Do you answer the door when someone knocks/rings?

I do not. I only answer the door for packages being delivered, food delivery, and friends. I look out a 2nd floor window to see who it is.

A lifetime of answering the door has taught me that anyone who is not doing one of these three things wants:

A) Money.

B) To tell me about Jesus.

I'm not going to give you money. Ever. And I don't like talking about Jesus to complete strangers. When I lived with my parents it was always a "just in case" thing. Older people seem to ring doorbells more (I just call their phone if I'm outside someone's house), and I was never sure it if was someone for them.

It never was. It was always someone wanting money or religious conversion.

So what about you? Are you a creepy recluse peeking outside a window to see if the person on your doorstep is annoying or not? Or are you a decent, normal human being who will open the door?

I'll probably answer the door but on the other hand I don't bother answering phone calls unless its someone I know.

Yeah I always answer the door and I do sometimes get those people you wanna avoid. I don't mind them, I just kinda feel bad for wasting their time because I know going in they won't get my money or my conversion to their faith. I hope they don't feel like they've just wasted their time at least.

Yup, all the time. If they ask for a donation or want to spread their gospel, I have no issue telling them I'm not interested and shutting the door. On the off chance it's a kid selling candy and I'm having a sweet tooth that day, I'll crack open my wallet and make it rain on that little bastard.

Never.

That depends. Can I hear it?

Best thing I've read all day.

And only if they catch me peeking through the window.

I hold perfectly still and pray they go away.

No, unless they know I'm home, i.e. TV really load, windows open, etc.

I hate answering the door unless I know it is a package from UPS or something, that usually means I got a game I ordered.

I don't answer the door for anyone other than the postman or people I know (I also check out the window) and don't answer any phone calls from numbers I don't recognize. We get so many scam calls and robocalls that the probability of it being a person actually looking for us for non-shady purposes is slim to none.

I ask this because yesterday someone rang my doorbell. I was upstairs and wasn't expecting anyone for any reason, so, naturally, I sat here continuing my work.

Often, I'll wait a few minutes before going to the front door. Hell, if they're still there then it's an emergency, or maybe they left some colorful literature. Or maybe it WAS a package and I just didn't see the truck.

It was a friend of mine, looking to share a Frito pie with someone due too Monday's...uh...unpleasantness. I fling the door open as he confusedly mills about his car, parked in front of my place. He apparently had texted me but I received no such text. The first words out of my mouth were "Why the fuck didn't you call me?"

It was then that I began to question my door-opening apprehensions.

Also, this is a Frito pie. Shit is bananas.

I do. I literally just answered the door in the last half hour.

I generally don't care for what someone is coming to my door about, but I can appreciate that they're at least making the effort to come to my home. Might as well be courteous, hear them out, and then send them on their way.

Most the time but I do always have the morbid obsession that someone with a gun will be waiting on the other side. I, like you, have learned a lot to always be wary of someone who knocks/rings on the door that isn't recognizable and isn't a threat.

I never answer the door unless I'm expecting someone or a delivery. We constantly have Jehovah Witnesses and inner city thugs selling magazines in the neighborhood.

Yeah sure

I will answer the door to anyone regardless if they want money. The worst I have found is the groups who wish to tell me about Jesus or some other god that if I don't believe I'll be spanked in hell for it. It's gotten to the point that I'll argue the logical facts against their said belief. I'll be respectful to a point but if they don't get I'm an atheist with in ten or so minutes than I wont hold back.

I am the one who knocks.

Okay, time for a quick anecdote.

One Saturday afternoon back in the late '90s (I was 13-15), I noticed a strange woman in her twenties driving up and down our estate. Now, not to say that everyone knew everyone on that estate, far from it, but when someone was driving around not looking like they knew where they were going it tended to stick out. I decided not to pay it any mind though, as it's a pretty quiet estate and there's never really been much of a problem with robberies or whatever.

About five minutes later, there's a knock on the back door (another thing about UK suburbia here, depending on the design of your house, personal visits sometimes require you to use the furthest entrance from the street). I go to see who it is, and it's that woman. She asks for my mother by name, but I've never seen this woman before in my life. I tell her my mother wasn't in (she really wasn't), and the woman has an odd look of deflation on her face.

She explained that she used to live with my parents before I was born, and as she was in the area she wanted to visit, but she didn't live locally and had to be on her way in an hour or so. Sadly, this being the '90s before cellphones became outrageously popular, if someone wasn't in then they weren't in, not much you could do about it. I said I'd take a name and number and pass it on.

Turns out she wasn't full of shit. I'm not sure if my mom did call her, or if she's been in touch since then or whatever, but she seemed to take some comfort in knowing that person remembered and was grateful.

So yeah. Nowadays answering the phone or the door is incredibly tedious and I often wonder why I bother, but you never know...

Before opening the door I ask who it is first. Back when I was a kid living in Detroit, it just wouldn't be smart to open the door for anybody. I remember a story where alittle girl opened the door for a stranger, and ended up getting raped and killed. Hell I heard alot of stories where people got killed for opening there door to a stranger.

Now I've had people who refused to leave my door, until I get mad and threaten them. Its not something I like doing, but when people don't listen after I said no I'll start getting aggravated. Sometimes being an asshole is the best way to get people not to bother me...

I don't know how it is in the USA but at least in Norway I think it would be considered rude not to open the door when somebody rings your doorbell.

Yes, I have no problem telling them no thanks as soon as they start in to their pitch.

I answer the door without opening it if it's someone I don't know, because I don't live in a safe neighborhood. If it's someone I know, then I'll open the door, but some don't come in. It depends on who it is. As for the phone, if anyone has no business calling, then I'll just hang up.

The type of people that knock on your door who don't know you, tend to be a bit weird and out there. So fuck no I don't open the door. I'll be perfectly happy to listen to what they have to say while the door is closed however.

I usually run to another room. Wait about 30 seconds, then come back.

Nah. In this age of texting, nobody I care about would show up unannounced; that kind of shit just doesn't happen anymore.

Nah. I still live with my parents, so it's always either people wanting money or someone here for them, unless I'm expecting company. I never answer the phone either for the same reason. I imagine when I get my own place I'll be the sort to peek out a window before answering the door, and probably just wait for the newcomer to leave if I don't recognize him/her. That's probably sort of rude, but I'd rather not deal with people going door to door.

No, I can shoot trough the mail slot.

Yes, with one hand on the Cricket bat hidden to the side (i call her Betty)

Usually. The property owner finally switched to having the doors locked 24/7 and installed a door phone, so we don't really get unknown people ringing our door bell anymore. If the door phone rings and I'm not expecting someone, I answer before I buzz them in. My in-laws had an annoying habit of showing up unannounced, but they finally realised how irritating it is and started calling beforehand.

Unless I am expecting a parcel/person I will not answer the door. I'm glad I'm not alone. I prefer to crouch below the window, cradling my kitchen knife.

Yes?

I do, but not until I peek through the window to see who it is. Then, unless it's a tattooed biker with a metal pipe, I'll open.

Sometimes. No one ever shows up unexpectedly so if there's a knock its usually charity people looking for donations or whatever (never had religious types show up). Sometimes I speak to them, depends if I feel like it or not I guess. I do usually look out the window and see who it is at least.

I don't even answer the phone anymore.

Only with my dick out

No, I am the one who knocks.

I've never had anyone unexpected knock on my door ever.

I did have a crackhead women walk right into my house once looking for a mysterious "Jeff" once, I lock the door now...

I think its kind of rude not to open the door, but I don't really live in a dangerous place either. Sometimes people just ask for water in the summer, and I'd feel really bad not helping them out.

No. I hide and peer through the window.

I have a convenient box window to look out of, plus the eye portal in my new door.. Usually ppl. are selling something(Kirby is the most aggressive) or they want money for a cause. I have been finding myself getting about physically aggressive because I just do not like it, so I try to avoid. I can be a softie for ppl. looking for donations, as long as they are honest. But there is a charity I occasionally mail to(usually when something really bad has happened). Them I trust so I play it that way.

I usually open the door, but sometimes I just can't be bothered with the hassle. The other day I didn't opene the door as I had headphones on and my sister told me the person was shouting "open up I know you're there!" Through the letter box!

Don't get me started on whether to answer the phone or not...

Unless it's some quack trying to sell me on their religion I usually do. Though I live far out of town so I hardly get anyone that isn't family or the UPS guy.

I live in a trailer park at the moment, but it's gated, so anytime I get a knock, it's probably the landlord coming for something. My buddies need me to get in, so I know when they're here. Otherwise, I say fuck everyone.

Not usually, only if its someone I am expecting. Delivery guys just leave stuff on the door around here, they don't even wait for you to open the door. Its a little annoying, but I guess nobody steals packages around here.

I like this thread. I'm going to bump it.

When I hear the doorbell I flinch. I jump several feet into the air should anyone be so impertinent as to knock physically upon my door. In response to either, I cautiously skulk towards the window, twitch aside the curtain just far enough to peer through with a single eye, lizard style, then quickly twitch it back closed.

I always answer hoping it's Bryan Cranston, only to have my hopes dashed away by some dude trying to tell me about a lesser god.

If I'm expecting someone then yes, if not then probably not. Also nice necro.

Do you post in a thread when somebody bumps/necros?