Visitors

Confession: I hate hearing my door bell. It's usually my landlord wanting a check, or someone trying to sell me something. If I am not expecting anyone, my wife has to hear me bellow "who the F' is knocking on my door!?"

I then go out on my balcony and look down. I'm definitely not putting on pants and going downstairs for Greenpeace or "a positive message." I Save no Children on Saturday mornings.

I have a small handfull of friends who can come over anytime they want, and they call ahead of time.

My inlaws have a house in Michigan on Grand Lake, and folks will just stop by without notice. It's insane. One time we woke up and came downstairs for coffee, and on the table was a pie with a note. My wife and I approached it as if it were a rattlesnake. How did it get there?? Apparently the neighbor lady, who is a nice lovely person by the way, came into the house while we were sleeping and dropped off a pie. I cannot tell you how creepy that is.

Like I said though, shes a nice lady, and thats the culture of the area.

So, let me ask you, New Yorkers and non-New Yorkers alike, how do you feel about surprise visitors?

Depends on who they are. Friends/neighbors I am happy, someone trying to sell me something( the typical knock on the door) annoyed.

The battery died on our doorbell, and I never replaced it. Gets rid of the riff-raff since I never hear them knock. Most sales people try the doorbell and leave after a bit. If I do notice them I hide. I figure if it is someone I want to come in my house they will call first.

Except the in-laws. I don't want them in the house, they never call but somehow manage to get in.

I don't mind it, makes me feel like I have friends. They always get weird though when I invite them in to help me shave my back...

Don't you have locks on your doors?

I hate them. I don't necessarily live in a "bad" neighborhood, but not the greatest. The first thought that goes through my head when an unexpected visitor knocks is how I'm going to take this mother f***er out if he/she tries to rob me. Other than that it's merely an annoyance because I'm usually either naked or they're interrupting my brew day.

I don't mind if people want to come over unannounced. I think most people know when they think they are close enough to us to just pop by, and wait while I see who is at the door, put the safety on the gun and put it away before letting them in. The barking dogs keep then company until I get back.

This reminds me of a time I did answer the door and it was a guy selling home alarms. We were sitting in the porch and my dog was going nuts at the door. He said something like "With this alarm you will have the peace of mind that nobody will come into your house". I looked at him and said, "Go walk into my house." He looked at my dog (German Shepherd/Lab) and was like, 'uhhhhh' and I said "Have a nice day."

My dog is a sweetheart, she sounds and looks a lot meaner than she is, but scary enough for people to reconsider walking in that don't know her.

I don't mind surprise visitors during daylight hours or on the weekend. There is only a few people in my area who are welcome anytime, but they don't really need to knock (although they do cause they're nice).

I don't even mind neighbors knocking trying to sell me crap for their school fundraisers (i'd rather have that then their parents selling to me at work). I ignore most sales people but I friggin' hate getting flyers and **** on my door or on my porch. I don't care that you want to clean my house, if you need to flyer bomb me, you don't have enough respect for my property to so a good job.

Yknow whose house I wouldnt walk in without express invitation? wolfstar's.

I dont like people. Period. if it wasn't for my wife I would be a hermit living in the mountains by myself. people can knock all they want I just don't answer the door. nobody will just walk in cause the dog makes enough noise, she is a shepherd sheltie mix but she's all bark. the only person that gets in my house is my mother in law, luckly I work at night and sleep during the day

I don't care for visitors at all. We have very few Family and Friends here, that knock and then come on in. If the dogs let someone in that's cool but the majority of folks won't get past the door step. The dogs are very protective of the home and property line.
My wife is very gregarious and I would rather not deal with other people and their crap. She has actually told many that I am anti-social and so most visitors just leave me alone.
that works well for me.
The reverse is also true - I do not like to go "visiting" but my wife loves it.

While we have friends and family that come by unannounced its always to our back door because we have parking out back. If the front doorbell rings its probably someone we dont want to talk to.

The other day I had a political campaigner ring my 4 times right in a row. She then saw me through the window sitting on the couch and waved for me to come answer the door. So I waved for her to go away. She actually stood on my porch another 15 or 20 seconds before she realized I wasn't going to get up. I cant stand those people, especially since we live in an area that has a lot of people from various religions going door to door. Someone actually left a small Book of Mormon on my porch a couple years ago. I dont even know where there is a mormon around here.

I just started locking my door, but only to keep the ex-guy out. Just today, I forgot to lock and he walked right in, carrying mail from my post office box. That pisses me off. Otherwise, the door was always open.

Depending on who it is, people stopping by is fine. I do like a call first though.
I did start locking the doors a few years back though. Actually about the time of my divorce. The ex would stop in and decide she needed more stuff so I changed the locks and kept them locked.
After she moved away, I still leave the door locked even when I'm home because I've got a neighbor who will let himself in.

Between the size and layout of my house I don't hear people knock most the time and my dogs are too lazy to bark. All my friends have my number though and I've gotten a call from people in my driveway before.

nukebrewer said:

because I'm usually either naked or they're interrupting my brew day.

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Could be both . . .

I don´t mind friends or family droping by unannounced, but I hate Jehova witnesses knocking on my door a Sunday at 9:00 AM. I am very respectfull of everybody else belief but this people don´t seem to understand that I just don´t care about what they preach. After telling them 6 weekends in a row to please not knock on my door specially on a Sunday at those hours; last time they droped by I just told them that I believed in the "Dark Lord" stare at them I made a subtle growl. This was a month ago and they haven´t come back since... maybe it was wrong to do that but it worked.

nukebrewer said:

Other than that it's merely an annoyance because I'm usually either naked or they're interrupting my brew day.

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Pappers_ said:

Could be both . . .

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I have answered the door in a towel on several occasions. Never happy about it either, and I let whoever is at the door know I'm not happy about answering as well.

I trained my 120 pound German Shepweiler to aggressively try to get through the door whenever someone rings the doorbell and I crack it. Most people are in a pretty big hurry to get out of there when they see me trying to hold him back. Little do they know he only wants to lick them, not bite them

I also sometimes like to answer my door whilst carrying a firearm. That does the trick a lot... especially with the security alarm salesmen.

I'm ok with unannounced visitors if they're ok with the sound of a shell being chambered in my Glock. In all seriousness, unless your hurt, bleeding, or in dire need of assistance, you better call before coming over and you better not try to walk in without knocking or ringing the doorbell first. I'm not a surprise visit kind of guy.

I think most people here know my answer.

Most times I get a knock on my door, I get laid. Wierd but undeniably true.

My 320 lb Fire fighter neighbor was the first to knock on my door. (No I didn't boop him) He invited me to a bonfire where there were several more than acceptable women. (I am freshly out of a divorce)

some day when I am firmly settled in and "taken", I will probably be far less optimistic about visitors.

Subsailor said:

I don't care for visitors at all. ... My wife is very gregarious and I would rather not deal with other people and their crap. She has actually told many that I am anti-social and so most visitors just leave me alone. ... The reverse is also true - I do not like to go "visiting" but my wife loves it.

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This pretty much sums me up as well.

My problem is I'm very polite, which can be misleading because I am a big ole' misanthrope on the inside. I neither trust nor care for people unless I've been given good reasons to think otherwise. So the whole time someone is talking to me, and I'm nodding and smiling, I am also judging them and finding reasons to dislike them. Perhaps that's disingenuous, but there you go.

If someone I know and like wants to come over, I don't mind if they call first, but I hate talking on the phone even more than I dislike visitors, so that's a bit of a problem...

Airborneguy said:

I think most people here know my answer.

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No one wants to visit your house anyway. The one way locks freak people out.

Now that's an avatar!

I probably shouldn't announce this on the internet, but I don't lock my doors. Ever. Well, one time when we were in Belize I might have. I can't remember.

Most people knock, though. Not because they aren't welcome to walk in, but sometimes our 85 pound dog lays in front of the door and they can't get around him. But if they knock, he stands up and wags his tail so they can get around him more easily.

i can never tell if the knock is actually my door in my apartment so i usually dont check

NochEineMassBitte said:

...but I hate talking on the phone even more than I dislike visitors, so that's a bit of a problem...

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My wife and children get so mad at me about the phone. One of the kids will call from wherever they are and start talking; my side of the conversation is like; How are you? How is your significant other? How are my grandkids? You want to talk with your Mom? and pass the phone on. It's even worse with strangers - state your business and be done.

I don't answer my phone or the door.

I'm surprised there's still people that don't lock their doors. My doors are always locked unless I'm outside in the yard. I'm not big on unexpected visitors in my yard and I definitely don't want unexpected visitors inside my house. I also don't like being interrupted by anyone when I'm not expecting them. And then I feel obligated to drop what I'm doing and talk so as not to seem rude. I also extend the courtesy to others and avoid showing up unexpected.

WesleyS said:

I'm surprised there's still people that don't lock their doors.

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My grandparents lived out in the sticks, so you could leave all the doors unlocked and not worry. I myself have accidentally left my front door unlocked overnight with the keys in the lock and nothing bad happened. But that scared the **** out of me. So many bad things could have happened, cause like I said before, I don't live in the greatest of neighborhoods.

What's the point of not locking your door anyway? Such a simple security measure with no added inconvenience. No matter where you live, it's just seems a no brainer to me. By the way, in my professional capacity, I've learned that insurance companies can and sometimes do deny claims based on things like that.

I agree. The only conceivable reason I can think of for not locking your door is so you have a way back in if you lock yourself out. But that is easily remedied with a two dollar copy of the key and a good hiding place.

Or if you're an idiot and forget to take the keys out of the lock cause your hands are full, then subsequently get distracted by something homebrew related.

Airborneguy said:

What's the point of not locking your door anyway? Such a simple security measure with no added inconvenience. No matter where you live, it's just seems a no brainer to me. By the way, in my professional capacity, I've learned that insurance companies can and sometimes do deny claims based on things like that.

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I think it's where we live. We just leave the door open, in case someone wants to get in. I mean, the only people that would go in my house would be either 1. a thief, or 2. a friend.

If it's a thief, I supposed the locked door might dissuade him. But probably not too much. A friend might run over and let my dog out, or drop something off, or borrow something. If it's a thief, and they want an old TV or old desktop, they can have it. The guns are locked up, and we don't have anything else of much value, and no prescription drugs or anything.

If someone ones to break in and take an old TV, it's just easier to leave the door open for them, I guess.

Yooper said:

I think it's where we live. We just leave the door open, in case someone wants to get in. I mean, the only people that would go in my house would be either 1. a thief, or 2. a friend.

If it's a thief, I supposed the locked door might dissuade him. But probably not too much. A friend might run over and let my dog out, or drop something off, or borrow something. If it's a thief, and they want an old TV or old desktop, they can have it. The guns are locked up, and we don't have anything else of much value, and no prescription drugs or anything.

If someone ones to break in and take an old TV, it's just easier to leave the door open for them, I guess.

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This.

My new camper got broken into this summer. They stole a TV, some sheets, and cheapo knives. Probably about $600 new or $150 on the secondary market. However they caused about $3000 in damage and replacement costs.

I'm not so much worried about people stealing things I can replace. But I don't want someone walking in my house knowing me or my family is there. If someone does that I have to assume they are willing to do harm. They can take whatever I have materially, but I'm not going to leave everything unlocked and open to hand it over on a silver platter.

Airborneguy said:

What's the point of not locking your door anyway? Such a simple security measure with no added inconvenience. No matter where you live, it's just seems a no brainer to me. By the way, in my professional capacity, I've learned that insurance companies can and sometimes do deny claims based on things like that.

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That's an eye-opener.

Last month the landlord sent a plumber over without telling me. He let himself in without knocking while my pregnant wife was in the shower. He was easily a foot taller than me and he actually does real work for a living, but he looked pretty scared as he found himself getting crammed out the door. I didn't hit him because he was older than me and he didn't struggle too much, but the landlord told me that he refuses to come back.

It would have all been okay if he had knocked first.

I'm a friendly sort of person and I get on well with most folk. Anyone knocking on my door will be welcomed with a big smile and a warm hello. Inwardly though, I am scooping out their eyeballs with a blunt fork, ripping off their heads and booting them in the naughty bits like an out of control ball-kicking machine.

I'm a friendly looking hypocrite that HATES to be disturbed. If you want to see me unannounced, make an announcement five weeks in advance in a letter that has been notarized, duplicated and set on fire and the ashes rammed up your ass.

Yoop, what if they loot your kegs, beer, and equipment? My God woman! Lock the doors for all that's holy!