type of protection? It doesn't have to be a gun. It can be a stun gun or even pepper spray. Very few people are effective after being sprayed in the eye with something. OP, calm down, assess the situation a little more before calling 911, and please protect yourself with a weapon of some sort.

 

[wvjules]

If something that insiginificant scared you then maybe you shouldn't be living alone.

 

[Kies99]

OP, while I do think calling 911 was a bit of an overreaction, I do want to let you know that I frequently get hang-ups on my answering machine. Both my wife and I work during the day and the kids are at school and we've never had an issue.

I attribute it to what other posters have said and assume it's some sort of auto-dial system. While I am on the "do not call" list, it's probably some sort of survey company or another company we do business with.

The fact that you have dogs and you indicate they would've barked if someone knocked makes me think this is all it was and that you heard something else.

I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[edandcolleen1995]

You called 911 because you thought you heard a knock at your door?

Yeah. Listen if you have prior history (ex-husband, bad crime area etc) I could sort of maybe understand it.

But one knock, that you may or may not of heard and you called 911? The phone call thing is just overreaction. There are millions of telemarking machines that just fish numbers and look for a live caller to give the pitch too. They hang up if they get a machine but take a second or two.

Sorry but just not getting why the op is all worked up?

 

[Frantasmic]

Whatever caused you to take notice of your security deficiencies is a good thing. You definitely do need to consider motion lights, an alarm, perhaps a better deadbolt, and a garage door opener.

My wife and I moved into our first house about a year or so after we married. It was a HUD home that a realtor bought and fixed up herself. She had new doors installed, but I don't recall that she had deadbolts on all of them. In fact, I think our front door just had the single door knob lock on it.

One night, during a thunderstorm, after we had gone asleep, someone tried to kick in our front door, timing the kicks with the thunder so people wouldn't hear it. But, we did. Something scared him off, but the next day, you could see the foot print on the front door. The door jamb held, but one or two more thunderclaps/kicks and the jamb would have busted.
I did wake up to hear the kicking, but he had already gotten in one or two kicks.

Anyway, it made us reassess our security features and we got all the items you have considered except the garage door opener (we only had a carport.

 

[si-am]

I am confused. You called 911 and said "Help, someone just knocked on my door, I think"?

What did they SAY to that?

I understand being scared home alone-- I used to feel that way all the time when I was single and had my own place. But I would never have called 911 for that.

 

[belle&sebastiansmom]

I hope you ended up sleeping soundly, Jessi!!


Yes, sometimes the mind can play tricks, but better to be safe than sorry.


When I lived alone during college, I called the police because someone was outside stealing my water. Yep, it was 11 at night and they were at my spicket filling up buckets. And they had their car in my driveway with their lights on. That was weird. But I was more freaked because I didn't know their intention.

 

[Scurvy]

Perhaps you could invest in a peephole?
-snip-
We also have motion lights and flood lights everywhere.

I second both of these recommendations. I admit that my initial thought was also that you overreacted, but only because you didn't know for sure if someone really knocked on your door. I know I probably would have gotten a little jumpy if something similar had happened at my house and my husband was out of town -I think every little noise would have sounded like a knock or someone messing with the door. If you had a peephole you could look out and see if someone was really knocking instead of just wondering if they were.

The fact that they didn't break in when you didn't come to the door makes me suspect that either no one was knocking or it was someone who wasn't attempting to do anything wrong.

I also think motion activated lights are something everyone should have, unless they leave their outdoor lights on all the time.

 

[RitaE]

From somebody who spends a considerable amount of time alone in her house ...
so take it for what it is worth.

There are going to be noises. There are going to be phone calls. There are going to be people who go out for a walk at 1am and get into loud fights 15 feet from your bedroom window. These are all things that happen when we're not alone in the house too, it is just that having somebody else there makes them seem not so big.

Reasonable safety precautions are understandable. You have a dog, buy a little can of mace. Improve your lighting or whatever.

But honestly, if things like this truly terrify you, then you need to change your living situation. The Police might not have been irritated this time, but they are not going to be thrilled about driving over to look at nothing on a continuous basis.

 

[wvjules]

From somebody who spends a considerable amount of time alone in her house ...
so take it for what it is worth.

There are going to be noises. There are going to be phone calls. There are going to be people who go out for a walk at 1am and get into loud fights 15 feet from your bedroom window. These are all things that happen when we're not alone in the house too, it is just that having somebody else there makes them seem not so big.

Reasonable safety precautions are understandable. You have a dog, buy a little can of mace. Improve your lighting or whatever.

But honestly, if things like this truly terrify you, then you need to change your living situation. The Police might not have been irritated this time, but they are not going to be thrilled about driving over to look at nothing on a continuous basis.

 

[C.Ann]

I'm sorry that you were frightened and as far as I'm concerned, you did what you felt was in your best interest.. Absolutely nothing wrong with that at all.. I hope you were finally able to get to sleep..

I tend to be on the other end of the spectrum.. I'm up here in the mountains alone - all of the seasonal residents having packed up and left on Labor Day.. It's a remote area and even if I were to call 911 it would probably take them a good hour to get here - unless a patrol car happened to be in the area..

In the past two days I have had two incidents.. One was yesterday morning around 6:30 a.m.. It sounded like something had brushed up against or banged on my outside wall.. I looked out the window (assuming it might be an animal) and saw nothing..

Then around 2 a.m. this morning I heard this very, very loud crack - felt the building shudder - and actually wondered if half of it had fallen off.. LOL.. I was really tired though - had a very long day yesterday - so I just rolled over and went back to sleep.. Checked things out this morning and I have no idea what the noise was.. When my son-in-law arrives tomorrow I'll have him do a more thorough check..

However, if someone knocked on the door after dark at this time of year - or I heard strange voices in my yard during the night - I would likely call 911 and then my son-in-law (who could probably get here faster as he's only 40 minutes away).. During the summer not much bothers me, but after everyone else has left for the season I have to be a little more careful..

I say we all have to do whatever we have to do in order to feel safe! Lots of "crazy" folks out there in the world these days.. Better to be safe than sorry - right?