Some people view the so-called "friendly drop-in" with all the warmth with which they'd greet a home invasion. After all, an unannounced visit from thoughtless guests has more in common with a commando-style raid than a genuine social occasion. It's unsurprising such drop-ins have become unacceptable in some quarters.
The demise of the friendly drop-in has been attributed to the rise and rise of technology. That old chestnut "We were in the neighbourhood and thought we'd drop by on the off-chance" lost its credibility around the same time mobile phones became widely adopted; there's really no excuse for not texting or telephoning ahead.
Our particular age and stage could well affect our level of hostility towards surprise drop-ins. In our carefree twenties and perhaps again in old age we may think they're fine but in the busy middle years - when we're juggling families, jobs and other commitments - we lose patience with those prepared to inconvenience us by their own unwillingness to plan ahead.
Personality types probably impact on our attitudes too. Spontaneous free spirits take unexpected drop-ins in their stride unlike those uptight folk who are only stressed by such intrusions. Furthermore, because so many of us are working from home these days, our professional lives are likely to be disrupted in addition to our domestic lives. Geographical considerations also come into play. It's said that rural folk are more open to receiving spur-of-the-moment visitors than city people.
The phenomenon was explored in a Daily Life piece entitled Death of the friendly drop-in. Reader comments revealed polarised responses. Some people considered drop-ins to be the height of rudeness. Others lamented the fact they didn't receive more unheralded visitors.
