Do you answer the door to strangers while alone?

Pythia

We don't pay our tv license so we don't open the door to anyone. Why would we anyway, if they're uninvited we probably don't want to talk to them - probably tv license inspector, beggars, sales people, etc.

Artistic_Love

I never do, and having a dog who barks the house down when someone comes to the door, means that if they are stranger/salesperson/canvasser they don't usually hang around too long I confess, a main reason that I don't is because a free house is a rare treat for me and I want to enjoy it alone! If it's important they'll call the house/mobile or just come back later.

Aishae

i wont aswer the door after 10 cos while its not bed time plenty of people think it as closing down shop time.
id answer it during the day but we arent in too bad an area. we get a fair few callers - some are travellers looking to sell something so theyll be sent on their way, weve had a few neighbours call looking for help, some of them are looking for a ball that went in the back - ill tell them ill toss it over the wall and shut the door.

a thought occured to me - one of the things we are told to do if were alone at nigh and think we're being followed or worse weve been attacked - go to the nearest house that seems to have someone in it and get help.

i realise that you might not want to open the door if this happens at midnight, having the doorbell ring at that time when alone would worry me too. you need to think of your safety.
i just had this thought as several people mentioned rape stories to me(not just here)

Abi

My family and friends know to text or call me if they want to come by to the house, outside of that I never answer the door day or night. Outside of being a security thing, I haven't the patience for door-to-door sales people.

Red Hand

Aishae wrote: »

a thought occured to me - one of the things we are told to do if were alone at nigh and think we're being followed or worse weve been attacked - go to the nearest house that seems to have someone in it and get help.

That occurred to me too. I live in an area where there have been a few crashes. Twice, people have come to the door looking for help. One of them was an Italian man who crashed his car into a field next to us and knocked at the door at 2.30am in the morning. He was bleeding badly and was carried to hospital.

One or two people have broken down on the road and needed help (water for an engine that was boiling)/make a phonecall for someone to collect them. One was an elderly lady who needed help changing a tire.

When I read this thread and the one in afterhours, I was kind of surprised by the amount of people that sit inside and don't answer the door. I agree it's dangerous to answer the door at night and if you live in a really dodgy area.

But what if everyone is like that and you need help? Nobody answers their door. Reminds me of that story (not sure if it's true or not) of where a woman was attacked in the courtyard of an apartment block in some American city and afterwards, it transpired a number of people in the apartment block just didn't bother responding to her screams.

It'd kind of depressing.

Faith

Jeremiah 16:1 wrote: »

But what if everyone is like that and you need help? Nobody answers their door. Reminds me of that story (not sure if it's true or not) of where a woman was attacked in the courtyard of an apartment block in some American city and afterwards, it transpired a number of people in the apartment block just didn't bother responding to her screams.

It'd kind of depressing.

Kitty Genovese. She was stabbed repeatedly and raped just metres from her home in New York. Despite her actually screaming "Oh my god, he stabbed me! Help me!", none of the people who heard the disturbance called the police. Many claimed they thought it was just a lovers' quarrel or drunken fight.

metrovelvet

I ate the head off a tv license guy for calling around at 8 pm unannounced to a woman's house at that hour of the night when she lives alone with a child and its bedtime. I gave him the whole 'who the hell do you think you are' speech. He was suitable humbled.

I was furious. I had just gotten my son to sleep and the doorbell was going nonstop.

Wibbs

Sacred_git take two weeks off for personal abuse aimed at a fellow member. Post deleted.

LisaLee

Depends how late it is. Generally I just bring my Rottweiler to the door with me and I haven't had a problem yet! :rolleyes:

I'd err on the side of caution and not open the door if I felt uneasy.

RacoonQueen

I've no problem doing it. I have three dogs though. I've gone down to the door in the early hours of the morning and opened it when there's been someone in the garden. No room for fear, house alarm is right beside the front door with panic buttons for emergency services anyway.