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 am massively antisocial and I'm fine with that.

My neighbours are 72 and 86 - like I said terraced housing, they have my number, I've been round at 2am before as one had a fall and I could hear him calling me through the wall.

I just can't be arsed speaking to someone who randomly knocks.

Might be a bailiff 🤣

Might be a bailiff Always a possibility

We answer the door, but rarely get knocks that aren't the kids or next door neighbours. We're in a village with a no cold calling zone which is mostly respected (still get the odd charity one).

Last time we had a late knock (10pm ish) a good few years ago, DCs were still small, it was next door who were elderly and their dog was dying and they needed help carrying it out to garden and back for a wee. I was a bit thrown, but more than happy to help (despite being in pyjamas!). I'm really glad we answered the door.

Someone knocked on my door just before 11pm. It was a guy whose van was on fire and it had stopped next to a parked car. He wanted to find the owner so that the car could be moved before it also caught fire.

Just as well we are a street of door answerers.

But it's all context isn't it?

As a single woman I wouldn't answer the door at 11pm, but as we are a long street of terraced houses then it wouldn't take long to find someone that would.

Yes, same, I’m pushing fifty and feel that I’ve simply grown out of feeling obliged to answer the door if it’s not convenient.

It is peculiar that the door-answering MNers on these threads seem to get so worked up about this.

I actually do answer most of the time, but I don’t feel remotely guilty if I don’t. And it’s not that I’m afraid to answer, it’s normally that I’m working, or not wearing a bra sufficiently presentable, or both.

I have both screen and wood doors on my front and back doors. A few evenings ago, I left the wood doors open to get the breeze going thru.

At 10:30pm, I suddenly realized I needed to shut the wood (inner) doors. As I turned the corner to shut the front door, there was a man standing there, outside, speaking softly, asking me to call for an ambulance.

This is a homeless man I’ve had trouble with before, off and on.

He refused to leave, and sat down in the chair on my front porch. I called for an ambulance, even though it appeared he was fine. Eventually, he left. The ambulance arrived, but I couldn’t tell them anything because I didn’t see the man leave.

This morning, I awoke to the screen at my back window partially pried off. I’m a little nervous.

If you answered the door, you would know who knocks at this time. 8.45pm isn’t a particularly odd time.

It reeks of privilege when so many posters can't possibly think of any nefarious reason why a stranger would be knocking on doors. Especially late at night. Not everyone lives in a nice area. I live in an inner city area, we often get people knocking round here, begging, scoping out what you have in the front room to steal, where the car keys are, any dogs to steal, there have been forced entry burglaries and sexual assaults too. And this is just in the daylight. It amazes me that people can't fathom why someone would be worried to open their door to a stranger.

Oh crikey, I'm not surprised you are nervous.

Hopefully it is just a one off and you've managed to secure the window.

Have a very rare hug from antisocial little old me x

AIBU that I wasn't told about the evacuation due to the unexploded WW2 bomb down the road? Just because I don't answer my door doesn't mean I shouldn't be told.

Also, a number of people have a statutory right of entry.

Exactly. Well said.

Our local police, after a spate of dog thefts were even advising people to take down their 'beware of the dog' signs saying it was almost like an advertisement.

I absolutely wouldn't have answered. Not because I'm worried that it could be something untoward just because I'd have just poured my first end of working week gin and don't want to see anyone.

I use my window 99% of the time just stick my head out

It's not weird to make the choice not to answer the door, if you don't want to. It may end up causing inconvenience for yourself, later on, if it turns out they had a legitimate reason for knocking, but you could easily have been out for the night. Life will go on, and if it's important, they'll either try again another time or find some other way to make contact.

I don't answer the door to unexpected strangers. Why would anyone else care what I do? It doesn't affect you; you're still able to answer your own door anytime someone chooses to knock.

Yes, YABU. Particularly as you are now wondering who it might have been.

If you are nervous of answering the door, then why not put a chain on?
Or, as was suggested early on, stick your head out of a window as see what they want.
There are soooooo many reasons why someone might need to knock your door - in the light, in the early evening.

I bring my very vocal Doberman to the door with my when I’m not sure 🤣 works a treat

People are so weird on here that they think it's weird for people not to open their doors!

Honestly, I just do whatever I feel like at the time of the knock.

Unless I'm expecting visitors, then I'd probably open it! 🤣

I don't answer the door unless I'm expecting someone either. Deliveries go in the shed. It might be an anxiety thing, probably is. Someone knocked repeatedly yesterday, and I realised later it my car window was down - they were probably knocking to tell me. Could it be something like that OP? Left your headlights on?

Do the non door openers never get a surprise parcel or flower delivery?

I'm far too nosy to not answer my front door. It could just as easily be one of our lovely neighbours as a delivery from Amazon.
If someone rang the bell in the middle of the night I can open the window above the door to see who it is.

Not another one of these ridiculous threads! Where I live people just answer the door, without all this hand wringing. However, if you don't want to answer the door then don't - it's simple really.

My friend is a courier for Amazon and says he's amazed at the amount of ppl clearly visible
pottering about indoors and completely ignore the door and he has to go into their back garden to leave the parcel, feels a bit uncomfortable.
I think it's incredibly rude and shows disdain towards the person who is delivering; as if they're not worthy of your time.

I would have opened the upstairs window and asked can I help you? I wouldn't have opened the door home alone with the kids. I don't in the day either. My desire to stay safe trumps the convenience of the caller I'm afraid.

I always answer the door and really can't fathom those that don't. Or don't at least stick their head out the window and yell who is it?

Scared of opening the door and needing validation for not opening the door. Where does this helplessness come from?