Peepholes

Phantom Scribbler has a post up about answering the door to strangers. I probably shouldn't, but in our current neighborhood I feel pretty safe and I often do.

I need to get a no soliciting sign and a peephole for our door.

The day our front door was installed, DH and the other men on the jobsite decided we didn't need a peephole in our door. Because it's so easy to just peek out the little window in the top of the door.

Easy for them, maybe. DH is 6' 2 1/2" tall and it's right at eye level for him. I'm 5' 2" and I can't see out the window even on tiptoe.

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I have to walk up the stairs and look out the window from the landing, which gives me a partial view of someone's back or shoulder perhaps, while putting me in full view from the street.

When I was a young newlywed in a strange town, there was no way to see the front porch area at all from our apartment. Nobody we knew ever came to the door without calling first. I just didn't answer the door if I was home alone, period.

One afternoon the doorbell rang, and I as usual didn't answer. Then the doorknob started wiggling. Next came some clicking sounds.

I had run up the stairs and down the hall by the time I heard the door (which had been locked) coming open. Then heavy male-sounding footsteps coming across the entryway.

I was locking myself in the bedroom and picking up the phone to call 9-1-1 when I heard my husband call my name.

He'd decided to come home from work on his lunch break. Why he rang the doorbell before opening the door I have no idea--he must have had his hands full or something, I guess.

When I collapsed sobbing and shaking into his arms, telephone in hand, he said, "Oh. Did I scare you? I'm sorry!"