My apartment in
Zürich has a sign inside the front door asking that the door always be locked after 20:00. I arrived at 19:50 last night, and two steps inside I was
confronted by the elderly
Frau Wasserman from next door. The Frau was demanding "haben Sie die Tür gesperrt?" ("have you locked
the door?")
My
German being weak, I slowly formed the response in my head: "Es ist noch nicht nach acht!" ("it is not yet after eight!")
She had locked the door and
walked away before I had gotten that out clearly.