The only strangers I've ever had at the door way out here in the country have been people trying to find other people on the road or in the area for a delivery of some sort. Oh, and once in a very great while, Jehovah's Witnesses.

When we lived in a suburban neighborhood with houses so close together we had door knockers regularly, even with a no soliciting sign. Now we live in the middle of 5 fenced acres and most people with a brain in their skull don't dare open that gate, it's a completely different mentality here. Even neighbors don't go on property unannounced, everyone out here has guns and will use them.

Absolutely not! My dog goes crazy if someone is at the door, which would scare off would-be evil doers. I also have a big "beware of dog" sign on my front door. There was a woman attacked and almost killed last year about 2 miles from where we live by a guy that just wanted to see what it felt like to stab someone. He was high on meth or crack or something! That's what he told the cops anyway(that he wanted to see what it felt like to stab someone). He lived right across the street from the woman. She was expecting her sister at that very time so she just opened the door assuming it was her sister.

Sometimes. I get very few strangers at the door and DH usually answers. If I am home alone I will open the door for a woman but not a man. ( Yes, I know that is a stereotype and biased and not politically correct...etc.. ) I live out in the country and there have been break ins in empty homes/cottages. I have no dog anymore but I do have guns.

Nope. But sometimes I don't recognize people I know through the peep hole. I need one of those Ring camera doorbells.

Yes, I do. Answer always now. Open, nope! I had a couple guys try to break in to my last house. They rang the bell twice, then left. 10 minutes later, they were back. After ringing they started to take my storm window off, at which time I hollered, I am calling the police, and they took off.

The police advised me to answer, specially at night/after dark, to let possible thieves know someone is there. This is to discourage them to come back and break in, or just right away break in.

Made sense to me, and I answer the door.

Nope, I don't have one of those special doorbells. Don't want one either. Specially when I am gone, I don't want to have to have my data on, on my phone, to answer, or now worry.

So far, so good. :)

Moni

I've literally snuck out of the living room and gone down the hall to make sure they don't peek inside my living room window and see me. No. But if my inside door is open I'm kinda stuck in the living room. I keep the outside door locked and will only talk through the door. I usually end up shutting the inside door on them.

I'm rural, with a long, hilly driveway. I have alarms along the driveway to alert me that someone is approaching. I always go out on the porch and watch them come to the house. I want them to know I'm home, and that I knew they were coming before they actually got to the house. Mailman, UPS, FedEx all know me and we chat. Only a couple of times has it been someone totally unknown or unwanted. They move on quickly.

I love my glass storm door. Like many of the folks upthread, I keep it locked. I can open my front door to talk to people while still having a secure locked door between us.

If that storm door wasn't there, there would no longer be any chance of me opening the door.

The last time I opened my front door for unknown people was about 5 years ago, before I had the storm door installed in the current house. Being an idiot - I heard a knock so opened the door. There were 3 or 4 guys standing there, in suits. I was momentarily speechless, until one guy started yammering about Jesus. I said "no thank you" and as I went to shut the front door, he PUT HIS FOOT on the threshold so the door wouldn't shut.

It was at that moment I realized how much danger I could instantly be in. Fortunately this was just a bunch of Jehovah's Witnesses who didn't want to take "no" for an answer - but had it been anyone with more nefarious intentions I would have been done for.

Storm door was installed shortly thereafter and I will never again open a door to someone I'm not expecting and/or isn't known to me.

I answer because I'd prefer they not come back later. The solicitors are pretty annoying. I usually shut them down pretty quick. We have a neighborhood Facebook page so unwanted people get dealt with pretty quickly.

My little next door neighbor comes over when he accidentally sends the ball over the fence. I'm always happy to send it back over. My dog has several fans in the neighborhood. Sometimes they drop by to ask if they can pet him or get him to do tricks so they can feed him treats. I have another little neighbor who is always on the lookout to make money. I buy his flower bulbs and hire him and his sister to watch my cat and take in packages when I'm gone.

No, never, unless it's someone like FedEx or the mailman but they rarely knock. We get constant solicitors that I try to avoid.

I had a scare last night with an Amazon delivery. I was home alone and sitting on the couch watching TV and I hear a knock on the back door about 5 feet from me. The door is made of glass panels, and I turned my head to look and there's a man standing there with a box. My brain didn't register for a few seconds and just thought "intruder!" No one ever uses the back door - he would have had to go around to the side of the house with the garbage cans, unlatch the 6 ft gate and let himself in and then walk around to the back. Meanwhile our front door is easily accessible with no gates...really startled me.

Never!! I now live where unexpected visitors are almost nonexistant but even in my previous, more urban location I never answered the door unless I was expecting someone. I am not always dressed for company and have no wish to interrupt whatever I am doing to deal with uninvited visitors. Even my sister knows enough to call or text that she is stopping by. My home is my castle and I dislike anyone infringing on it unless asked or invited.

I live in an apartment style condo. You need to "know" my buzzer # and it goes to my cellphone. I only let people in when I'm expecting them like my daughter, cleaning lady and the avon delivery guy. I have had random people press my buzzer and when I answer my cell phone and they ask to be let in, I tell them I don't know who you are and hung up.

We live in a private road and it is marked as such. We rarely have anyone come to the front door and ring the doorbell unless they are expected. Exceptions have been one solicitor a long time ago who was quickly dispatched. And the occasional ‘signature required’ delivery from the FedEx, UPS or postal service. Usually the UPS or FedEx guy just drops it in the garage by the door and taps lightly on the back door so we know he’s been there.

Normally I don't, but once in Venice I answered the door to an attractive magazine salesman who just wanted to have sex.

We have cameras at our front door, and I can talk to people without answering the door, and I can see them on a screen next to the front door. After we got those cameras, we got a new porch light (Kuna) which also has a camera, and for about $65 a year, I can save all the videos I want. Supposedly I can talk to people at the front door through my phone, but there is a slight delay, and I really don't know how to use that part of the app.

Wondering what the ones that do not answer do if they receive something that must be signed for? None of the delivery services can do more than estimate when they would return and here if you have to go to their terminal it is inconvenient and difficult to find.

I always answer the door unless it's after dark and I'm not expecting anyone and deliveries are not being made. I do have sidelights on both sides of my front door and sometimes ask what they want Usually it's a pizza for the house next door with three teens and the drive appears to be unable to read the correct address.

I'm surprised so many of you get people at your door soliciting. I haven't even had a Girl Scout selling cookies in years! No Jehovah's Witnesses, either. Used to get kids selling band candy and the occasional pair of Jehovah's Witnesses. I guess they've written off my neighborhood. I get a LOT of packages delivered and some do require a signature. I see no reason not to open the door as I live in a very safe neighborhood.

Only if I'm expecting someone I know or a package.

Anglophilia, we get them almost every day. Church groups, real estate agents, vinyl windows, gardening services, occasionally kids selling stuff but not often. Today they were Jehovah's Witnesses. They all leave their pamphlets stuck in our door or on the stoop - it's very annoying.

Homes here are very close together so that's probably why. Very efficient to go door to door.

Here most solicitors need a permit. I do not think the religious do but any commercial person does. People do call the police or tell the group/person they are going to and they soon pass the word so seldom are there any here.

"Homes here are very close together so that's probably why. Very efficient to go door to door."

Also the type of neighborhood popular with kids and parents on Halloween!. We used to drive our kids from our spread out hilly neighborhood to one as you describe for Trick or Treating. The folks living on the streets we went to welcomed the traffic and made it a lot of fun.

Mostly, I do answer the door and so does my mate. We have a little peep hole to see who is out there. My wife made a handsome paper cut-out to cover the little window in the door, though, so that she could see out without anyone seeing in. We get local politicians, political pollsters, and campaigners more than any one else. Been a long time since a child came selling anything or since Jehova's Witnesses rang. Never had Mormons stop by.

Early last year we were sick with flu and put a sign on the door outright saying as much, and asking for no disturbance. It was campaign season with daily or more visits. Multiple visits on weekends. But the sign worked very well. Ha, we left the sign on the door a few days beyond what was necessary. Peace!

Yes, I always answer and walk out onto the porch. It's a gated community. ie: A lawn is being mowed by TruGreen Lawn Care and they canvas the hood trying to drum up business. It's annoying.

When I was still working, I worried about my house sitting empty in the daytime, so I posted a note by the doorbell that said: "Day sleeper. Please do not disturb." It really worked - one of my neighbors commented years later about someone here working at night, so he must have stopped by and seen it (and believed it). I am at the end of a dead-end road, about a 2 mile trek for anyone - one way in and out, so I don't worry too much anymore about anyone coming down here. They'd be trapped trying to flee should the police be called. (But it would likely take the cops lots longer to get here, but I still think it's a deterrent).

Usually not. For the most part my friends do not drop in. If I do answer the door, usually because I might be expecting someone, my dog is next to me barking hysterically. I have the glass storm door as many have mentioned.

If it's a solicitor, I shrug, point to my dog and shut the door.

My young neighbor girls (the Sprites) love my Ring cameras! My littlest sprite, in particular, loves to practice a dance routine in front of the camera in order to see herself on the camera later. New outfits, sparkly new nail polish, or a successfully braided hair style are likely to show up on our front door camera on any given day. Whether we are home or not, lol.

I laughed out loud at that Rhizo. How cute!

Before I moved here, I always answered the door, and I would here too, if anyone ever made it back this far.

When I was very young, I was staying at my mother's house while she was on a trip. A man, the family had known for many years...in fact had been a good friend of my dad's, and had sold him my first horse...came to the door, so, of course I let him in. I managed to get him outside because he kept trying to hug me. The next day he came back and caught me off guard in the kitchen. I got to the side of the refrigerator, where he couldn't see me, and I didn't answer the door. He knew my mother was out of town and I was there alone. There was no good reason for him to come back. But the door wasn't locked, and he just walked in, after knocking a few times and I didn't go to the door.

So I chatted with him a little, trying to keep it civil but not overly friendly. Well, he grabbed me...arm around me, touching my breast, and tried to kiss me. Mind you, the old coot was my father's age, so he had to be near 70. My father was dead though. I got away from him and got him to leave, but I mentioned it to a couple I was friends with...also older than me, and the guy knew him through horses. He threatened to whip his ass if he ever tried anything like that with me again, because I was like a daughter to him. It caused a big brouhaha in my family.

My mother said, "He was your daddy's oldest friend...." My brother took my side and understood. Had my dad been alive, he probably would have killed him...he was hot tempered like that. Anyway that was the end of that friendship.

On hindsight, I should have told no one.

Debby, I mentioned all that when you said that you hid from someone at the door and it reminded me of something a friend told me. She was married to a dentist and according to her, he didn't like very many people. They lived in almost a compound in Natchez, Ms. Tall fences, keep out signs, etc. They were a little eccentric and were nudists at home. One day someone knocked on their door. They were home, but naked...or as the saying goes, "butt naked". So they dropped down on the floor and crawled to another room. She said only later did they stop to think about the huge mirror on the wall opposite the door, and the person standing outside at the door, could look through the glass in the door, into the mirror and see them crawling across the floor. That still makes me laugh to think about it 25 years later!

Marilyn while you may think in hindsight that you should not of told. I am proud of you because you had the courage to do so. If not he may have found other times and places where he could have done more than he did. Not many have the courage and by speaking up it may have confirmed for other families that what their girl children was not a lie.

Living down a country road, with rare knocks on the door, I do - but I used to when I lived in a townhouse in a subdivision, where there were not many knocks on the door, as well.

No visitors at Halloween, here, so no alibis available regarding getting candy in preparation. But there were lots of Halloween visitors in the subdivision.

Have never had a negative experience.

Recent Purolator driver had a plug-in blanket for the car, sent from a local auto supply store, to keep Dad warm, when driving, as I'd told Atlanta-resident daughter how it took about 5 miles for the heater to warm up in my recently-acquired car. Having had the car refuse to start a rather short distance from home after having sat with radio and overhead light on for about three quarters of an hour, I was reluctant to use it, but, as son said, the car would be running before I turned it on, and it would be turned off before I arrived at my destination. ... How many miles would I travel before it developed a sufficiently substantial warmth to be appreciated? More study required.

A friend who came recently said that he'd visited several times and no answer to knock (either away of too far away in the house to hear).

I visit a couple of dozen neighbours each February to ask for support for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, usually repeat visits needed to about a fifth of them.

ole joyful

Once when I was very young, about 12 or 13, I think, I was at home sick from school and in my pajamas at my parents' house on the farm, about 3 miles from the nearest town. My mother had left me at home alone to do some shopping (She did this frequently with all of us when we were at sick at home.), and a man (a salesman, I think) came to the side door, which just happened to be the door to the bedroom where I was resting. The house had my built by my grandfather and great grandfather, and it was very quirky with doors, windows, and light switches where you would not expect them. Anyway, I opened the door and kept the screen door closed, and the man asked me, "Are you Mrs. R____?" I was often mistaken for my mother on the phone even though I was a boy, but this question took me off guard for a moment, and so I answered, "No, I'm her daughter," because I did not think I should try to convince him that I was a boy. My pajamas must have been fancier than I thought. He left after that, and I did not let him in the house.

We recently had a discussion in the neighborhood along these lines, because a group of boys decided to go pranking after the last day of school -- ringing doorbells in the late evening, then running away.

Many were annoyed at the disruption at that time of night, others were concerned at the thought that the house was being "cased" (as there had been a few incidents in the past few months of exactly that), others were concerned that the boys themselves might prank the wrong person -- and be shot at (as happened a few years ago in a nearby neighborhood, after the teens repeatedly "pranked" a certain home over the past year.)

But many were pooh-poohing the concerns, suggesting that pranking was just harmless fun and people shouldn't be so "uptight" and so forth.

I do tend to answer the door, keeping the storm door secured, and have never had a problem with the doorknockers. Some are regulars that show up every year. I have been intending to get a no soliciting sticker but it hasn't been a priority.

I've never seen a storm door - is it made of glass?

I am sure I told my mother, and it wasn't that she didn't believe me, it was that she was so disappointed in him. The families had been friends long before I was born. After being confronted by my friend, he was enraged and came to talk my mother about it and said it never happened. He had been drinking, so maybe he didn't remember or maybe he didn't want to remember....so he called me a liar. Of course I didn't lie...I wouldn't have done that, and I could see where it was heading when I tried to hide from him the 2nd day he came back. I wasn't there when he came back, but he never spoke to my mother again after that. I was already married at the time, so about 20 years old.

Lars, yes.

joyful, the only necessary alibi for stocking up on candy for Halloween is "just in case". :)

A similar incident happened to me when I was a young newlywed - taught me to beware. There was a knock at the door, it was open with only the screen door locked. An irate man was looking for his teenage runaway daughter and decided she was hiding at my place even though she wasn't and I didn't even know her. He grabbed the screen door to force his way in and luckily I was able to quickly close and lock the main door. He thought I was lying about her not being there and he was so out of control I really think he would have done some damage to me or the house.

Lars, most storm doors around here have an aluminum frame with glass. Some have "windows" on them that can be opened to allow air to pass through a screen. Mine has inserts I change out seasonally to be either a complete glass facing, or a complete screen facing. The screen facing has fake plastic burglar bars that look realistic enough that a new neighbor asked me if I thought the neighborhood is bad. Some have substantial burglar bars built in.

For some reason it is city code here that all domiciles must have storm doors. ( I figure someone in the business got that law passed decades ago.) The house across the street from me had its storm door removed a couple or three years ago. I noticed that the wood on it is beginning to peel now. Rain and snow must hit it. They needed either a storm door, a better finish on the wood, or a bigger, more protective porch.

Some examples of storm doors

Storm doors don't offer very much protection. One good yank and the door will open. They are designed to keep out the harsh weather not people.

Lars I have two different styles of Pella storm doors. Front is glass where the top lowers and a screen rolls down. Because we had a dog at the time I selected one that they no longer sell in this area called a 3/4 door. It has a metal insulated panel on the bottom then and area that the top slides down with a screen. They were installed with deadbolts and it would take a very strong person to yank them open. They do two things. They give you time to close and lock the inside door. If you are asleep if you lock them the sound of them being tampered with should wake you up. I have an older 50's brick ranch in an area where the temperatures regularly go from 60s to 100+. Having a storm door with screens allows the inside doors to be opened to cool the house without turning on the air. The older types were a flimsy wood or soft aluminum that even I could break. The current ones are much stronger than that. If they ever need replacing I will not get the roll down screens as although they are easier they are not safe enough as the screen is not attached to the sides of the door. This is not the color nor size but this is similar to what I have on the back door to give you an idea what a storm door looks like. They also keep the paint on the actual doors from deteriorating. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Pella-Helena-White-Mid-View-Wood-Core-Storm-Door-Common-32-in-x-81-in-Actual-31-75-in-x-79-875-in/50383724

I was just wondering if they had sliding glass in them with a screen so that you could open that up for ventilation. We had screen doors in Texas so that you could have the front (or back) door open for ventilation and lot let insects in. Here, the windows have screens, but we do not have screen doors, although the door from my kitchen to the outdoors (side yard, sort of) has a window that will slide up or down and a screen the outside.

Some people have wrought iron security doors, but mostly just in neighborhoods with higher crime rates. In San Francisco, security windows were required in one neighborhood where I lived.

I like the doors that have windows that open, but I'm not sure how the screens work in the storm doors.

Yes Lars, the one I posted has a screen that is attached to the top portion of the door that rolls down. However If I was purchasing another one I would purchase one either with a metal screen that stays in place and only the window slides down. What I do not like about the roll down screens is that anyone can reach in at the side near the lock and unlock it. Solid screens they would need to cut or pry the screen out. There are several configurations including ones that have the wrought iron on the front.

A caution if it is for your new house is that some HOAs do not allow storm doors so you should check. If they do most places like Lowes etc. have them and can install. I had to go to Pella because nothing in this house is standard and the front was wider than normal and the back was narrower than normal. If the house was not brick I could have just had the entryway adjusted to current "normal size".

I don’t answer the door. Only one person has made it all the way down the long wooded driveway (5-6 no trespassing signs) and he knocked at 6AM, freaking out the surprised dog and startling my husband, who was up. He got a pistol and then answered it. Turned out, the guy was fleeing from cops from a car chase/accident (crashed by our mailbox) but the police didn’t see fit to notify us. He walked here so the dog the dog didn’t hear him coming.

I don't answer but I do take precautions. Crime is on the rise out here in the country

" I have alarms along the driveway to alert me that someone is approaching"

I want to know what it is (brand, make etc) because I want one of those! about a yr or so back I looked at some online but so many of the reviews were all over the place that I gave up. I gave up looking online, but I still want one! I want to know when someone comes into my driveway before they get close to the house.

Usually my dog will let me know if someone gets close to the house - but I'd like to know before she goes nutso on me.

My security doors are all metal with little holes all over them - you can see out enough to know who is out there and talk to them. If I see my mail person or UPS out there I don't have a problem opening the door - but still my dog is barking at the intrusion. if I know it is them, I just shut my bedroom door with her in it so that she isn't interrupting or escaping. I tell Mr UPS that she wants a ride in his truck, he just laughs and shakes his head.

Amazon delivery is often done with someone in their personal car and that does bother me some. I do check the tracking so that I know when something is out for delivery and expect them.

fyi - I've lived here 19 yrs and have never had a trick or treater. the 1st yr I knew of 1 kid (behind me) so I just bought a candy bar for him. He never came over, so the next day I took it to him. He was six and told me that he didn't like candy, so I ate it. Where I live people have several acres and there are no street lights on roads around us or usually in driveways and often coyotes out there roaming around.

I was wondering also about the driveway alarm. Does deer set it off?

The ones I have are Guardline, they are wireless and I got them through Amazon. I have two alarms on the long driveway. The first is at the very beginning of the driveway, and the second is about halfway. I have one hub, inside. Each alarm triggers a different tone, which lets me know where they are on the driveway.

I don't have a deer problem here, but both are attached to tree trunks and are set high enough that the stray cats, raccoons, etc. don't set it off. They do go off when UPS doesn't want to drive down the steep driveway and they walk my packages to the door instead.

thx MM for the info. I'll take a look online at them. if they'd work at about the halfway mark of my drive, I'd be happy with that. It'd give me some warning. I don't have any trees along the driveway, but I think my nephew could put a post out there for it.

I can see them through a small chip glass lite set in my door. If it's within reasonable hours for someone to knock or ring I do answer the door if i feel like it. I don't live my life expecting the boogie man around every corner. IMO imaginary fears of what might occur doesn't really prepare one. It merely paralyzes and puts people in a self imposed prison. That doesn't mean I am not vigilant, I just don't have anxiety or buy into the it's such a dangerous world today everyone is a potential threat mantra.

My driveway is 160 ft. I wasn't sure if the first one would work, being that far from the hub, but it does just fine.