To say that this is why people don't answer doors

[RachelGreep87]

There a number of scams such as this one where a "damsel in distress" will get into your house and do god knows what.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9244545/Moment-woman-caught-doorbell-cam-trying-way-house-shouting-need-help.html

All of you devil-may-care door openers are potentially welcoming this into your home.

There is no reason to answer the door to unannounced callers.

YABU - I am willing to gamble my life and answer the door at anytime
YANBU - Not answering the door if I'm not expecting anyone

I would definitely open to someone looking for help, I'd like to think if anyone I loved was running scared the door would open.

I stopped opening my door to strangers when I opened it one day to a man and he was standing there holding kitchen knives!! He was selling them but that initial panic when I opened the door still makes my stomach hurt.
Another time, a drunk man had been ripped off, something about a moped, and came to my house by mistake. He was adamant my husband (who was working away at the time) had screwed him over and tried to shove his foot in the door so I couldn't close it. He only backed off when my dog heard me yelling and broke into the room.

I don't answer the door if I am not expecting someone... some of you obviously don't live in bad areas... I've had creepy men ringing or someone wanting money and you don't know if someone will get in and hurt you or steal your things

@MintyMabel

Years of experience has taught me that it's never anyone worthwhile.

That’s just sad.

Yesterday at our door we had DD’s friend with some cake she made, and a neighbour coming to thank us for clearing the snow from her paths.

The day before it was a parcel from Amazon my sister sent.

At the weekend there was a flower delivery from my mum.

I’ve been answering my door for nearly 40 years and at no point has it been anything dangerous. Ridiculous to refuse out of fear.

But do you realise that not everyone is you?

People live in different places?

If you live in a block of flats with 200 other people and you are sick of constantly taking pizzas, Deliveroos and so on why would you answer the door?

Like someone else has said, if 99% of the time it's a stressful experience (and by opening the door, you also accept responsibility for who you have let into the building - and you don't know if they are who they say they are if it is not your order).

Why do people on here not have the perspective to understand that people live in different environments? It has been so clearly explained on the thread.

I have had people ringing the door at midnight to try to get in. I don't want arguments with people I don't know because I won't let them in. So no, I won't answer the door. I have never had a friend turn up unannounced as they wouldn't know if I was in or not.

I just don't understand how people don't understand this.

We probably have over 50 deliveries per day here.

It's extremely odd behaviour not to answer the door.

The non door openers is definitely a MN thing not a real life thing along with the washing bedding and towels every single day brigade!
You have a problem OP which needs addressing

I'm more cautious now since we had 2 men try and break the door down (they knocked first but I didn't open it as it was late).

Luckily they didn't get in but it was horrifying to have 2 grown men trying to kick my door in while I held it shit from inside.

I don't allow DS (teenager) to open the door if he's alone - anyone that we know would call and for parcels the neighbours are all very accommodating (as we are with theirs).

@Bookwords

So many sneery, clueless posts. I open my door some of the time if it's unexpected, but that's because I now have a security gate over it. I wouldn't open it after 9pm.

Yeah all murderers and attackers are nocturnal 🙄

If I'm not expecting a friend or delivery, then 99% of the time it's going to be a stressful experience, so why would I open it? Neighbours text me if they need something, they know I don't always answer the door.

How so? If the knock is before 9pm then surely you've deemed it safe?

Madness!

It's unlikely to be a delivery after 9pm. And way to go about ignoring the rest of my post. Until you've had a drunken stranger barge their way into your home you can fuck off with your prim little 'Madness'.

@TheFuckingDogs

The non door openers is definitely a MN thing not a real life thing along with the washing bedding and towels every single day brigade! You have a problem OP which needs addressing

No one in real life has ever asked me if I open the door or not! How would people even know?

There might be a minority of people who are at home 24/7, but most people have a life and sometimes are not in. How would you know if someone is out or not answering?

In real life I don't know anyone at all who is available and indoors every single minute of every day.

@iklboo

I'm glad people have had lovely experiences and surprises. That's lovely. But please bear in mind not all areas are like this. My parents can't leave their door open at any time of the day. Nobody where they live altruistically drops off cheesecake and flowers. Ever.

So can people please stop the snarky comments about people not opening doors to every caller or leaving the doors unlocked having mental health issues or being weird (with the bloody annoying crying laughing emoticon)?

Exactly

I don't answer the door unless I'm expecting someone or a delivery.

However, just to add, when someone knocks your door late at night/early morning it's best to make your presence in the house known.

I'd love to know where these people are living who can leave their door unlocked or where they can open their door and it's a lovely surprise of someone dropping round some homemade soup or something.
I've never lived anywhere where I could leave the doors unlocked.
As for people dropping round unexpected, that doesn't happen here either.

I think the posters who are claiming that people have mental health issues if they don't answer the door have absolutely no understanding of mental health issues nor of the living situations of many people.

The reason I don't answer the door is not because of any kind of mental health issue, it's simply because the only people who come to the door unannounced are unwanted callers wanting to sell stuff or asking for charity donations (direct debits only...) and some of them are extremely pushy.
I've worked from home for years. Delivery drivers soon realized this and I was inundated with up to 10 deliveries for various neighbours in the block I live in. It got to the stage where they were coming straight to me instead of even knocking at other peoples' doors. It was nothing but a nuisance and I can't be going to the door several times a day when I am supposed to be working so I don't answer the door at all now.

There might be a minority of people who are at home 24/7, but most people have a life and sometimes are not in. How would you know if someone is out or not answering?

Exactly! I do wonder if some of the people on this thread ever leave the house. ‘But what do you do when the man comes to read the meter?’ ‘How do you ever get a registered letter?’ ‘What if your neighbour has set herself on fire and is too distraught/confused/stupid to dial 999 herself?’ What happens if you’re just OUT? You ring the electric company; you go to the sorting office; the burning neighbour calls someone else, or just plain burns. I know ‘out’ is an alien concept these days, but surely you remember it?

All of you devil-may-care door openers are potentially welcoming this into your home.

It's literally the only adrenaline sport we have left, at the moment

@iljatdip - hear, hear.

It's literally the only adrenaline sport we have left, at the moment grin

I always answer in case its Judie from people post code lottery with a cheque for £33,500.

Derek, we're off to Benidorm

@JesusInTheCabbageVan

All of you devil-may-care door openers are potentially welcoming this into your home.

It's literally the only adrenaline sport we have left, at the moment

I know! Imagine my joy when yesterday's delivery wasn't even for me ie he didn't just dump it on the door step and flee.

We actually had A CONVERSATION, and [drum roll] he had to get my DOB as I was taking in some alcohol for the neighbour. It must have been 2 minutes in total, and that's not including aforementioned neighbour then coming to collect it later.

I had to have a lie down after all that.

Ha! Another door opener here. Partly because I was mugged 500 yards from my front door in London, some years ago while walking home very late at night after work. My bag (with phone and house keys) was stolen and I had copious bruising and bleeding from one knee and hand and a black eye. I knocked on the nearest door to ask if I could use their landline so I could call a friend with a spare key. They were very reluctant (man and woman) and stood guard as I phoned and bled quietly onto their tiled hall floor. Theirs was the only lit house in the street so I'd have had a hard time if they hadn't answered. Yes to sturdy door chains but no to not answering.

I DO have MH problems & they have been exacerbated in the past by unwanted door knockers being rude / unpleasant or trying to take the piss...
Oh yes and there was a creepy older male neighbour who was always drunk. Not nice.

So now I only open the door if I'm sure I know who it is.

Not everyone lives in a leafy village with only kind inhabitants that mean you no harm!!

I totally agree with you! I remember a particular time a few years ago when my three boys were all aged under 5 years ( crazy years!) and I was in the middle of bath time with them after dinner. Hubby was at work and the girls aged 8 and 6 were watching tv downstairs. The door bell rang and rang and the knocker was being rapped hard in between rings. I wasnt expecting anyone and family would have called through the letterbox and waited. Obviously there was noise in the bathroom so the knocker knew we were home. The girls came upstairs as they knew not to answer the door but were a bit scared. So after scooping the baby out of the water I opened bathroom window and shouted to the cold caller that just because he had decided to knock on my door it didnt mean that I was obliged to answer the door and would he politely go forth!!

Quite a few criminals round here use a young woman pretending to be in distress to get into people's homes or to get people who are out to go somewhere they wouldn't normally like an alley or park. Or there's distraction burglary where someone knocks at the front door and keeps you busy while their accomplice breaks in at the back. It is seriously scary stuff and if you live in a less salubrious area you learn to be careful and keep doors closed.