Answering a knock at the door

Wilma33

I don't answer the door unless I'm expecting someone (and then I check the spy hole first). I don't answer the phone unless it's a number I recognise and I want to speak to them.

marisco_2

I always use to open the door if someone knocked. Nine times out of ten it was an unwanted interruption to something I had been doing. Felt like a waste of my time in the end. My friends and family never just drop in unannounced. They know that I only answer the door if I am expecting someone. Ideally I also like a couple of days notice to blitz the place too

I couldn't miss the postman arriving even if I wanted to, he is a right oddball who will knock very loud if a parcel doesn't go through the letter box. If this gets no response he does one of those really loud whistles and then yells at the top of his lungs 'are you in or not'. Talk about advertise to every unsavoury in the area that a house is empty. The stupid g!t gets on my nerves and that of my neighbours. No amount of complaining has changed his ways or had him moved onto another route.

I never open the door on Halloween and woke up the morning after one such night to find my front door had been egged and two of my miniature firs had been stolen :eek:

Some of my friends ask me what if someone was in trouble and desperately needed my help, what would I do then just ignore them. Personally I think if things were that bad they would stay put and call 999.

busiscoming2

Sometimes I answer it and sometimes not. Depends on the time of day/night and whether I can be bothered. I usually have a nose out the window though.

VfM4meplse

Wilma33 wrote: »

I don't answer the door unless I'm expecting someone (and then I check the spy hole first). I don't answer the phone unless it's a number I recognise and I want to speak to them.

I don't open my door or answer the phone to strangers. Anyone important enough to have my address will also have my mobile phone no (the exception being the postman ) and is free to ring it.

I'm stunned by the number of unsolicited vists / calls I get when I'm working from home. I really hate having my time wasted by chancers.

Amaretti_2

74jax wrote: »

I have a spy hole and so always use that. If I know who it is then I answer. If not then I don't. I used to work for Northumbria Police and so know I am a little more apprehensive than others, but if you are going to answer the door to people you don't know/aren't expecting etc then please make sure your back door is locked (if answering the front) and that if they have just popped in 'to read your meter' or whatever, that you ask them to come back after making an appointment.

Then you would also know of cases where people have opened their doors to strangers and been attacked. One recently where a woman was stabbed in the neck with a needle by a junkie or drug dealer who got the wrong address. That's one of the reasons I don't answer my door either. I use my spyhole to see if it's a friend or neighbour anyone else is ignored.

And according to an etiquette book I read, one is under no obligation to answer one's door to uninvited visitors.

joannaspanner

I never answer the door unless I'm expecting someone, we have a no cold caller sign on the door, so if I pick up the intercom and someone starts trying to sell me stuff I just tell them to read the sign and hang up.

shedhead55

I fitted an intercom a while ago and at the same time put up a "no cold callers" sign. Before that I sometimes did ignore the doorbell, I never regarded it as being rude but did regard unwelcome intrusions by unwanted callers as being rude.
Nowadays I just speak a curt "Can I help you" into the intercom and if it is an unwanted visitor simply point out the cold caller sign and hang up.

Amaretti_2

Hermia wrote: »

My friends/family know what time I usually get home from work and have dinner, but they still phone during that time. They might be happy to shovel food in their mouth whilst chatting on their phone, but I like to wind down after work.

In which case I would ignore the phone too. It is rude to interrupt someone's evening meal.

~Chameleon~

Never answer the door to strangers and never answer the phone to either withheld or 0845/0800 numbers, which frequently turn out to be sales/scams once I've googled the number.

Wickedkitten

Both of our offices are right over the front door and the entire front of our hall is UPVC with frosted glass so if someone knocks, I'll look out the window to see if there is a delivery van or not, and if not I'll look down the stairs to see if it is one of the neighbours or the postman.

If not then I don't bother answering i because anyone that I know, would phone to say they were coming over rather than just show up.

I do answer the phone though depending on what number comes up on caller ID.