Peep hole
By Amber
@AmbiePam (92811)
United States
November 10, 2010 7:49pm CST
Do you guys have a peephole in your door? I used to. I lived in a downstairs apartment for three years before moving to a top floor apartment in the same complex. And I definitely used it! On the bottom floor I was also at the edge of the building, and pretty isolated. I moved to an upstairs apartment, but it has no peephole. And apparently it is a metal door, and it would be expensive to put one in. So they won't. This causes me some problems, not having any way of seeing who is at my door. Some of you remember me talking earlier in the year about a couple of guys trying to kick in my front door really late...didn't have a peephole to identify them. My family knows if they are coming by after dark (during the day I'll answer the door), they either have to call me or say loudly through my door who it is. If they don't, I won't open the door. Someone just knocked on my door, and although it isn't late, it's after dark. I didn't answer it. I thought it might be my dad, so I called his cell. I had forgotten he was at church. So it wasn't him. Probably someone I don't know wanting something.
So do you have peepholes, windows in the door, or can you not tell who is standing at your front door?
12 people like this
29 responses
@Shaun72 (15959)
• Palatka, Florida
11 Nov 10
Yeah you have to be careful really late st night. I had two cops come to my house at like 2 am. I was scared to open the door since I live by myself untill they said it was the police. I still made them shine a light on their badges. They were looking for someone else that use to live upstairs. I was mad due to the fact that they stopped by at a undecent hour.I don't blame you a bit for making your friends call you before they stop by.
2 people like this
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
11 Nov 10
I think peephole is very important when you're living in an apartment or a condominium. In my case, my house has a window right next to the door so I can just see whoever it is right in front of my doorstep.
It is indeed quite scary not knowing who's banging on your in the middle of the night or in the wee hours in the morning.
@Drumman (305)
• United States
11 Nov 10
Here's another link. The last one is someone's interpretation of the law. This one is the actual law. It looks pretty clear to me. You must have either a peephole or a glass pane in the door according to Sec. 92.153
http://texaspropertycode.org/Chapter92ofTPC.pdf
1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
11 Nov 10
I don't blame you, I wouldn't open the door either. We do have a peep hole, though I kind of wonder why when it is easier to just look out the kitchen window, but we do have one, and our door is metal. So no way to get your landlord to put one in?
2 people like this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
11 Nov 10
hi AmbiePam as you know I am now staying here in Gold C rest a retiremernt center and my son is in gov.sponsored housing so he had a place to live while looking for work. He finally got a part time job only to now have it cut back to only one day a week. I wish he could find another even partime job that paid really well the along with the onbe day he could make a forty hour week. I am just praying this will happen as I wou ld so like t o be back in an apartment again.well I am happy as I have to be in order to take being here.so the housekeeping staff knows I am a bit spooked being all along here as my roommate is in the hospital now starting her third week. So when Rocky comes around nine oclock to check I am okay he will lock my door and that makes me feel safe. We do not have view peepholes in our doors here. but I did not have one in our last apartment. but we had a large sliding glass door 
opening onto a patio by the front door. I could see anyone knocking on my door that way.When my son was gone I always kept it locked as I was alone and did not want to be scared silly by some salesperson just walking in. lol.
opening onto a patio by the front door. I could see anyone knocking on my door that way.When my son was gone I always kept it locked as I was alone and did not want to be scared silly by some salesperson just walking in. lol.2 people like this
@hofferp (4734)
• United States
11 Nov 10
No, I don't have a peephole, and because I live pretty far out in the country, I usually just open the door. The dogs always alert when someone's coming to the door, and if I'm in the kitchen, I can see right out to the front door. I also have stained glass windows on both sides of the door, but I rarely look through them to see who's at the front door. I should be more security aware, since there's a group of suspected teenagers kicking in people's front doors. My Mom's house got broken in to yesterday, in broad daylight, and it's scared her. She's looking for an alarm system now for her house.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (92811)
• United States
11 Nov 10
I know I'm going to sound old even though I'm 29. But darn these stinkin' kids who like to cause trouble. I hate it especially when they prey on people who aren't as likely to be able to defend themselves. Make me want to get a belt and whip them all up and down the street. If they want something, then they need to get off their rears and get a job.
@rovered777 (649)
• United States
12 Nov 10
Well, the door I took down a few months ago, had a peep hole. But when I tried looking into it, I had to tip toe and the view toward my front yard was worse than 10/20 vision. Things have changed after that, as I have a new door from Pella Doors. They are an elegant door manufacturing company that focuses in on door design. Sadly, there is no peep hole in this one, but there is some visibility into the front yard due to an opaque glass structure.
@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
14 Nov 10
I live on a high floor in a condo building and I do have a peep hole. I usually check it. I also have a chain lock which the maintenance guy put on for me. Although we do have a lot of security by cameras it is good to know who is at your door. Most of the time I recognize the people through the peep hole, if I don't I open the door with the chain lock in place.
It is too bad you don't have a peep hole anymore. You are wise not to open the door if people don't answer you and you don't recognize them by their voice. How about installing a chain lock?
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
11 Nov 10
Oh my goodness...now YOU have had a mysterious visitor just like I did the other morning. I don't answer my door in general unless I'm expecting a delivery or I know for a fact a friend is visiting. I can tell when a delivery is being made since I can look out my window to see if a delivery truck is out in front
As for the peephole...yup got one, but it kind of backfires. You see if I swing off the cover to "peep" through the person on the other side can see that...NOT good if one is pretending not to be home
The peephole I have now was a replacement done years ago for the old one which was actually better...one could swing the cover up to peep through but the person wouldn't know since the glass part was dark tinted--I could see out fine, but they couldn't see me looking through it --some home improvements AREN'T
The peephole I have now was a replacement done years ago for the old one which was actually better...one could swing the cover up to peep through but the person wouldn't know since the glass part was dark tinted--I could see out fine, but they couldn't see me looking through it --some home improvements AREN'T1 person likes this
@ersmommy1 (12588)
• United States
24 Nov 10
We had a peep whole when we lived in our apartment. In our house, the door has no peep hole. But our living room has a large picture window. Nothing really to push a flap of curtain aside and see who is at the door.
1 person likes this
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
12 Nov 10
Hi my sweet Amber! I think you did the right thing by not answering
the door! I do have a peephole in my door, but anyone who
is smart will put their hand over it! You also can stand in a
way that you can't be seen because the stupid hole is so tiny!
If someone doesn't want to be "seen" they know how to move away
from it! That's why I don't like anyone coming over without
telling me first! Unfortunately, my neighbors don't listen and
will just come by anyway! If it is late at night and I'm not
sure I will just yell "Who is it" and if I'm not sure and my
bf isn't home I don't answer! When I lived lived alone I didn't
answer at all! We have had too many crazy things happen in my
neighborhood and it just isn't 100% safe!
1 person likes this
@KarissaAngel (362)
• United States
11 Nov 10
I don't have a peephole in my door presently as I live in a condo and my front door has window with a window next to the door. Almost the same, but even so, they can see me too. My last apartment had one but I am so short I could not use it anyways. I just made it clear to my friends and family not to come over unannounced. If I am not expecting you, I don't answer.
I am not sure what kind of area you live in but even if you are away from your apartment it would be wise to leave a radio or TV on. It really does not use as much electricity as they say. Turning things off and on use more electricity then a continuous leaving on.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (92811)
• United States
11 Nov 10
I do that sometimes. When I first moved in, the landlord at the time gave me a paper with suggestions. One was leaving the TV on while I was gone. When I lived on the bottom floor I did that all the time. It was much easier to break in down there than it is now at the top of the building.
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
8 Dec 10
Hiya Ambie,
Yes we have those "peepholes" in the Door everywhere here and I think that everyone should have them. It´s great so you can see more or less who it is and if you don´t want to open the Door you don´t that is it.
It has got me out of many of those compromising situations where you could not decide shall I open or not.
Once a silly Man I discovered had got his Back to me so I could only see the Back of his Head so I did not open to that one either.
What strange behaviour you might say well he was looking for his so called "ex Girlfriend" and he was convinced that she lived in our House and there was just no way of telling him he had got the wrong Doorway Number, the floor she had lived on everything.
I hope he never found her and at least she will be safe from a predator like that one. He gave me the creeps just to look at him albeit the back of his Head.
Oh by the way I never told him where she lived I guessed that he was up to no good and I was right. Thank God she is safe.
@wg2010 (38)
• United States
11 Nov 10
I don't have a peephole on any of my doors. I just look out the window. Most of the time, if it is someone I know, I recognize the knock on the door. If I don't recognize it, I look out th window to verify who it is. You can't be too sure these days.
1 person likes this
@Kashmeresmycat (6369)
• United States
11 Nov 10
Yes, I have a peephole in both my doors, luckily, but they're both too high for me to see out of! So, if I want to look, I need my stool, duh, haha.
Our first doors though in the apartment are normally locked, so people do have to buzz to get in. I can look out my door to see who is there if I want.
If I were you, I wouldn't open the door either, no way, no how. Just tell anyone you know to call you first so you know who is coming to the door. Other than that, nope.
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
11 Nov 10
yep. we do these days. most older buildings dont i noticed. so im glad you are being safe with it. used to be, you could use a chain lock to check but these days they will just crash right through those
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
11 Nov 10
No I do not have a peep hole but doors are open until I go to bed. Actually there is only one door and the grill is locked but we do need the air coming in as I cannot afford using an a/c/. If the door is locked then I could look out of a window that is by the front door. I do remember the problems that you had a while ago and it is wise to take every precaution that you can. We live in terrible times where taking a life means nothing at all. so take care, dear friend.
1 person likes this
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
11 Nov 10
I actually do not in the apartment we are in and your discussion now makes me wonder why we do not. Although we do not get many visitors I now am starting to think that very soon my boyfriend better put something there for me, as we really do not know who could potentially be at the door and well better to be safe than sorry.
1 person likes this
@strawberryboy (27)
• Philippines
11 Nov 10
This is just a random experience that I would want to share.
There was this one night where me and my aunt stayed in a hotel overnight. We were just chilling--she was doing her work on her laptop while I was sitting comfortably on the king sized bed watching TV. Suddenly, without us expecting, someone knocked loudly on the door. We though it was just service so we didn't bother to hurry and open it. The knock went louder and louder and louder and we got irritated and scared. I was on my way to open the door to scream on the person on the other side when my aunt stopped me and peeked on the peep hole. It was some weird looking guy who was there. So we didn't bother to open it up anymore because we got really scared. Eventually, the guy left and we were able to sleep soundly for that night.
Thank God for peep holes! And thank God for my aunt who was smart enough to stop me from opening the door on impulse!
1 person likes this
