Do you answer the door to uninvited strangers?

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I have a window in another room that overlooks the entry door. Also where I live if anybody even goes onto my road it's an occaision. We get people lost out here especially in the summer who go up my dead end driveway and turn around and leave despite the DEAD END PRIVATE DRIVE NO TRESPASSING signs. Plus a large Chow mix dog that is better than the burglar alarm for announcing strangers.
 
Yes, every time. The wind broke the storm door handle and it can only be opened fron the inside. The plexyglass would be hard to get through. the Sig P-229 one step back from the door, should also slow them down, after they got over the golden retreiver wanting to get petted and the ????? see below.
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good story to tell on how you never know what to expect. right outside of Detroit michigan is a suburb grossepointe. Apparently two young teen girls were going around asking if people wanted to buy magazines. When people would answer and no dog would bark then the two girls would break in later. I believe they hit a fair amount of people before being caught. My rottwhieler stops most annoying people from bothering me though
 
Ive got a window over looking the back door, wont even brave the front door with all the wasps all over. With all of my friends I can hear them coming long before I can see them (loud trucks, what can I say, I live in Louisiana :cool: ) Other than that the door is getting answered (depending on the time of day and who is at the door) with me, my g17, & my sheperd.
 
Yes, but like the 2nd responder said, I'm armed while doing so.
I have a nastily worded "no solicitors" sign, and I figure anyone ringing my doorbell is either really brave, persistant, stupid, or a neighbor in need of something. I do not want, nor do I feel it necessary to be "that weirdo" in the neighborhood.

I'm not going to become a shutin due to fears of crime; that's exactly why I am armed whenever it's practical and legal to be. I'm going to enjoy life to the fullest; and not let goodfornothings ruin that for me. If my neighbors need something, even if they want to witness to me (which I hate, but I'll at least be polite when the Jehova's witnesses come) I figure I can at least be firm, but polite.

As to home invasions, my fianceé and I have spoke about and practiced what to do if one happens.
Even down to telling her (or me) to take the shot.
 
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Cleaning the snake cages

Before I got married, I used to keep a lot of stray turtles, snakes, and other reptiles I rescued from various situations. (Local police used to use me for reptile calls.)

I'm cleaning the cages on a Saturday morning, August, hot as the devil and no A.C. I'm shirtless, in shorts, with a 7' Black Rat snake named Oscar in one hand, and his lovely mate in the other.

A very persistant Jehovah's Witness knocked on the door for 5 minutes and ignored my shouted advice to either come on in or just go away.

So I went to the door, and there stood a very well dressed, polite, black woman with some of the brightest red lipstick (almost orange) I'd ever seen. (Don't know why I remember that so clearly, but I do.)

She looked very shocked, but stood her ground and started the sales pitch.

I asked to please hold Oscar (who was a very kind, gentle soul, unless of course you were a mouse or rat.) While I got my KJV Bible.

Things went downhill after that. Was not visited by the JW from that day on.

YMMV. But it worked for me. :D

Seriously, things were a bit less dangerous back then. Today, I always make sure I know what is on the other side of the door before opening it, and if it's not the local kids selling stuff for school or someone I know, the safety is 'off' and the chamber is loaded before I open the door.

I will open the door for strangers, I would rather take a chance on helping someone even if there is a small chance that it is a bad guy. If they set off my warning senses however, 'help' is in the form of offering to call the police for them.
 
The paranoid survive. Take the link to the High Roader who was ALMOST a victim of an invasion. Had he not had the gun, there is no telling what that sicko might have done.

I suggest caution entering or exiting the home, as well as having a gun at hand (or pepper spray) while at home and answering the door. We live in a society of marks...
 
If ya don't answer the door and it IS a bad guy, they may very well assume nobody is home and make their way into your residence.

However, if and when you do...be prepared for any eventuality.
 
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Guy comes back over and over again and investigates the perimeter of your house. Sounds like you are being probed. Especially when the guy comes back to see the difference between occupied and what he thought was an empty house.

As a general rule I do not open the door to strangers ever. I even greet the pizza man with a handgun on my person, even though I'm expecting him. I don't answer the door period after O-dark-thirty.
 
Man oh man...

I must be fearless:neener:

I go to my door unarmed (oh my god!) and before opening it or looking thru the peephole I ask "who is it? then What do you want?

I guess the LA suburbs are just safer than where everyone else lives.

Of course I'm only 50 and have only answerred the door about 10 jillian times!

Do you people actually live in such a state of fear?
 
Not fear, just want left alone. After 70 plus hours per week between 2 or 3 jobs, my home time is mine.

If I am not expecting you, I DO NOT want bothered, my me time is in short supply and very valuable. Hows that?

If you are d@#$ dumb enough to keep knocking, the house better be on fire or some other such emergency when I get there!!:cuss:

There,
Hows that for cranky enough?
 
Back in the 80's I worked shift work. I had just gotten to bed one morning when there was a knock on the door. I walked to the door and looked out the peep hole. Two jehovah witnesses were standing at the front door. I was not about to open up for them. About that time my dog came from the back yard. My dog was a mixed breed with few friends. He shows teeth growls and barks. When they would move he would lunge at them. The ladies knocked and knocked. They tried to make friends with my dog but it didn't work. They backed away from the door and to their car. I never had another JW come by I guess I was put on their black list.
 
My Chocolate Lab answers firs.

She hits the front hall running and barking before anyone gets to the door. If that doesn't scare them off I always am armed when I look out the side door window to see who it is and ask what they want over my dog barking and growling. She's a pussycat, she just looks mean. If I decide to open the door to a stranger it is with my left hand while my right is on my holstered gun. I also stand to the side of the door so a quick shove from outside will not knock me off balance. I don't plan to be a prisoner in my own home but I won't be careless either.
 
I answer the door after looking through the peep hole and asking who it is. I also have either a .357, 10mm or .45ACP with me. About 8 years ago someone knocked on my door around 2am and I couldn't see who it was. I definately did not answer the door.
 
VYNX - "I guess the LA suburbs are just safer than where everyone else lives."


No, not really. For five years I lived in Hollywood, then 30 years in Studio City. I could tell you some tales about homes invasions from the files of LAPD's Hollywood Division, LAPD's North Hollywood Division, LAPD's Van Nuys Division, San Fernando P.D., and several Los Angeles Sheriff's Dept. stations who police various areas of Los Angeles County's suburbs..... but no need.

You do whatever works best for you and your family.

Best of luck.

L.W.
 
One answer for identification: peepholes.

If my doorbell rings, I go to check and see who it is. Sometimes I answer, sometimes I don't. If I don't, it has nothing to do with fear, and everything to do with being in the middle of something and not wanting to be disturbed.

Just because somebody managed to dial your phone number does not obligate you to answer it when it rings.

Just because somebody walked up to my door and hit a button does not obligate me to answer it and indulge whomever managed to interrupt my activities, be it a computer game, a nap, cleaning the shotgun, or whatever. I don't even care if they hear me pounding around inside- if I am not interested in opening my door to somebody, I also do not care what they think of me.
 
I usually answer the door. I'm probably armed, but I'm definitely answering. I hope the day never comes when I'm scared to answer my own door. That's one of the reasons we are armed, isn't it?
Do you really want a home invader going down the street and jumping your old, widowed neighbor? I live in the country, now, but stuff like that happens around here. I lived in a big city for 28 years and I usually answered the door there, too.

To the original poster,
It sounds to me like you're being "cased", but it could be something else. I'd be inclined to ask the guy, if he shows up again. Armed, of course. It's your house and your neighborhood, after all.

I'm 42 years old, have led a hard life and I'm in good physical shape. For the elderly, single mothers, etc not opening the door is probably the best answer. For everyone else, it's your neighborhood.
 
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