Answering the door to strangers in Munich

About ten minutes ago there was a ring on my door. Having been released from work, and being the lazy git that I am, I was of course in bed at the time - but never being sure who it might be (or if it might be something important, like a package from the UK which would undoubtedly be sent back if I didn't answer) I leapt out of bed, pulled on my clothes, and answered the door.

So the first thing the bloke asks is "are your parents there?". That's always a good way to get into my bad books, but I responded with a fairly neutral "no, I live alone". But he didn't get the hint, and asked (as if he didn't believe me) "Are you already 18?". I pointed out that I was 28, and after another disbelieving glance he got on with trying to sell me something - so when he got around to asking how long I was staying in Munich, I lied and said "probably only until the end of this year", and that got rid of him quick enough.

This isn't the first time that this has happened (although last time when they asked where my parents were, I came up with the better line "in England"). But why do people find it so hard to believe that I don't live with my parents? I've never had that in the UK, and I've been living on my own for years. In fact, when I'm visiting the UK and I'm staying at my parents, the salespeople usually assume that it's my house. But here, I seem to get the same response as I do when trying to buy alcohol in the US.

The one guaranteed solution is a nice big beard! Or just hiding under the bed whenever the doorbell rings.

Is't it all to do with the fact that who can afford to buy your own house here in Munich? unless your old...and bought years ago, or it's tiny then how can anybody afford things here in Munich? i assume that they think that it must be your parents' house.

yeah or look out of the balcony, or through the peep hole.

Well I looked through the peep hole before answering, but he was wearing one of those official-looking jackets, and (as I mentioned previously) I thought it could be something important like a package from the UK.

I had the opposite last Christmas while I was at my parents. Suspecting nothing untoward, I open the front door and some idiot tries to sell me double-glazing!!

Sorry mate, a) open your eyes the entire house is already doubled-galzed and no we don't want a porch or a conservatory. I'm the only one in at the moment and I don't live here anyway.

Here, I tend to get collared by Jehovah's Witnesses who won't take no for an answer. I've taken to glaring menacingly out of the kitchen window before I open the door!

you have your own house at 28?

with me its usually the jehovas who come round with an expressed desire to save my soul. always on a saturday morning at the very earliest of doors. most with a strange glaze in their eye..

just what you want to start off the w/e..ideal.

All I get are my drunk neighbors asking for me to buzz them in, forgot a key.

I can't say no! I've been there!

Here's a few more words on this.

Christians: Door to door solicitation in Munich

Nope - my parents own a house, I rent an apartment. I have friends of around my age who have their own houses in the UK, but in Munich its all apartments, unless you live outside the city.

But maybe next time I should say "Yes, I, a 28-year-old software professional, living in a studio apartment with my parents and 10 siblings - but unfortunately they're all out at the moment".

I got one once early on a saturday morning - I answered the intercom buzzer and this bloke says something along the lines of "Was erwarten Sie von Gott?". If my german was any good at the time I'd have told him "I expect him not to send his freaky minions to bug me at 9am on a saturday morning. Now fuck off you cunt". But it wasn't, so I just hung up.

Also, there are those tossers who come round at the weekend to deliver the free papers. They press EVERY buzzer on the panel, so when you pick up the intercom you just get a load of crosstalk between all the residents trying to work out who's there.

So now I just don't answer it unless I'm expecting someone. That's the easiest solution, I think. If the postman can't deliver something he'll chuck a note in the letterbox and I'll just go down to the post office to pick it up.

The jehovas all work as a group...I once had one at the door who told me "I am brining Jesus to you". I've heard that before in a very famous joke, but I was laughing already that the joke is based on reality, so I told him that there must be some space left in the barn. So he yelled at me for a while and left, but after that, I've never seen another jehova at my door...

I think to make sense of that one Sparty you'll have to tell us the joke?

if you read it right you'll get the joke...

Bible-thumper: "I am bringing Jesus to you"
Sparty: "there must be some space left in the barn"

Seems pretty clear to me.

I think I've been here too long, but I don't geddit.

it is rather common in the UK. you buy property as soon as you can. personally I first took the plunge at age 26

@MysteryMan - I'm with you - don't understand it either. I'm also thinking of reporting Malcolm for trying to make the rest of us feel inadequate !!

Jesus was born in a stable(barn!)!