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I have always HATED unexpected visitors. If I am in the middle of a project, be it artistic or just washing the floor, I have an agenda. Calling first is a sign of courtesy and respect!! I would never assume that anyone I know would
appreciate my unannounced visit either! The couple with the week old baby might have just found that precious moment to catch a nap, and the newlyweds, well, let's just say that
did happen to me & my husband many years ago - which just served to reinforce my vigorous disapproval of drop-ins!I am not here to entertain you when you just happen to be in the neighborhood, when you are bored, or because I have a pool!
Aaaaaaaaah, that felt really good!

It'd depend on the person and our relationship. I would be irritated if I were in the middle of something and a neighbor that I don't know very well drops in unexpectedly for no reason. But if it were a close friend or relative? Sure, why not?

I actually had a budding friendship ruined because she kept dropping over - I moved a couple of streets away. I work full time, and my free time is super precious to me! I would always be in the middle of something - even if it was doing nothing!

We weren't good enough friends that I felt comfortable just doing what I was doing when she turned up, and when I raised the fact with her she said she'd understood and then just kept doing it. Worse, once she was there, she would never leave! She would be there for three or four hours - and when that's in the middle of your Sunday, that's a big deal.

I ended up not ever answering my door and being really passive aggressive about it because I couldn't handle it (it was a really stressful time with lots of work and family dramas) and now I've moved and we no longer speak, which makes me so sad!

short surprise visits: awesome.
but no one person should be notorious for it.

Distance traveled to arrive unannounced is also a factor.
Like my grandmother for instance, who lives 18 hours away is not someone who should be showing up on my doorstep unexpected. (in my entire life the most notice we've had of my grandmother visiting has been 30 minutes... and usually it's none at all) but my neighbor from down the street, A-ok.

Because I live in a garden apartment at the back of a house, I'm lucky when it comes to visitors -- I only answer the door, which is at the front of the house, if I want company or am expecting a delivery. The few times I've been caught answering the door while on deadline, sleepy or just in a an antisocial mood, I've pled illness. Really, really contagious illness. It works, man.

Once upon a time (way back in the early 60's when I was a kid) it was customary for friends and family to drop in unannounced for a visit. We'd put on the Sunday best and pile into Dad's sedan. And I'm certain it wasn't just my parents practicing these guerrilla-like raids on folks they hadn't seen in a while. Leads me to believe 'Mom and Dad' were better adjusted than I generally admit!

Certainly I have days when fair warning would be appreciated, but I can't say I really mind. Or want to mind! Life these days is far too prescribed for my liking. It beats being found dead after several weeks because nobody'd bothered to check!

I think it's only during the freedom of childhood that you should drop your friend's house or work place unannounced.

As an adult, I've always appreciated a call ahead. When I worked in an office, people frequently dropped in office to office unannounced to kill time. A surprising amount of work time was spent like this. People always work out their comfort levels. For me, I usually liked to work at work. Interruptions irritated me, but I went along with the drop-ins to maintain a certain level of civility. When I'm home, I'd like to get housework done, or read, or relax without interruption.

The only place you can be certain of a warm welcome when you drop in is at a bar. Which is a big reason bars make money.

I go with it depends on the person and the situation - and how often that person did it. It would annoy me if my mom did since I see her at least once a week and we talk on the phone every day - but let's take when my father-in-law stopped by, it was a welcome break since we hadn't seen him since Christmas and he does live a few hours away (he was in town looking at a car).

I would get super annoyed if it was one person doing it or someone who stopped by who would never leave - versus someone I hadn't seen in awhile and he/she only stopped long enough to have a quick chat and have a glass of tea. I guess the only bother beyond that is I didn't get notice to pick up any clutter - so that person would just have to be understanding.

I think it all breaks down to whether you are introverted or extroverted. An introvert is happy to work by themselves all day and finds it tiring when people interrupt, whereas an extrovert is bringing their laptop with them to the front stoop hoping someone will start chit-chatting as they walk by. Personally, I'm not a fan of the just-stopping-by-visitors, unless they truly are just there for a couple minutes.

In the cell phone era, most people give a call first. I have impromptu visitors all the time, but with a couple minutes notice by phone -- and I'm able to say no if it's really not convenient.

I'd NEVER EVER leave my door open in a city. Don't you guys watch CSI?

I'm with Lisa ^. If I leave my front door open, I'm likely to find myself with some VERY unexpected visitors. We learned our lesson the first night we spent here - that door is ALWAYS locked.

I don't really mind impromptu visits, but they often seem to happen on that day when I didn't get a chance to clean up the bathroom that morning, or when we were just too tired to the dishes that night.

Thank goodness none of my friends would never think of doing this. And I would never think of doing it to them. Even if it's just a quicky visit I'd always call.

... none of my friends would ever think, I mean.

We live in a condo and yes, we get all kinds of visitors too, althoug we are happy to see them we see them too often sometimes ;-?

one of my best memories of an ex b-f involves an unexpected drop-in. he lived out of town and one night we were trading late night calls. finally we connected. i was sitting outside my house on the phone and as we were talking, he walked up, his cell phone clapped to his ear. he was in town for a quick business trip and thought he'd surprise me. it was awesome but then again, he was definitely someone i was very happy to see.

If a neighbor rings the bell because she's in need of something - cup of sugar, borrow the garden hose - that's okay.

Otherwise, unexpected social drop-ins are rude. Why would a guest presume a host would be available to drop whatever he/she is doing to entertain? I work from home and if the doorbell interrupted the flow of a recording session, I'd be extremely annoyed.