Home is your castle?

Where did that https come from thanks iPad

I have a great many callers and I always answer the door. I'm rarely alone in the house for very long, so although I take what I think of as 'reasonable care' I often invite strangers in. I may come a cropper one day, but so far I've only had one situation where I felt endangered and that was by a homeless man I'd been involved with for some years - as a result of that incident I think I am much much more circumspect than I was previously.
Phone calls I can't always respond to immediately, but I have an answerphone so I don't feel bad about missing calls.

I have to answer the door because "they" can see me first through the window. We gets lots of young people with clipboards wanting us to sign up for charity donations. I am really short with these people and don't let them launch into their speil. I always answer the phone if it's family but if it's a number I don't recognise I might leave it to the answer machine.

One Saturday morning I arrived home and discovered a man at the side of the house. He was a gypsy and said "you didn't answer the door so I was looking for you round the back". This is a worry that he would do that. Thank goodness I came home.

Just because someone sees that you are in doesn't mean you have to answer the door. Your house, your door and it's entirely up to you whether you open it or not. I have had people gesturing at me through the window while sitting at my table in the dining room. Unless it's the postie or a delivery I just look back. I'm really not bothered what they think.

All my adult life I have been regarded as a bit odd by a lot of people because I don't feel compelled to answer the front door,unless I am actually expecting someone. I am pleased to see now that I am not the only one! Thankfully,unexpected callers are quite rare nowadays,as I live in a second-floor flat that has security doors to the main,downstairs entrance,that can only be by-passed with a fob,or by buzzing the intercom to one of the flats and being let in by the resident. I am home alone quite a lot,so I am wary of answering the door to 'unsolicited' callers. My attitude is that if someone needs to see me,they can phone or text first. I have had a few annoying experiences over the years with callers (prior to the security doors being in place) such as people calling at 10 at night about changing my energy supplier!

I wish I had a display on my phone so that I could see who was calling me, the way I do on my mobile phone. If I don't recognise a number, then I don't answer the call. I never open the door unless
a. I am expecting a visitor
b. The caller has spotted me sitting on my sofa - no getting away from it then !
Does anyone else have those calls where there is no-one at the other end when you answer and then the call cuts off?

Always answer the door never dream of ignoring it if I'm at home. I have caller ID on phone so only answer proper numbers no 0800 or 0345. Always polite to cold callers and don't let them engage me in drivel.

Live in a flat when anybody buzzes the door have an answer phone so I know whose there.

I can see who is at the front door and do not answer if they are strangers. Have caller recognition so do not answer the phone if I do not recognise the number or if I am busy cooking etc.

Can't imagine not opening the door, what if someone decided to call in and I missed them, or someone needed help in some way? I too work from home and get parcels delivered almost every day so it's important not to miss them - although regular drivers know to put them in the porch. I guess if I was in on my own and someone called at night I might think twice, could always peek through the front room window I guess.
Youngest DS still lives at home - well theoretically, he's at his grilfriend's more often than not, and older DS has a key, although I love the little knock, knock on the inner door when he lets DGC into the porch. DD and family live in rural Spain so no surprise visits from them, more's the pity.
It's quite a bustling household at the moment and I hate thinking about how very different it might be in the future.

Cagsy - how nice you sound. I wish you lived next door to me.

Oldgoose. The sophisticated technology rings about 20 numbers at the same time. As soon as someone answers, it hangs up on the other 19. So don't rush to the phone!

Don't often answer the 'phone during the day and I'm pretty cautious about answering the door unless I'm expecting a guest or a delivery - we live down a very long, bumpy drive in the middle of the country so casual callers are very unusual.

I'm thinking of getting a sign (or making my own) for my door saying 'No cold callers' or that sort of thing. We are pestered with double glazing/conservatory etc sales, or charities 'sign up for £2 a month', fresh fish/ meat, ready meals, tea/coffee, Jehovah's Witnesses - drives me potty. One after the other some days (yesterday!) And we must get at least one plastic charity bag every day looking to be filled with clothing ("no bric a brac"). I have been known to snatch it out the letterbox, open the door and hand it straight back! Yes I am a grumpy old git.

Me too Hooty, with plastic charity bags. If I am near the door when posted through, I go after them and say no thanks.

You can download and print one from www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/no-more-junk and there are a lot of other ways on that page to stop getting junk mail, junk emails, junk cold callers . . . .

A "No cold callers" sign, not yet another plastic bag (but the plastic bags make good bin liners)

Although I live in a safe area ( if you know what I mean) in the countryside, it still makes sense to check who is at the door.So, we have a strong chain that I always use at the front door ( nobody would see if the caller just barged in, it's hidden, and quiet.)Also, even if DH is in, we are older now, so some security is called for.Nobody can get into the back garden ( locked high gate.)So, yes, we always answer the door, and the phone too.

I am with foxyferret on this one. My Door , I will open it if and when I feel like opening it, and yes I too have looked back at them through the window then carried on doing what I was doing before they knocked. Eventually they sidle off

BlueBelle and Granactivist
I genuinely fear for you and agree with annodomini
I NEVER open the door unless I'm satisfied with the caller's ID.

I was taught this as a child - I shout "Who is it please?" If it's someone that I know, fine. If not, I ask them to put their ID against the room window at the side of the front door. If it's anything else, I just say that I'm sorry but I'm not interested.

I don't give a fig if anyone thinks that I'm an eccentric bird - once you have freely opened that door - you have no chance.

I only have one door - as in fact do many of our friends and neighbours here - it is my kitchen door so anyone who calls comes there. I can see who it is as we have a pair of glazed French doors. It is so quiet where we live that we are glad to see anyone! If it is not someone we know it is likely to be someone needing directions. In the summer we normally have door open and we are sitting/eating/ writing etc outside anyway.

I can't imagine ignoring a knock at the door and try to strike a balance between being foolishly naive and wisely cautious. I'd hate to be feeling suspicious of every unknown person I come across, not everyone is out to harm or expoloit others. Thinking about it, maybe that's why random people end up speaking to me on the bus!

I have done a lot of election canvassing in my time and was quite astonished at the number of elderly people who opened the door to me. I guess some of them were lonely and were glad to have a natter on the doorstep. When I wrote a party leaflet, I used to add a small paragraph about bogus callers - but they still opened the door to me! Unlike some other canvassers, I never called after 8pm - as much for my own sake as for theirs, I must admit.

Oh don't fear for me at all Carrietaylor I m not a stupid lady but I won't live in fear and there is no need to be I would never open the door late at night but day or evening is fine for me . i m not stupid and I wouldn't let people in 'to use the toilet,' or look at 'water pipes' I prefer to think most people knocking on my door would have a good reason and nothing bad has come through my door (legitimately) in my long lifetime and I ve lived in some weird places so I won't change now

I m like you Grannyqueenie I talk to everyone in queues at bus stops and on trains I like being friendly and meet some nice people

CarrieTaylor - thank you for your concern, I really do understand and appreciate it.
I'm not naive, I used to be a social worker and I continue to be in regularly contact with strangers (including homeless people) through my current work. I have made a considered choice to live the way I do and opening my home to strangers has been a blessing to me as much as to anyone who has visited. I know the dangers and as I said previously I do take reasonable care, but I think the risks (for me) are worth the taking.