Do you lock your doors?

Red Hand · 05-11-2007 8:57pm #1

I was watching Bowling for Columbine not so long ago, and Micheal Moore was attempting to show how fearful American society was (he was presumably trying to justify the large number of guns in the US). To demonstrate this (in a really poor way imo), he went over the border to Canada and was surprised that a good few people he interviewed didn't lock their doors.

He seemed surprised as many people in the US (according to him) locked their doors, even during the day when they were at home.

I thought about this, and it occured to me that I rarely locked my door when I live alone in my family home in the countryside (even at night), but lock it when leaving. However, whenever I've lived in a city, I still kept it unlocked during the day, but locked it at night and when away.

So boardsers, do ye feel safe enough in the part of Ireland ye live in to keep the door unlocked as much as I do?

timmywex · 05-11-2007 9:01pm

i leave it open during the day but lock it at night and when away, i live in a safe estate thank god

Outer Bongolia · 05-11-2007 9:02pm

Oh God yes. I get loads of old businessmen walking into the flat around lunchtime and then getting embarrassed and leaving quickly. I have good reason to believe that my flat was used for the purposes of prostitution.

AlmightyCushion · 05-11-2007 9:03pm

Our door is unlocked whenever there is someone in the house. It's probably 50/50 when there isn't. When I was living in Dublin during the summer, one of the doors was unlocked 24/7.

Mint Sauce · 05-11-2007 9:03pm

always lock the door, when ever i come in or out, regardless who else is in the house, live in the town, and have had experiences of people just entering the house unexpectedly, even one ol doll who came to the totaly wrong house, she didn't even know where the person lived which was looking for, came in and started calling her name

if at my parents, leave the door unlocked unless going to bed or if house empty

dudara · 05-11-2007 9:06pm

The door is always locked, it's a force of habit to turn the key the minute I step foot in the hallway.

My parents however, live in in the country, and only lock the door at night and when they're out of the house. But they do have 4 cattle dogs and 1 manic little Jack Russell. So I reckon that they're safe enough

Red Hand · 05-11-2007 9:14pm

Outer Bongolia wrote: »

Oh God yes. I get loads of old businessmen walking into the flat around lunchtime and then getting embarrassed and leaving quickly. I have good reason to believe that my flat was used for the purposes of prostitution.

Really?:eek:Wasn't expecting that when I made this thread!

WindSock · 05-11-2007 9:38pm

The door is unlocked and often open during the day for the dog to run in and out. (locked when someone goes out) However If I am at home alone I will close it and lock it if I am having a shower. I will lock it after the dog has finished his tea at around 6ish, now that it's dark.
Mind you, I have been getting more paranoid recently, ever since I read an article saying more houses get burgled when there are people in them. Damn media.

Outer Bongolia · 05-11-2007 9:39pm

Yeah they come knocking or sometimes just walk straight in.. Some of them just leave without talking to me; others say they are looking for a hairdressers or a shop, which is ridiculous because it's all residential on this street. One guy went all red and just ran away. Then another day a middle-aged guy was outside for ages, peeping in

Makaveli · 05-11-2007 9:39pm

My front door locks by itself when it's closed so the door is always locked. Then latched at night so it can't be opened from outside.

WindSock · 05-11-2007 9:42pm

Outer Bongolia wrote: »

Yeah they come knocking or sometimes just walk straight in.. Some of them just leave without talking to me; others say they are looking for a hairdressers or a shop, which is ridiculous because it's all residential on this street. One guy went all red and just ran away. Then another day a middle-aged guy was outside for ages, peeping in

Haha. Thats really bizarre. you should put a sign outside or whatever saying the hookers have moved on, or try next door

Faith · 05-11-2007 9:43pm

At home, the front door is always locked. In Uni, I've a Yale lock, so it locks automatically, and I'd still lock it if it didn't. When we were in America, however, we never locked our door. Don't know why because we had plenty of valuable stuff.

biko · 05-11-2007 10:15pm

I live in the cc so keep the street door locked but back door is often unlocked.

Gillie · 05-11-2007 10:18pm

Yes always!

Ruu_Old · 05-11-2007 10:52pm

I always lock them, noticed when we moved in that barely anyone on the street had locks on their garage doors (most which lead into the house on the inside) so have had a garage door opener installed to keep it shut tight.

Nightwish · 05-11-2007 10:55pm

Back doors always locked but the front door is unlocked while there are people here.

Creamy Goodness · 05-11-2007 10:57pm

let see.

~€5000 worth of guitar/musical equipment
~€3000 worth of computing gear.

hell yes i lock my doors.

05-11-2007 11:05pm

We lock our doors even when we are in the house. Mainly because you can get a few rough people around our place. I always lock my bedroom whenever I'm personally not in the house.

GhostInTheRuins · 05-11-2007 11:08pm

We usually lock the doors, we live in the country but we've been more careful since the house got broken into and wrecked during the day last year.

l3LoWnA · 05-11-2007 11:09pm

Very rarely locked - never EVER when there's people here, never during the day even when house is empty, occasionally at night.

Our house is like an open house for visitors and nothing can be stolen that can't be replaced - except maybe my daughter :eek: I'm going to start locking the door I think, at night-time anyways!

Living i the country-side (ish)

When I lived alone with daughter in a city I had door locked at all times (but only because she was small and could open the front door and wander off...)

themadchef · 05-11-2007 11:22pm

never locked..no idea in fact where the keys are.....put them somewhere safe lol. no need round here.

No one i know has ever had anyone (well cant say break in!) walk in and steal stuff round here. but its always a possiblity..just a really really bad habit..new year resoloution number one!

sure we wouldint have a leg to stand on with insurance company if it did ever happen.

Doctor DooM · 05-11-2007 11:23pm

I would never forgive myself if my computer/ music gear got stolen because I was too lazy to lock the door!

Guy:Incognito · 05-11-2007 11:49pm

Define locked? When I pull my front door shut you need to open it with the key from the outside or turn the knob from the inside. Dont know if that counts as locked, if it does then yes, my door is always locked. The chubb lock and latch go on at night toothough,

Giblet · 05-11-2007 11:56pm

My door used to be unlocked. Some asshole sent her 8 year old kid in to rob my jacket in broad daylight. Always locked now.

Sinfonia · 06-11-2007 1:39am

Locked (the door, that is) all the time, unless I'm just poppin to the letterbox/car/somewhere very nearby.

the_syco · 06-11-2007 2:06am

Bloody naive people.

Black Swan · 06-11-2007 2:09am

Besides the double locks on our front door, I also have a lock on my bedroom door (cause of all the randomers my flatmate brings home at night). And yes, we keep them locked.

chopperbyrne · 06-11-2007 7:11am

My front door has always been one that just locks itself when closed, so the first time I moved out of home, I'd just close my new front door behind me and off I'd go.

Was only when the flatmate gave out to me for not locking the door that I realised there are front doors that don't lock by themselves!

ROCKMAN · 06-11-2007 9:10am

Hell yes even when we are home, not a very safe estate

thebman · 06-11-2007 9:53am

Back door is locked. Housemates keep it locked, I wouldn't bother otherwise.

Front door locks itself, it is left open if someone goes to the shop (30 sec walk) and if there is someone in the house. There isn't really anything too valuable downstairs.

seamus · 06-11-2007 10:21am

Front door locks itself (like a lot of houses in the city) but if it was a standard handle one I probably wouldn't lock it during the day when I'm in the house. I lock the chubb when I'm in bed or leaving the house. I just hope I can find my keys if the house ever goes on fire :eek:

rainbow kirby · 06-11-2007 11:38am

Front door locked about 95% of the time.

kevmy · 06-11-2007 11:42am

Well we nearly always come home through the back door (cos we put our bikes in the back shed) but I suppose a rule unlocked during the day when someone is there and locked at night and when we're out during the day.

Live in the country at home and its pretty much the same except for the fact that someone is nearly always at home so it's not really locked during the day. There are also about 3/4 keys for the back door and 1 for the front door hidden poorly at various intervals around the outside of the house.

Agent Smith · 06-11-2007 12:44pm

yes, But i have a Thing about making sure doors are closed, so that Explaines it

LouOB · 06-11-2007 2:40pm

Next door neightbour from 'the country' and was not in habit of locking doors. Both their cars were stolen along with handbag while they were in sitting room.

Being from Dublin (ahhh Dubliner) I lock my doors all the time. I would not be able to leave a room if the window was open.

Paranoid, maybe
Senseable, of course

Cuddlesworth · 06-11-2007 2:57pm

Locking your door stops thefts of oppurtunity, something you don't really see in low population densitys. Do you really think that if your house has been targeted by a proper thief, a locked door would stop him/her?

blow69 · 06-11-2007 3:01pm

I cant leave my door open.Its operated by keycard.Can't even leave it ajar!

sremowt · 06-11-2007 10:31pm

You know, I do. But I was living away from home during the summer and while the front door was always locked the back was about 50/50. It's extremely irresponsible to do that though. It's worse than leaving your car unlocked.

>> I would not be able to leave a room if the window was open.
That's overkill. I don't like leaving my house with open windows. But while I'm in the house I'm generally not all that much concerned.

Mrs. MacGyver · 06-11-2007 10:44pm

Our house has been robbed 3 times in the last 3 years - so definately yes i would lock the doors (we have double locks we're that scared!!) However at home in Cork, the front and back door are always open as the neighbours pop in and out. They are only locked going to bed.

unreggd · 06-11-2007 11:05pm

What kind of doors do you people have?

If i close the door, its locked, and will only open with a key

star-pants · 06-11-2007 11:30pm

Well it's a chubb type lock - as in you open in from the inside, but only a key will open the outside.
At night the alarm goes on.
during the day if noones going to be in the house - alarm & dead lock go on.
Dad says that way if they get in - they won't get out easily with stuff (because they wouldn't be able to open the front door)

Creamy Goodness · 06-11-2007 11:32pm

unreggd wrote: »

What kind of doors do you people have?

If i close the door, its locked, and will only open with a key

older houses tend to have doors in which you have to turn a key to lock it.

Malteaser! · 07-11-2007 12:20am

In my Dads house the door is never locked when there's somebody there.

I'm my mams it just locks automatically when you close it and has to be opened with a key!!

kevmy · 07-11-2007 11:43am

Cremo wrote: »

older houses tend to have doors in which you have to turn a key to lock it.

Not just older houses/doors we put in new front and back doors about 3 years ago and they have to be locked by a key. PVC ones with proper door handles probably more common in estates rather than city centre

Do you lock your doors?

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