Am I the only person who never opens their front door to anyone?

[jugglingjugs]

I just heard my front door go, so I hid in the kitchen out of sight, no idea who it was but I'm now very curious.
I wasn't expecting anyone, if it was family I would have answered because they wouldn't come unannounced.
I also never answer my phone if I don't recognise the number. Is this just me or does anyone else do this?
I have never really thought about why until now.

I’m sure she is. Are you?

@GanjaDhin yeah I am, but you think that was a "normal" response?

Really?

Here's what I don't understand - that people don't understand that people are different

Some people don't automatically answer a door
Some people have more than one baby at once
Some people enjoy Morris dancing
Some people are ND
Some people have ginger hair
Some people aren't heterosexual
Some people play the bongos
Some people are left handed

None of these are majority groups but they're HUGE groups. Still a minority but it's hard to think people don't have the imagination or empathy to believe it.

@JudgeRudy I think it's a combination, to be honest.

It's not abnormal to choose not to open the door to people you don't know, recognise, expect, or wish to speak to. It rarely comes up, because I live off the beaten track and hardly anyone comes here without a reason, in which case I'll either know they're coming or recognise them/their vehicle. But if some random comes up, I have a choice. If I want to open the door, I do. If I want to be left alone, I don't.

It's fairly simple. Same for the phone. If they're not in my contacts and I'm not in the mood to deal with it, I dismiss it. Anyone with a valid reason for calling will leave a voicemail or contact me in some other way. I don't enjoy wasting my time (even a few minutes of it) with unwelcome intruders on my peace (or busy workday, as the case may be).

It do they have a moat?

@rainydaysandstormynights correct rainy. As I said earlier some people seem to be struggling the concept that anything different to their way is abnormal, batshit, crackers, weird. It's very common not to answer your door/phone if you're unsure who the caller is or what they want. People are being so narrow minded.

Unlike people who are calling people that do answer the front door (with the knocker and bell) idiots and sheepies...

They're lovely and measured those ones!

I always answer the door but I have taken to ignoring national numbers that look like call centres, if I don't recognise the area code, they almost always someone Scottish Power had paid to try and book me in for a smart meter or sell me boiler cover or some total scam call wanting me to share my bank details. I used to enjoy winding the scammers up but am bored of that now so just filter them out. If the number rings me 3 times and doesn't leave message I block it.

Have to say I don't answer the door the majority of the time, and like a few other posters here I also do not give a SHIT what people think. I don't have to explain myself to anyone.

@JudgeRudy

I rarely open my door. Not because I'm scared, but because I don't want to be disturbed or want visitors. My friends and family don't make random visits. Any other calls rarely benefit me.

This. ^ Unless I am expecting anyone/a parcel/a delivery, then no I very likely won't answer.

Because 95% of the time (as JudgeRudy said) answering the door does not benefit me. It's either a cold caller, an ex convict trying to sell dusters, someone trying to sell me new soffits or roof tiles, someone trying to push AVON or BETTERWARE on me, (and 90% of the time they don't come back even if you DO pick some stuff,) people flogging new windows, or offering to cut my trees, or re-tarmac my driveway, etc etc...

OR it's a Religious caller, or a scam artist pretending to be from British gas/The Council/The Water board etc, or it's a delivery for ANOTHER HOUSE. I have lost count of the amount of times a fucking delivery driver has knocked on my door trying to deliver to someone in my street who can't be arsed to answer their door, or hasn't allocated a safe space for their package to be left. Expecting me to take it in, and then deliver it to said person, or wait (like a muppet) for them to come to me! They've woke us a number of times now (as DH works different shifts, and I sometimes work late...and sleep til 9.30am..) So we have a notice on the door saying 'do not knock this door unless it's an emergency.'

So many people just knock the door for no good valid reason. Mostly people I don't know. Why the fuck SHOULD I answer when I am not expecting anything? Also, I work from home, and am sometimes working. Even if I am not, I do not have to answer the door.

One cheeky fucking piece of shit knocked my door on EASTER SUNDAY, trying to flog new fucking windows.

My side door (that goes into the kitchen,) was open, as I had been cooking lunch as my FAMILY was due in an hour (and I wanted to let the cooking smells out.) KNOCK KNOCK went the door. And this man's head popped around my kitchen and gawped into my kitchen. 'This your house Madam?' he asked. 'I turned around and frowned and said 'WHAT?' 'He said (sheepishly) 'errr Autumn Days windows, doors, and conservatories...' I said ' It's EASTER SUNDAY, are you for real?' Seriously, leave now!' He shot off. For fuck's sake, it was Easter SUNDAY.

I never understand these threads. Why are some people so upset and wounded and affronted that OTHERS choose to not answer their door most of the time? What the fuck has it got to do with you? 😕 I can only surmise that these people are the cheeky feckers who drop in on people with no warning, and expect people to drop everything for them. People who DON'T answer the door often, aren't offended by people DO usually answer it, yet the ones who do answer are soooo offended that others don't. It's so weird. What difference does it make to your life if I don't answer the door 95% of the time... when I am NOT expecting anyone?! Just mind your own business eh?

I still fill with fear when the doorbell goes from a very angry ex 6 years ago!
And hate answering calls when I don't know the number 🤣

Don't you have a door to answer, peasant?

Why are some people so upset and wounded and affronted that OTHERS choose to not answer their door most of the time? What the fuck has it got to do with you?

No one is ‘affronted’. They just think you’re really weird.

Where do you live that you’re so utterly inundated with sale people (from the 80s/90s - Tupperware anyone?)?

The only ‘affronted’ ones are those who cannot bear people knocking on their door, and become enraged/fearful/feel the need to hide (not including those with understandable triggers) at the sound of it.

Quick Q for you, if you have a sign saying ‘only knock in emergencies’ and yet you still won’t go near the door, what’s the point of the sign?

Things that are real life (and totally normal) that never feature in tv and film (part XXXXXVCCCIII):

• People preparing a hot drink in time and managing to finish it before they have to dash out of the front door for work/school.

• People saying bye at the end of phone calls.

• Teachers managing to tell the class when to hand in their homework/that they have a ‘pop quiz’ before the bell rings.

• People ignoring their front door because they’re livid or terrified or livid and terrified…

So many plots (especially in police procedurals) would die on their arse if they featured this apparently totally normal course of action from a homeowner…

Is this something you've picked up from your childhood? I'm asking as I have a family member who has always done this and it's from his childhood.

@CleverLilViper no I've got no door, I bought the castle from a mad non opening door person and they'd bricked it up!

I'll get round to opening it up soon though.

My mum hid from the Collectors, once or twice anyway, but I don't hide from anyone.

It's simple really.
I'm home, sat on the sofa, watching the telly or reading or having a shit or picking my nose etc.
The door bell goes or someone fiddles with me knocker.
I'm not expecting anyone or any deliveries, so I continue doing what I'm doing and let the person at the door continue on their merry way to a home of someone more accepting of their interruptions.

I can't imagine being at home and doing whatever I'm doing and stopping just because some unsolicited and I know person rang my little bell.

Where do you live that you’re so utterly inundated with sale people (from the 80s/90s - Tupperware anyone?)?

Yes, I was wondering why some posters are inundated with callers and random phone calls as well.

We get so few that it always piques my interest when the bell rings.

I think that more people live far more insular lives than when I was growing up in the 1960s and 1970s when the only way to contact people was by letter, telegram, telephone or in person - by knocking on someone's door.

So, to people my age it is considered odd to run away and hide when there is a knock on the door, unless you think it is a debt collector.

I am also not self important enough to think my time is any more valuable than anyone else's, and if I'm busy I will say so.

I use to manage a telesales team, and I can't bear to hear an unanswered phone either.

I can't imagine being at home and doing whatever I'm doing and stopping just because some unsolicited and I know person rang my little bell.

I mean I couldn’t imagine running and hiding in the kitchen while desperately wondering who was knocking at the door. That’s odd and abnormal behaviour. If you are hiding in your own home because somebody knocked then that’s not healthy or normal.

This is the most batshit thing I’ve ever read on here, enhanced by one poster repeatedly posting about peasants and another going on about council bungalows. It’s comedy gold.😂

I can’t speak for PP but I live on a major thoroughfare in a densely populated part of a large town - a door to door salesman‘s dream. Fairly close to a Mormon church and an industrial estate that is home to multiple window companies! We don’t all live in the fabled MN very rural village

So, why don't all the non door answerers have "No cold callers" signs on their front doors and CCTV so that they can see who is knocking?

It makes perfect sense to do both.

Exactly, the random odd post about something to do with castles just adds to the batshittery. And the random stereotype of octogenarians in council bungalows was just bizarre. Not sure how many 80 somethings are hiding behind the sofa typing on this thread as a scammer breaks the front door down.

I don’t have a moat - would bloody love one
though
but I don’t have any desire to speak to random strangers trying to sell me stuff or people cold calling me

they can knock on someone else’s door and sell it to them if they want to

I bought my house specifically because it has a big wall and a gate so people can’t get directly to my front door and I don’t have to worry that my dog will get out

And i do have extensive cctv and ring door bell so I can see anyone who is at my gate and the front of my house
I’ve never bothered with no cold calling sign as I don’t open my front door 😂😂

Can't believe there are not only18 pages of this, but that people are getting so steamed up about it as to digress into personal arguments. And not even a full moon ...

It's your own home. Do as you like.

It's a real eye-opener that anyone gives a flayed bison's backside.