Answering the front door

03-12-2018 02:35PM #1

A thread over in the Emergency Services forum brought up something that I never understood about certain people. Answering the front door. Some people I know outright refuse to answer it whatsoever, under the impression that if it's important enough the person will have their phone number and contact them that way. Others won't if they are on their own, while some won't go near it after a certain time in the evening.

I've never understood this, I find it quite ignorant really. It's ironic that you'd expect somebody to go to the extra bother of having to phone you when you can't be bothered to get up off your hole and answer the door.

I can possibly see it from a safety POV of somebody not wanting to expose themselves to a burglar or whatever, but surely they're more likely to break in if they think nobody's home? You can always come to the door and speak to them without actually opening it. And what if they were knocking to tell you that your chimney was on fire? Or you'd left the key in the latch or your headlights were still on? Wouldn't you prefer to know? (I've done all three, by the way)

What say you, Boardsies? If I knocked on your door, would I get an answer?

harr · 03-12-2018 02:42PM

Personally I do but it’s nearly always sales people.
My wife would as well but probably not after a certain time we have a ring doorbell which kind of makes it easier to ignore the sales reps.
If it was a stranger and my wife was on her own she’s uses the ring app.

Kermit.de.frog · 03-12-2018 02:42PM

I opened my front door one evening recently and the guy tried to force his way past me in to the house.

I'm much more cautious now.

Trigger Happy · 03-12-2018 02:42PM

FOMO always gets me off my arse to answer the door.

Richard Hillman · 03-12-2018 02:43PM

I was in bed and I had somebody call to my door at around 9am this morning. At first I thought, bollox, Just leave it, then I thought it may be the postman with a package. I throw on the dressing gown and run down the stairs. I could see somebody trying to put something into the the external post box. I open the door and some aul wan goes to me "I just dropped some scriptures of the Bible into your post box"

Moral of the story, don't answer the door

Signore Fancy Pants · 03-12-2018 02:44PM

Knock knock

zl1whqvjs75cdy · 03-12-2018 02:44PM

Why would I answer it. It's always bad news or something I don't want if I'm not expecting it. **** that

Under His Eye · 03-12-2018 02:45PM

Never!

Church on Tuesday · 03-12-2018 02:45PM

If I'm not expecting someone, or a delivery and I don't recognise them I don't answer the door.

Fiery mutant · 03-12-2018 02:46PM

I answer the door every times here is a knock. Sure, it could be anyone. Could be the Gardaí knocking to tell me that something has happened to a loved one, in which case I sure as **** would want to know.

Or it could be a burglar knocking to check if anyone is home, in which case I sure as **** would want him to know I am home.

Or. It could be Jehovah’s Witness, knocking to see if I have found God, in which case i’ll Just politely tell them i’m not interested.

Why the **** wouldn’t people answer the door. Weirdos.

demanufactured · 03-12-2018 02:55PM

I usually answer the door with my lad In my hand.
It went down well with the last Jehovah witness who came knocking

KungPao · 03-12-2018 02:56PM

When my door bell rings, I jump behind the sofa and put my fingers in my ears, while gently rocking and telling myself everything will be okay.

monkeysnapper · 03-12-2018 02:57PM

I grab my youngest child and if it's a sales person tell them I'm feeding him and I let them go on their way...its getting harder to use that now as hes 16 years old and it looks very weird. ....

ELM327 · 03-12-2018 02:57PM

Never, unless expecting a delivery.
Anyone calling over has my phone number.

Unsolicited calls to the door are not welcome.

BettePorter · 03-12-2018 02:57PM

I'm cynical as **** anyway but I'm just thinking back to the last 5 times I answered the door to unexpected callers and in all 5 cases I came off the worst for it. It always tends to be someone who wants something from you. I certainly never answer it without trying my best to gauge who it might be first via the window. So I defo never answer after dark.

Also what's a 'ring' doorbell?

Eggs For Dinner · 03-12-2018 02:59PM

Myself and the dog usually answer the door together. If the caller is not for me, I'll leave the dog to it

Pelvis · 03-12-2018 02:59PM

My mam lives on her own, a couple of months ago she wasn't feeling right and went into her neighbour for help, ended up having a stroke.

Thankfully the neighbour was home and called an ambulance.

KungPao · 03-12-2018 03:02PM

BettePorter wrote: »

Also what's a 'ring' doorbell?

It’s device new to the market, which you insert into your ‘ring’ which vibrates when someone is at the door.

Quite inventive really.

Garibaldi? · 03-12-2018 03:03PM

Just call out politely "Whose there please?" Nobody should be offended by that. If you're not comfortable with the response don't open the door.You can also open a window and pleasantly address them. If it's not someone you know/not important just say "Sorry Im busy right now"

03-12-2018 03:04PM

I generally ask who the person is, and their business. Before assessing risk of unlatching the chain. Too many tarmacadam experts on the circuit these days.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 03-12-2018 03:08PM

Opened the door yesterday and the local drunk wanted 20€. Which I gave him.

Feisar · 03-12-2018 03:10PM

I always do, never know who it might be. I had a couple of Jehovah Witness's in recently, I like learning about other people's thoughts.

LOL google "Jehovah Witness" the pic that comes up, is a couple at someones door!

No offence meant to anyone of that faith.

artanevilla · 03-12-2018 03:10PM

It's as ignorant to knock on someone's door uninvited/unexpected as it is to not answer it.

my3cents · 03-12-2018 03:11PM

If anyone even gets to our door past a massive GSD and a Newfoundland then they obviously thought calling around was worth the effort so of course I'd answer the door.

incentsitive · 03-12-2018 03:13PM

Peek out through the chubb lock, perfect level for assessing if I should answer or not.
No good ever comes from an unsolicited knock.

rgodard80a · 03-12-2018 03:14PM

ELM327 wrote: »

Unsolicited calls to the door are not welcome.

I have a yellow warning sticker I bought from eBay to that effect.

Something like "No cold callers, no marketeers..."

Seriously reduces the annoying cold callers, especially the usual offenders like PhoneWatch, all sorts of utility switching callers etc.

Well worth disfiguring my porch door with a yellow warning triangle.

endacl · 03-12-2018 03:16PM

It’s mostly the likes of Sky sales or energy suppliers who call out our way. There’s a big window beside the door so we can vet before answering.

Bonus: They can see that we were in, but didn’t answer.

Zorya · 03-12-2018 03:17PM

Generally I answer any knock to the door. It's a pain when it's Jehovah's Witnesses or farmers selling GAA tickets.

Having said that, I do feel somewhat trepidatious by times. I am 5 foot and a few inches, female and live alone during the week in a very very isolated place. So, if it is dark and I do not recognise the person, I answer the door with my unseen hand holding a baseball bat. Hopefully I will never have to use it. Horrible to have to feel even that bit of fear. I would love a lady-sized pistol for concealed-carry and to come back as a tall strong man in my next life.

03-12-2018 03:17PM

artanevilla wrote: »

It's as ignorant to knock on someone's door uninvited/unexpected as it is to not answer it.

Crazy talk. "Sorry, just to let you know....You've left your headlights on by mistake....not sure if you meant it but just in case

" is the exact opposite of ignorance in my book.

Mr. CooL ICE · 03-12-2018 03:20PM

I left the driveway and front garden get fairly overgrown for a while, which attracted many people offering to clean it up. Annoyed me so much that I eventually got off my ass and sorted the front out myself and which point, they stopped calling.

monkeybutter · 03-12-2018 03:21PM

Answering the front door

Do you answer the door when there's a knock? 407 votes

Comments