Letting strangers into your apartment building

[mason55]

I'm a little more interested in people who don't live in dorms, cuz this is pretty common with dorms.

For those of you who live in an apartment building, do you let strangers in when they're waiting? Does the time of day matter? Does their appearance matter? The neighborhood you live in?

I live in a pretty nice area in a very nice building and I almost always let people in if they're waiting. At the same time I feel bad about it. Like if someone else in the building saw me do it they'd be mad at me. I got locked out of the building the other night (we have an intercom with remote door unlock but my roommate was asleep and didn't hear me buzzing) and was sitting out front in a baseball hat and hoodie with my hood up. 2 girls from the building I had never seen before were obviously very reluctant to let me in at 2:30am.

For those that don't let others into the building, what do you do/say? Usually the person waiting just grabs the door behind me, so I'd have to turn around and pull the door shut, seems really awkward.

[hanster]

Wow this just happened to me today. Two Indian kids were sitting at the couch in the lobby, chillin', and my friend and I walked up to the door, all exhausted from a 10-minute walk of uphills and when I realized i didn't bring my key. I knocked on the door and the two douches didn't even bother looking toward the door. It was 4 PM and I was confused. I'm an Asian with glasses so i don't see how my appearance is threatening in any ways. I wanted to confront them but decided whatever when some other guy came by and opened the door. [censored] douches.

I live in a fairly nice area (Westwood) and generally let people in after me. Sometimes when I walk by the lobby door I'd just open the door for them in daytime. At night if it was a chick I'd go out of my way to open for her, but not so much for guys.

I would see this as a big problem if I were to live elsewhere, though. I'd probably just shut it off behind me and say it's apartment policy.

Aren't you Mark Wahlberg? Why would the chicks not let you in :O And did they actually pull the door after they went in before you could go in? Or did they just let you in but gave you the faces?

[mason55]

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And did they actually pull the door after they went in before you could go in? Or did they just let you in but gave you the faces?

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I was sitting on the planter near the door when they walked up. I walked up behind them and stood there for a second and they turned at stared at me, obviously a little worried. I said "sorry, I live here and forgot my key, can you guys let me in?" They asked me what floor/apartment I lived in and I told them. They glanced at each other for a second and said "ok" and let me in, obviously reluctantly. Admittedly I looked like a thug and was sitting in the dark at 2am so they had a right to be concerned.

I guess I feel like appearance and time of day are pretty important. I wouldn't let some homeless looking guy in in the middle of the night, whereas I'd think nothing of letting in a family of four in the middle of the afternoon.

Also, I lived in Westwood for a bit (in the apartments on Veteran near Wilshire) and I noticed that people were reluctant about letting me into my building there at all hours of the day. Much more so than I've seen people be at my current place in Barcelona.

[WalkUpCondo]

JERRY: So you do live here.

PHIL: Yeah.

JERRY: You live on this floor?

PHIL: Yeah.

JERRY: So you live right... there.

PHIL: Yeah.

JERRY: So I guess I'll s--

[Slow Play Ray]

[ QUOTE ]
JERRY: So you do live here.

PHIL: Yeah.

JERRY: You live on this floor?

PHIL: Yeah.

JERRY: So you live right... there.

PHIL: Yeah.

JERRY: So I guess I'll s--

[/ QUOTE ]

i just spent way too long trying to find a screenshot of this scene on google. i failed.

[hanster]

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Also, I lived in Westwood for a bit (in the apartments on Veteran near Wilshire) and I noticed that people were reluctant about letting me into my building there at all hours of the day. Much more so than I've seen people be at my current place in Barcelona.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yea people in LA can be really anal. I live in the college apartments so it's not that big of a problem but I'd definitely imagine so if you live around Wilshire (High-end apartments, I assume. Anything that's close to Wilshire adds considerable value to the property.) @%@^%##%^#%&#&#^ rent. I'm wondering why you're asking this question though. Did something trigger you (besides the girls) that made you make this post? Like, some homeless guy was sitting next to the door and wanted to come in? People that come to my apartment just come straight in right after me before i can even have a chance to close the door, which is why I held the door and let them in first. I'm actually curious about this question as well, and hopefully we can get some real responses anytime soon before I leave my apartment in couple of hours..

[mason55]

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I'm wondering why you're asking this question though. Did something trigger you (besides the girls) that made you make this post?

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The past couple days I've let people in a few times, plus the thing with the girls letting me in. Also I'm in a foreign country and I don't really know the etiquette here, so every time I let someone in I think about this.

The New Yorkers should be on soon, I'm sure a lot of them will have an opinion on this.

[fuzzwonder]

i did at first, but that just encouraged this one lady from chinatown to annoyingly ring everyones buzzer to get into the building to get to our recyclables in the trashroom. i guess they get the deposit for the cans. and if no one answered the buzzer as became the norm only a few weeks later, she used to wait by the outside door and and soon as someone left, she made a sprint for the inner door before i closed. man was she annoying.
if there are two doors i don't feel so bad about letting people in, because in my mind they still have to earn their way through the second door.

[The DaveR]

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The New Yorkers should be on soon, I'm sure a lot of them will have an opinion on this.

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Doorman.

[Peter Harris]

when people buzz my flat because their friend is out, i usually am reluctant to let them in. Ditto randoms sitting on the doorstep.