Do you lock your door when you are at home ?

[starrynight19]

Never thought about this but we never lock the door other than when we go to bed.
Talking to friends it seems that this is quite unusual , is it ?

Front door is a Yale lock so is always locked from the outside. When we first moved here 26 years ago I didn't lock the back door but we were at the end of a cul de sac of only 5 houses. 6 years ago they built 20 houses opposite our house and the road is now much busier with passing cars/pedestrians. The population seem much more transient and there are one or two dodgy individuals living there so I now lock the back door most of the time but definitely if I am hoovering or going upstairs. We are in a relatively low crime area but that doesn't mean no crime and recently there have been a lot of sheds/garages broken into so I'm not taking any chances with the house.

Always locked. I don't understand why anyone would want to lock their doors when they are out (and all that's in the house are possessions) but don't lock it when they are in. Surely most of us value people over things?

A young woman close to me was raped when she was followed home from the bus (didn't lock her door) very nice quiet village.

"We never thought it could happen here" is something you often hear victims of violent crime saying

Yes always. Most burglaries are from people trying their luck.

We were burgled whilst we were in - unknown to us the builder hadn't locked the back door, someone must have tried it and found it open and ran in and grabbed a few bits.

I always keep the doors locked. The back door was unlocked once, as my ex had been out in the yard, and a random guy walked into our kitchen! He was yelling the drug dealer neighbour's name - he'd obviously come down the back alley and come in the wrong house by mistake. Didn't leave the door unlocked after that!

Next door have recently had two random people just walk in their front door, then feign surprise and claim they'd got the wrong house. Blatantly hoping to grab handbags etc and walk right out again, but the dog stopped them. They've started locking their doors now too. I'm surprised they didn't before tbh!

Always locked. And we're in a top-floor flat.

So are we, but I never lock it. I always thought that it was more important that the DC can get out quickly in an emergency.

Years ago i lived in a flat on the 4th of 5 floors. Burglars went roof-hopping, entered upstairs through their balcony and out their front door.
Our balcony doors don't even lock Never thought about it before, but I don't know anyone who has lockable balcony doors. They close with a lever handle and when closed, can't be opened from the outside but not lockable with a key.

Not locked but you can't get in without a key...so does that count as locked...I guess.

I should point out I'm not in a big city or high crime area. It's fairly sedate here (drug dealer neighbour stuck out like a sore thumb and was arrested v quickly). But we do get opportunistic burglaries. And when DS is in alone with his headphones on, someone could walk in and remove all the furniture before DS noticed anything amiss

Those of you that have doors that can only be opened with a key - are they UPVC doors? If so, unless they are locked, with a key, they can be popped open in seconds.

Even a door with a yale lock can be opened in seconds.

It was only after we were burgled and the police showed me how they do it that I realised. In fact, they said that a yale lock was easier than the UPVC doors.

The locksmith fitted bolts to our upvc doors. They are plastic and screw into the frame and then swing across the door to stop it from opening but don't need a key so in a fire they are easy to open.

No, it's an apartment so the main door is on a key fob entry. I don't lock my apartment door unless I'm out or it's bed time

Ive always locked mine during the day.
1st place with dp was shared accommodation so had to I guess.
2nd place was in a rough area - safety 1st!
3rd place was In a block of flats with security door downstairs but it would never shut properly
And now, we dfinately have to because if don't put key in and lock, anyone can open door and just walk in ( or our DC 1/and 3 could reach handle, open and walk out )

Our door is always locked. It's such an automatic reaction that I've been known to lock people in when they're only collecting their children after playing at mine. I've had a few odd looks but on reflection they were pleased there was no chance that anyone could get in/out without my knowing.

We live in a nice quiet area too, I'm just incredibly risk averse and see little point in leaving my front door unlocked as an invitation for trouble.

I lock it we have had lots of burglaries here lately

Yes and the latch is on.

But I'm paranoid concerned

Yes, I'm in the habit of locking doors. I live in a low crime area, but it's such a simple thing to do to protect myself and my family, and my home and belongings, that it seems silly not to.

No, we live rurally with a very long garden path, I'd see someone walking down it. And in the evening the security lights would go on. I only lock it if I'm in the shower and hone alone, as I have had instances when the post man or delivery driver has opened it and put the delivery on the bench in the hall. I really don't like that.

I lock the back door though because I'm wary squirrels, rabbits, deer, cats, pheasants, or ducks come wandering in as it's easy to push open or would blow open. And I won't lie, they are CF which would wander in given the opportunity.

The front door you pretty much need to knee it 🤣

No, we live rurally with a very long garden path, I'd see someone walking down it.

even if you are, say on the toilet?

DH always locks us in the house when he goes to work which I think is quite adorable in a protective husband and father way but if I go out/take in a delivery I don't lock it again. It is locked at night if DH remembers. We're basically in the middle of nowhere and the only person who can find our house without directions is the postman so I doubt a burglar is going to find me and steal absolutely nothing because we aren't materialistic and our house has absolutely nothing of value.

Ours is Yale and I know people can get round it Weetabix but I always think if they are that dedicated to breaking in then no matter what precautions you have they're probably going to get round them and it's more likely to be targeted.

But a door that isn't unlocked (ie needs a key) will generally stop most opportunists, and most burglary related crime where I live is opportunists along the lines of : "I tried the door/window, it was open, so I went in"

Nope. Live in a very quiet village. I did when I lived in a street house though.

even if you are, say on the toilet?

Well no,,,🤔

SirNilsOlav

Obviously it's up to you. I had the exact same view until we were burgled. When I expressed my surprise that they'd opened the yale lock the policeman showed me how they do it. It took 2 seconds. An opportunistic thief wouldn't be put off I don't think.

They only took what was within about 6 feet of the front door too so were probably in and out in less than a minute.

Never. Nobody can get here without a) a car b) being heard by one of us or the dog. Remote Scottish Highlands and I own an axe

And if an experienced person knows the right place to apply pressure, your bolts probably wouldn't last very long Weetabix.

Nothing will keep out pros or someone determined, our second lock is probably easy enough to get through for someone who knows how.

SirNilsOlav

Quite possibly but those alongside 5 point locking bolts on the porch door plus 3 locks on the main front door and an alarm will at the very least alert us to something going on.

I never lock mine until I go to bed. Unless DP is working late and then I lock both.