What do you think is a reasonable time to answer doorbell?

i think that when your older you do need to be cautious to answer the door ' people jump up without a second thought
to open it ==bad move -- I myself look out a window to see who it is first as I live rural ' I think the thread is saying when should u answer the door !! having a peep hole helps in the door '
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We always answer the doorbell, though we don't necessarily open the door. About 10 feet from our front door is a 12 foot high bolted gate, giving plenty of space between us and the person ringing the bell. We also can look through a side glass to see who's there. (An electric buzzer disengages the gate's lock when we want to let someone in.)

LAPD and many other police departments strongly advise folks to answer front doors to show the home is occupied. Note, they do not advise opening the door to strangers, but recommend proving you are home by calling through the door or window.

We now have only a pipsqueak of a dog, but until a couple of years ago we also had a 90 lb. Shepherd/Lab/Golden mix who was actually gentle but appeared quite ferocious. Sometimes I'd let her out ahead three seconds of me when strangers would ring the bell, ignoring the "No Solicitors" sign. She'd rush the gate with big barks and plenty of teeth.

I'm here to tell you, those guys were halfway to the sidewalk before I got outside. :D I'd apologize and act like I had to drag her into the house, implying that she was a bit vicious to strangers and very difficult to control. Figured it was a good to send that message in case these folks were nogoodniks casing the neighborhood.
 
StarSong said:
We always answer the doorbell, though we don't necessarily open the door. About 10 feet from our front door is a 12 foot high bolted gate, giving plenty of space between us and the person ringing the bell. We also can look through a side glass to see who's there. (An electric buzzer disengages the gate's lock when we want to let someone in.)

LAPD and many other police departments strongly advise folks to answer front doors to show the home is occupied. Note, they do not advise opening the door to strangers, but recommend proving you are home by calling through the door or window.

We now have only a pipsqueak of a dog, but until a couple of years ago we also had a 90 lb. Shepherd/Lab/Golden mix who was actually gentle but appeared quite ferocious. Sometimes I'd let her out ahead three seconds of me when strangers would ring the bell, ignoring the "No Solicitors" sign. She'd rush the gate with big barks and plenty of teeth.

I'm here to tell you, those guys were halfway to the sidewalk before I got outside. :D I'd apologize and act like I had to drag her into the house, implying that she was a bit vicious to strangers and very difficult to control. Figured it was a good to send that message in case these folks were nogoodniks casing the neighborhood.
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I use the same "vicious dog" trick. I have decorative wrought iron around my front porch so I can open the front door and said vicious dog (really a big ol' moosh, but he doesn't look like one when barking and showing off his teeth) out on the porch ahead of me. People who don't know him jump back away from the wrought iron door. I never open the wrought iron door unless I know the person or it's a service person I expect. And service people know to call ahead when they are on their way here.

Henry also raises cain inside the house when someone comes into my yard, whether I'm here or not. So whether a person knows whether I am here or not, they can hear that there's a big suspicious dog inside the house.
 
Butterfly said:
And give them a bit more time if they are disabled, and/or call ahead to let them know you are coming. I know several people (frequently including me) who do not answer the door if they do not know is there.
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You know some intelligent people. I'm behind a closed security gate. But when I sometimes have to leave the gate open, I also won't open the door unless I know who's there. And if I have to open the door (Gas Co, DWP, company, etc.) I have a concealed weapon on me, & if they aren't who they say they are.....they'll end up with holes they weren't born with. There are plenty of fake uniforms in use.
By the way, it's a good idea to answer through the door to let the person know someone is home, rather than just ignore the knock. Many burglars break in if they think no one is home; that increases the danger. I don't want that to happen....ammo is expensive & makes a mess.
 
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If Im in and not expecting anyone I peep out of my window to suss out who it is. If its a stranger I feel apprehensive and open the the door a crack and its on a short chain and get an identity.

I think two rings is ample time to answer an door but depends where you are....betcha bottom $ it's while you are on the loo or somewhere awkward :rolleyes::oops:
 
CrackerJack said:
If Im in and not expecting anyone I peep out of my window to suss out who it is. If its a stranger I feel apprehensive and open the the door a crack and its on a short chain and get an identity.

I think two rings is ample time to answer an door but depends where you are....betcha bottom $ it's while you are on the loo or somewhere awkward :rolleyes::oops:
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Well, best of luck to you. Opening the door "a crack" is almost the same as opening it completely. Even a small man can easily open it the rest of the way with his shoulder & you'd likely be injured if you were standing near it. If you can't communicate through the door, it's worth it to install one of those little windows so you can hear each other.
 
win231 said:
Well, best of luck to you. Opening the door "a crack" is almost the same as opening it completely. Even a small man can easily open it the rest of the way with his shoulder & you'd likely be injured if you were standing near it. If you can't communicate through the door, it's worth it to install one of those little windows so you can hear each other.
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Strongly agree. Bad guy jams foot in door and forces it the rest of the way open with his shoulder. During this process the chain will either come out of the door or the door jamb (or maybe just break), and you are at the mercy of the bad guy, and probably on the floor because the door being forced has knocked you down in the process.

Chains may keep the Watchtower people out, but against a guy who really wants in -- once you crack the door it's all over.
 
I guess Im lucky that my neighbourhood is fairly okay. I left my garage door open once and a couple living nearby knocked on the front door to tell me. I shouted out from my porch asking who they were and they shouted back pointing to the garage and I opened the door and we exchanged words and I said a big thank you and off they went.

The chain on my door is very short and this may deter nasties from doing harm but then until this happens and hopefully it wont I will be cautious
 
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