Boy can I relate to meeting school acquaintances (not friends, mind you, they were to remain acquaintances) at the door.
Fortunately, I always lived out of territory. So I almost never had to work in neighborhoods where I knew people.
As an adult, I never even had to work my own territory and I lived right next door to the hall.
I was lucky that way.
I had a little trick that I fell in to with someone I worked in the field with often. When I would lose thoughts or just really didn't want to continue with the door, I would turn to my partner, look him right in the eye and give him a big smile. (Your Door!!) I got away with that one waaayy too often!!
Very immature of me, I know. But I really only went out of sense of obligation.