What to do when strangers knock on your door at night

Two soft knocks hit the front door as I carried my plate of food, Galaxy’s food bowl, and my phone back to my room.

I set everything down on top of a box in the front room — the cardboard box cat tunnel. I looked out the peephole to see two figures; the porch light was off. I raised my right hand to turn on the light.

Two guys — one standing near the door, the other a few steps back. I couldn’t see their faces that well.

I stepped away to grab my phone from under the plate of food. When I looked back through the peephole, they were running off.

I didn’t know what exactly to do in the moment that it happened, so I did all I could do to give the impression I wasn’t home alone:

• turned on a bunch of lights
• kept the porch light on
• messaged a friend about the incident

Here’s what I learned to do when this happens.

1. Dial the police.

911 is appropriate to call in situations like this. Having someone on the line when you think you’re in a potentially dangerous situation where you don’t know what to expect is best.

“Hi, I live at [address]. There is/are [number guys] at my door, and I’m home alone. I’m not expecting anyone. I don’t see a vehicle out front. This isn’t normal activity for this house…I just turned on the porch light and other lights to look like someone’s home, and they’re leaving. Could an officer drive down the street to check for anything suspicious?”

Or, if they don’t leave, describe what they look like.

Always start with your address. If something happens, they will at least have your address.

Speak as slowly and clearly as you can so the dispatcher can understand you.

2. Make it clear you’re home.

The soft knocking is how they check for dogs. They’re looking for a dog barking. They’re determining if the house is “easy” to break into or if it would be more challenging.

I suppose I was lucky to have been there in that moment, to hear the knocks. I highly doubt I’d have heard it from my room.

Considering how quiet it was, I wonder if perhaps they were spooked by how quickly I responded.

⚡ According to Reddit users on related posts, a knock test is done to determine the likelihood of calling police versus police arrival times. All the more reason to be on the phone with 9-1-1 (or your equivalent) when this happens.

3. Listen to dispatch.

Follow their instructions. They may have different instruction from mine. They’ll be far more helpful than I can be to you.

I don’t have a dog or gun, so I’m seemingly “defenseless”.

There is, however, a cop that lives right across the street who is quick to run outside when something happens.

4. Trust your gut.

The anxiety and discomfort you feel when you think you’re in danger — that’s your body’s way of communicating to you that something’s amiss.

It’s far better to trust your gut and report bored teens for “suspicious activity” than it is to ignore it and open the door to whatever horrors await.

Some ways you can protect yourself

• Place a pair of old men’s work boots outside your front door. This old piece of advice used to be given to single women who lived alone.
• Have a Ring or other video doorbell that records what people look like. This helps deter people from breaking in to people’s homes.
• Use solar motion-activated lights. Some can be stuck into the ground, meaning you could place them in the ground near your walkways.
• Keep your front yard lit at night. Dark homes are bigger targets because people can’t see much of what’s happening. Solar ground lights that stay lit all the time can help light your walkways regardless of any motion.
• Yell, “FRANK, GET YOUR FUCKING GUN.,” as loud as you can. Or Carl. Or Craig. Or Johnny. Someone. Anyone — a man’s name, though.

Also…take a self-defense class at least once a year. It’s unfortunate that this is the society we live in, but ’tis what ’tis.

Stay safe out there. ✨