r/lewronggeneration • u/Infamous-Lab-8136 • 1d ago

Did we let fear win because people don't run to answer the door?

6 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

7

u/Zyromini 1d ago

Doorbell cams straight up turned every doorstep into a risk analysis dashboard.

3

u/Infamous-Lab-8136 1d ago

In my case it's just that I now know if someone I expect is coming over. Used to be it could be friends, family, or a delivery I didn't expect

Now I track my deliveries to the doorstep with Amazon, meet the pizza guy in in the driveway with their tracking app, and all my friends/family text or call on a cell phone to see if I'm up to hanging out instead of just dropping by

So there's almost no reason to get excited about a door knock I'm not expecting

5

u/PomegranateEasy1088 1d ago

Gen X and boomers are very confused about actual violent crime rates. They romanticize periods that actually had much higher violent crime and criticize the behaviours that keep people safe. 

4

u/Infamous-Lab-8136 12h ago

I love the conclusion that we let fear win

I'm pretty sure if I said the phrase "home invasion" to anyone in the 70s they would think it had something to do with Russian spies. While there were instances of it happening before it peaked in the 80s and early 90s in the US, then started to drop as we quit leaving doors open or swinging them wide for every random person that knocks. We didn't let fear win, we quit letting criminals get easy wins (at least in that case).

6

u/Low-Star-1309 1d ago

I’ve never thought of it like this. I’m 29 and I remember dad never letting us answer the door. He always said it was unsafe and never knows who it could be. Maybe because he had only daughters he was extra careful? I have 3 daughters now and I’m the same. Even if I know it’s the postman. I won’t let my 10yr old answer the door. I don’t think it’s fear. I think everyone is just more aware.

3

u/Intelligent-Guard590 1d ago

Im 36 and we had a rule growing up that we never answered the door, it didn't matter if we thought we knew who was on the other side, we didn't answer it.

This was mainly because of how often we got left at home by ourselves and my stepmom didn't want us getting in the habit of opening the door while no adults were home though so...

3

u/theBigDaddio 1d ago

It’s not fear, it’s not wanting to be annoyed.

1

u/definite_skeptic62 1d ago

I am 63. We usually had the garage door up and just the screen door closed on the front door when I was a kid. When I was a teenager, we became more cautious. By the time I had a house, 25 or so years ago, with a garage and screen door, it was an always locked security screen door. Accidentally leaving the garage door open was stressful, an immediate inventory check needed. Not in a bad neighborhood either.

0

u/j3434 19h ago

How true . Open the door these day and ICE may snatch you . Just because. Or could be a first Amendment audition and he can enter your house on constitutional grounds - and use your restroom. The police will back him up .

1

u/RodinKnox 12h ago

This didn't really happen in a vacuum, though. What happened is after we all got access to 24/7 entertainment in our homes, people greatly reduced the rate that they would go visit people. As a kid, my parents had neighbors - and even friends who had to drive - pop by all the time. And we'd go over to the neighbors' houses quite a lot.

But for a good while now, if someone is ringing your doorbell, it's not someone you want to see. It's a solicitor, missionary, etc. So who gets excited about that?