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Original poster

Key in Door

57 replies

Irishmoma1 · 03/09/2018 21:23

Just wondering do you leave your keys in your front door at night or do you take them out? Just wondering what is best in terms of safety

OP posts:

00100001 · 03/09/2018 21:26

Best to take them out and put them somewhere far away/ different room

Otherwise would be thieves can fish for them.

Ours are all stored on hooks the utility room. Which is in the way out, but a door away (if that make sense!)

Sandstormbrewing · 03/09/2018 21:36

Out but near by. Though we don't have a letterbox to fish through.

LastOneDancing · 03/09/2018 21:39

In. Me & DH argue about this all the time.

If there's a fire I want the key where I can find it in thick smoke.
If someone is desperate enough to want my car they can have the key & go, just leave us alone upstairs. I've heard about people being threatened for their keys.

Original poster

Irishmoma1 · 03/09/2018 21:44

Thanks for the replies i often keep the keys in but I do worry about break ins although I’ve feck all to rob

OP posts:

Standstilling · 03/09/2018 21:48

A fireman told me it's about worst case scenarios - leave them in and get them fished out by burglars = lose possessions that are covered by insurance, leave them out and be delayed getting out during a fire could = loss of life.

I leave mine in.

Justgivemesomepeace · 03/09/2018 21:51

I leave mine in. Same reason as PP. I want to know where they are in thick smoke! DP keeps taking them out and putting them on the shelf, or mantlepiece or sidetable so at least I have a vague idea of where to go scrabbling if there is a fire. It's a bone of contention between us. No one could fish them out of the door from the outside anyway.

NannyR · 03/09/2018 21:53

I take them out and leave them on a shelf next to my bedroom door where I could easily grab them in case of a fire.

guiltynetter · 03/09/2018 21:53

i put them on the stairs. i’d never leave them in the door, so many instances of them being stolen through the letterbox.

fiverabbits · 03/09/2018 21:55

My house insurance policy states that if keys are left in the entrance doors and you are burgled they will not pay us anything.

MeetOnTheLedge · 03/09/2018 21:59

In and turned 90 degrees so they can't be pulled out easily. The lock is a good 8" higher than the letterbox so fishing them out would be hard anyway. I'd rather be burgled than trapped in a fire. DH and I are in total agreement about this.

Namethecat · 03/09/2018 21:59

We had this conversation when we were having new doors fitted so when we had a new front door, it hasn't got a letterbox and our mail goes into a post box on the side of the house.

Hassled · 03/09/2018 22:01

I thought this was going to be about the syndrome where your key goes in the door and you're instantly overcome by a desperate need for a wee. Sorry.

Ours are out of the door (so you can't poke something through the cat flap and up to get them) but very close to it (fire). We got burgled a couple of times and a policewoman said that burglars really just want cash and car keys, and if they're not near the door they'll go through the house looking for them. I decided that I'd rather just leave the stuff near the door.

MongerTruffle · 03/09/2018 22:02

Our lock can’t be reached from the letterbox - I tried when I was locked out.

GreenMeerkat · 03/09/2018 22:03

I take them out of the door but on a hook by the door. They are visible (but not fishable) for a good reason.

If someone is going to break into my house to steal car keys then I would much rather they just broke in and took them than go searching through the house or go upstairs, anywhere near my children, in search of them.

BarbaraofSevillle · 03/09/2018 22:06

Doesn't matter if you have feck all to rob. If you were burgled, they'd trash your house, just to check.

Friend was burgled and they pulled out all drawers, swept things off bookcases, out of kitchen cupboards etc and didn't stop until they found her jewellry in her wardrobe.

I think a hook/shelf etc nearish the door, but maybe above the letterbox is safest so you can find them in a fire, in the dark, in choking smoke is the best idea. I think you only have a couple of breaths before you are likely to become unconcious.

ceeveebee · 03/09/2018 22:06

We dont lock our mortice lock at night, just leave on the Yale and also a chain

SoupDragon · 03/09/2018 22:08

Out and well away from the door. I’ve retrieved them through the letterbox with a long pole and a hook before when I left them on the bench by accident!

I don’t need them to get out of the house anyway. Overnight I put the chain on the door.

Fabellini · 03/09/2018 22:11

Our front door doesn’t have a keyhole on the inside, it’s a turn lever similar to that you’d find on a Yale lock, although it isn’t on a spring and has to be manually turned to lock and unlock the door.
Means it’s always there - good in one way, but wouldn’t have been ideal with younger children maybe, as there’s no way to stop someone on the inside from unlocking the door and going out, iyswim?

IthinkIsawahairbrushbackthere · 03/09/2018 22:18

We leave ours in the door but our letterbox is in a different door from the front door.

PickleSarnie · 03/09/2018 22:18

We leave ours at the top of the stairs which are parallel to the front door. So they can't be hooked by burglars but easy for us to reach in a fire.

I tend to leave car keys in same place. If someone breaks in, I'd rather that they take my car and fuck off. Hopefully wrapping it round a tree with them in it in the process.

snowone · 03/09/2018 22:26

We don't have anywhere to put the key in the door from the inside and it has a turny knob thingy on the inside. We have a key hook by the door and all the keys go on there - id rather if someone came in that they took the keys and stole the cars than come in and ransack the house

00100001 · 04/09/2018 07:21

standstill ours are always in the same place, we know exactly where they are, and it would take only a few seconds longer to put the key in the lock.

JennyOnAPlate · 04/09/2018 07:23

Ours stay in the lock. I would rather be burgled than die in a fire. How likely is it that you could locate your keys and get them in the lock in a hallway full of smoke?

Ifailed · 04/09/2018 07:25

what about the burglar who steels your keys, starts a fire then locks the door?

PickAChew · 04/09/2018 07:26

On my bedside table.

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