To ring a bell or not?

[AyrshireTryer]

Yesterday is school Christmas fayre. I'm on the raffle
When it is drawn some of the winner have gone home, but we have their phone numbers. Ring the three people who had won and gone home, tell them they have won and arrange to go round on my way home to give them their prize. State time (ish) my name etc.

Obviously it is dark and the first two houses have no external light, no big, but not sure of footing as not been to their homes before. At the third house a light comes on as I walk up the drive - lovely.

I knock the door - chap if in Scotland and woman come to the door.
" Tryer from Smith Street School I've brought your raffle prize. Thanks so much for having a light so I can see the way to your door."
She says. "We also have a bell, use it."
Not in a jokey way in a real talk to me like a child way.
I just gave her the prize and walked away.

AIBU to think what a cow.

Also, it can be quite jarring the way some people try to hammer down your door - especially the ones who rattle your letterbox and knock on your (non-door) windows as well.

It gives the feeling that they are demanding your attention NOW, and they are the only ones that matter (not you) - even if it's an unsolicited call from somebody touting for business of some sort, rather than an ordered delivery. Kind of like somebody shouting at you instead of talking normally when you're standing right next to them.

I do agree with the issue of so many bells not working, though - or the ones that can only be heard inside the house. Doorbells should definitely be designed so that the visitor hears the sound too, and thus knows that it does work.

Fair points; but from the pov of a householder with a (working) doorbell, you attune yourself to only associating the sound of the bell with somebody at the door - so you aren't 'tuned in' to even hearing an indistinct knock, let alone connecting it with somebody at the door.

How bizarre! It doesn’t bother me one way or the other, as long as I can hear you!

If you don't know the householder, they also might have a disability or additional needs that rely on you using the doorbell that's right in front of your face at the side of their door.

A householder who is blind knows what the doorbell means, but a knock could be ambiguous. If the householder is deaf and has a hearing dog, it's very easy to train the dog that a bell sound means to alert your owner of a visitor; whereas a loud bang on the door is ambiguous in meaning (might be a normal routine caller or might be aggressive) and could spook the dog (like with fireworks).

Also, a lot of people rely on camera doorbells these days - whether it's to alert them of a visitor via their phone in the first place (maybe they're wearing headphones), or vulnerable people need/value the extra security of being able to see who is there before they answer. A spy hole isn't enough if your movements and shadows behind it alert a violent or otherwise scary ex-partner that you are in but have chosen to ignore them.

Yes, a knock will usually work; but it's a blunt method when somebody has gone to the trouble of installing one that works much better for whatever reason for their household.

I’ve always found it slightly annoying when delivery drivers do that. Not that I would ever say anything because why be a dick to someone for something so petty?? But now I know why, I will no longer be annoyed - thank you. 😊

I would prefer people to ring my doorbell as I might not hear someone knocking. But I can’t imagine getting worked up enough about it to have a pop at a stranger who’s doing me a favour by saving me a journey to collect a raffle prize.

People are so fucking weird. My Evri driver and postie never ring our bell, always knock. Is it a bit weird? Yeah. Is it worth getting your knickers in a twist about or being a dickhead about? No.