Do you leave your doors unlocked?

noubliezjamais · 23-07-2019 6:14pm #1

Despite being told by statisticians that the world is safer in 2019 than it was 30-40yrs ago, less people leave their doors unlocked today. There are also more burglaries.

So I wonder, what's the truth? Do you leave your doors unlocked when going to Tesco or for work? Even in good areas?

branie2 · 23-07-2019 6:16pm

Only if I'm in the house

Zaph · 23-07-2019 6:17pm

Even if I lived in a gated community in the safest part of the country, there's no way I'd leave my doors unlocked when I'm going out. If some little scrote wants to take advantage of my absence, I'm not going to make it any easier for him than needs be.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 23-07-2019 6:17pm

Not if we're going away. Then again people never did that in the past either. They'll be unlocked all day if we're here but that's about it.
We're very rural but you'd have to be in the absolute back end of nowhere to leave a house unoccupied and unlocked, and to have nothing worth stealing or wrecking.

Edgware · 23-07-2019 6:18pm

I do. And I leave my Rottweiler untied to roam from room to room

freshpopcorn · 23-07-2019 6:20pm

We've a yale lock so the front door is nearly always locked.

biko · 23-07-2019 6:22pm

I live in a fairly nice area but we keep doors locked even when home, it's just routine.
If I lived miles from anyone then yeah I'd leave stuff unlocked - my only worry is opportunistic thieves.

mad muffin · 23-07-2019 6:26pm

always locked. Always.

tuxy · 23-07-2019 6:28pm

I have an older car with no central locking, I don't lock the car, too much effort.
Nothing stolen yet after 5 years of this.

anacc · 23-07-2019 6:30pm

Only during the day if there’s someone there. If we’re out or it’s night time they’re definitely locked.

23-07-2019 6:33pm

I was down with a farming relative recently and she told me how not only is the house left unlocked all day but the car keys are just left in the ignition all day as, well, there's no point in taking them out.

Except that the week before I called into her an elderly farming neighbour dropped in to see her husband and she was thinking he was getting a bit doddery as he barely said hello to her. Anyway, he went home a couple of hours later and before she went to the leaba she remembered she left something in her car so went out to get it.

No sign of her car in her yard at all, but your man left his car sitting there. hehe. Off with her the next day in his car (he, too, left his keys in his ignition) to his farm and she had great difficulty convincing him that she wanted to take her own car back and wasn't trying to steal his car!

Larbre34 · 23-07-2019 6:34pm

Well you'd be pure stupid to, it invalidates insurance if you do get burgled.

smurfjed · 23-07-2019 6:36pm

I usually dont lock my front door or even my car doors at home, no need

SEPT 23 1989 · 23-07-2019 6:38pm

only lock up if there is nobody in the house

Cee-Jay-Cee · 23-07-2019 6:54pm

We lock up when we’re going away but the back door is always open from first thing in morning to last thing at night. We use back door all the time.

Arghus · 23-07-2019 6:55pm

I don't understand people who leave their front door unlocked, it takes next to no effort.

SEPT 23 1989 · 23-07-2019 7:03pm

Arghus wrote: »

I don't understand people who leave their front door unlocked, it takes next to no effort.

unless you were elderly why would you lock your front door if you were in the house?

scamalert · 23-07-2019 7:09pm

neighbors have cars, house doors always unlocked, prob because theres 5 kids, but they had like 10 brake ins into his van and car, so fck no always lockup even if inside, escapes me how some can be reckless to leave cars or doors open and then surprised they got robbed.

blackbox · 23-07-2019 7:14pm

When I was a kid in the '60s we only locked the house when unoccupied and when going to bed. We still do the same.
I always make a point of locking my car if there are kids around (for safety reasons.)

Arghus · 23-07-2019 7:25pm

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

unless you were elderly why would you lock your front door if you were in the house?

I've lived in houses/flats where if you were upstairs or even in another room out the back of the house you wouldn't necessarily hear it if someone was downstairs or even in one of the front rooms, especially if you had the tv/music on. So rather than not being able to hear if someone was in the house I would just lock the door.

Not to get too tinfoil hatty on it but I know of people who've had opportunistic thieves take things from their front rooms while they were in another room in the house, so I'd rather just err on the side of caution. Now, maybe I'd feel a lot more macho if I didn't, but my ego will take the hit.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 23-07-2019 7:26pm

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

unless you were elderly why would you lock your front door if you were in the house?

Even elderly don't always need doors locked. It's handy for ourselves coming and going about the garden/house, or family or neighbours calling in. It depends on where you live but many don't need to keep doors locked all the time

mloc123 · 23-07-2019 7:27pm

Front door always locked. I have little doubt that some of the door to door leaflet droppers are mainly using it as an opportunity to check for unlocked doors.

When I am upstairs or out back anyone could be in and out in 20-30 seconds with a handful of stuff.

Feisar · 23-07-2019 7:30pm

I lock up the house when I leave and when we are there. When I'm not there, because I don't want some scrote having it handy and when I'm there as I don't want to open someone up like Christmas and then have to deal with the courts.

Strumms · 23-07-2019 7:31pm

Doors always locked, pointless inviting trouble. Leave the small windows upstairs open if I’m out to allow air to circulate in the summer.

23-07-2019 7:32pm

The front door of the house has a nightlatch, so it locks automatically when you close the dooor. I never lock the kitchen door, unless I'm out.

Growing up, there was no key to the kitchen door of our house. It literally couldn't be locked, but then we were on a farm, and there was almost always someone around.
Except 11am on a Christmas day several years ago, when we were all out. The house was burgled, but the idiots broke a window to gain entry.

SaltSweatSugar · 23-07-2019 7:36pm

Not a chance. I don’t trust people. I’ve heard too many stories of people being in the house with the doors unlocked only to find some scrote or randomer who decided to wander in.

wakka12 · 23-07-2019 7:40pm

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

unless you were elderly why would you lock your front door if you were in the house?

In case somebody tries to rob something?My mothers handbag was robbed from the entrance hall just beside the door. Somebody quietly opened the door and nicked it in two seconds flat, she was just cooking down in the kitchen and didnt notice until hours late. Obviously went around to all the doors in the area checking them. We live in an extremely safe suburb of dublin

Anyone who calls over will of course ring and not just walk right in so I dont see what the point is at all. It takes absolutely no effort and youre just asking for trouble, no matter how small the chances of it happening may be

BeerWolf · 23-07-2019 7:40pm

Locked when no one's in the house, or when no one's hanging around by the entrance/kitchen.

There's a small buffer hallway between the entrance and kitchen... so someone can't just enter the house unnoticed that way.

fineso.mom · 23-07-2019 8:01pm

Lost my front door key a month ago, keep forgetting to buy a new lock . I live near family and their houses are much nicer than mine so I reckon they would be robbed first. Even when I had the key and locked the door,more often than not theres a window open somewhere.
Its careless I know but my house is not really visible from the road so only my friends,family,neibhbours and postman know where I am..and they know I've nothing worth robbing.

punisher5112 · 23-07-2019 8:02pm

What a great thread to start to find all the open houses....

Boom and your house is gone

23-07-2019 8:04pm

punisher5112 wrote: »

What a great thread to start to find all the open houses....

Boom and your house is gone

Aha! See that's where you're wrong.

I don't really lock my kitchen door when I'm out, I just said that so nobody who knows where I live would try to burgle me.

Suckers!

punisher5112 · 23-07-2019 8:06pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Aha! See that's where you're wrong.

I don't really lock my kitchen door when I'm out, I just said that so nobody who knows where I live would try to burgle me.

Suckers!

Fooled them big time.....

Lady Spangles · 23-07-2019 8:09pm

Locked all the time, even when I'm in. I've had drunk people just trying to open my front door too many times (I live in a block of flats in central Belfast).

ILoveYourVibes · 23-07-2019 8:11pm

Edgware wrote: »

I do. And I leave my Rottweiler untied to roam from room to room

I used to look after one of those in the DSPCA we were scared she would get protective of her room. But she was as sweet as anything to anyone who came by even strangers who were visiting.

Not they actually make the best guard dogs too friendly.

noubliezjamais · 23-07-2019 8:36pm

wakka12 wrote: »

In case somebody tries to rob something?My mothers handbag was robbed from the entrance hall just beside the door. Somebody quietly opened the door and nicked it in two seconds flat, she was just cooking down in the kitchen and didnt notice until hours late. Obviously went around to all the doors in the area checking them. We live in an extremely safe suburb of dublin

Anyone who calls over will of course ring and not just walk right in so I dont see what the point is at all. It takes absolutely no effort and youre just asking for trouble, no matter how small the chances of it happening may be

Are you sure it a safe suburb? You know in Dublin, near many good areas, theres a heap of "bad flats" to speak. I got mugged near Deansgrange which is close to some sketchy areas of Dun Laoghaire.

fineso.mom · 23-07-2019 9:32pm

After seeing my admission that my door is unlocked 24/7 in black and white, I realise how ridiculous it is and shall go to the hardware shop tomorrow for a new lock barrel thingy.

23-07-2019 10:25pm

When going to bed at night or if gone for the day but doors left open all day if we are around, gone out the farm or only gone to town etc for shortish periods.

None of us carry a key, last person in at night locks up and if going out and no one is around or going to be back soon then key is hidden.

We don’t even have keys for the garages etc so they are never locked.

Neames · 23-07-2019 10:29pm

Live in rural Ireland....doors locked every night and when I leave the house.

Occasionally work in Dublin, doors locked while driving......read an article (decades ago) about guys in Dublin throwing rats in to the car and then robbing bags, gramophones etc during the ensuing melee.

23-07-2019 10:31pm

fineso.mom wrote: »

After seeing my admission that my door is unlocked 24/7 in black and white, I realise how ridiculous it is and shall go to the hardware shop tomorrow for a new lock barrel thingy.

On the other hand, if you live in a secluded spot, and don't have a house alarm, you'd almost be as well off not to lock your door.

I mentioned earlier being burgled one Christmas. We hadn't locked the back door, but there were a few internal doors that were locked. That was a big mistake. The cnuts just kicked in the doors, assuming (wrongly) that if they were locked, there must be something valuable inside.

Obviously none of this applies if you live in an urban area and have an alarm system. But even since I've moved to Dublin, I've never locked an interior door. New doors can cost a fortune to replace, you might as well let them have a snoop and walk off empty-handed.

ILoveYourVibes · 23-07-2019 10:33pm

I even lock it when i am in! I don't live in a bad area either. Never realized this was strange!

noubliezjamais · 23-07-2019 10:39pm

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

I even lock it when i am in! I don't live in a bad area either. Never realized this was strange!

To be fair, as I said, for every "good" area in Dublin there's a whole load of bad flats likely to be nearby. Not offensive but true.

I lived in Deansgrange and almost got robbed, hassled by both teenagers and an old guy. Near a bunch of bad areas close to Dun Laoghaire.

the_pen_turner · 23-07-2019 10:40pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

On the other hand, if you live in a secluded spot, and don't have a house alarm, you'd almost be as well off not to lock your door.

I mentioned earlier being burgled one Christmas. We hadn't locked the back door, but there were a few internal doors that were locked. That was a big mistake. The cnuts just kicked in the doors, assuming (wrongly) that if they were locked, there must be something valuable inside.

Obviously none of this applies if you live in an urban area and have an alarm system. But even since I've moved to Dublin, I've never locked an interior door. New doors can cost a fortune to replace, you might as well let them have a snoop and walk off empty-handed.

a few years ago a local womans house was robbed. she had every door locked , they broke in all the doors and distroyed them all including the frame and door. it cost thousands to replace them all

punisher5112 · 23-07-2019 10:41pm

Always lock the doors..... I'd be afraid my stash of medicine and tools would be taken.... Drugs and guns ;-)

punisher5112 · 23-07-2019 10:42pm

the_pen_turner wrote: »

a few years ago a local womans house was robbed. she had every door locked , they broke in all the doors and distroyed them all including the frame and door. it cost thousands to replace them all

That's insurance there.... But disgusting at the same time.... I fookin hate thieving backstards

noubliezjamais · 23-07-2019 10:47pm

punisher5112 wrote: »

Always lock the doors..... I'd be afraid my stash of medicine and tools would be taken.... Drugs and guns ;-)

Speaking of, with all the rampant drug use in Ireland, wouldn't buying constantly from a dealer put you at a risk of getting robbed even with no debts?

It would show you have spare money around the house, drugs, or just a scapegoat incase the dealer gets busted.

23-07-2019 10:50pm

the_pen_turner wrote: »

a few years ago a local womans house was robbed. she had every door locked , they broke in all the doors and distroyed them all including the frame and door. it cost thousands to replace them all

She probably had quite old internal doors and replaced them with something decent. We couldn't afford to replace ours with anything decent and still have these obnoxious, ugly mdf doors from Woodies to replace some of the old ones that were destroyed. So pointless.

Don't lock your interior doors when you're out of the house, they're easily kicked-in and it simply isn't worth it.

Tell me how · 23-07-2019 10:52pm

Locked when I leave and when I go to bed.
Always unlocked when I am in the house and awake.

Friend locks his door even when he and his wife are in the house. I hate it. Has put me off visiting even as I pick up a paranoid vibe at the idea that when two adults are in a house it MUST be locked.

the_pen_turner · 23-07-2019 10:58pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

She probably had quite old internal doors and replaced them with something decent. We couldn't afford to replace ours with anything decent and still have these obnoxious, ugly mdf doors from Woodies to replace some of the old ones that were destroyed. So pointless.

Don't lock your interior doors when you're out of the house, they're easily kicked-in and it simply isn't worth it.

no. the house has recently been done up and all doors and frames were lovely oak paneled doors. all totally distroyed and beat to crap with a nail bar . its a shame really. repalced with the same

punisher5112 · 23-07-2019 10:59pm

Tell me how wrote: »

Locked when I leave and when I go to bed.
Always unlocked when I am in the house and awake.

Friend locks his door even when he and his wife are in the house. I hate it. Has put me off visiting even as I pick up a paranoid vibe at the idea that when two adults are in a house it MUST be locked.

You wouldn't be saying that after you have some absolute tool let themselves in ..

You aren't standing watching the door.

It's nothing to do with paranoia it's been proactive....

Be safe try and keep it as safe as possible so cut out risks.

PsychoPete · 23-07-2019 11:00pm

Growing up in the countryside we only locked the door at night or when we went away, thats what I still do now but at my parents house the back door is normally wide open if there home

Tell me how · 23-07-2019 11:05pm

punisher5112 wrote: »

You wouldn't be saying that after you have some absolute tool let themselves in ..

You aren't standing watching the door.

It's nothing to do with paranoia it's been proactive....

Be safe try and keep it as safe as possible so cut out risks.

They are on the same page as you (well, she is).

You can go through life being extremely paranoid or you can realise that for the vast majority of people, the vast majority of time, they will not have any such issues. I can understand people in flats (given the traffic and the difficulty often in identifying which flat is which), I can understand those in areas in which there is high crime but I do not like the idea that everyone should do so as a matter of extra caution.

Do you and your partner sleep in shifts in case someone bypasses the window alarm sensor. You know, being pro-active.

Do you leave your doors unlocked?

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