Not to answer door at unknown person at 8.45pm

[anon2334]

Who knocks at this time? It was a lady and looked like she was holding a briefcase but got kids I house asleep and not answering. Do cold callers still knock on doors at this time? Been seeing local posts that people are going around checking who is in but mainly male.

I dont know why by I would be nervous answering the door to someone at that time. Seems a weird time for someone random to be knocking the door (sales person etc). But we now have ring doorbell so would just answer through that. I've always thought after 7pm if I didn't know the person I wouldn't answer 😅

Only on MN is there this strange fear of opening the door. Just open the door and youll find out why she’s there. How would random strangers on the internet know why someone is knocking at your door at 08.45 or any other time of the day.

This place is so strange sometimes.

That time on a summers night I wouldn't think twice. Maybe if it was pitch black I would. But I live in a very safe area so regardless I'd answer the door.

People on here are so weird about opening their doors. The people 'on here' are the same people as in real life. I don't open my door most of the time, just because.

We rarely open our front door anyway, mostly for first footing on NYE. It's an old house and traditionally people only opened them on Christmas Day, NYE and to take the coffin out when someone had died. People who know us come round the back and we know if someone knocks on the front door that it is a stranger or we are needed urgently. We tend to peer through the window and either direct them to the back door or ignore them if they look like cold callers etc. We did have one person who came to the back door saying that he noticed there were cobwebs around the door and obviously didn't open it often because his was the same. OP I would not have opened the door either.

I'm ancient, I used to open the door when I was younger, then realised I can do as I please. It isn't generational, it is just that we have text messages these days so we know when someone we like is coming round anyway.

The thing I don't understand is why it bothers the door openers so much? You can open your door any time you like. Leave it open all the time if you want to.

No mn isn't the same as rl. This site attracts a particular demographic. It's why polls on here - before general elections and so on - never reflect rl.

I reckon 8:45 is a bit late for a cold caller to be bothering people (which is what I think the OP was actually asking). I wouldn't feel unsafe opening the door at this time, I'd just find it annoying to be disturbed so probably wouldn't bother.

Yes but we non-openers are still living in the real world, although we are (obviously) a subset.

I personally think MN is more obsessed with opening doors, people get really bothered about the few who don't! In real life, the bit of real life where I live, most people don't open their door.

We need proper data on this matter I think.

"The thing I don't understand is why it bothers the door openers so much? You can open your door any time you like. Leave it open all the time if you want to."

It doesn't bother us until you ask us 'who could possibly have been knocking on my door?' Obviously, we don't know. Do you know who would know? You, if you just opened the blasted thing.

Well I personally would never ask that because I don't care.

Out of interest, where do people draw the line in opening the door to someone unexpected? I'd have probably answered at 8.45pm tonight, but another time we had a knock at 11.30pm. I went to the door (but didn't open it) to find a man I didn't know. I asked why he was knocking and it became clear he was drunk. He also tried fairly hard to open the door, though the locks are good.

I don't think anyone would advise opening the door to him, but it did make me think, when would I open the door, and when not? Not after dark? Not after 9pm? Does it change if DH is home? I would have answered it to someone I knew, e.g. a neighbour - they have sometimes called lateish, but always for a good reason.

This is interesting to me, actually - do you associate the non-opening behaviour with the above average income profile etc. on MN?

I would answer because I'd be curious who they were & what they wanted 8.45pm isn't particularly late

I never answer the door if I'm not expecting anybody.

If my neighbours need me, they call over the fence or they text.

I don't have family that will randomly drop round, nor does my DD have any friends local that will knock.

I don't care that I've missed the latest Chugger or Jehova's Witness.

I know if it was an emergency they'd find somebody else to knock for (big road of terraced housing).

I don't it's weird to not answer the door to a random knock. But then I wouldn't ask on MN who they thought it might be either 🤣

No, I associate non door opening with pathetic suburbanites terrified of their own shadow

That ^^

Reasons neighbours/people have knocked in the past
My car handbrake had failed and it had rolled
Missing cat I am the local cat lady
Checking if I was ok as saw an ambulance
Offering cake as had leftover
Inviting me to a BBQ

I've knocked on a neighbours at 9.30pm as I needed help. Thankfully they answered as I was crying my eyes out and needed a more adult adult!

Hope not because I'd dispel that theory 🤣 Council housed and grateful.

I would t answer the door either. I don’t answer if I’m not expecting anyone🤣

I would open bedroom window though so I wasn’t t wondering who it was!

Do you (anyone in general) think it makes a difference if you have a partner at home as to answering the door in the evening.

I don't and there's no way I'm answering in my vest n pj trousers, braless in the evening.

Although I'd probably look very scary!

I'd probably hear knock, think who the fuck is that? Then open it. If they started to try and sell me something or get me to donate to some charity I would just say No Thanks and shut the door

As another point of view.. i wouldn't open my door at that time since i heard of a incident that happened in my area, a lady knocks the door. Homeowner opens the door, 2 men run from around the corner where they were hiding waiting, and forced their way in before she had time to realise what was happening. So i dont open my door to people i dont know if im wary, my home is my safe space.

@carefullycourageous it’s very insular to not open the door IMO. Seems to reflect on the character of a certain subset of people. Nothing to be proud of, unlike what’s often proclaimed on here.

I’ve had delivery men getting the wrong house, emergency from people needing help, all sorts. I’ve never had anyone knock without a reason, so I don’t know why I’d be happy to ignore someone I could’ve helped. I don’t get people knocking that often anyway and I’m not scared to tell chuggers that I already have a direct debit to their org😏

Not hearing the door or being too busy, fine. But hearing a knock and deliberately ignoring them? Strikes me as antisocial.

You seem Joyful by name, but not by nature.

I'm fully urban and definitely NOT scared.

I'm not insular or antisocial.

People make so many very negative judgements. I do enjoy these threads, people get all puffed up and cross.