To not answer the door if I don’t know who it is?

Door bell rang, answered it, bought a poppy. All good.

I don't understand people who don't answer the door
Very common in some cultures especially for lone women at home. My DH never answers the door even when I've explicitly told him to listen out for a parcel. He just sees it as if he's not expecting anyone he knows why should he answer.
Infact he barely answers the door to the deliveroo driver! Unsure why, did wonder if he had problems with hearing until it became apparent he was ignoring it on purpose.
Which is completely bonkers to me considering it's usually my sister / neighbour etc.

At home we have a front porch. I open the inner door and wave them away if it’s a chugger or random trader touting for work. Both doors always locked so safe enough. The porch also acts as a kind of barrier if I do open the door.

At my office, the office door opens straight into my workspace, no hallway nor reception area so I always keep it closed and locked. I have a big window so I can see who is coming up the drive so will only open to clients, the postman or other people I know. I just ignore anyone I don’t recognise.

I’m with you @Sweepsthepillowclean
Ive had my kids throwing up in the car and I’ve found a shop.
Yes, even when I’ve been on a motorway and had to wait ages for a service station. If it’s a life or death choking on puke situation then there’s the hard shoulder for that. Otherwise they have to wait.

Living rurally in a farmhouse I find it really unusual and slightly suspect if some unknown stranger comes down the drive.
We really don’t get that and when you’re in an isolated location you don’t really have a neighbour to shout to. (even if you aren’t that isolated you still may be alone)
To make a rural diversion it’s usually, in my experience, because we are the destination.

So, no to a random car with pukking kids
Find a shop, make the kids wait.
Put the lives of others you may be affecting first.

Apologise for the rant but I really don’t think people think first

I always answer the door. I recently answered the door at 10:45pm. It was my neighbour telling me that my car's running lights were on, and she saved me from a flat battery.

I hate the fashion for people calling rather than knocking with a passion. I will never know you're there because my phone doesn't ring 🤷🏼‍♀️

Me too.

I love it too, always happy to get a visit from someone.

🙄 Get a Ring doorbell and dispense with the drama.

I feel like I'm the only person in the world who loves an unexpected visit from friends and family, or even one of my nice neighbours.
Come in and make yourself at home while I put the kettle on and crack out the biscuits.

Ha ha! Well my survey is very restricted to my own adult kids tbh!! They don't answer their doors. I do.

It is a start for a survey . . . .lol!

It’s batshit in YOUR world! You keep getting up and answering your door to every gobshite knocking on it then. Nobody cares. I will keep ignoring it. The fact you are so incredulous that others are not the same as you is hilarious.

I don't answer the door at the minute as it's 99% if the time the boy that lives up the road that keeps calling for my step sons and he cannot get it in his head that they are with their Mum this week. He's a very chatty child and after the first five times I ran out of energy.
Other than that I can't fathom why someone wouldn't open the door tbh

Speaking for myself and a lot if others here, I am not terrified, not afraid, not anxious, not scared….we don’t have the time, inclination or the want to engage with small talk, cold callers or bullshit. It really is that simple. As I said before.. self care. I don’t want to engage so I won’t.

Yanbu it's your door.

Yanbu it's your door.

Other day it was a neighbour with a cutting which was nice. At my old flat I used to be regularly invited to parties or out for drinks. My mum once had a woman she vaguely knew whose husband had been violent.

I don't mind a random door knock, you can always say 'no thanks, I'm in the middle of something' if it's sales. You might be able to help. I'd at least phone the police if it was an emergency if not let them in.

Just be in control. Have a chain or Ring doorbell if it makes you feel better and feel confident saying 'no'. I don't see what good comes of feeling afraid to answer the door and saying 'no thanks' if need be.

@Ytcsghisn yes but whether I am at home or in the street I don't particularly want to chat to random strangers about religion, broadband or charity. If I do I can contact the organisation/company myself.
I don't want to buy random stuff on my doorstep - I go to a shop for that or order online (so I would open if expecting a delivery).
Not particularly batshit really.

Yeah, common sense to not answer the door. Only on MN. You can double down on it all you like. It’s still batshit.

@Ytcsghisn so why have doors always had locks, peepholes, chains etc on them. As shown above - even in medieval times. It's not new.
There's a reason people have doors. Even cave people probably had some kind of covering at the entrance. Keep the warm in, for privacy and to keep strangers and dangers out.
It's human common sense.

It’s typical MN that something as normal and mundane as answering the door is catastrophised by the strange people on here by picking out the extreme rare crimes. Acid attacks and Soham murders? What utter batshittery?

By that measure, all crimes can be linked to door answering in some way. Everyone who lives in a dwelling has some kind of door on it.

MN needs its own sketch show on tv.

Characters:

The terrified door answerer (or not in this case) hiding behind the sofa, trembling with with fear because someone is at the door

The infamous MN chicken that you can get 56 thousand meals made from

The brainwashed curtain twitcher reporting their neighbour for taking their second walk of the day in 2020

Mother of the year who is the first woman ever to give birth. Perpetually offended and concerned. Rocks up to MN for advice because oh no, father in law gave the toddler a sip of coffee, mother in law fed the kid a custard tart on a trip to the bakery, own mother is a evil for taking too much interest in the grandchild and is ‘taking over’.

The virtuous monk who thinks anyone earning more than 3 pence a year is rolling in it and should never complain about anything because they earn more than she gets in benefits.

The trendy soap dodger, who thinks that anyone has more than 2 showers a year and doesn’t lick their dog’s bowl clean with their own tongue is just a snob.

And then there are the commentators on politics and economy related threads. People with 0 knowledge about how the economy works, reminding you how scary it is that these people get to vote.

I can't believe you don't answer the door OP. Once I saw a gigantic cloud of dust shaped like a mushroom above the village. I gently knocked on my neighbour's door to let them know but they didn't answer. I haven't seen them since.

There is a huge difference between sitting at home explaining on Mumsnet about why you don’t answer your door than actually answering your door every single time without knowing who it is and having to have an unwanted exchange.

@LaineyCee · Today 00:34

I never answer the door to unknown callers. I consider it the height of rudeness to rock up at someone’s door and expect them to speak to you. It’s nothing to do with anxiety and everything to do with choosing who I want coming to my home. If they want to see me, they can make an appointment.

This. ^ Me and DH don't even turn up at our DC's home without letting them know we're going. They are busy young professionals and they work from home some days, so I don't think they would be chuffed at me just turning up! An hour's notice is OK sometimes, but other days they are very busy. And as I said, I work from home and have a busy life too!

@Sneezeless · Today 01:51

Unless you live in a crime ridden hellhole you are being ridiculous

That comment is ridiculous! You don't need to live in a crime ridden hellhole to be scammed and conned by people. Rural areas are targets for scammers and robberies. Only last month, a man got into an elderly lady's house by posing as a man from British Gas, saying he was here to do the Safety Check on the boiler, and when he got in, he knocked her out and robbed her. She died a few weeks later of heart failure. Doctors put her death down the the shock from the attack. But hey,.... Everyone should answer the door to every random who knocks shouldn't they..............?!

Give me strength!

As I said, I don't know why some people on here are so salty and angry about others not answering the door when they're not expecting someone. I can only surmise that they're the annoying and irksome popper-inners who rock up at peoples houses, uninvited, and expect people to drop everything to entertain them. So narcissistic and entitled.

Also, just quit the 'you're weird and need therapy for your anxiety, and you're socially stunted' type comments. These comments are so rude and ignorant, and frankly quite nasty. You know NOTHING about these people who you're commenting on who choose to not answer the door to unwanted and uninvited visitors. So zip it!

Exactly this. ^ It is NOT the responsibility of people to answer the door to every random who knocks 'in case someone dies if they don't answer it.'

Fucking hell.

Have a medieval door with hatch fitted to your 1940s semi-d