I didn’t have it pointed at the door, but I did draw it from the holster so it was ready to go.
I was working from home around 3 pm when the doorbell rang. “I seriously don’t have time for whoever that is right now” and with that thought, I didn’t answer it. It’s campaign season after all, and they love stopping at my house. Almost every day. Or so it seems.
For reference, I was sitting in a room about 20 feet from the front door. For even more reference, I was the only one home and was not expecting anyone for a visit.
About a full 2 minutes after the doorbell went off, I started to hear a noise coming from the front door. I immediately got up and went to investigate and when I got just a few feet closer, the noise got louder. I realized; the door handle was being manipulated from the outside.
Whoever was on the other side of that door was now trying to get in.
I immediately drew my Glock and was waiting behind a wall.
The noise got louder and I could see the door handle moving. Whoever it was… they were getting more into it. I thought to myself, “If someone comes through that door, I have a split second to figure out who they are and then make a decision.”
Under the impression that it was a person looking to enter the house, I made the decision to let them know that someone was inside. I was going to announce that I was home in an attempt to scare them off. It’s a textbook case. It’s 3pm when most people are still at work. The potential intruder rings the bell to see if anyone answers the door. If they do, they ask if they want their driveway sealed. But if no one answers, then they make their move.
As soon as I was about to vocalize, the noise stopped and I saw a shadow go past the front door window in the direction of the sidewalk. I turn my attention to the windows next to the door and see a man walking down the street to the next home with a clipboard in his hand.
It was a local politician.
But why was he trying to open the front door?
Once I confirmed that no one else was outside, I went out a back door and came around the house. When I got close to the front porch, I saw a pamphlet attached to the door handle. I mean… securely attached to the door handle. This politician didn’t want any worldly elements –such as the wind– taking away his literature. That’s why he was going crazy with the door knob.
But why was there a solid 2 minutes between the doorbell ringing and him messing with the door handle? Turns out he wrote a little note of “sorry I missed you” on the pamphlet, and that would account for the time lapse.
Not the best method of leaving literature if you ask me. I wonder how many other people heard his noises while waiting on the other side of the door.
Was I overreacting? Not in the slightest, IMO. It’s one thing to have someone ring your doorbell, but it’s a whole other ballgame when you can visibly see your door handle moving.
So in other words, its not me… its you (the person at the door). Right? Common sense would tell anyone that you don’t play with someones door handle after you ring it because only one valid conclusion can be drawn from that; someone is trying to get inside.
