Answering a knock at the door

skivenov

sedment wrote: »

I used to answer the door, but not now. Im on my own a lot of the time with two children, and the last person i answered the door to, was from a well known childrens charity.
She wanted me to set up a direct debit for her charity who were raising money for fresh water in third world countries. She then launched into a speil when she spotted my 3 and 5 yr old having their dinner, and was asking me how i would feel if they had no fresh water and contracted diseases from dirty water. Nothing like someone giving you a guilt trip on your own doorstep!!!

I just fish a handful of change and tell them I'm undischarged bankrupt and can't have DD's on my bank account. Then I guilt trip them for not taking money for the charity they care so dearlyh about this week. :rotfl:

fairie_2

I don't tend to answer unless I'm expecting someone/a delivery. But now I live in a place where you can see into the living room from the front door so I don't really have a choice - it really would be rude if they saw me running away hehe

raven83

Lotus-eater wrote: »

It will probably make half the people here faint, but I hardly ever lock my back door when I go out in the daytime, in fact, I hardly ever even close it, or the ground floor windows into the back garden.

Christ, and I thought going out leaving my side gate open was being daring:rotfl:

skivenov

Lotus-eater wrote: »

It will probably make half the people here faint, but I hardly ever lock my back door when I go out in the daytime, in fact, I hardly ever even close it, or the ground floor windows into the back garden.

Same here, I always leave it unlocked in case I lock myself out the front.

That said, you've got to pretty much go through the neighbours garden to get into ours.

jackieb

*Beki* wrote: »

I hate when it gets near Halloween or Christmas and you get loads of kids knocking on the door demanding "Trick or Treat" or "carol singing". There were a bunch of youths who tried it on our student house, about a month before Christmas thinking they were going to get money, no such luck. Unfortunately they took offence to this and so the next time when we ignored them they decided to key my car.

When we were little and we got trick or treaters my parents used to turn all the lights off and make us be quiet so they could ignore them!

That's one time I enjoy opening my door. I'd feel differently if we had stroppy teenagers coming round, but we don't, and we only get about a dozen youngsters every year.

CathWales

I live in disabled flats within a building and so we don't have the hassle of Halloween, carol singers and very rare occasions of charity collectors. I have caller display so unless its a withheld number I know whose calling, but tend to pick up the phone anyway. I've no way of knowing who is at the door unless I ask before I open it, If its other neighbours I won't let them in if I've already visitors, but other times some visitors just pop in for a few mins and then go....one in particular just stares at my tv if its on, so I tend to put the radio on to speed up the brief visit.....is that rude of me? They pretty much tend to stare at their own tv if I visit them too lol!

bestpud

I will usually answer the door during the day, but not always. If I do answer to anyone I don't want there, I make it very clear they will not enter the house and I won't give them the time of day.

I don't think I'm rude - I just struggle with strangers and it's much harder when they are in 'my space'.

I also struggle with telephones. I will answer a withheld number during the day as it is usually a medical thing or I worry it might be about dd1 as calls from the council offices (where she works) come through as withheld.

We never, ever answer 'international unavailable'.

If I don't recognise a number I google it. We were hounded with calls for 2 years after I had the tiniest bump in my car. No damage, no injuries, but call after call from dodgy legal firms asking if I wanted to claim compensation! Hell they were annoying!!

Sometimes I won't answer the phone when I do know the number but I will text or return the call when I've had chance to psych myself up for it. People who know me well are aware that I don't like talking over the phone so it's not usually a problem.

Like I said though, I don't think I'm rude or antisocial - I just get anxious easily and, in the grand scheme of things, answering the door or telephone is not important. I'd rather focus on other things in life.

As for leaving the door unlocked - we have warnings about that most summers in this area - we had one just a few weeks ago after a spate of daytime burglaries. Don't the police issue warnings on other areas?

1886

I'll have a look thru the blinds first, I won't answer if it's a door to door salesperson etc. I've told my wife not to answer the door after a certain time of evening if I'm out too. I'm also very strict about all of the front and rear doors being locked at all times

janey183

I dont answer the door or the phone.
Ifs its important they can leave a note, or message.

euronorris

bestpud wrote: »

As for leaving the door unlocked - we have warnings about that most summers in this area - we had one just a few weeks ago after a spate of daytime burglaries. Don't the police issue warnings on other areas?

They always did in the area I used to be based in (South East), and with good reason. One burglar used the roof of the extension on our house as part of his escape route, slamming shut my bedroom window on his way (it was blocking his path somewhat). That scared the beejesus out of me, and was one reason why I rarely opened my bedroom window back then!

My sister and her husband's old flat (they recently moved), was broken into when they were on holiday in April 2010. They got into the communal gardens quite easily (most residents didn't bother to lock the gate), and then threw a brick through their bathroom window (which also damaged the shower and the bath), before clambering in, taking what they wanted and breaking the front door on the way out. Happened in broad daylight too.