Many scenarios could play out with this one. Am I home alone or with my family or friends present? I will pretend that you meant this scenario for when I am totally alone at home. I have a very noisy dog barking and trying to attack the door when someone strange comes to it, and this comforts me a little. If Mr. Hoodie is up to no good, his body language usually gives him away if I watch him long enough. I watch for several minutes and me answering the door totally depends on whether or not Mr. Hoodie looks like he needs help. Usually, if he is honestly there for help, the barking dog will make him pull the hoodie off, and he will back up from the door, so the light makes him more visisble. If his motives are dishonest, he will start to dance back and forth on his feet, fidget alot, hold a sour posture, and will not remove the hoodie. He might even have a partner he is working with, and look down at a cell phone and text something to them. Also, if a home owner can see the street, they should in fact LOOK at it for signs of a broken down vehicle (flashing hazard lights), a strange vehicle, or any evidence that this person did not in fact come on foot. I will then weigh the pros and cons using my own innner radar. However, first, I will call either a family member on my cell phone, or I will call a friend. Tell them I would like them to be a witness to me answering the door, and that I am going to keep the phone in my hand so it won't shut off. There have been occasions that people have been broken down and I have helped them. Helping someone out is a good thing. I know you want to be helped if you are in trouble, right? If anything goes wrong, then my friend knows my street address, and they have my instructions to call 911 to get me help if I don't come back to the phone 2x per minute to say a code word that all is well. I would not be able to live with myself, if that person who came to the door was in need of my help truly, and I denied him help. But I am no fool, and I would definitely weigh things carefully. TRUST your gut, and your own instincts. They are always right. We are the only animals on the planet earth that REASON out our feelings of mistrust in the most basic of circumstances about someone. If your gut tells you they are bad, they are bad for YOU. Listen to that inner strength and don't deny or reason it out. If more women listened to that inner radar, then there would be less victimization of women. Men listen to their radar more than most women, which is why most men are not vicitms. :D