https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 13 May 2026 12:53:43 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am/page/2#post-2379546 Sun, 06 Dec 2015 17:12:24 +0000 yoursilverlining 2379546@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catomd00: not necessarily- I know when I was in high school plenty of us did stupid stuff and were drunk and had minor interactions with cops were not arrested. Of course some people were, but I don't think it's an automatic arrest if you're drunk and don't know where you and in need of some help but are not being aggressive or an ass. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am/page/2#post-2379486 Sun, 06 Dec 2015 15:44:51 +0000 JenGirl 2379486@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm from the US and In the situation OP described, I'd open the door but keep the screen closed and talk to the kid. If the kid was yelling or making trouble, I'd call the cops. But a kid that's just drunk and confused? I just tell them to go home.</p> <p>A couple years ago some random drunk guy knocked on our front door. My husband and I went out to the front porch to talk to him. It was night but we live on a pretty busy street and the porch is in full view of the street. He was bruised and bleeding, so I brought out an ice pack while my husband tried to figure out what had happened. Apparently someone beat him up, he wanted to come inside, but we wouldn't let him. We tried to talk him into letting us take him to the police station, which is just a block away, but he didn't want to. We ended up calling him a cab and giving the cabbie $10 to take him home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am/page/2#post-2379440 Sun, 06 Dec 2015 15:15:36 +0000 Navy_Mommy 2379440@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would talk to them through the door. Probably with my dog by my side. If they acted belligerent towards me at all I would call the cops, but odds are I would just try to help them get home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am/page/2#post-2377757 Fri, 04 Dec 2015 05:45:17 +0000 rachiecakes 2377757@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: I'm in Boston &amp; the police are like this here too. We've had so many college kids go missing, turn up dead in the river/harbor and they were just stumbling around drunk in the wrong place. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am/page/2#post-2377713 Fri, 04 Dec 2015 00:42:28 +0000 SugarplumsMom 2377713@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catomd00: I remember this from a psych class I took ages ago. The teacher commented about how at that age, kids are highly influenced by their peers and want to fit in, but think they're invincible and haven't yet realized the value of life. She relayed it to violence motivated by peers and it apparently stuck with me since it's the first thing I thought of in that instance. Either that or I watch too much TWD!</p> <p>But I have to add - I only thought he looked 14. DH thinks he could have been 18. The legal drinking age here is 16. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am/page/2#post-2377659 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 23:22:44 +0000 Mrs.Pinecone316 2377659@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would call the police. Even kids these days do crazy things, I wouldn't feel safe. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am/page/2#post-2377651 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 23:10:33 +0000 Rockies11 2377651@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If anyone showed up at my door, and particularly if that person was a teenager, and they were so drunk that they didn't know where they were, I would be extremely concerned for their safety. I would take all steps necessary to ensure that they made it home safely - like look at their phone and call their parents for one. It seems about 10,000x more likely that they are a drunk teen who needs help than they are some sort of politely knocking armed robber. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am/page/2#post-2377378 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 19:11:38 +0000 littlejoy 2377378@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In our neighborhood (in a city, near a lot of bars), this wouldn't be too crazy to think of -- though, at my back door?? I'd be freaked since we have a fence. </p> <p>Honestly, my husband would probably grab our shotgun (YOU NEVER KNOW!!), and I'd call the police immediately. Knowing DH, he'd want to see who it was, so he'd at least peek out the window. He'd probably asses the situation as to whether he'd engage with this person. </p> <p>If it was a drunk teenager, who didn't seem threatening, I'd be sure to relay that information to the police. People have been shot in situations like this, so it's a little scary. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am/page/2#post-2377368 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 19:02:50 +0000 catomd00 2377368@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: isn't being drunk in public and underage a reason to be arrested? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am/page/2#post-2377366 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 18:59:46 +0000 catomd00 2377366@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SugarplumsMom: 14 is the exact age where drunk kids kill people?! What?! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am/page/2#post-2377356 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 18:31:15 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2377356@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd maybe talk through the closed door depending on the circumstances and I'd call the cops. But that has a lot to do with where I live (urban area.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am/page/2#post-2376755 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 12:15:29 +0000 tofuwad 2376755@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In the town where my parents live there are lots of break ins where people do this and pretend to be lost or drunk or whatever, but if no one comes to the door or checks it out, they assume no one is home and break in. It happens both during the day and at night. The usual MO is to knock on the front door and then if no one answers they knock on the back door.</p> <p>So my answer was get a weapon and call the cops. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am/page/2#post-2376735 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 11:59:54 +0000 yoursilverlining 2376735@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just want to add about why I would call the cops – it wouldn’t necessarily be to “protect my family”, but to help protect everyone involved and figure out what’s going on. I live in a smaller city, and the cops are really there to help serve the community, in addition to policing. Calling them wouldn’t mean the kid would be arrested, unless there was a reason for them to be arrested. When I was in high school, our dogs got loose and the cops found them and brought them home in the back of a cruiser (with blue lights flashing lol). I wouldn’t call the cops because I was scared or thought there was necessarily a clear danger to my family – part of their job is to help in situations like this. I wouldn’t want to just ignore anyone of any age who is drunk and stumbling around say, in the middle of winter, when they certainly risk real health issues and safety being outside and not in the right state of mind. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am/page/2#post-2376714 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 11:48:59 +0000 Greentea 2376714@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I thought the premise was if I was alone!</p> <p>I would have DH deal with it. But if it was just me I would grab a phone just in case I had to dial the police. I think your DH did the right thing. I would probably ignore him if I was alone but keep my phone and kind of peek at what was happening, or have my phone but talk to him through the door. </p> <p>I don't think I would just call the cops! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am/page/2#post-2376701 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 11:43:35 +0000 jlm22 2376701@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: haha, me too! The doorbell this late at night would paralyze me in fear and I would lock myself in a room with the baby and call the cops. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am/page/2#post-2376640 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 11:13:39 +0000 snowjewelz 2376640@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So scary! I'd tell DH to handle it (and be safe). If he wasn't there for some reason, I'd totally ignore the doorbell and call the cops from my room lol. I wouldn't even be brave enough to go downstairs! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am/page/2#post-2376623 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 11:05:47 +0000 cascademom 2376623@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anya: My aunt had this situation happen to her. She bought her condo from an elderly grandmother with a troublemaker grandson. Apparently, he would steal money from her at night. Once my aunt moved in. She noticed money missing from her countertop. She changed the locks soon after the incident.</p> <p>As for the OP, I would call the cops. I would want to do everything I could to protect my personal safety and my family's. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am/page/2#post-2376613 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 11:00:14 +0000 looch 2376613@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cherrybee: Yeah, it's like there is a mass shooting every other day here, there was just one yesterday.</p> <p>I try to remember at some point, my kid is going to be a teenager and I would want someone to help him, not be scared of him if he shows up at their back door drunk, so I am making a point of at least trying to know all the neighborhood kids by face at least. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am#post-2376610 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 10:57:33 +0000 TrailRunner 2376610@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This reminds me of that story of the drunk teenager that crawled in the window if his neighbors home thinking it was his house and he homeowner shot and killed him. :bummed: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am#post-2376601 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 10:46:07 +0000 YouGotMe 2376601@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If I had been alone I likely would have called the police, not for my safety but for his. </p> <p>Had DH been there I would have had him help the kid. I work in a university so I see drunk teens/young adults quite often and they find themsleves in all sorts of predicaments where they need an adults help. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am#post-2376599 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 10:41:05 +0000 Maysprout 2376599@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We used to live in a college town and this would happen occasionally but the back door is weird. The one time it happened that woke me up I cracked open my 2nd floor window and gave them directions. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am#post-2376594 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 10:35:18 +0000 LuLu Mom 2376594@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would have had DH checked to make sure he was not hurt/in trouble through a closed door. We would see what he was hoping would happen from this, if he was aggressive I would call the cops, but if he was just a scared/drunk kid I would probably calls someone to come get him to get him off the streets, at 14 that is young. </p> <p>I will say that a friend's brother was stabbed in a confrontation (in a good neighborhood) he was drunk. and was at a party. He crawled to a house and tried to knock but was losing conciseness and threw an empty propane tank into the glass (did not break, he was weak) but the family heard him and saved his life. This is why I would make sure he was not injured. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am#post-2376541 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 09:59:21 +0000 psw27 2376541@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I voted I would talk through the door but now that I've read everyone's response, I think I would have just waited it out and seen if he went away. If not, I would have called the cops. I definitely would not open the door, especially if DH wasn't there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am#post-2376533 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 09:56:17 +0000 Cherrybee 2376533@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: This!!! I cant get my head around why you'd all be so scared of a kid at your door. But I guess where my first thought is "is he okay?", yours would be "has he got a gun?". Over here, if someone is going to break into your house or rob you, they're not going to knock on the door first. But in a place where people might have guns - and kids shoot their schools - these things are totally possible. Id be scared stiff, constantly! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am#post-2376527 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 09:50:28 +0000 Mrs.KMM 2376527@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would probably talk to them through a closed store to make sure that they were not in danger, needing help, etc. If they were just being drunk and stupid, I would ignore them and go back to bed. I would not stoop to calling the cops unless they seemed belligerent. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am#post-2376524 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 09:48:31 +0000 rachiecakes 2376524@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would've called the cops. Mostly because the kid might not be a danger to you but he's a danger to himself. I'd hate to hear that he was hit by a car, fell off a bridge, drowned, etc. I'd want the police to take him home and maybe scare some sense into him. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am#post-2376503 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 09:29:45 +0000 SugarplumsMom 2376503@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have to add that the kid looked a lot like the shady teenager in The Walking Dead! I have never seen him before, but he looked so dangerous to me. He was knocking on the glass of the backyard door. Loudly. I honestly thought he had a knife. I was scared and half asleep. He literally had to walk around my house to end up on the deck of my backyard. It was def not something you'd expect to wake-up to. </p> <p>I told DH I wasn't comfortable with how he handled it - he's too trusting! But we couldn't come up with a compromise. DH's suggestion was to go outside by himself, that way if there's a gang of boys wanting to jump him (what I kept thinking), he'll be alone, but that obviously wouldn't work because I'd definitely go out there to help him. No idea how we'd handle it if it happens again, but I really hope that never happens. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am#post-2376479 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 09:14:41 +0000 mediagirl 2376479@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had this happen (no clue who it was but someone rang and banged on our door and ran) and this is what we did. My husband got up and got his bat (our weapon of choice, lol). I went over to stand near our lo's room waiting to see what I needed to do, phone in hand. He looked out the peephole and didn't see anyone. We waited. Nothing happened. We looked out the front windows outside to make sure no one was there. Then we went back to sleep. </p> <p>If it had continued, we would have called the cops. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am#post-2376427 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 08:23:08 +0000 MOMTOLITTLEB 2376427@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anya: We just moved in about 6 months ago and the previous owners had a daughter who was in some trouble so I'd likely wonder the same.</p> <p>When we moved in we put up a huge privacy fence on the side of our yard near the street so I'd think it was really bold to open the fence and it would scare me- I'd definitely call the cops. They are the more appropriate people to help someone in the middle of the night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-a-drunk-teen-knocked-on-your-backyard-door-at-2am#post-2376416 Thu, 03 Dec 2015 07:58:50 +0000 Modern Daisy 2376416@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lamariniere: I lived in apartments up until a ye ar ago and I totally agree with you! It is a big perk for sure. Ransoms and solicitors have no access to your front door. They can buzz all they want but people are way less likely to buzz than walk up to knock on an actual door. That said, I would def stay inside and call the cops. I live in a safe neighborhood but that doesn't matter. At 2am after enough drinks anyone can become violent. </p>