Home is your castle?

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?

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!

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.

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.

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.

Where did that https come from thanks iPad

Annodomino perhaps its different according to the area you live in I am not in a high crime area although it is considered a deprived area but I never ever feel suspicious about opening the door The only time I would use a chain is very late at night which is common sense I cycle home at night when I ve babysat up to 10 pm after that I m too tired to turn out and would stay the night https

I answer the door but, due to rickety knees, it takes me so long to get there that they've often gone. Good when it's double-glazing salesmen, bad when it's someone delivering a parcel.

Ditto the phone. Now we have an answerphone, I can always ring them back if I need to - I presume that, if it is important, they'll have had the sense to leave a message. I don't use the landline much now that eldest DD is in the US, as we talk on Skype, and practically the only people who call on my mobile are DH or other DD.

So lovely to be able yo ignore phone or door now my old dad is dead and it won't be him needing me. The kids send FB messages so I can pick and choose who I am at home to now.

I miss the days when front doors were propped open, and neighbours stuck their heads in to see if errands were needed or popped a paper round that they had finished reading or left cauliflowers on the doorstep (who was that?)..............

Gone are the days when so much outdoor life trickled through indoors now it is all locks and chains and gates..........and all the poorer for it. No wonder we are bloody lonely.

Am I alone in having a suspicious nature? I'm astounded at the number of posters who open the door willy nilly! I have a chain on the door and a 'fish-eye' which enables me to see who is calling. The only person who comes to the back door (apart form ny neighbours)is the postman when he has something too big to put through the letterbox - and I've known him for many years. It's a 'must' to lock the back door if you go to answer the front door as thieves are known to work in pairs, the front caller distracting the householder while the other nips in and collects one's handbag.

I work from home quite a lot and can't answer the door if I'm in the middle of a Skype meeting or conference call. The other day someone was ringing, banging, peering through windows, even coming round the back. I could hear him say "she must be in the car is there" (why ? I might be out walking) it was a delivery man wanting me to take in a parcel for a neighbour. Don't they realise some of us just can't go to the door ? I find it intrusive. I'm making a "do not disturb" notice for when I'm working.

Only usually answer phone if I recognise the number & never if it says ' unavailable'. My time is too precious to waste it being rude to cold callers & I am if they catch me by mistake.
I have paterned glass at top of front door so I can see if it is someone I know or a delivery without them seeing me . We get very few strangers calling as it is quiet cul de sac but if I'm not sure I don"t answer it.

I would never open my door to anyone, unless I'm expecting visitors. Partly because I can't be bothered, but on the odd time I have been either entering or leaving it, someone has approached me and asked me why I hadn't opened up when they previously called. I don't feel odd? But recently a friend who lives with her mother opened the door one summer evening, three men barged in, roughed them up and burgled her home, taking not only family jewellery and possessions. Unless you always use a chain, I wouldn't bother.

We have an entryphone so I answer that. People are always surprised if I won't let them in.
My neighbours and I take parcels in for each other so I would always answer the door.
We have a religious group who come round the estate and someone always buzzes them in. I used to be polite but they should know by now that I am not interested so I just shut the door on them.
I don't answer the phone unless I recognise the number. My new phone often says 'telemarketer' under the number which is helpful but it doesn't catch them all. If its a number I don't recognise I google it first and it is very common for them to be reported at PFI or something.

Our problem is that the phone is also the door entry system. Hence if the phone goes it might be someone at the front door downstairs or it might be a phone call. So I always answer just in case but most often its sales people asking to speak to my (now long dead) parents. It was their flat. If in the mood I have fun with those calls.

Greenfinch me too, couldn't not open the door or answer the phone feel compelled to it might be important

I always do both. I guess I am just nosy !

Me too. I always open the door. People always know when I'm in. I only once hid from unwelcome callers - my in laws; I saw them coming through the gate at the bottom of the garden and just had time to lock the back door and crouch down by the fridge where they couldn't see me, until they had gone again. I just couldn't face them. I feel bad about it now but I was a young mum of 3 and they were such hard work ( the in laws not the kids!) (they only lived in the next street. )

I peek through the window first. Don't answer it if they look dodgy.

Some days I get a bit rattled by interruptions if I'm not in the mood, I must admit. But I usually answer the door.
It's the phone that annoys me, so I often leave the answer machine on. Family know it's best to call me on my mobile.

kitty that's lovely.

I always open the door. A few weeks ago it was my new, young neighbour who had locked himself out of his house and (after I said I'd help him get over the fence from our patio onto his) said, "You are so nice and I was so nervous about knocking on your door".

I can't imagine not opening the door. I sometimes don't get to the phone and I think "if it's important they'll try again".

Always answer the door, it might be someone needing help. It sometimes happened in our last house that cars broke down and we were able to assist. If it is someone we don't want we can always tell them so.

We also answer the phone unless it is a number we recognise and know we don't want to talk to them. On the odd occasion if not busy it is quite possible to really annoy someone telling me my computer isn't working properly!

This has got worse since the advent of mobile phones. We are always contactable. We have to remember that technology is a tool for our convenience, not a millstone round our necks. So if it's not convenient to me for any reason, I don't answer. We can find out who it was and decide whether or not to call back later. I always do if family, but not always immediately for friends. And if I don't know the caller I know it won't matter.

I wouldnt dream of not answering the door.

phone calls - we have an answermachine if I dont get to the phone in time, which I try.

I always answer the door and invite people in unless its just a delivery. I have caller ID as there are a couple of people in my world who need carefully handling!!MOstly I answer the phone its usually DH's girlfriends from the Bowls Club wanting him to come out to play.