slo’s WEDNESDAY 8/6 poll - Knocking Before Entering

[soccerdad72]

Close friends or family, if we know they're coming, will usually come to our mudroom door (off the garage), knock and come in. Otherwise, anyone else would come to our front door and ring the doorbell, as that door stays locked.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I may not lock my front door at all times but I do utilize my door staff for maximum value. Not comfortable with “dew dropism” unless it was my mother whose nickname was “Empress”; doorman felt uncomfortable asking her to wait so they sent her up on the elevator and then called to tell me to put the tea kettle on. Mommy was a true original

 

[NYCgrrl]

Delete

 

[mjkacmom]

Grew up in an open house, no one was expected to knock, on,y front door was locked so folks came in the side door. My parents used to stop by my house numerous times a day, never knocked, I never knew when they were coming. Our doors are open, kids friends know to just walk in, as do mine. When going to friends’ houses for planned events everyone walks in (maybe say knock knock). Our driveway is behind the house, so usually just immediate family walks in that door because they just parked in the driveway. With 5 kids, folks were always coming or going. My youngest is 22 and still has friends sleep over a few times a week. Dd24’s boyfriend lives here too, for his job.

 

[firefly_ris]

I have a number keypad thing on the front door that most of my closer friends and family members know the code to and can enter when they please. This makes it easy for people to drop stuff off or pick things up when we're not home, help with stuff when we are out of town, drop kids off to hang out while I'm locked in my office on a work meeting, etc.

On summer days when I'm home the main front door is usually just open (glass storm door in front of it). Everything just gets locked at night.

Everyone else rings the doorbell.

 

[disneychrista]

Mostly knock before entering. My door is almost always locked. If I know one of my daughters is coming over I will unlock it so they can just walk in.

 

[fla4fun]

My house is locked. The only person who has a key is my sister. We inherited the house after our parents passed away, so it as much her home as mine and she does not need permission to come in (although she usually texts when she’s coming by). She lives a couple of hours away. These days, I am more likely to talk to someone through the window by the front door than to open the door itself when a stranger is outside.

I grew up in a locked home and everyone I knew had a locked home. The first person I met as an adult with an unlocked home had their car broken in to on their driveway and they became a locked home after that.

 

[LilyWDW]

I mean, I live in an apartment in the city. As safe as I feel here I am not going to just leave my door unlocked. So friends and family would have to knock.

 

[DVCjj]

Never want walk-ins unless expected.
Would never walk into someone else's home even if they have an open door policy.
We live in very safe neighborhood and still lock our doors. We are old and that's how both of us were brought up.

Better safe than sorry.

 

[evilmommie]

My house is open when I’m home. It’s locked down and secured when we aren’t home. You have to get through a gate and get access in person with the guard on duty before even entering our neighborhood. Anyone who is invited over…knows they can just walk in. It gets loud in the back of the house where we entertain and we can’t always hear the ring camera or pay attention to our phones for texts, so come on in!!!

My friends have the same policy when entertaining. I knock if I don’t know the house or people. Same with neighbors when I need to bring something over, etc.

 

[_19disnA]

I have NEVER just walked into someone else's home, always have knocked or rang doorbell and waited for someone to open the door. Even when growing up, I can't recall it being any different. Seems like common sense to me. Has nothing to do with being an open/closed door thing. Have always locked doors when at home just seems like the right thing to do. You may be in some other part of house or running a loud vacuum sweeper and can't hear the person walk in. Even if going to a party at someone's home, would never just walk in and would still ring the bell when initially arriving. I have no idea which neighbors have an open/closed door policy didn't know there was such a thing. I ring the bell when arriving at their house regardless of the reason.

With so many people buying things online nowadays, always see various delivery trucks in the area. Wouldn't want random delivery people to have access to my home is part of why the front door stays locked during the day.

Repairman was working on an HVAC repair last week. He specifically asked if he could come in/out of the house since he needed to go to his vehicle to get parts and/or work on the unit outside. Seems like common sense to me for him to ask and I told him to come/go as required while doing his repair work.

Have a key to a relative's house that is in another state. Would still ring the bell when we first arrive. Only if I knew they weren't home and we arrived while they are away would we ever use that key.

 

[Micca]

Family may walk in, we enter DDs house without knocking. Anyone else is going to need to knock or ring the bell.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

Open door if we know friends or family are coming.... they just walk in and we do the same at their house. Otherwise knock. The front door usually stays locked during the day.... always at night.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

When we're expecting company we unlock the front door not too long before they are expected. At that point just walk in no need to knock.

Otherwise the front door stays locked so you'd have to ring the door or knock. While my in-laws know our garage code they wouldn't use it without us expecting them over.

I also think "expect" may take on different meanings to people. If your plan or our plan is to just swing on by at a vague time or an unknown time then knock/ring/whatever would be appropriate but if expect means you've or we've given the time we'll be over then door is unlocked then just come on in (or use the garage code if we've told you to). At mother-in-law/step-father-in-law's house we use their garage code 100% of the time as no one enters in the front door, conversely I prefer people to use our front door rather than our garage door.

 

[GAN]

I'm very rarely home(except to sleep) so I don't get too many visitors, but the door is usually unlocked. I've left for worked and come home realizing I left the door wide open all day . Fortunately I live in a safe neighborhood. For friends and family, I typically knock quick and walk into their homes

 

[snowwite]

Very few people I know up here lock their doors. I mean, maybe at night or when they are away, but not many bother to lock up during the day. Small town America, I guess. Anyhow... we knock and wait for the door to be opened. The only time this varies is when we go visit one couple. We knock and wait for the door to be opened, but they have 3 "excitable" golden retrievers. We can usually tell from the level of cacophony that ensues upon knocking whether we should wait for our friends to disentangle themselves from the chaos or just walk in!

We also expect people will knock on our door and wait for it to be opened, unless we are yelling "C'mon in!" at the top of our lungs! DD/SIL still just walk in, but they lived with us for 3+ years and have only been "moved out" since May, but I'd expect them to walk in anyhow. Other than that, everyone knocks, I think.

My parents never locked up. They left a key in the lock if they were gone because dad thought locks just kept honest folks honest and he didn’t want them breaking the glass
We had a break in so we lock and have like half a dozen cameras!

 

[disneydreamer1980]

Our family and close friends all just walk in, and we do the same at their house. If someone knocks or rings the bell we know it’s usually a stranger, usually someone selling something.

 

[tvguy]

To be honest, we rarely go to people's houses or have people over anymore. We tend to meet at a restaurant for lunch. Our door is locked, and I can only assume that is the case with other people's homes.
I know my mom did once remark to me that she found it funny that I rang the door bell or knocked when I had a key. I told I didn't want to startle her if she did not hear me come in, or think it was a burglar. I know we always knocked at my MIL's house too, even though my wife had a key,
It was a little different as a kid growing up in the 1960's. Doors were still locked everywhere as far as I know, so you knocked or rang the bell. But my dad had a friend......his former roommate from before he and my mom got married...... who would come over unannounced. He would open the big garage door and walk through the garage and let himself into the backyard and tie up his dog to a post on the back patio. More than once my dad was in his recliner in his boxers and had to scurry to get pants.

 

[clappyclaps]

My house is closed, I live on my own so my doors are always locked. Even the people who visit that have keys don't just walk in when I'm at home, but thats usually because my keys are in the locked door so they cant get in

I think if I was expecting visitors then i wouldn't have any issues unlocking the door and telling them to walk in, but i wouldn't allow it all the time without warning. Not only from a security point of view but I like my privacy too.