MovieChat Forums > Rising Damp (1974) Discussion > Etiquette Question

Etiquette Question

posted 16 years ago by mmka1
13 replies | jump to latest

I think that this series is great, but, I do not understand why these people keep going into each others flats without knocking. Is this a common practice in Britain?

[–] WesJones87 16 years ago

It probably would be in this kind of small house. Everybody gets along with everyone and so it's just like popping over to your friends house.

----------
"Oh I'm Sorry, Did I Break Your Concentration?"

[–] SteveResin 16 years ago

No it's not common, it's basically only like that so they don't have to fill the show up with people knocking and waiting to be asked in.

"John 3:16"

[–] laslopaniflex 16 years ago

No it's not common etiquette, unless you have a landlord like Rigsby who is prone to skulking around and bursting in unannounced (normally hoping to catch a glimpse of Miss Jones or Brenda!)

"What are you, some kind of doomsday machine, boy?"

[–] sschind 13 years ago

but you don't pop over to your friends house and go in without knocking do you?

[–] maidenlord 15 years ago

Rigsby was just a nosy sod!

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] hugh1971 15 years ago

It's realistic in some houses. I lived in a Rising Damp style house as a student, we didn't lock our doors and were always in and out of each other's rooms without knocking, to borrow books etc (sometimes with embarrassing results...my sex life at uni was roughly on a par with Alan's).

Also, you have to remember Rigsby was the kind of landlord who thought he was in loco parentis to his tenants, so he was always prying. That type of landlord have mostly gone now, thankfully.

[–] sschind 13 years ago

If your door is open fine, but if its not, entering without knocking is simply rude.

[–] naseby 15 years ago

I'm British and it annoyed me, and confounds me, like you! I went to Ireland once and my (then) girlfriend's locals kept coming in and out - nice people and all, but it drove me nuts all the same and it seemed to be common practise!

[–] el_pieablo 15 years ago

I lived in student accomdation in Scotland for 2 years an we always left our doors open (except at night) and people where always dropping in and saying hi!

"THE DAMM PHONES ARE NOT RINGING!! THE PHONES ARE NOT RINGING"

[–] monkeycat 8 years ago

All of these answers must be from young people and miss the fact this is an old show. In the 60s through the 80s, people did this all the time. Friends' parents would always tell me off for knocking or ringing the bell when I came around. You'd have to be told you could do it, of course, it wouldn't happen to people you hardly know.

I personally never felt comfortable with it, but saw it everywhere I went. Most of the time this would be using the side or back door, not the front, which often didn't have a handle and could only be opened with the key.

[–] RigsbysCat 8 years ago

I remember as a child through the 60's and well into the 80's (as you say) family, friends and neighbours walking into the house without knocking and waiting. Usually they would come in through the back and shout, usually, "only me"!

[–] johnbalance 8 years ago

You'd often hear from older people that they used to leave their doors unlocked and it was normal for neighbours to walk in without knocking(this is talking about the 40s/50s.Say its rare nowadays as people are more security conscious about robberys etc also people are more protective of their privacy and personal space.