It would be scary when someone suddenly knocks on your door at midnight. However, this is a common situation that can happen to many people. It is difficult to decide what to do, and your instinct may be to open the door to check who is outside. But to ensure your safety, it is better to take precautions when unknown visitors come knocking. Whether you are an adult or a child, this guide will give you some useful tips to answer in these cases. Read on to learn more on what to do if somebody is knocking on the door at midnight.
Try to figure out whether you are expecting someone
Before getting frightened or deciding to open the door, make sure to ask yourself who would be knocking the door at that time. Are there any relatives planning to come over your house from another city or country? If so, it would be them.
Check the calendar to see if your friends told you to stop by because it is easy to forget about plans or appointments you made with others. In case you aren’t expecting anyone, there is no need to fear because it might still be a surprise visit from some those you know.
Check through the peepholes or windows
If you can’t figure who might be out there, then it is necessary to take a look to know it before opening the door. A peephole is the simplest and most effective way to ensure that. But if your door isn’t equipped with one, then go to a nearby window and check whether you could discern who is knocking.
By doing this, they can’t notice you, while you would safely assess whether you can trust or know them or not. So what if you can’t see the person? The answer is to look at their car. In most cases, you would simply recognise it as a relative’s vehicle.
Verify the identity
If you can’t recognise the person who is knocking your door, make sure to ask: “Would I help you?” or “Who is that?” Stand close to the door so that you could hear their voice clearly.
If they claim to be a policeman, for example, you should ask a few questions concerning the purposes to confirm their identity. If someone gets hurt or injured in an accident or their vehicle is broken down, do not open the door immediately. Instead, you should call an ambulance or tow truck to avoid any malicious thieves.
Call the police or arm yourself
If you have unwanted visitors, just ask them to leave your property. Be polite and patient for the first few times. But when they do not listen and keep bothering you or insisting to stay, just call the police. Let them know that the policemen are on their way. Consider arming as well to avoid any dangerous penetration. It doesn’t need to be a firearm. Instead, you can take a golf club, pepper spray, baseball bat, or a knife.
Just ignore
Whether you don’t want to open the door or lazy to get up at night, then just ignore those people. Whoever out there would likely to go away. Do not worry about a relative or friend because they will call you when you don’t open the door. However, don’t attempt to make them think no one is home because some burglars might see it as a great chance to break in. Just make some noise or flick the light switch to indicate that you are inside.
Take necessary precautions
The best way to ensure safety in these cases is to take necessary precautions. These could be as complex or simple as you would like, depending on the kind of neighbourhood that you are living in. This means if you reside in an area with many criminal cases, make sure to:
1. Set up a security camera
A good security camera will enable you to see those who are knocking your door. This is important to prevent burglars or some scammers.
2. Have an intercom speaker system
This device is a safe and inexpensive way to communicate with other people knocking on your door.
3. Purchase a door chain
With a door chain, you can speak to a stranger through the small gap instead of opening the door. Ensure it is mounted securely with long screws to prevent someone from pushing inside.
4. Adopt a dog
Barking or mean-looking dogs would deter any people with bad intentions. Also, burglars usually don’t want to face dogs and often avoid your property.
Other useful tips
- Keep in mind that you aren’t obligated to let anyone come in your house unless they are policemen with search warrants. Thus, make good judgements with your head before deciding to open the door.
- Do not get too paranoid about a scammer or burglar outside every time you decide to open it. In fact, these cases occur very rarely. However, it is still better to take precautions and confirm their identity.
- Tell your planned visitors a code word before they visit your home to avoid any confusion.
- Do not tell strangers you are alone, particularly when you are a child or a woman.
- In some cases, ignoring would be more dangerous because many burglars usually knock first to check whether anyone is home.
- You should be particularly cautious of any strangers who knock on your door out of business hours. In most cases, people who come late at night or early in the morning tend to have some bad intentions.