Category: Daily Living
What do totally blind people do for answering the door when someone knocks? Do you ask who is it, do you not say or ask anything and wait for the person to say who they are and if they do not say anything just wait for them to leave, do you just open the door, or what do you do or what have others done differently? I'm asking because I don't say anything when someone knocks because I figure if it's someone out to harm they will leave thinking there is no one there but I also know that me not saying anything makes them think that there is no one there so they can break in and burglarize. People who come over usually call me on the phone and say that they are coming and once they are here when they knock they say who they are and say my name. However last week I was in a situation that someone knocked and kept knocking for like ten minutes. They finally left and I was told later that it was the police asking if someone had seen an intruder that had walked in to some ones house the night before. So now I'm left confused on what to do when someone knocks on my door.
most times where i live i expect people, and the police really should notify you who they are. In my new place that won't be an issue as we have the system you have to buz people in, you don't answer when i ask who it is no buz for you. wish more places had that
But the problem is, is that I don't say anything when anyone knocks on my door. Am I wrong in not asking who is it? or maybe it's not a problem, I don't know.
you should ask who it is. for something like the police, you would be able to call and verify it is really them.
if I'm not expecting people, I don't answer; plain and simple.
It depends on the area you live in. If you live in a high crime area, then I would suggest not answering the door, or having a security chain.
Where I live, or where my parents live at least, I'm in a dorm now, the most threatening thing that ever came to our house was a girl scout troop selling cookies. Deadly and addictive in their deliciousness, but probably not going to try and break in to steal my tv or something.
Now, that does not mean that we don't keep security measures in place. My parents have a full alarm system and several loaded firearms for their protection. But most of the time its not going to be a robber knocking at your door.
Now, if its midnight, that might be a different story. My basic point is that you have to use your judgement. If its three o'clock in the afternoon and you live in a nice neighborhood with a low crime rate, answer the door and buy some girl scout cookies.
3 in the afternoon in a nice place is exactly the time for me to rob you. Don't answer the door unless you know who's out there. Ask who it is, and if you don't get the answer you need don't open it. These chains are only to keep the not wanting to get in. If you open a door and that chains on a strong person could kick your door open easy unless that chain is bolted to the door post and most are just screwed in with light screws. The chain is to give you time to defend not keep you safe. Police even if they say they are plice and the are not there looking for you can't ask you if you saw anything. Just say you are blind and can't help. If they want you ask them to wait and call the station to learn if actual police are at your door. If I'm not expecting anyone I don't answer the door, unless I'm ready to defend myself.
Ok, so what's keeping them from just saying its the police when you ask who it is, then shooting you when you open the door? Wha'ts keeping them from breaking in through a window and robbing you? What's keeping them from kicking down your door and robbing you, or killing you, or both?
The point is, most domestic robberies are planned, they watch your house and wait for you to not be home. Most desperate robberies are done at night, because they are usually done as follow up robberies to another robbery, of a store or something, which are usually done at night. Most robberies are not committed in the middle of the day, at least not those involving violence, because people are vigilant during the day. Its a lot easier to break in when someone is sleeping.
I'm curious though, what do you consider being ready to defend yourself?
Cowboy1, I know I can call the station and verify if they are police but this person said nothing so I had no clue it was the police and I’m a paranoid person when it comes to protecting myself so I just don’t talk if I’m not expecting anyone. It does not help my paranoia any that I have a bachelor in criminology. Happy heart, so you do the same thing I do. Silver Lightning, I have a security chain but those are very easy to take off. I have actually tried and succeeded in taking it off and opening the door before and plus with enough strength they can force the chain and break in. The apartment has no alarm or any form of security in the apartment itself. I would be willing to buy things to make my apartment secure or things to protect myself. If anyone has any suggestions or should I start another thread for that. Forereel, I agree with everything you said however I still live with my mom so I’m not the only one that comes and goes from the apartment and just like silver lightning I’d like to know what do you consider ready to defend yourself? I know martial arts but that definitely does not mean that I am ready to defend myself.
Agreed with cody, here. Judgment is key. If you're not expecting anyone, and it's 10:00 or later at night, chances are you have an unwanted visitor and you're probably better off not answering. However, if it's noon, no harm asking who it is. If the person doesn't tell you, and you called loudly enough and close enough to the door so there's no way they couldn't have heard you ask, then don't answer. Like people have said, if your visitor is well intentioned, he or she should have no problem telling you who they are, and official visitors like maintenance or the police should announce their identity without being prompted anyway. But I really don't see any reason to be as black and white is if I'm expecting someone, I answer; if not, no go, period. But that's just me.
O, and I do, of course, agree with installing some sort of security system, no doubt. Not just for us totally blind people, but for anyone. I think even in rental apartments, there are portable systems you can get where no rewiring is necessary, but I could be wrong.
Alright, if you live in an apartment, which you do, then your best bet for self defense is a shotgun. Martial arts and all that are fine if your in a nice safe dojo and you have rules and all that, but you don't, and your not. Your in your house, and the only people that are going to follow your rules, are you. Find out what the gun laws are in your state, and get one. call around to local gun ranges, and you will find someone willing to show you how to shoot it; yes, you can do it even if your totally blind. That's your best bet.
Now, I am sure some people will say, "but why not just get an alarm system?" Well, the only thing an alarm does is alert the criminal that you have an alarm, and call the police for you if you have an expensive system. The average response time for the police across the country is five to seven minutes, an intruder can do a whole lot in five to seven minutes. Trust me, they can kill you, steal a lot of stuff, and have time to make it to the starbucks down the street in less than five minutes. A dead intruder, who you just put a shotgun slug through, can't do any of those things.
As for security chains, the standard ones are easy to remove and break through, bars are actually a lot better. Ask your landlord if he would mind you installing a bar or a reinforced chain. I doubt they'll say no.
I totally agree with Ocean dream..
I never answer unless I am expecting someone. They can knock all day but I will not answer. I am overly weird like that.
Ocean Dream, yeah I'm going to get one of the portible alarm systems but don't know how to find one. Silber Lightning, Yeah I know martial arts won't completely help me that is why I don't count on them. The thought of me and a gun scare me when I really think about it so I don't know about that one yet. I'm not completely discarding the gun idea though. I'm going to get one of the bar things too. anewheart0910, I guess I'm weird like that too.
Honestly nothing wrong with being a bit paranoid..better safe than sorry in the end.
Ready to defend myself means I have something in my hand like a slugger bat. It is true that middle of the day is less likely the person on the other side is after you, but if you aren't easy with this just don't open the door unless you know who's out there. Think about it this way, sighted people look to see who's at the door, and if they don't know them or think the person might be safe they simply don't open the door. Now the other side of that is a crook or person that is really out to harm someone will dress as a repair person, or what have you. I think also when people get to know you're blind they are more likely to pick on you to rob or mess with, because you are hopefully an easier target. Me personally, and I'm not afraid, just don't open the door. If they kick my door down or something then its a fight.
I forgot to say. Don't depend on the alarm system. I think these are best when you're not home for working. Sure they are good to alert the security service that does your monitoring you are in trouble, but it takes time to respond and time matters. Know your home and decide what measures you'll take if you are attacked. Mostly likely, nothing will ever happen, but its best to be aware and take security measures to keep yourself safe. Not answering the door unless you know who's at it seems a wise measure. Let them knock, if you don't know who it is. Your friends will learn to call you first.
UniqueOne I totally agree with you. And now that I know more of what happened in the next building I'm glad I didn't say anything when they knocked on my door. We are breaking the least and moving. Forereel, yeah a bat is definitely good and my friends call me first but they have always said that when I don't answer that makes burglars think that no one is home and that's why I get confused if me not answering is the right thing to do.
some people recommend leaving just one light on, even for us totals. that way, any intruders will see the light and probably think someone's home. Of course, this would eat up your electricity bill over time, but then again, what doesn't?
Yeah everything does. And yeah I leave the light on.
Because I’ve been living in a house or apartment with family and alone for a while I had to set and think what habits I use when I say “ready to defend myself.”
I was not teasing about the bat. A little slugger kept at the open side of the door is a great tool. Its small, light, and you can simply grab it quickly and swing if attacked. You don’t have to open the door with it in hand all the time, but if it is right next to you it’s easy to get.
Next, I open the door, but I don’t open it wide. I keep my hand on it and my other hand on the wall so that anyone trying to slip by quietly can’t. Keeping a hold on the door allows you to slam it if need be. Put your foot behind it too, so you’ve got extra leverage. If it comes to a pushing contest you’ve got weight on your side.
I’ve actually had people I knew try to slip other people in with them without me knowing. Be friendly shake everyone hand or tough them as you let them go by and close the door and lock it after them. That way you know exactly who’s in side.
Of course you’ll not want people in your place you just can’t trust, but it happens. I don’t have an answer why, but people are always testing blind people for some odd reason to see how sharp you are, and people tend to take small things, or small advantages when you can’t see. How many times have someone walked up to you and asked “who am I?”
Maybe you don’t like taking so hard a line, so when you need to want to answer the door for people you don’t know take the bottle, or glass you are drinking from with you. A glass container, spoon, pot, or other objects are formidable weapons when you hit someone with them on surprise. Table lamps, books and other things that might sit on a table that is near your door are also weapons.
If the unimaginable does happen don’t run inside, let the intruder push in and you try to go out anyplace you can, hopefully with that bat. You stand a better chance of neighbors hearing and seeing you if you can get outside. Think of the movies. The people are always running upstairs and such silly stuff when the monster gets in the house and they get got. Lol
Last I’ll say again, what law says you must open your door to people you don’t expect or don’t know? You didn’t order anything right, so why are you opening the door because someone comes and says “I’ve got a package for you.” You’re mail carrier will most likely be the same person every time, so get to know his or her name and voice, or just tell them to put it on the ground or at the door, than get your defense in order before you get it.
We all love surprises, so tell people to just say I sent you something. They don’t have to say what, just that its coming, so you expect it.
Sure you’ll want to support the Girl Scout, so sometimes you’ll take a chance. You also have to go out that door to go places, so you’ll not ever be perfectly safe, but careful and awareness is the key to helping you overcome if need be.
I personally sometimes just open the door, but for the most part no. 99% of the time if I’m not expecting anything or anyone I let them knock.
We can’t live scared, and in a bubble, but we can be safe.
Just by asking who it is through the closed door is fine. Add an intercom box if you want to. You don't have to open the door to find out who it is and you don't have to worry that your silence will convey that noone is home. If they say they are the police, call them and verify. That goes for any service. If you aren't expecting a package, call the local number for the shipper to verify the person. A call to information is cheap security if you have to pay for that sort of thing. Your blindness doesn't make your uncertainty about what to do any less. Many sighted people fear opening the door as well.
Here-here to a shotgun. Also, any person affiliated with any organization, GSA and their cookies, cops, morman's putting out their word, ETC, should have no issue giving you time to verify their presence, typically by calling the company or organization number, which you would obtain through a third service, 411, net, etc. Just my 0.02.
While I don't disagree with most of your weapons list, I do have to disagree with a bat. Number one, a bat is a third class lever, for anyone who passed seventh grade physics, this means that the speed at the end of the bat is greatly increased over the distance it travels. This means that to defeat a bat, all you have to do is stand close to the person wielding it. For a bat to work, you need room; this is why baseball is played in a field, and not a closet. Doorways, especially in apartments, are usually not very open, so a bat would not help much in that instance. Sure, you could hit someone with it, but you wouldn't have the area to get up a good swing, and thus wouldn't be able to put a lot of force behind the swing. A weak swing just gets te bat grabbed and taken away from you.
Some people may go for the magnetic knife sheathes that you can attach to your door so you'll have a weapon right there. I don't disagree with these exactly, just as long as you realize a few things about a knife. One, it takes a lot of force to stab someone, especially in the chest. If you know what your doing, you can go between the ribs, but the chances of that happening from luck are very very slim. Second, kitchen knives are made for cutting food, unless your intruder is already dead, and your a canabal, a kitchen knife is not what you want to use. You want to find a knife meant for fighting. Lastly, a knife is a brutal weapon, if you do manage to cut them, you will get their blood all over you, and believe me you will feel it when you stab someone. It takes a lot of psychological preparedness to stab someone, and even more to do something like slitting their throat. I've read interviews with people who have actually slit throats, (marines and seals mostly), and more than one of them talked about swallowing mouthfuls of the person's blood after it sprayed into their mouth. Basically, its not pretty.
Your best bet is a gun, especially a shotgun. First, there is the sound, anyone who has ever seen a movie knows what the sound of a shotgun being readied sounds like, and it sounds mean. There are actually some manufacturers who will customize a shotgun just to mae that sound louder and more mean sounding. Hearing that sound means you are about to have your stomach turned inside out and fed to you without use of your mouth. People don't mess with shotguns.
A revolver is your second best bet. They are easy to use, reliable, impossible to jam, and if you pull the hammer back, you still get a somewhat menacing sound. Also, you can leave a loaded revolver in a drawer for years, open the drawer, take it out, pull the trigger, and it will go off. Not so with a semi-automatic.
If you know what your doing, and know how to take care of guns, a semi-automatic would be your best bet. They take more practice, and more knowledge, but they hold significant advantages over revolvers. For one, they usually hold more bullets, which is always good.
Those are my suggestions. My last one is to do your research, ask questions of those who know about the thing you want to know about. Feeel free to message me if you have any more questions I haven't answered on here.
i allways. ask who it is. and if it is family.- then they call. me. before. comeing.- it's safer.-
The way I do it, particularly given what's been going on in Bryanville lately, is that when I first open the door I leave te security chain engaged so the door can only be opened and inch or so. I wait for the person to identify themselves and if they don't right away then I ask who it is. Only when I get that answer do I actually open the door.
I love the gun suggestion, but you must see to aim. You can just spray the dorr that should do it.
Now on that bat, come to my door. Lets test that speed angle. Lol Its also smooth and slick, has a rubber grip, so.
You'd step back if someone pushes in the door, so that is that room. I guess I'd not suggest it for a small person, but anything is better than nothing. Aim low, not for the head. People expect that. The shock should give you some time to swing again.
Now most likely you'll never need any of this weapons advice, but as I said being safe is the best way.
You don't need to see to aim. If you can't point at something that is less than five feet from you as a blind person, you don't need to have your own apartment. Robbers aren't silent people.
I ususally just ask who it is. And if noone replies, then I just assumed they just walked away. But if it's someone you don't know then why open it if you are not familliar.
I meant to say usually
We have security doors on our house. So I open the inside door but I always leave the outer doors locked when I'm home alone. I also take my dog to the door with me and most people are pretty friendly and will tell me who they are right away. Late at night though I would not answer if I wasn't expecting someone and I was alone. None of my friends usually visit me after 10 so if anyone came after that time I probably wouldn't know them.
I usually say "who's that?" Then when I recognize the person, I open the door. If I don't, then I say "who are you?"
I live in an apartment with a buzzer system. If someone buzzes my apartment, I always ask who it is. If I don't get an answer, I don't let them in. Same with the door I'd guess. If someone knocks, ask who it is, and if you don't get an answer, then don't let them in.
i live on the fifth floor of a highrise building that's not exactly in the greatest neighborhood. So, if I'm not expecting company, and someone knocks on my door or rings my doorbell, I don't even ask who it is, much less open the door. I tell people to call or text me if/when they want to stop by.
I don't answer without asking who it is first, and if they don't answer I deadbolt and llock it. If it's some annoying salesperson or something like that I straight up say "go away!"
So the person at your door answers UPS, and you aren't expecting a package, but you open the door anyway? Maybe they say there the police? Postal carrier? Nope, if I'm not expecting you you most likely don't get the door opened until I check to see if it is really the police.
I will agree 100% with Silver Lightning on the gun thing. A lot of people including sighties, say that blindies should not be able to own a gun. I find it really hard to imagine living in a country where people felt ok about denying me of my second amendment right. If someone said I couldn't own a gun, I'd laugh and ask them to please be serious. Silver is right in that if you can't shoot 5 feet away from you then you probably have other issues. And yeah, robbers aren't going to instinctively know you're blind unless they know who you are, so they'll most likely not be quiet. These are the most common arguments given to me by sighties and I just roll my eyes and ask if they're really being straight up with me.
i usually put the dog in front of my door, and me standing behind the door, and open the door an inch to enquire of one's business. if they are some sort of door to door seller they will be more likely to back off ones a real barking dog in front of their face. If they from some sort of kurea service e.g. the posty or the UPS etc etc, then i'll ask them to leave the package at the door, and i'll collect it in my own time. If they are bunch of robbers, or trouble makers, i'm pretty sure there got more brain than knocking at doors, and hoping that you will admit them in.
If they are police, well, police don't usually come knocking at doors unless something happen.
my theory is that have some common sense. if its way after working hours, and you are not expecting of anyone, not any sort of food delivery, let say, 9 in the evening then don't answer. If your contacts need you, they know how to fine you. If its 3 in the morning, don't answer. even if the police wants you, unless something serious happen, they won't go door knocking at 3 in the morning.
Also, trust your instinct. if your instinct tells you that it is bad to answer the door, even if you expecting someone or something, then don't do it. Give your closest friend and family whom may visit you frequently, a set of your key or something. then, you know that whoever knocking at the door, you just don't answer
Forereel I’ve never had people try to slip others pass me but yes that has crossed my mind several times. I’ll have to remember to shake everyones hand when they come pass me. Yes people always test us. They find it funny for some reason and yes I know that everything around me is a weapon. Cowboy one, where can I buy an intercom box? Silver Lightning I totally agree with you about the bat and knife, and had not thought about it in that way. Oh and yes I agree that you don’t need to see to aim and yeah robbers aren’t silent at all. Technology User 2012 I do the same things you do.
Joanne, way to use your guide wolf.
Use 'em like your ancestors did.
I open the door only as far as the security chain will allow and ask who it is. If I don't get an answer the person doesn't get let in. I've always done that but even more so after that neighbor started banging on my door thinking my apartment was hers.
Security chains are a waste unless they are bolted to the studs in the wall. Most are only screwed to the door trim. A guy like me can grab the edge of your door and snap it off with a hard push. Just thought I'd tell you this.
I actually have small skinny hands and I have undone the chain from standing outside when I was at apartments that have chains because sometimes I get home late and I don't want to wake anyone to open the door for me. Yeah door chains are a joke.
I've got little skinny hands and I certainly couldn't do that.
I'm double jointed and yes I have done it so it is possible.
I think gun laws are easier in the U.S., I live in Canada and you cant just get a gun here. Its much harder. And I don't think the gouvernment here would see kindly to a blind person with a gun. Because its not your second rite or whatever like in the U.S.
I'm not even sure you can legally have a gun in fixed income housing, at least not where I am. Granted the only reason I personally would get a gun would be for recreation.
I usually ask who it is. and you can be sure of their voices with your friends, if they say john and it doesn't sound like john then hey it's not actually john. and, you should know what your friends sound like when they have a cold.
buttercup, I don't like that, I would not like every friend to have a key in to my house. sorry, I love my privacy and ownership to much. if it's my room, guess what? it's mine! I don't want you to come in whenever you want, I want to have a choice, if they had the key they could come in whenever, and I don't like that.