Aggressive door to door 'pounding'...

remsburgsgirl

Not living in this estate long, but have kind of got used to the amount of people who come knocking door to door selling stuff or whatever...we lived in the countryside before here so it is a big change...I don't answer the door any more anyway as it's always one of these sellers & someone I am expecting usually phones ahead...

But just 30 mins ago...I am sitting in the living room, sorting out the toy box while my 1 year old is napping upstairs, when I hear this really aggressive pounding on my front door...not using the knocker or the doorbell, but pounding the sh*t out of the door for about 10 seconds sraight...I got a fright, jesus I am 7 months pregnant, it took me a few mins to be able to even move a muscle...

I go to look out the living room window to see a young fella poking his head around the side of our house & I hear him at the side gate for a few seconds, then I see him emerge back to the front door again, walk out to the street where he says something to his partner who is doing the same thing on all the houses in our cul-de-sac.

I am home alone at the moment, husband working away, as he regularly does 24 hr shifts, won't be home til the morning...

I am pretty pissed off at this point so I open the front door and see the lad walk up the little green across from my house, he looks like he is about to take a pee against the walls along the green (back wall of neighbours gardens)
so I shout "hey"....and ask him was that him banging on my door, he says he is cleaning gutters, I say not mine you aren't , he says "do you want anything done"
I say no & get on to him about pounding the sh*t out of my door & said he had better not be going to take a p*ss up against that wall...he mumbles something & starts walking away up the green...

in the meantime his buddy, who has their little van parked a few doors down, is (less aggressively) going around the other houses, he comes back to his van, nods at me & drives away. (I have my phone up to my ear at this stage, thinking about ringing my husband who is only down the road anyway, because my heart is in my mouth (I'm a wuss I know) not knowing what to do, trying not to look vulnerable after approaching the other guy when I probably should have left it alone)

This is about the 5th time this has happened by these particular types of people since we moved here, but the first time to this level of aggression, but they are always crossing boundaries into peoples property after not getting a door answered (looking in windows, over side gates etc....once I got asked if the woman next door to me is ever home as she never answers her door, they had a good gawk in her windows too)

Would I be overreacting to put a call into the local garda station? Or would it be a bad idea to be the one to make a complaint in case these are the types to give you another 'house call' after they get approached by a garda re. a complaint?

Is this a common thing in housing estates for this particular type of person to call around & be intimidating?
It's only ever happened to me once before when I was living in Dublin, the assh*le put his foot in the door so I couldn't close it after I said 'no thanks'

Pete67

No harm letting the guards know about this type of behaviour, and pass on the registration number of the van as well.

Ace Attorney

take the number plate reg and ring the guards, sounds like your estate has a scumbag infestation

Dartz

I like the bond villain solution...

Invite them in. Sit them around the dinner table. Get them talking. Then push a little button in your armrest that causes their chair to tip them down a trapdoor into the sharktank you have under your home.

SEPT 23 1989

You should get yourself a guard dag

ballsymchugh

knocking door to door offering odd jobs is also a way to find out if houses are unoccupied or not.

conorhal

ballsymchugh wrote: »

knocking door to door offering odd jobs is also a way to find out if houses are unoccupied or not.

That's what I was thinking, casing the joint, especally when you consider that she caught him gawking in windows and 'going around the side of a house for a slash'.
Definately give the number plate to the Guards.

Call Me Jimmy

I thought you had opened yourself up for a with the word pounding in AH. Mature replies so far... where am I?!

Mr. CooL ICE

You should find out the brand of van they have and invest all your money in shares for that company. You then blow up that van, and any other vehicle around that is the same brand. Wait a few days, then sell your shares.

gerarda

Buy one of these:

minidazzler

They're not cleaning gutters, their scoping the place out for a spot of thieving.

Fr_Dougal

Well you made the right decision in posting to After Hours first.

Firstly you need to burn down your house, let us know when this is complete so we can give you further advice.

tin79

"Aggressive door to door pounding"

Sounds like a mobile gigolo service.

Savoir.Faire

Look the thug straight in the eye and tell him to get off your property before you lodge the pellets of a 12-guage cartridge in his fleshy buttocks.

donegal__road

get one of these guys

lucylu

Does your area have a Text Alert setup?

Gran Hermano

Next time, answer the door stating "Padraig Nally residence, how may we help you?"

salacious crumb

As others have said, ring the cops immediately, those guys are just checking to see who's home so they can break in.

SeaFields

Gran Hermano wrote: »

Next time, answer the door stating "Padraig Nally residence, how may we help you?"

I believe "Protected by Padriag Nally Security" signs are also quite effective. :cool:

MonstaMash

Get one of these...

http://www.policelisting.com/police%20gear%20august%2001_2011.html

nelly17

LordChessington wrote: »

You should find out the brand of van they have and invest all your money in shares for that company. You then blow up that van, and any other vehicle around that is the same brand. Wait a few days, then sell your shares.

GTA logic, I like it

remsburgsgirl

gerarda wrote: »

Buy one of these:

Beautiful dog, we rescued one years ago & she was with us for a few years before passing away, she was a great family protector also very gentle with our daughter, I would love another...and I will answer the door all the time then with it at my side

remsburgsgirl

Gran Hermano wrote: »

Next time, answer the door stating "Padraig Nally residence, how may we help you?"

I'll have to google this Padraig Nally

remsburgsgirl

lucylu wrote: »

Does your area have a Text Alert setup?

I don't know, I have never heard about this service...

SEPT 23 1989

remsburgsgirl wrote: »

I'll have to google this Padraig Nally

King amongst men:D

tin79

Cant wait to see the next "get one of these" links!

Dog (or shrubs?)
Fake camera
Gun

Whats next??

On the edge of my seat.

remsburgsgirl

salacious crumb wrote: »

As others have said, ring the cops immediately, those guys are just checking to see who's home so they can break in.

I did consider this, actually it was the first thing I thought they were up to, then I said to myself not to be judging them, then I said to myself not to be a dope about it, they are obviously up to no good...these things always happen when my husband is bloody working!!!...although last night some more legit door to door guys decided 9pm would be a good time to go around door to door & they got the pleasure of meeting my husband, I think they'll be skipping our house next time hehehehe

salacious crumb

remsburgsgirl wrote: »

I did consider this, actually it was the first thing I thought they were up to, then I said to myself not to be judging them, then I said to myself not to be a dope about it, they are obviously up to no good...these things always happen when my husband is bloody working!!!...although last night some more legit door to door guys decided 9pm would be a good time to go around door to door & they got the pleasure of meeting my husband, I think they'll be skipping our house next time hehehehe

Have to say though, at 7 months pregnant, fair f*cks to ya for going out to confront them in the first place

aisr1ofk43dpy5

Just a couple of nice salt of the earth types going round to make sure your gutters are fit to take the winters rain and ye want to set dogs etc on them. The nature is gone out of the people =-O

--Kaiser--

Get a big dog, scummers are all afraid of dogs

Khannie

You can get a "No soliciting" sign. They're not pretty, but they are effective.

akura

gerarda wrote: »

Buy one of these:

donegal__road wrote: »

get one of these guys

MonstaMash wrote: »

Get one of these...

http://www.policelisting.com/police%20gear%20august%2001_2011.html

Combine them together for the ultimate scumbag deterrent:pac:

illeagles_mcc

how about dogs with bees in their mouths, and when they bark they shoot bees at you!

GorillaRising

There should be some sort of 'license to trade' that genuine people can buy/register in order to carry out working like this. They should be easy to identify.

I wonder how many of these types are actually paying taxes...

AnonoBoy

gerarda wrote: »

Buy one of these:

Attached Images
File Type: jpg 423731.jpg

A .jpeg?

Why would buying a .jpeg help her?

remsburgsgirl

GorillaRising wrote: »

There should be some sort of 'license to trade' that genuine people can buy/register in order to carry out working like this. They should be easy to identify.

I wonder how many of these types are actually paying taxes...

I think it is safe to say that the type of people that called to the estate today don't, and never will, pay taxes, or worry about not paying taxes....or...will get reprimanded if caught not paying taxes...

GorillaRising

remsburgsgirl wrote: »

I think it is safe to say that the type of people that called to the estate today don't, and never will, pay taxes, or worry about not paying taxes....or...will get reprimanded if caught not paying taxes...

True, but people would be less hesitant about reporting them under such a scheme and it might act as a deterrent to some.

conor2469

Khannie wrote: »

You can get a "No soliciting" sign. They're not pretty, but they are effective.

I doubt the guys in question would be able to pronounce that, let alone know what it means.

FTA69

Khannie wrote: »

You can get a "No soliciting" sign. They're not pretty, but they are effective.

Won't make much of a difference when some Traveller is running off with your lawnmower while you're out shopping.

suicide_circus

FTA69 wrote: »

Won't make much of a difference when some Traveller is running off with your lawnmower while you're out shopping.

would a "No robbing" sign be more effective ?

JustAddWater

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

You should get yourself a guard dag

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH64dlgyydM

remsburgsgirl

salacious crumb wrote: »

Have to say though, at 7 months pregnant, fair f*cks to ya for going out to confront them in the first place

I don't know what I was thinking, I'm paranoid they'll burn the house down tonight now

WindSock

AnonoBoy wrote: »

A .jpeg?

Why would buying a .jpeg help her?

They meant .kpeg, which is street for klothes peg, which is street for clothes peg. Times were, gypsies used to call to houses selling clothes pegs and what not in an effort to "scope out the joint" (that's making a check to see if a resident was on the premises or not to you an me) and so legend had it that if you kept a basket filled with a ready supply of kpegs beside the front door it would be a signal to the gypsies that the occupier was onto their game and were indeed, not in need of their wares. The gypsies knew full well to give the property a wide berth, as the basket of kpegs emanated a somewhat mystical invisible forcefield, keeping the home and the front door safe from their relentless afternoon pounding, spitting and cursing.

Plazaman

Have a white lab coat covered in theatrical blood and a surgical mask hanging in the hallway for quick access. Answer door wearing these with the obligatory large carving knife in your hand.

Let loose several profanities at the caller and then mumble something about being behind schedule and not having enough product. Then just ask what height they are.

Santa Cruz

Two signs.

"This house is protected by a Rottweiler. He can make the gate in 4 seconds. Can You?"

Protected five days a week by a Rottweiler
You guess which day.

Ruu

And now, to ride Mrs. O'Reilly!

Son Of A Vidic

remsburgsgirl wrote: »

Aggressive door to door 'pounding'...

After reading the thread title, I thought this thread was about a new and more brazen version of dogging.

remsburgsgirl

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

After reading the thread title, I thought this thread was about a new and more brazen version of dogging.

Yea, sorry about the disappointing thread topic in comparison to what the title could have offered :pac: I did think about that after posting it

Sugar Free

Disappointed there's no mention of Pat Mustard with all the door to door pounding!

Seriously though OP I can sympathise, it happens a lot to my grandmother, who lives alone. She has the benefit of walled gardens and a porch though, thankfully.

salacious crumb

remsburgsgirl wrote: »

I don't know what I was thinking, I'm paranoid they'll burn the house down tonight now

House still standing? :pac:

remsburgsgirl

salacious crumb wrote: »

House still standing? :pac:

Still here, so far so good!

Maybe they'll come knocking more politely next time...either way I think I have learnt my lesson just not to go near the door if there is a next time...I've scared myself more than them I think!