Was this a bit weird?

Many years ago my husband worked at a car dealership and took a customer out on a test drive. It was winter and dark.

When they got out into the countryside he pulled over so the customer could drive.
The man locked the car doors, pulled a gun out and drove off, leaving my husband stranded.

He saw a farmhouse with the lights on, walked to it and knocked on the door.
A woman answered and was happy to help my husband call the Police (pre mobile phones) and made sure he was ok. I think she made him a cup of tea.

When he eventually got home, very late and in quite a state, he told me what had happened.

I have to say I told him I didn't think I would have answered the door to him... 😕

Yes Lexisgranny,I agree.We have a chain on front and back door and the doors locked with the keys being out of reach from letterbox. Also I never answer the door if hubbie is out.I just open a window slightly and ask who it is.

I agree NotSpaghetti. Yes, I was helped by a gypsy girl years ago when I was a young mum (living in Ireland at the time). I’ve always remembered it.

I have helped gypsies with water too Delila. A small thing really.
Whilst no-one wants trouble/burglars etc, there are genuine people out there too for whom a small thing (to us) is a relief to them.

I still remember being helped by an Irish family 30 years ago.
Most people are good people most of the time.

Keep your back door locked and, if you answer the front door, keep it on a sturdy chain. That is the answer to so-called 'distraction' crimes.

On the other hand, I used to live opposite a church frequently used by gypsies for their funerals. On odd occasions they would knock and ask for milk for babies, or hot water, and it was always perfectly genuine.

A man knocked on my elderly father’s front door & asked for money as his car had run out of petrol. My father asked where the car was and the man waved vaguely further along the road. Dad was suspicious and said no, sorry, and closed the door. He then encountered a younger man inside his house, who had entered by the back door, who he luckily managed to chase off.

The whole episode was an attempted burglary using a distraction technique, so it does pay to be vigilant in the circumstances you describe, Sunny82z.

Hetty58

It's a known scam around here. It's sad, really, as I'd like to think that I could always get help, in an emergency, by knocking on a door - but they'd probably think I was a scammer.

Somebody did knock, saying that their car had broken down and could they use my phone. I spoke to them through the Ring doorbell, saying I'd make the call for them - and they ran off!

Here in London, you can always get a bus (and pay later) by leaving your name/address etc. with the driver, so you are never stranded. I did that when my purse was stolen, so maybe it's the same everywhere.

Bit the same here, a few years ago, a woman rang the bell and said she had broken down and could she use the phone.I handed it to her in case she was an honest case and she appeared to speak to somebody but I had a feeling there was nobody there at the other end.We get quite a few travellers around here, checking out houses and cars which are sometimes broken into or the cars stolen.
Sure enough, the week after, a neighbour who’s a tradesman had his van and tools stolen overnight.

Nice posts rockgran and Witzend.

I was scammed by a young woman at midnight. I was suspicious but I gave her some cash for a taxi feeling I would rather be scammed than wrong.

I once gave a few £ to a young chap in apparent distress with some sob story. I was 90% sure it was a scam and was proved right only about a week later, but heigh ho, on the off chance…

Ditto dh and I, a fiver for a distressed young woman with a sob story, but again, on the off chance…

It's a known scam around here. It's sad, really, as I'd like to think that I could always get help, in an emergency, by knocking on a door - but they'd probably think I was a scammer.

Somebody did knock, saying that their car had broken down and could they use my phone. I spoke to them through the Ring doorbell, saying I'd make the call for them - and they ran off!

Here in London, you can always get a bus (and pay later) by leaving your name/address etc. with the driver, so you are never stranded. I did that when my purse was stolen, so maybe it's the same everywhere.

Deedaa

I was leaving hospital one evening after visiting DH when I was stopped by a man who asked for his bus fare home. He said he had been brought in after a fight and had now given up waiting and would come back the next day, but he had no money or transport. I was a bit dubious but gave him some money and went home. When I went to visit DH the next day I met the man again. Seeing him in daylight it was obvious that he had been badly beaten up. He was very grateful to me for the money.

I'd give in this situation. Even if he spent it on a smoke tbh its a small amount and could have made all the difference.

In these times, who is out in a car without a mobile phone ?
If he had broken down he could call a friend for assistance.
Scams are prolific now, I had an email one yesterday which was attempting to blackmail me, it had so much information about me it was scary.

I suppose, "up the road" could be a mile away.
I certainly used to think the end of the long lane to our village was just "up the road". That was well over a mile. It would be a long way on crutches though!

Some strange things do happen.

The way things are going I think we all need to be extra careful where once we may have had second thoughts about helping a stranger. I usually pop up to my bedroom and check through the net curtain who is at the front door, put the phone down if I don't know who it is and bin any dodgy mail. All very hostile but for me necessary.

Yes I wondered why if he had a friend up the road why on earth didn't he go there in the first place, it was all very odd

If his friend lives up the road then why call on you

I was leaving hospital one evening after visiting DH when I was stopped by a man who asked for his bus fare home. He said he had been brought in after a fight and had now given up waiting and would come back the next day, but he had no money or transport. I was a bit dubious but gave him some money and went home. When I went to visit DH the next day I met the man again. Seeing him in daylight it was obvious that he had been badly beaten up. He was very grateful to me for the money.

We have just installed a video bell so I can see who is at the door and can speak to them.

Yes silvering it is unnerving when you live on your own, something about him really rang my alarm bells.

It does seem weird. I think logging it with 101 is a good idea, he might be "known" already.

If his friend lived up the road, why didn’t he go there in the first place? If you haven’t already got one, get a chain for your door and get into the habit of using it, in all likelihood it can be put down to one of those strange things that happen from time to time, but as you have taken the trouble to write about it, it is obviously in your mind. It is a sensible precaution for all ages really.

It’s a sad thing that in this day and age we have become so uneasy, the days of the unlocked door are gone in most places I’m afraid, but on the other hand, peace of mind is everything.

I had similar a while ago this time someone knocked asking me for money for petrol as he had run out.
Soft touch that I am I nearly gave him money but realised this was a scam. He legged it up the road. Strangely done months later a different man with the same story. He hadn’t knocked at anyone else’s house and it rather unnerved me.

who knows?
but log it with 101 anyway