I am not a "morning" sort of person in the best of seasons so I was not a happy Sicilian Easter bunny when my doorbell rang at 06.30 today. Whoever it was had already rung the bells on other floors, for I had heard them:
"Who is at this hour? " I asked crossly over the intercom.Stranger: "I'm here to work. Open the door." [We have a system whereby we can "buzz" people into the building.]
Me: "It's not even 7 am, signore. I am not opening the door."Stranger: "Open the door! Open the door!" I could also hear that the man had a companion. I repeated that I had no intention of opening the door as I didn't know who he was and slammed the citofono back onto its holder. The man went back to ringing all the other bells and eventually rang mine again. Much the same sort of conversation ensued. Then he and his companion started bashing the main entrance door loudly. Yes, I was frightened by this time but still more angry at having my beauty sleep disturbed!
Not until 7 am did the pair go away. It would not have been possible to peep through the window without the men seeing me as they would have heard the shutters opening. I stayed up then, thinking that perhaps the men would come back. At 7.30 I figured that by now, law-abiding citizens would be about so ventured out onto the balcony to see if the men were lurking somewhere, but couldn't see anybody.
At 9 I spoke to the police, who said that because it is coming up to Easter there are a lot of people going from door to door asking for money. Some are selling flowers, palms or blessings cards and are authorised to do so, but not all. It is true that I have seen more beggars than usual in Modica this week. When they wander into shops, the shopkeepers usually give them a few centesimi to get rid of them whilst the bar owners tend to shoo them away. Most Italians speak quite kindly to them, explaining that they have no change to give them or offering some other reason why they cannot help them. All I can say is, if you are dependent on the compassion of others, attempting to batter their front doors down at 6.30 am would seem to be a strange way to elicit it.
16 comments:
You were very wise. I have a similar situation here and any sort of force or pressure gets short shrift. I disconnected my bells and buzzers long ago and have a triple door system. To get me, you either have to use a battering ram and cutting equipment or else use the e-mail.
Scary indeed WCLC. Luckily you're not on the ground floor.
It's rather sad too that people are reduced to this life.
Regards
jmb
Welshcakes, you must have been relieved that none of your neighbours pressed the button either.
Hi, James. I don't think you're allowed to disconnect your buzzers and so on here. Jmb, yes, I don't think I'd be happy on the ground floor and yes, I feel sorry for those genuinely reduced to begging, in any country. Delicolor, I certainly was! I have been talking to a lot of neighbours today and now several of the men have given me their phone numbers, so if it happens again I think I'll have quite a posse here.
That sounds pretty scary...you have good neighbours at least, and you are ok.
Oh WL, how awful for you but how sensibly you handled the situation. The one thing I love about living in secure apartments - this one is too - is being so inaccessible. We're on the ground floor (by necessity) but I still feel secure.
However, on a lighter note..."and now several of the men have given me their phone numbers"...every cloud has a silver lining!
It must have been scary as well as annoying, WL. Thank God no-one let them in and you handled it so well. A posse of men, eh? You have said how much you enjoy Sicily!!
I'm glad nobody else buzzed him in, either. The good thing that has come of it is now you have the numbers of your neighbors. You're not as isolated now.
They certainly wouldn't get any compassion out of me either and would only succeed in my anger, particularly at that hour of the morning. I'm always awake and up early, most mornings, but I wouldn't take kindly to anyone knocking on my door at that hour...I don't take kindly to anyone knocking on my door at any hour, for that matter,unless they are invitees!
Good for you Welshcakes. You never know who is at the door and at that hour, it couldn't be good.
Several of the boys next door have given you their phone numbers !
It's an ill wind that blows no cloud with a silver lining - or something like that...
Hi, everyone! You have all picked up on the fact that the neighbours are rallying round and that, as you say, has got to be good. I've spoken to more of them today and it seems the men didn't try it at any other building. But I think they will all be on the alert if they hear anything unusual now.
That must have been scary! but were they thinking?! Did they really expect compassion at that time and with that manner?
Hi again, Liz. I just don't know. Friends here doubt the police explanation. But at least everyone in the street knows about it now!
I have had a few unwelcome callers at my house too in the past few months.... Its the teenage boys that unsettle me most, they call trying to pick fights with my sons.... !!
Hi, Sally. That must be scary too. How do you cope with it?
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