Another WWYD. (nwr)

Blueyed228

My sister just called me upset.  I guess someone just came to her house and started ringing the doorbell and knocking like crazy.  (at 2:30 am).  She was home alone, has a 1 year old and is 8 months pregnant.  She did not answer the door.  The kid had a car and a cell phone.  He went to her neighbors house and then drove off.

Well she is upset because she is worried he might have needed help, but he drove off before she could call the police.  Her conscience is bothering her.  She feels bad because what if he was hurt or really needed help.  She live on a cul de sac with only 2 houses in a nice town.  Its not a main road and its not like this stuff happens all the time in her area.

I told her she did the right thing.  If he had a car and a phone and needed help he could have called 911.

What would you have done?  I dont have kids and I have a dog so I may have cracked a window and been like "whats up" but if I was in her shoes (baby, pregnant, etc) no way.

thesuninherhead

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_another-wwyd-nwr?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:f498cda0-ab6d-4ae0-8325-bd1f5d4c198bPost:886bd967-2fd7-4a3e-9a88-e8950241d293">Another WWYD. (nwr)</a>:
[QUOTE]My sister just called me upset.  I guess someone just came to her house and started ringing the doorbell and knocking like crazy.  (at 2:30 am).  She was home alone, has a 1 year old and is 8 months pregnant.  She did not answer the door.  The kid had a car and a cell phone.  He went to her neighbors house and then drove off. Well she is upset because she is worried he might have needed help, but he drove off before she could call the police.  Her conscience is bothering her.  She feels bad because what if he was hurt or really needed help.  She live on a cul de sac with only 2 houses in a nice town.  Its not a main road and its not like this stuff happens all the time in her area. I told her she did the right thing.  If he had a car and a phone and needed help he could have called 911. What would you have done?  I dont have kids and I have a dog so I may have cracked a window and been like "whats up" but if I was in her shoes (baby, pregnant, etc) no way.
<p>Posted by Blueyed228[/QUOTE]</p><p>I wouldn't have answered if I were alone. Especially not with kids in the house. It was probably innocent- perhaps it was the wrong street/house number or his cell phone was dying so he couldn't call for directions, but I still wouldn't have answered.</p><p> </p><p>If he needed help, presumably he could have driven to the police station/hospital anyway, right? </p>

AdeleDazeem

I think I would have been quite scared, honestly. 

However, think about it logically.  The guy had a car and a cell phone (how does she know about the cell phone?).  Any help that he could have possibly needed, he could have summoned or driven to.  Especially if he was able to get back in his car and drive somewhere else.

I don't know if you have it up there in Boston, but down here last night is called "Mischief Night."  The night before Halloween where kids pull pranks, TP trees, egg houses, etc.  I would chalk it up to that.

[Deleted User]

There is no way in hell I would have answered it. And if he had a working cell phone, he could have called 911 himself, right?

betrothed123

I wouldn't have answered, either.

leayn

It was probably some drunk dude at the wrong house.  I wouldn't have answered the door either, and I would not feel bad about it.  If the guy needed help, I'm sure he would have been yelling "HELP!" instead of talking on his cell phone.  Tell her to forget about it....it was mischief night, she was smart not to open the door in her condition at 2:30am!

skippylouwho

I wouldn't have answered but I still would have called 911. I'd have told them what happened, given them a description of the car and the kid and that she was home alone with a 1 year-old and is 8 months pregnant.  Even though he drove off, she could stll have reported it.   Unless they were handling serious emergencies they would have sent a patrol car out to check out the neighborhood and be sure everything was ok.

kd.joseph

I think she did the right thing, and even the police would tell her so. If she was going to do anything, it would be just ask him through the door if he needs help and if she can call the police. But never open the door. Tell her she did the right thing for her and her children.

K&J64

I would not have answered that, if anything I would have called the police b/c some little shiit was ringing my doorbell at 2:30am. Last night was Mischelf/Cabbage night afterall. I don't  think he need help, I think he was pulling pranks. He had the means to get any help he needed. without waking up strangers.

brilibby4

I would not have answered the door either.  I might consider yelling "what do you need?" out the door and then calling the police for him if he claimed to need them.  Either way though, I would not have opened the door. 

[Deleted User]

I would have been scared out of my effing mind. Seriously, someone breaking into my house in the middle of the night and robbing us or harming me or H is one of my biggest fears. Just thinking about it makes my heart pound. She definitely did the right thing by not answering. If he had a phone and a car, then he had no business banging on her door.

If H was there, he probably would have yelled at him through the door asking what he wanted, then tell him he was calling the cops. I remember this happening once when I was little and my mom was home alone with me and my brother, then a baby. She yelled out that she hopes the guy is a fan of german shepards because she was about to let ours loose on him. He ran away. We didn't have a dog, but it worked.

katiewhompus

One thing I learned in my self defense course in college is to never open your door at night if you are alone, even if you have a chain on. She did the right thing.

sister2groom

If he was dying, he wouldn't have driven off, he would have stayed, your sister would have called 911 and he would have been OK.

Also, I don't want to be alarmist, but how much more guilty would she feel if she HAD opened the door and something had happened to her kids?

mocha beans

Yeah, good call on not opening the door, I wouldn't have either, especially if I was pregnant with a small kid.

In the unlikely event that he did actually need help, I'd feel bad, but comeon, if he really needed help he would have yelled that.

NatesGirl16

Unfortunately, we, as a society, receive conflicting information on situations like this.  We're taught to help others and we have a genuine desire to help those in need.  At the same time, the reality of the world in which we live means that is not always the best, safest option.

She did the right thing and has no reason to feel guilty.  Her first obligation is to protect her child and her self/unborn baby, so that nothing happens to them.  I probably would have called the police anyway, in case he was injured or something or in case he really was a killer and was hitting up a bunch of hosues to see who would answer.  But I never, ever would have opened that door.