What you do when stranger comes to your door?

[Lsbcal]

I just stumbled on this technique today:

I was talking on our cordless phone when someone came to the door. Went over and saw he was a religious type with a brochure standing right in front of the door -- bigger then me too. I just motioned that I could not talk now and he went away.

So that is my new technique, grab the phone and tell the person through the window that I cannot open the door as I'm busy and so sorry but bye.

 

[HighRoller]

When I lived in the city some years ago, I just didn't answer the door. Now that I'm in the country, no one ever knocks on the door. It could be because of the barbed wire fences and/or the no trespassing signs at the gate. Seems to work pretty well.

 

[Sue J]

I have a large size index card that I keep near the front door. It says, "NO RELIGION SOLICITORS, PLEASE".

I tape it to the inside of the storm door when I see them coming. It works well because they walk away without knocking.

 

[W2R]

New Orleans is a high crime area, even in my neighborhood, so I try to be very careful. There isn't a window from which I can see someone on the doorstep, so I look through the peephole and determine whether or not I know the person.

If I know them, I open the door.

If it is a stranger who is, for example, alone and standing at least 15 feet back, I open the door partially but with my foot up against it. If it is someone from a church, I do that and then just tell them sweetly with a smile that I am not interested. Then I immediately close the door on them before they stop talking.

In the unusual case in which it is several big and scary looking strange men right at the door that don't look like they belong in my neighborhood and might be up to no good, I just yell through it that I am not interested.

Luckily my neighbor has two dogs that are fenced in but bark as though they were about to eat prowlers alive. So, I benefit from that, I suppose.

 

[Tyro]

Now that I'm in the country, no one ever knocks on the door. It could be because of the barbed wire fences and/or the no trespassing signs at the gate. Seems to work pretty well.

Was that your place they used in Secondhand Lions?

 

[Tyro]

I have a large size index card that I keep near the front door. It says, "NO RELIGION SOLICITORS, PLEASE".

Ours is a little more blunt.

 

[HFWR]

I don't answer, but if I did, I'd have my .40 Ruger handy...

 

[freebird5825]

I took a self defense class when I was a teenager.

The retired cop who taught the class told us to definitely NEVER open the door to a stranger, and not even to someone you recognized from the neighborhood, unless you knew ahead of time that they were going to visit.

His advice about unexpected visitors included adults and minors alike.

I follow that conservative advice to this day. You just never know...

 

[grasshopper]

Census workers couldn't even find us. Only the Border Patrol and Sheriffs Dept stop by to use the land line.

 

[braumeister]

Fortunately, our house is isolated enough that visitors, apart from UPS and FedEx, are infrequent. But at least once a year we get a visit from people peddling their religion, and they are always easy to recognize through the window.

I should be slightly ashamed to admit this (but I'm not ), but I usually welcome them and engage them in conversation. What interests me is how long it takes before they decide they're wasting their time (not mine; I'm retired ).

I have taken comparative religion courses several times (the subject fascinates me), so I often know more of the finer points of their religion than they do, and I thoroughly enjoy seeing the shadows of uncertainty come over their faces.

Yes, I'm a bad person.

 

[happy2bretired]

In our town the police say that people ring doorbells and if no one answers they know its pretty safe for them to break in. I hate answering my door and my dog makes such a racket when the door bells rings. It's hard trying to hold the dog and the door and yelling that I'm not interested.

 

[ERD50]

I should be slightly ashamed to admit this (but I'm not ), but I usually welcome them and engage them in conversation. What interests me is how long it takes before they decide they're wasting their time (not mine; I'm retired ).

I have taken comparative religion courses several times (the subject fascinates me), so I often know more of the finer points of their religion than they do, and I thoroughly enjoy seeing the shadows of uncertainty come over their faces.

Yes, I'm a bad person.

I've considered the same. I thought it would be interesting, and I would be respectful. But the last time I had the opportunity, the two young women just seemed so sweet, I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

Maybe it's my personal version of "Pascal's Wager", but if there is a Supreme Being of that sort, there just might be a special place for those who mess with Evangelist's!

-ERD50

 

[bruce1]

I have a hyperactive ninety pound St Bernard Lab Cross. The Fedex and UPS guys are his friends. Strangers are very wary. He is in the house when we are not home. He is VERY protective of my cousin and her daughter.

 

[braumeister]

I've considered the same. I thought it would be interesting, and I would be respectful. But the last time I had the opportunity, the two young women just seemed so sweet, I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

It's easier than you might think, and there's never a need to be confrontational. I simply ask questions.

"I've heard that X. How do you account for that in light of Y?"
Nine times out of ten, they have no real answer.

And yes, there may well be a particularly nasty fate awaiting me in the afterlife. So be it.

 

[MichaelB]

I answer the door. But then, so far, anywhere I have lived, none were threatening. Over the years, many different reasons to be knocking on the door. Most walked away frustrated, but more than one stayed for coffee.

Not long ago and recently moved, the mail carrier brought a small package. Knocked and immediately opened the door to drop it inside. Our 22 pound Shiba almost took his hand off. The postal carrier was so frightened he never even knocked on the door again. She isn't with us now but when I saw this thread she was the first thought I had.

 

[youbet]

Since our town requires a permit to go door to door, if the bell rings and I see a person on the porch without an ID tag prominantly displayed, I call 911 pronto. The last two times I did this, they had the person in the back seat of the squad car within minutes, usually by the time they got to the next house. I'm sure they just checked their ID, advised them that soliciting door to door without a permit was not allowed and drove them to wherever they belonged.

The permit policy applies to everyone. local Cub Scouts, Little League, Cheerleaders, petty politicians, Muslims for Peace, Evangelists, bag draggers, whoever. No mercy. You want to ring bells on our block without registering with the police, you're going to get a tour of the back seat of the squad. I love it.

 

[travelover]

Since our town requires a permit to go door to door, if the bell rings and I see a person on the porch without an ID tag prominantly displayed, I call 911 pronto.........

I do this, too. About a year ago a guy was going door to door claiming he was selling alarm systems. His first question was "does your alarm work?"

 

[easysurfer]

I first use the peep hole to see if it is a stranger or not.

I know is some smaller towns, folks leave doors and cars unlocked. To me, that's way too much trust and the last thing I'd want is to go home and see an intruder inside.

 

[clifp]

I use to politely tell them I'm not interested. But after listening Joe Biden's advice that you should get a shotgun for home defense. I am pretty jazzed to try it out. I figure a double barrel 12 gauge should make a big enough racket to discourage all but the most persistent sales persons or evangelist.

 

[jollystomper]

We have a wireless security camera to see who is at the door. If it is someone we recognize but were not expecting we'll look out from the second floor window. If we don't recognize we don't answer. With our alarm system and the 2nd Amendment, we think we have everything covered.

 

[KM]

We live in a smallish town and pretty safe neighborhood. Still, if I am home alone, I look out a window. If I dont know them, I dont answer.

I thought I was the only one who did this. Apparently not.....

 

[UserRequested]

I use to politely tell them I'm not interested.

Agree. They need honest feedback.

To evangelists I politely say I'm agnostic and not interested in religious discourse.
To salesman - again (politely) not interested, thank you anyways
If they persist, it means they are not showing me respect, and I close the door in their face

 

[youbet]

Our Neighborhood Watch training included the info that bag draggers or folks masquerading as evangelists are frequently just casing the neighborhood to find likely victims for home break-ins. Best to call the police and let them sort out who the unidentified folks are. Neighborhoods don't have to allow strangers to roam freely casing everything looking for victims.

 

[comicbookgujy]

Lots of con artist where I live that pretend to be city workers so they can come in to your house and distract you while the other "co-worker" loot your house.

If you don't answer, that's when they think no one is at home and they break in. Saw in the paper happened to this guy that was napping and when he woke up, he saw a couple of guys in uniforms looting his house.

 

[CoolChange]

It's easier than you might think, and there's never a need to be confrontational. I simply ask questions.

"I've heard that X. How do you account for that in light of Y?"
Nine times out of ten, they have no real answer.

And yes, there may well be a particularly nasty fate awaiting me in the afterlife. So be it.

My best story involving these kinds of folks goes all the way back to my college (undergraduate) days:

• Saturday morning knock on the door as I was stepping into the shower.
• I assumed it was one of my housemates who had not taken their keys with them the night before; that was a regular occurrence.
• I answer the door wearing nothing but my towel, at first timidly peaking out at the well dressed ladies on my porch; then, opening the door widely and inviting them in when they asked me if I would discuss their literature with them. (I thought I was being very polite.)
• They quickly backed down the front stairs apologizing for bothering me. (I did assure them it was no bother.)
• I am not sure if that house was ever visited by this particular organization again; I know it was not for several years.

If there is an afterlife, I am hoping for a sense of humor and benevolence from the proprietor.

Now that I am quite a bit old and much less indestructible, I am also much more cautious about opening my door to strangers. But, I generally still find out if it is someone in genuine need of 911 type assistance before turning them away or ignoring them.