What you do when stranger comes to your door?

[travelover]

Religious solicitors?
Are these Christian lawyers knocking door to door looking for business ?

No, it's the darn Buddhists that drive me crazy.

 

[ls99]

It is funny that religious solicitors seem to cause the most concern.

I'll stop now.

They are not a concern, while polite, just a royal pain in the arse. Last I heard, only 99 are chosen. I know, hearsay is not evidence

 

[UserRequested]

No, it's the darn Buddhists that drive me crazy.

Perhaps meditation might help. Is there a Hare Krishna ashram close by?

 

[veremchuka]

I live in a rural area on a dirt road, not too many people around here. In the 14 years I've been here I can count on 1 hand the number of time someone rang my doorbell. I just ignore them and if they think the house is empty and decide to break in they'll be discouraged when they hear me rack the slide on the 9 mm.

 

[Helen]

About a decade ago when we were living in a rural area, a really creepy guy came to the house. My partner was home alone. The guy wanted her to go down the road with him to help him get his car started. She offered to call a neighbor to help him but he wanted her to go. She then told him she was going to call the police if he didn't leave. Fortuantely, one of the great danes was in the front yard barking at him and the other was next to her and barking at him. She thinks he was going to push his way inside.

 

[UserRequested]

About a decade ago when we were living in a rural area, a really creepy guy came to the house. My partner was home alone. The guy wanted her to go down the road with him to help him get his car started. She offered to call a neighbor to help him but he wanted her to go. She then told him she was going to call the police if he didn't leave. Fortuantely, one of the great danes was in the front yard barking at him and the other was next to her and barking at him. She thinks he was going to push his way inside.

Wow. That's was quite brazen. He must have been casing the joint to know she was home alone. Lucky you had the dogs

 

[devans0]

The last time for me, three small neighbor girls wanted to know if I would buy some lemonade. They started a lemonade stand, business was slow, so they took the direct approach. Of course DW and I had to buy some, (it was terrible). and took them home before they got in trouble. I told their mom and dad, who were embarrassed and shut down the business. Sometimes, opportunity knocks....

 

[jollystomper]

Wow. Where do you live? Afghanistan?

Of course not. But when you grow up in a large city and have seen the ways answering the doors for strangers can end badly (and frankly had "friends" who revealed their "methods" of perpetrating these acts), you learn it is better to be prepared than to assume all is well in the world.

 

[timeasterday]

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.

Same here. Got one camera looking right at the front porch from the side so I can see if they have anything behind their back. Got another camera that looks over the driveway and surrounding areas. We spend most of our time in our finished basement so it's pretty convenient to look over at the monitor and see who's there.

 

[Redbugdave]

My place is gated/fenced with dogs. No soliciting at my place. There have been break ins nearby over the years, and I am sure that's why we have not been affected. My dogs have different kinds of barks and I can tell when somethings up outside and investigate.

Watching TV, I am amazed how news reporters sometimes stand on someone's porch with a camera...bang on someone's door and try for an interview, (on private property). Most of these people live in housing developments that are wide open. I don't think most people think much of security.

 

[BTravlin]

The most common strangers I get at the door are young kids fundraising for their school or athletic team. And they're usually selling turtles or popcorn. I'm such a pushover I've had to add a new line item to the budget.

 

[grasshopper]

Not to be politically incorrect, but most of my strangers are foreign nationals looking for food or water or a chance to take advantage of my good nature. 4 dogs and and my best "Beat que tengo una pistola", usually does the trick.

 

[eytonxav]

This is fairly obvious from comparing my little "shanty" to all the McMansions in Stepfordville...

I don't treat anyone rudely, but there is no rule that says I have to answer the door or the phone, particularly for an unsolicited visit/call from an unknown entity...

Yeah, but we all know those shanties in Stepfordville are eqivalent to McMansions in some of the adjacent towns

 

[Letj]

Not to be politically incorrect, but most of my strangers are foreign nationals looking for food or water or a chance to take advantage of my good nature. 4 dogs and and my best "Beat que tengo una pistola", usually does the trick.

So you'd prefer if they died of thirst after their long dangerous journey?

 

[grasshopper]

It appears that the rest of the forum doesn't open doors to just anyone. This is a complicated issue with no good answer. My backyard is a trail for smugglers, bandits, and traveling workers. No one wears a sign that say es una buena persona, all the travelers wear a black hoodie, black pants, and carry a black painted gallon jug. Here, I will say it all the hikers in my backyard look the same, bueno malo o feo.

 

[travelover]

It appears that the rest of the forum doesn't open doors to just anyone. This is a complicated issue with no good answer. My backyard is a trail for smugglers, bandits, and traveling workers. No one wears a sign that say es una buena persona, all the travelers wear a black hoodie, black pants, and carry a black painted gallon jug. Here, I will say it all the hikers in my backyard look the same, bueno malo o feo.

Now this is a long shot, mind you, but I think your situation might not be exactly typical for most posters here.

 

[Animorph]

Yesterday I didn't answer the door because I saw a young kid I didn't know and figured he was selling something. DW answered it today, the same kid. He had some of our mail that was accidentally placed in his family's mail box. Must be one of the new families that just moved in since I hadn't seen him before. Not that I would have answered anyway. But I guess I should have.

 

[Mulligan]

Yesterday I didn't answer the door because I saw a young kid I didn't know and figured he was selling something. DW answered it today, the same kid. He had some of our mail that was accidentally placed in his family's mail box. Must be one of the new families that just moved in since I hadn't seen him before. Not that I would have answered anyway. But I guess I should have.

That happened to me a few months ago. Mailman dropped a bunch of mail out in the street where I was walking. The mail was for three houses back up a few streets. Mailboxes were right on wall of houses next to door, so I didn't want to just walk up there, but I wasn't dressed in a manner for visiting with workout clothes on. Two of them did answer door with eyes wide open, but we're appreciative once I explained. The other wouldn't answer though door was open. My appearance as a bum off the street probably scared them.

 

[CoolChange]

Now this is a long shot, mind you, but I think your situation might not be exactly typical for most posters here.

Possibly not exactly typical; but, not that unusual for certain parts of our great country. I have friends living in AZ and NM who could have writing this verbatim.

 

[Sarah in SC]

I live in redbugdave territory. Rural private dirt road. Fenced acreage and you can't see the house from the other side of the electronic gate, but you can see the 5 dogs. No problems out this way. And we've got that second amendment thing going for us too.

 

[tinlizzy]

wrong thread

 

[travelover]

Possibly not exactly typical; but, not that unusual for certain parts of our great country. I have friends living in AZ and NM who could have writing this verbatim.

Gee and I thought having the deer eating the landscaping was a hardship.

 

[grasshopper]

Gee and I thought having the deer eating the landscaping was a hardship.

At least the deer don't cut my fences down.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Gee and I thought having the deer eating the landscaping was a hardship.

You need more dogs! I see deer and turkey all the time around our place, but they don't come in the yard if the dogs are out.

 

[haha]

At my current place someone would have to pass through 3 iron security gates before he could knock on my steel apartment door. Hasn't happened, and I don't think it will.

It is quite a secure feeling.

Ha