Urban Etiquette: Is it a faux pas to ignore a knock at the door?

The Toronto Star ^ | June 23, 2018 | Ellen Vanstone

[DoodleBob]

Dear Ellen,

Is it rude not to answer the door when you’re not expecting anyone? — Home Body

Dear Home Body,

...

As for strangers showing up at your door unannounced, you are absolutely under no obligation to answer. The only exception is if you live in a remote location and they need help. Even then, you might want to call a neighbour or 911 rather than fling open the door to potential thieves or post-apocalyptic zombies. Remember, it’s always better to risk being rude than risk being beaten, or eaten.

[drSteve78]

Dave? Dave’s not here.

.....I tell ya man, Dave’s not here!

[DoodleBob]

I doubt Sir Paul has answered his door in the past $500 million.

[Blueflag]

1. Don’t answer. or
2. Answer with “I am just house sitting; they are gone for a week. Try again maybe?”
3. And don’t be afraid to ask “and who are you? Can I see some ID to tell them who stopped by, please? Also, let take a pic so I can tell them who to expect.”
4. “oh, they both are out right now. Why don’t you make an appointment with them?”

[Noumenon]

Around here, it’s widely considered bad for to roll up someone’s driveway unannounced and uninvited. Most of us have “No trespassing” signs up often accompanied by by more emphatic advisories against same.

[glorgau]

In many of our urban environs, it’s practically illegal to have a gun at home. Why answer a door if you can’t show whomever is knocking that you are prepared to prevent their entry?

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Crazy Uncle Joe says to fire the shotgun right through the door! Who are we to disagree?

Field & Stream asked the Vice President whether so-called assault rifles and high-capacity clips, which the administration wants banned, should be allowed for self-defense and target practice.

"Well, the way in which we measure it is—I think most scholars would say—is that as long as you have a weapon sufficient to be able to provide your self-defense,” Biden said. “I did one of these town-hall meetings on the Internet and one guy said, “Well, what happens when the end days come? What happens when there’s the earthquake? I live in California, and I have to protect myself.” I said, “Well, you know, my shotgun will do better for you than your AR-15, because you want to keep someone away from your house, just fire the shotgun through the door.” Most people can handle a shotgun a hell of a lot better than they can a semiautomatic weapon in terms of both their aim and in terms of their ability to deter people coming. We can argue whether that’s true or not, but it is no argument that, for example, a shotgun could do the same job of protecting you. Now, granted, you can come back and say, “Well, a machine gun could do a better job of protecting me.” No one’s arguing we should make machine guns legal."

The Washington Examiner, 2-27-13

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/more-advice-from-joe-biden-just-fire-the-shotgun-through-the-door

[usconservative]

Around here, it’s widely considered bad for to roll up someone’s driveway unannounced and uninvited.

I think that's just common courtesy to ask permission first vs. just showing up. I'm sorry, what am I thinking? We don't have common courtesy in this country anymore. It got lost with common sense.

[glorgau]

The police recommended knocking on the inside of the door and yelling “not interested, go away” or some such, just to let them know you were in there.

Then you can't plug them when they try to break in the back door. The trick is to wait until just after they have entered the premises, then they are fair game for doing society a favor.

[dfwgator]

“Go away...’batin’”

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“I hear you knocking, but you can’t come in
I hear you knocking, go back where you’ve been...”

https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/31842610/Smiley+Lewis/I+Hear+You+Knockin%E2%80%99

We could probably do this all day. ;)

[stanne]

Again. I am under zero obligation to answer my door. They’ll have to think of something else.

[Cinnamontea]

LOL! That would teach them. Though I prefer to just see who it is and ignore the ring/knock if I don't know them.

[SheepWhisperer]

Four words
I don’t answer questions

[willyd]

They are also canvassing for the midterms so they know what information to fill out on the next round of fake mail in ballots.

[Carriage Hill]

My Kimber 1911 ,45cal ACP always goes to the hard/storm/screen doors with me, regardless of who’s there. It’s in my right hand, behind the door.

[DoodleBob]

"Oh, well if you could please open the door I have some very important information for Dave that's a matter of life and death that I want to leave with you if you open the door by the way what's your name I'm sorry I didn't get it the first time have you been vaccinated ya know the Delta variant..."

Silence is golden.

[DoodleBob]

The way Cuomo and De Blasio came down hard on the Jewish communities a few years ago when there were outbreaks of chicken pox and measles was utterly disgusting. Some FReepers back then were incredulous at their approach to not getting vaccinated. https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3749435/posts

[T.B. Yoits]

Door? They just ring the bell before stepping through the beaded curtain. No one needs a door in happy Democrat-land. Everyone is peaceful and everyone gets along.

Oh, that's right, like Nanzi Pelosi they have a wall around their compound.

[flamberge]

One summer there was a team of daytime burglars operating in our little city. They would knock to see if anyone was home. If you answered they would apologize and ask directions to someplace and go away. If there was no answer, they would go to the back door and break in.

That has always been the standard mode of operations for burglars in this area. Peak times for burglaries are Wednesday and Thursday afternoon when people are away from the house at work.

They go around knocking on doors and pretending to be "lost" if someone answers the door.

In an astonishing number of cases, the burglars simply walk through the unlocked front entrance if nobody is home.

[Chad C. Mulligan]

Well, I might just answer the door in my skivvies. I’m 76 years old and have a BMI of 45.1, and I have no shame.