Somebody keeps knocking at my door

[Snowsnowsnow97]

I’ve no idea who it is. Peeped outside without them seeing me and they keep knocking hard 3 times. Then again 3 times then again 3 times. They left and now half an hour later they’re back. Would you answer? I’m worried as I really do not recognise them

Not another I can’t answer my own front door thread. I don’t know how some MNers cope with life.

I answered an unexpected knock at the door earlier. It was a delivery driver with a package. I hadn't ordered anything. It turned out to be a gift from a friend. I am glad I answered as it was perishable and with it being Friday chances are would have spoiled if it had been taken back to the depot until Monday.

I don't know anyone that doesn't answer their door, none of my friend's or family have ever said they don't answer if they're not expecting anyone, they just answer it.

Late at night or if it's dark I can understand being hesitant but the middle of the day?

You can shout out or look through a window or get a door with a peephole to look through.

How do people cope with life at all

What did they look like op ?

What??? Are you MAD?

Is this for real? Answer and find out. Is it only on Mumsnet that people don’t answer the door?

Well this isn't doing your anxiety any good is it?

Surely you'd be less anxious if you opened the door and found out what they wanted?

I hate answering the front door as I'm not very adept at getting rid of unwanted callers - salespeople and the like, asking to cut my trees, switch my energy supplier or donate money to save the lesser spotted something or other. I always end up standing there politely listening to their sales pitch with wet hair, hands caked in scone mixture or holding a dripping toilet plunger, instead of just saying 'no thanks'. I remember one woman collecting for a charity for the hearing impaired and I started chuntering on about my grandad knowing sign language, followed by a (boring) elaborate back story, while DS2 screamed blue murder from the bathroom because I had left him sitting on his potty. I am quite socially awkward and rambling is a sign that I'm really very uncomfortable, rather than particularly friendly.

Do you by any chance have a cat ? and it's out. Maybe the cat has been run over and the driver of the car has been told where the cat lives ?

Or does someone else live with you and they have walked to the shops and taken ill, but well enough to give their address ?

I believe Bailiffs will leave a calling card if no one is in.

I never ever open my front door. If the postie rings the bell I will check thru the spy hole and see it's the postie then of course I open it.

If someone keeps knocking etc. I do (and have done) check that all my cats are in.

Sometimes I close mine again awfully quickly, if it's God-botherers or chuggers. One guy soliciting standing order sign-ups for a charity claimed never to have heard the word 'chugger'.

Someone knocks on your door and your first instinct is to shout go away?!

😁

No, but unless your physical condition renders you unable to answer a door, then I think you're quite worryingly impaired in some way and probably need help.

It must be something important or they wouldn't keep coming back . Surely your anxiety will be lessened if you answer it .

OK, I admit it, it was me.

Have you answered it yet?

Honestly, I do not know a single person who doesn't answer their front door.

How else are you supposed to find out who it is?

If you don't recognise them and they're not delivering something, the chances are they will be one of the following:

• Charity collectors
• Jehovah's Witnesses/Mormons/evangelicals
• People asking if you want your drive doing/hedges trimming/gutters cleaning
• Sales people

All those groups tend to come back and knock at least once more if they don't get an answer the first time.

Basically, you don't need to answer and you can stop flapping about it because it won't be important.

I know someone in real life who would not answer her door due to anxiety. A police officer had a go at her for not answering her door to her. The officer was calling as her neighbour had reported her to the police after she arranged for a tree surgeon to fully chop down a mature tree in the communal garden, without telling any of the other garden owners as she knew they would not agree to it.

So yeah, too anxious to answer her door but not too anxious to start a major legal dispute with her neighbours.

Nah, people who work on commission, like charity sign-up agents and salespeople and so on, often come back and knock again when they've done their full round

Gas meter man?
Selling something?
Looking for someone?
People's postcode lottery?
Answer the door!!

Well this is a chance to find out what they want. If you open an upstairs window you can lean out and call down.

There are plenty of reasons why a perfect stranger may need to knock on your door and this particular stranger will call up to tell you why they are knocking on your door.

No need to worry. You will be perfectly safe. You will know what's going on; something that you won't find out from posting online.

And how do you think people on MN can help?

Answer the bloody door, or stick your head out the window. Anxiety this anxiety that..
So tiresome.

I know absolutely no one IRL who has 'anxiety' about opening a front door.

Maybe an admirer has sent you a huge bouquet?

I don't answer my door at night to strangers. I look out of my bedroom upstairs and can see who's at the door before opening it.

In the daytime I can also see who's there. If they look dodgy I don't answer.

Somebody's ringing the bell🎶🎶