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Another Don't Answer the Door Story

Kleanbore

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Most of us on THR know better, but some people still go to the door and open it when someone knocks.

One would think that a knock during the wee hours of the morning should be addressed more prudently.

There shouldn't be any question of justification here, since the defender had already been shot when he fired, but that's little consolation.

https://www.starnewsonline.com/stor...ghborhood-early-saturday-morning/74392870007/
 
Unexpected or uninvited Knock, Knock or Ding Dong does not merit me opening the door for whoever.
Unless it was UPS/FedEx/USPS letting me know they dropped off a package, it is nearly certain a salesperson of some sort, or less likely it could be a potential home invader.
I do not go to other people's homes and harass them and I am disinclined to reinforce it being done to me, which is one reason I ain't opening the door.
 
Where we live, you have to make some choices here, as its not always a simple and easy answer. Some people really do need help and you are really all they have at getting it. Just cant assume everyone means you harm.

Its very rural here and the police response isn't quick (half an hour isnt unusual) unless the Trooper just happens to be in this end of the county. If you need that sort of help, you're pretty much on your own until they get here, and that could be a while. Probably better off calling for fire/EMS if you want people here quicker, but they likely arent coming if they know its police you want. The closest neighbors are hundreds of yards away and unless you have a firefight going on, likely wouldn't know something was up.

Since we aren't too far off the road, its not unusual to have people come up to the house that have been in a wreck and need a phone. Only one carrier has service here and even they can be sketchy just around the next bend.

As I said, you need to make a decision whether or not youre opening the door. Either way, make the call, if in doubt, don't open the door. But if you can be of help, Id sure want the help if we were in their place.
 
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After I got out of the hospital the last time our daughter decided that DW and I are too old and feeble to live alone. When our current lease is up we will be moving to Eastern El Paso County to live on DD's Goat Ranch.

I've said this before as a joke but it is true we will be seven miles from the nearest paved road and we will be one of three families that live on our "street".

Our nearest neighbor has a Wolf sanctuary so, I am pretty sure nobody's going to be going there.

I don't forsee anyone knocking on our door in the middle of the night.
 
Most of us on THR know better, but some people still go to the door and open it when someone knocks.

One would think that a knock during the wee hours of the morning should be addressed more prudently.

There shouldn't be any question of justification here, since the defender had already been shot when he fired, but that's little consolation.

https://www.starnewsonline.com/stor...ghborhood-early-saturday-morning/74392870007/
There's gotta be more than we're being told here. A 74yr old just decides to be a home invader? Me thinks there's more motive here, did they know each other, have a dispute, or just a crazy 74yr old ?
Either way, if he came with the intent to cause harm to the homeowner, was not opening the door going to change anything?
 
Where we live, you have to make some choices here, as its not always a simple and easy answer. Some people really do need help and you are really all they have at getting it. Just cant assume everyone means you harm.

Its very rural here and the police response isn't quick (half an hour isnt unusual) unless the Trooper just happens to be in this end of the county. If you need that sort of help, you're pretty much on your own until they get here, and that could be a while. Probably better off calling for fire/EMS if you want people here quicker, but they likely arent coming if they know its police you want. The closest neighbors are hundreds of yards away and unless you have a firefight going on, likely wouldn't know something was up.

Since we aren't too far off the road, its not unusual to have people come up to the house that have been in a wreck and need a phone. Only one carrier has service here and even they can be sketchy just around the next bend.

As I said, you need to make a decision whether or not youre opening the door. Either way, make the call, if in doubt, don't open the door. But if you can be of help, Id sure want the help if we were in their place.
When I was a kid, my mom broke down outside of town and walked up to a house on a farm for help. They cracked the door open, handed the handset out the door and dialed the operator for her.

You could always talk to somebody through the door or a Ring camera. Call the police or a tow truck for them.

If you want to risk it, you can go out to the road and help them. A gas can, first aid, pull them out of the ditch, or give them a ride into town. But understand that there is a risk.

Still, there's no reason to answer a door just to call the cops, a tow truck, or somebody's family. Not with today's technology.
 
3:00 a.m.? You gotta be kidding me! Cameras, cameras, cameras, folks (with a monitor in your bedroom or on your phone) -- and a speaker system to communicate with any at the door.

A concern I'd have is that the stupid local news posted a photo of the front of the house and the street address! Unbelievable, someone at the newspaper should get fired for that. If some local gangbanger or otherwise street hood has friends, associates or family, that's an invitation for retribution. Some media here may post a street name and a block, i.e., 1600 block of Smith Street, or the neighborhood, e.g., in the Hilltop neighborhood, but a pic of the actual house and the number? That's should be a violation of the newspaper's policy.
 
Either way, if he came with the intent to cause harm to the homeowner, was not opening the door going to change anything?

I agree that there probably is more to the story of the 74 year old home invader than we've been told. As to the question of answering the door, ask yourself a different question: Given that it's 3AM and it's reasonable to assume that the person outside means to do harm, what would be the point of opening the door?

Tim
 
I too had to wonder what is the rest of this story. 74 year old did not just decide to do home invasion. As for the knock? Camera's are so cheap now days I can't imagine not having one.
 
My how times have changed. My family and I were living off a rural Missouri highway in our first home. To set the stage I was a young California born white guy on my first military assigment. Middle of the day there is a knock on the front door. It was two afro american guys in blue jeans.
As a city boy from Los Angeles, I was more than a bit hesitant but heard out the following story:
Just up the road their truck had a flat tire, they did not have a spare... and they were hauling a pregnant pig to the next town. Could I help?
What would you do?
I agreed to help them and take them to the next town. We went back to their truck....yep, flat tire....yep, pregnant pig.
Long story short...got the tire repaired, got the tire back on their truck and dumped some water on the pig to keep her cool.
They did offer to pay me for my trouble but the story was worth more than any money they could have spared.
Sometimes you just have to trust your instincts.
 
In addition to cameras, an intercom system, how about a second door ? Or a Dutch door. The front door of my apartment has a peephole, and opens inward, the screen/storm door opens outward. If I owned my own place it seems to me a solid front door. with a screened speaking area-"Joe sent me." -some sort of heavy shatter resistant glass would allow for an extra line of defense.
 
If there's a knock on the door I'll answer it but I'll be smart about it.

As others have mentioned there are some rural parts of the country where you answer when someone knocks and stop and help people on the side of the road. It doesn't mean you aren't ready for trouble but if we stop being men and helping those who need it then what's the point anyways.
 
Fair enough. That said, though, I have done good-samaritan type things in the past that I wouldn't even THINK about doing now. Times really HAVE changed.

Tim
Has it changed? The people who were scared to open the door to my 5'2" mother, and just slid the handset of the out the crack past the chain- that was in the 70s in rural Indiana.
 
This is another one of those threads that makes me think. As a minister, I am often called upon to help an awful lot of people. And, it can be very awkward. Couple of friends and I were discussing it here a while ago. One of them, another minister, was trying to help some people, and one of them managed to steal his carry gun. That is one of the big reasons why I am not a fan of off body carry! I’ve done a bit of good Samaritan stuff. But, never when I have my daughter with me, and, my head is always on a swivel!
 
Call it OpSec or just common sense.
We only open the FIRST door [ outer is wrought iron/hardeded glass] when we are expecting company.
We do not allow uninvited guests to come by !
And if your ringing my bell, or knocking = your about to answer questions through a locked & bolted double door.
And even then , very good chance I am armed .
 
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