I ARRIVED HOME TO A TERRIFYING HANDWRITTEN 'WARNING' NOTE LEFT FOR ME BY MY NEIGHBOUR
- A young woman living alone came home to a note from her neighbour
- The note warned that a strange man had been loitering at her door
- It sparked online discussion about personal safety and community
A young female renter who lives alone in an apartment came home to find an ominous note from her neighbour, with others urging her to seek protection.
The handwritten piece of paper from her neighbour started out with a polite introduction, but quickly took an alarming turn.
'Hi, it's the lady in 3C with the little tan terrier mix. You pet him this morning as you were heading out, so I know you weren't home when this happened,' the note began.
The note then described a troubling incident that began when the woman in 3C heard a knock on her door.
'When I looked through the peephole he wasn't anyone I recognised from the building,' the note read. 'He went straight to another door and did the same thing.'
But it was what happened next that alarmed the neighbour.
'When he got to your door he didn't knock at all, just stared at it. He stood there for a while and I started to feel nervous,' she explained.
'Don't want to scare you but it didn't seem right. I was a girl your age renting alone too. Please stay safe and contact management!!!'
The young woman who received the warning posted a picture of the note to an online discussion forum alongside a caption which read: 'Came back home to this & I don't even wanna leave my apartment again.'
'I already have bad anxiety about newly living alone and this is making it worse,' she added.
Many commenters declared that although the message may have been frightening, it was reassuring that a neighbour was keeping an eye out and had given her a heads-up.
'What a good neighbour. Even if she's being over-cautious, better to be safe regardless,' read one reply.
Another explained that the timely note gave her 'a chance to be proactive in her safety'.
'Your neighbour looked out,' another response read. 'Look out for her too, connect with other neighbours, keep each other safe.'
A number of the replies to the woman's post shared on Reddit said older female residents often take it upon themselves to be watchful over others.
'We shame neighbours for being too nosy, but every good, safe neighbourhood requires an ecosystem of earnestly interested old ladies who want everyone safe,' one person proclaimed.
'I've always been a bit mother hen when it comes to safety issues,' replied another woman, before recounting a break-in incident she experienced when she was young and living alone. 'Ever since, I watch out for my neighbours especially younger ladies.'
One woman replied: 'Old lady has entered the chat: People, I can't stress enough how important it is to not only get to know your neighbours, but actively look out for each other. It makes life less stressful for everyone. I've lived both ends of the spectrum, and I much prefer having a tight-knit group who spring into action when life comes at you hard.'
'Seconding this; I love ecosystems of old ladies who want everyone safe,' chimed in another reply.
Many responses offered advice to the young woman about steps she should take to ensure her safety.
'Oh what a beautiful neighbour you have,' read one comment. 'Maybe ask if you can swap phone numbers with her so you both have someone to call if something scares you. Having that number can be such a reassurance.'
There were also repeated suggestions that she should install a video doorbell device, so she can get a good view of anyone loitering at her door, and also have a video record to take to police if required.
Others recommended installing extra locks on doors and windows.
'Get a doorbell camera, set up cameras throughout your apartment, get those door stoppers that go directly under the door handle so they cannot be opened, get window locks,' read one of many similar replies.
Others additionally suggested investing in personal safety devices like pepper spray, alarms and even firearms in countries where it's legal to have one.
But above all else, commenters stressed the importance of vigilance for yourself and neighbours.
'There's safety in community,' read one reply.
'This is the most important thing I learned young. I do my best to be on good terms with all my neighbours,' read part of one message. 'You ALWAYS show respect and watch out for neighbours.'
'My next-door neighbours are an older retired couple, and they're the right amount of nosy where we feel safe because we know they're keeping an eye out for us,' another person said. 'We help each other out and it's honestly been a bright spot the last several years.'
One cheeky reply summed it up best: 'Listen, if you're not up to any funny business, a nosy neighbour can be a very good thing.'
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