Crush It as a Single Lady in the Big City

Look Through the Peephole Before You Open the Door

Advertisement

Particularly for women living alone, glancing through the peephole or a window before entering the door is a crucial safety precaution. This easy but powerful habit will greatly improve your personal safety and give you useful knowledge on possible guests prior to your choice to let them into your house. It is impossible to overestimate the value of this habit since it provides your first barrier of protection against any hazards and lets you decide who you let into your personal space with knowledge. Resist the want to open your door right away when someone knocks on it or rings the doorbell. Rather, become used to constantly gently and silently approaching the door. This helps you to evaluate the matter without drawing attention to your presence to the guest. Should your door lack a peephole, think about adding one right away. Investing in a digital peephole viewer will help you have more security since it offers a better and wider view of your guests—sometimes even with the capacity to record photographs or videos. Look through the peephole and pause to closely study the person or people outside. Watch their body language, appearance, and any objects they might be carrying. Trust your gut if you cannot identify the visitor or if their appearance or behaviour seems dubious. If you are uncomfortable or doubtful about the circumstances, it is quite reasonable to decide not to open the door. Before letting guests claiming to be from utility companies, delivery agencies, or other businesses through the door, you should confirm their identity. Real agents should be eager to show their appropriate identity and have it. If you're still not sure, don't hesitate to get in touch with the business straight to verify they have dispatched someone to your house. Remember, respected businesses will appreciate your prudence. Think about using other ways to get packages in cases when you're anticipating a delivery but know the person at the door is unknown. Many delivery companies today provide choices to have things left in safe areas or to be picked up from specific sites. These substitutes can offer a further degree of protection, particularly if you find it awkward approaching strangers at your home. Opening the door late at night or while you're alone at home should also be carefully considered. If someone unexpectedly knocks on your door late at night, it is quite reasonable to let someone know through the closed door or even to not answer at all should you feel threatened. Always your first concern should be your safety. Think about augmenting your peephole with other security devices. Usually available through your smartphone, a smart security system or a doorbell camera will give you real-time video of guests. When you're not at home, these devices can especially be useful as they let you keep an eye on and maybe interact with guests from far away. Recall, the objective of this exercise is not to cause you to become unduly wary of every visitor that knocks on your door. Rather, it's about arming you to make wise choices both your home's and your own safety. Spending a few more seconds to evaluate the circumstances before opening your door can help you to give yourself important knowledge and control over your surroundings.