To not open the door if I'm not expecting anyone?

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My friend and I were chatting yesterday and the subject turned to chuggers - she had had a bad experience with a rude one in town yesterday morning. While talking about the doorstepping ones I said something like "they don't really bother me, I only open the door if I'm expecting a visitor or a delivery". She seemed to think this was really odd and couldn't imagine not answering the doorbell.

I'm an introvert and a bit of a hermit once I'm in the house each evening. I don't have family nearby and the local friends I have wouldn't just drop in, so I don't feel as though I'm potentially missing out on a spontaneous pleasant visit. Anyone else feel the same or is my friend right and im an oddball who is BU?

(For the avoidance of doubt - this is semi-lighthearted; I didn't lie awake last night mulling over it but I thought it might be interesting to see if the world is divided into door openers and doorbell ignorers.)

Definitely not I always ask who it is. I have a disability and I am very very small. If I don't know the person or I am not expecting a delivery I will not open the door.

People breath a sigh of relief when they ring out bell as we always answer it! (Other neighbours don't). However if they are selling anything I send them on their way immediately. I get deliveries most days - had two today so far already so I could not just not answer the door anyway and there are quite a few of us and children's friends coming and going so it's like piccadilly circus.. sigh

I don't, although living in a flat I don't get cold callers

I had a taxi ringing my doorbell at ten to midnight last week, not impressed

I don't usually answer the door when I'm not expecting someone, sometimes I will take a look through the blinds and see who is there though. If it is someone important they will usually try phoning me or become more persistent with their doorbell-pushing - cold-callers tend to ring once then move onto the next house, they don't make commission from standing at a closed door.

Na that's what peep holes are for. Opening the door to random knocking just encourages the little twats who are doing knockty nine doors

If I am not expecting anyone, I have a quick look to see who it is and if I don't know them or don't like the look of them I don't answer. I was ridiculed for suggesting someone shouldn't open the door by someone on here just a few days ago.

We are prime targets for Lib Dems because we are on their top target list, tree chopper people because we have lots of big trees, tarmac drive people because 3 years ago my DH dug up half the drive and never got round to finishing it, plastic facia people because ours need replacing and not forgetting the parcel delivery drivers who think that because I am in during the day I am happy to be the local parcel receiving depot. Hell no they can all bugger off.

YNBU I don't usually answer the door either if I'm not expecting anyone.

I find it a bizarre attitude but its makes no difference to me what other people choose to do.
It seems a very "English" habit to have.

I answer for parcel deliveries even if not for me but I nose out of the window first.

Had to shut door in double glazing get salesman's face the other day as he just would not take no for an answer.

I'm sure bit hit and miss as to whether I answer to be honest.

I used to pretty much ignore the door in my old house unless I was expecting someone.
We lived at 15 MadeUp Way and we had all sort of people thinking we were 15 Fake Gardens due to a less than clear road set up.
They had a lot of deliveries, pizzas, taxis and workmen and I got utterly fed up of telling them they were at the wrong house.
Then we started getting bailiffs letters to the previous owners of our house, another reason to ignore anyone unexpected!
In my current house I don't answer if its just me and the children at home if I'm not expecting anyone. We had some very rude JW's turn up last year, and also the police looking for the previous owners.
I can see from the living room who is at my door, so I choose who I answer it to!
I don't rush to answer my land line either. I only know of one person who rings my land line, the rest are sales or scammers.

I don't answer the phone or the door (unless it's an expected delivery)

I don't see why you should!

There are endless reasons why you can't open the door (kids in the bath, bleaching your moustache, hands in stuffing when you are cooking), and you wouldn't think twice then, would you.

I regularly work from home, so sometimes I can't be bothered interrupting what I am doing to see who is at the door. Sometimes I have a look, just to make sure it's not a delivery guy.

I do find it awfully rude for anyone to "pop in" unannounced. My grand-mother loves it, but she is obviously retired, she has all the time in the world. I have a family and a job, I don't have time to entertain visitors in the middle of the week and have plans most weekends (mainly kids related, but still commitments).

You're not being unreasonable no, it's your door. However I answer mine, I genuinely find it strange behaviour that someone wouldn't.

I don't open the door either unless it's a parcel for me. I rarely answer the phone if I don't recognise the number either.

And I really dislike the companies who phone me and then ask me to prove who I am! No, you phoned me and invaded my privacy. I am not confirming any personal details at all!

I always answer the door you never know who it might be. I have had lovely firemen come and fit smoke alarms, lovely police officers giving me free window alarms and locks for the kids bikes, lovely chinese students from across the road bringing me loads of food to celebrate Chinese new year, a man bringing back my dog I didnt even know was missing. I wouldnt like to miss out just because I dont answer the door.

inneed I would look out the window first. Obviously if it was a gaggle of lovely fireman I would answer or indeed a man with my lost dog.

YANBU. Your house, your rules.

When I first started working from home I was staggered at the number of unsolicited knocks on the door.

I take the view that I manage my own time and don't take kindly to these interruptions so I just stay in my study and pop by headphones on, works for me.

I never open the door, the doorbell is turned off. I don't know anyone from here and the local delivery driver always puts my parcels in the back garden without knocking. It's only ever religious door knockers, chuggers or sales people, I'm not missing out on anything!

We get the JWs a lot here, I told one I'm not interested twice and they still carried on and I told them to piss off and they then got the point!

I like your style Gin

Lolling at Lucille.

No I don't answer the door or phone either. I have a very beautiful exceptionally large silver birch tree in my back garden which can be seen for miles around. I'm sick to death of dodgy looking characters calling themselves "tree surgeons" knocking on my door offering their services. I've got a sign up now telling them not even to bother knocking.

I never answer the door, nor the communal buzzer unless I'm expecting folk. I think, if its someone I know they would ring my mob or the home phone first to say they were going to visit! Where we lived before, we were burgled 3 times, twice during the day. Also my Mum was "doorstepped" by three men @ 3pm - as she opened the door they forced themselves in, one held a knife to her throat whilst two searched her flat and took her pension and Xmas savings and her engagement ring. Fkng bstrds hope they died a horrible death.