Are you a door opener or a non door opener

[disorganisedsecretsquirrel]

I find this concept so far from my reality that I always contribute something sarcastic on the threads... but it made me think, AM I in the minority? Is this an actual thing ? Personally I would NEVER not answer the door... is this because I live in a quiet village in the Highlands.. or because I have scant regard for the worst of human kind...and will come a cropper.

YANBU = I always answer the door , why would I not

YABU = It could be someone wishing to do you harm and not worth the risk, be it a parent , parent-in-law, psychotic axe murderer...

Age would be helpful to understand this mindset (but not essential obvs)

I'm a Look Out the Bedroom Window and Decide From There What I'm Going to Do-er.

I'm up there, silently judging whether this is a delivery for myself or neighbours (and therefore acceptable) or a common & garden scumbag trying his luck.

I've experienced three attempts at getting into the house by deception, DP has experienced two, one involving force and we've had attempted breakins. No fucker is getting the door answered to them unless I have seen and know who it is in advance. Including those claiming there's an emergency/fire/accident. I will call the police, but I am not opening the fucking door.

I always open the door (unless it is a time of extreme inconvenience, like seconds after I exit the bath).

I never answer the door, unless I know who it is or can clearly see it is a delivery. Family/friends always let me know in advance that they are calling. It’s always either a religious person or a chugger trying to guilt trip you into signing up for whatever charity they claim to represent. They don’t take a straight no for an answer and are very annoying. If I don’t want to answer my own front door, I won’t and I don’t care if that makes me strange.

There's too much glass around my front door so I've got nowhere to hide which means I generally do answer the door. I am quite assertive so I'm comfortable giving a firm "no thank you" to cold callers. These days the delivery drivers signal they're leaving something on the doorstep and I just give them a thumbs up. I don't get out of bed or the bath to answer the door.

YABU I’ve moved now but I used to live in an estate where every bloody knock was someone wanting money for something. I don’t mind the odd time but it was just constant. Some also didn’t accept a polite no thank you and u could see the desperation on their faces trying to engage you. Think people on commission. I also had no family living close and friends would always txt first as it was out of the way. Also didn’t know my neighbors well.
Would always answer the door now as I live in the country so unsolicited calls are extremely rare ...which I’m lovin

I don’t open the door in general. I now have a ring doorbell so I can check it it is a neighbor and those I do answer.

I work from home and my office is at the front of the house, so I just peek out and decide whether to go answer it based on what I see.

When I was in my teens/early 20s though, I never answered it unless I was expecting a delivery. Not because I was scared or anything, just because I was lazy/antisocial/a bit selfish. If I was watching tv or something I didn't much fancy getting up for no good reason. Lol.

Friends always check I'm free before they visit but I would be mightly pissed off with an unexpected visitor who wanted to come in.

I don't because it'll be somebody selling something. The people who deliver parcels put them in the porch (until recently) or (recently) put them on the doorstep and knock then walk away and wait for me to come and get them as they are regular delivery people and know I will be in.

YABU. After a bad experience I only answer te door if I'm expecting someone/parcel.

It's situational for me.

A knock is just to inform me that someone wants my attention, like a phone call.

If I'm dressed and free, yeah, probably.

If I'm half dressed, cooking or just out of the shower... Probably not.

In flat with video entry system when bell rings down stairs - can see who it is etc.

Nope, don't answer the door unless it's to someone I know and never answer the phone either !

I didn't know ignoring the door was a thing until I came on MN.

However I do think I found one. I'm friendly with a woman on my street. It's a small town and everyone knows everyone.
We're always stopping for a chat as we pass each other etc.

One day I bumped into her sister in the town centre who asked if I could hand an item to my neighbour that she'd just bought for her niece. She figured it would save her the journey. Makes sense so, sure. Not a problem, I was heading home anyway.
So I stopped at neighbour's house and knocked the door. I knew she was in as I'd not long seen her and the whole family had been in and out all day (blazing summer) and I could also hear them inside. It was very obvious that I was knocking but she just wouldn't come to the door. So I'm stood there, with this item in my hand, looking like a total tit shouting "helloooo! Helloooooo!" At the windows.

The item was too big for the letterbox and I didn't want to just dump it on the dirty floor. It was a fabric item. I was half tempted to drive to the sister's house and tell her to deliver it herself cos I'm not standing there like an idiot whilst some rude bint just ignores me because I haven't got an appointment. In the end I hung it over the door handle (it would have fallen off when she opened the door) and pissed off home.

I can remember being young and carefree before mobile phones and tech and all that. The door knocked, you answered it.
Only thought of it since OP started the thread but now I don't, if anyone wants me or the kids they will phone before hand to say they are coming round.
If the door knocks and I don't answer it it is usually delivery drivers delivering parcels for neighbours or Jehovah witnesses. I do not even bother looking. But last week I have just had CCTV installed around my property and now can see from my phone or my tv who is their without having to get my fat ass up from wherever I am sitting.
The technology these days.....😂🤣

YABU.

1. I live in an isolated location. If I open the door to someone unsavoury, I'm on my own with no chance to call for help. (Except for my dogs, and as loud as they can be, I wouldn't want to count on them to defend me against an intruder.)

1. If I don't recognise the person or uniform, I probably simply don't want to be bothered by them. Even if they don't have nefarious intentions, I just don't want the bother! My dogs are loud with strangers or even unexpected guests and need to be shut away for me to even hear what the person might want.

1. I don't owe my time to anyone who can't bother to make an appointment, leave a care/pamphlet/etc., or otherwise avoid inconveniencing a total stranger.

So no, I don't exactly "ignore" the door, but I may very well refuse to answer it if I don't have a good reason to answer it. Because of my location, it's extremely rare that someone comes around who isn't expected or at least someone I know or recognise, but if it happens, I don't feel obligated to answer just because they knock or ring the bell.

I also don't answer the phone unless I recognize the number/name, either. If it's important, they'll leave a message or text. If I don't recognise the number, it's usually either spam or a wrong number. If someone texts and clearly has a wrong number, I answer back so they'll know, but that's the limit of my phone hospitality.

Ah, forgot my age. I'm 41, if it's relevant.

YABU. I’m 23

Though your question is too black and white. I think most people are in the middle and would check who was at the door then decide

*card

I live in London and always answer the door (it's usually some delivery I've forgotten about ) But I would find it really weird and rude if someone I knew refused to answer the door to me. To be fair, living in London, I don't go around knocking on doors without good reason!

32. Always answer, partly because I’m a nosey cow and want to know what they want

I guess it's similar to how I don't answer my phone to withheld numbers or numbers I don't recognise. The number of times that I am glad I answered vs. the number of times I wish I hadn't is so low that I just stopped. Never done me any harm.

I open the door (aside from now as am shielding). However friends and family wouldn't pop in randomly. Only exceptions are if it is late at night or very early, former for safety and latter because I will be asleep.

When I was younger I used to answer the door all the time, and I was never afraid to say "no thank you" as necessary. But then I used to race to answer the 'phone all the time too (landline days which involved racing down the stairs when in the middle of washing my hair etc.)

I am now older (60's) and don't open the door if I don't want to. It is nothing to do with my age (I mean, I'm not more frail/afraid of an axe murderer or anything) it's just that I have realised I just don't want to be at the beck and call of others.

If I'm in the middle of making pastry/having a lie in/in the bath or whatever, I don't answer. Why should I? If it's important they'll come back. If it's family they'll text first. If someone comes "on spec" to see if I'm in, I will decide if I want to see them. I might. I might not. If I don't, I don't respond and the door stays shut.

I have the same attitude towards my mobile as well though. I don't answer if I don't want to or if I'm busy. They'll leave a message or else it wasn't worth taking the call.

As I said above, it's more to do with choosing when I interact with others rather than worrying about who might be actually at the door. My door, my rules.

Selfish...yes, probably. But life is too short and I prefer to live it my way these days....