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Original poster

Answering the door mask less ?

140 replies

demiwav · 27/04/2021 17:39

Am I ok to answer my front door without wearing a mask. For example if it's a quick hello and thank you as driver hands me pizza.

I would answer it if a door to door fundraiser knocked for example and I May be talking for some time .. however not sure if it's expected for opening the door to deliveries .

What do you think?

OP posts:
TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 27/04/2021 21:36

What!
Answer the door mask less?
Are you MAD?
I wear one of these...

Wrenna · 27/04/2021 21:38

We always wear a mask answering the door and even if going through the drive thru getting food or getting gasoline.

DinosaurDiana · 27/04/2021 21:40

No, I don’t, and neither does the person delivering.

Hanidjed7 · 27/04/2021 21:41

@ShutUpAlex

Why would you wear a mask to answer your front door?!
Yep, why indeed 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 odd!
Tippytaps · 27/04/2021 21:42

I wear a mask to answer the door, it feels like poor manners not to.

SmileyClare · 27/04/2021 22:35

I suppose it feels like bad manners because until very recently we've had it drummed into us to mask up, prevent infection, stay at home, save lives.

The narrative has changed. In a couple of weeks, socialising inside will be deemed safe to resume. That's at odds with people being so cautious about wearing ppe to take in a delivery, or refusing to answer the door entirely.

I think it's courtesy enough to distance from a doorstep caller and the risk is negligible.

ShadierThanaPalmTree · 27/04/2021 22:36

Absolutely disgusting we are in a PANDEMIC

SchrodingersImmigrant · 27/04/2021 22:38

@ShadierThanaPalmTree

Absolutely disgusting we are in a PANDEMIC
Omg ARE WE? NEVER HEARD OF IT😱
Whanganui · 27/04/2021 22:46

Yes, always. I put my clean mask by the front door so I’m ready for 📦

SmileyClare · 27/04/2021 22:46

I think you have to say GLOBAL PANDEMIC in capitals with exclamation marks if you want to be taken seriously. this is why we're in this mess and "Its not aloud" (sic) are phrases that increase the dramatic feel of your posts.

Thatisnotwhatisaid · 27/04/2021 22:47

No, I don’t wear a mask to answer the door. The only couriers I see wearing a mask is Amazon, the rest don’t bother and most still hand me the parcels rather than leaving on the doorstep. I get a lot of parcels so this is a 5-10 x a week occurrence for me.

Tippytaps · 27/04/2021 22:59

All of our delivery and post people wear masks.

Many wear masks in the street too. We are urban, I wonder if there is a town/country thing going on with mask wearing?

bumblenbean · 27/04/2021 23:04

No. I’m pretty risk averse but the chances of any transmission during the few seconds it takes to hand over a pizza on the doorstep, especially with rates so low, is negligible. It’s impossible to totally eradicate any risk, but such is the case with anything in life.

As an aside, does anyone else loathe the phrase ‘mask up’? For some reason it really grates on me 😬

SmileyClare · 27/04/2021 23:09

Sorry I've said Mask up about three times in my post! I'm not sure where it's come from but I must admit it sounds a bit wanky doesn't it? Grin Will make a mental note to stop saying it now, along with "unprecedented" and "roadmap out of lockdown".

ThetaSigma · 27/04/2021 23:11

I wouldn’t and it’s never occurred to me to do so.

Biffsboys · 27/04/2021 23:14

No I’d never wear a mask to open my front door , deliveries are all left on doorstep or passed over in seconds ? I had an ambulance at my home last week and asked the paramedics if I should put a mask on and they said no , you’re in your own home .

memberofthewedding · 27/04/2021 23:17

I would never wear a mask in my own home. My rules.

I have a pretty assertive notice on my front door forbidding unsolicited callers, sales, collections and discourse for religion and politics. Unless Im expecting a parcel I check the cctv and rarely open to random callers. If I do they get asked "Do you have problems understanding English?" in a pretty snippy tone while pointing to notice as a teacher does with a small child.

melj1213 · 28/04/2021 01:52

I never wear a mask to answer the door in my own home - if you're a delivery person you can keep 2m away and if you're a cold caller then you have come to my house unsolicited and therefore don't get to make demands as to what I wear in my own home.

The only times I have ever offered to wear a mask in my own home is when people have had to actually come inside my flat - when the tradesman came to replace my kitchen and for the annual fire safety inspection (HA property) and when a gas engineer needed to do a safety check because a neighbouring flat had a damaged gas pipe. In every case they were happy for me not to wear a mask as it was my own home, they just asked me to try and maintain a safe distance, which was easy enough as I just left the kitchen fitters to it and stayed in my room when I wasn't at work; and for the inspections I just stayed in the living room while they worked through the doorway in the kitchen (so I could see what they were doing but out of the way)

Any posties/parcel couriers will place the item on the doorstep, knock and step back, so there is no need for a mask as they are not within 2m for the minute it takes for me to answer the door and them to take their delivery confirmation picture and leave although sometimes I wish they wouldn't take their confirmation pictures with my bare feet and pjs in the background

Food deliveries are the same - most places are "contact free" in my town so the courier will place the bagged up food on your doorstep, knock, step back and wait for you to answer so they can confirm collection, or they will knock, step back and wait for you to answer the door and then ask if you want them to take the food out of the thermal bags and hand it to you directly or leave it on the doorstep. If you ask them to put it on the doorstep then they will give you a moment to step back from the door so they can maintain the distance while putting the food down.

Torvean · 28/04/2021 02:55

I wear a mask if I get a delivery. I'm also involved with Olio so I can have a few people coming to the door. Its not hard. I leave a mask on the shelf by the door.

Seafog · 28/04/2021 02:57

Yes I mask up of there will be another person, be it delivery, neighbour knocking or a canvassing person.
We keep a bowl of fresh masks right beside the door, so there is always one available

ShadierThanaPalmTree · 28/04/2021 06:29

OMG WATCH THE NEWS HUN wE aRE RiGhT iN tHE mIdDlE oF oNEeee.

ShadierThanaPalmTree · 28/04/2021 06:30

Sorry 🤣 that was in reply to @SchrodingersImmigrant

megletthesecond · 28/04/2021 06:39

I answer the door in a mask. I'm sure the risk is rock bottom but some couriers get close and I can't be bothered to risk it.

Angel2702 · 28/04/2021 06:40

Most deliveries we have had they put the food on the step and move back before you get to the door. I don’t engage with cold callers at all so certainly wouldn’t put a mask on.

ChocOrange1 · 28/04/2021 06:43

@demiwav

We have had a few fundraisers lately. I answered thinking they were delivering a Parcel. Tried my best to keep it short by saying I was cooking but then they asked me what I was cooking .
"Sorry I'm not interested" slam

No I have never worn a mask to open my front door.

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