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Original poster

Do you lock your doors

266 replies

Scrambledegghead · 30/06/2023 09:13

When you’re in the house? So you’ve come in, shut the door behind you and you’re going to be in for at least a few hours. Do you lock it behind you or leave it unlocked because you’re in? We leave ours unlocked and DM has made me promise never to do it again but I can’t get out of the habit! She locks hers when she gets in even if she’ll only be in for 5 minutes before going out again, whereas unless we’re going to bed, ours stayed unlocked.

should I be making more of a conscious effort to lock it, lest a murderer or a burglar comes in or am I in the majority?

OP posts:
GreatGardenstuff · 01/07/2023 09:16

I try and keep it locked, especially if it’s just me, or me and my son home. DH is much more relaxed about it, but he’s 6’4” and bulky, so probably just doesn’t feel the same vulnerability.

Key left in, or key left out is the question? DH likes to leave it in in case of a fire, but I like to put it away from the door. My cousin had the window smashed, the keys taken from the lock and then the car driven off in!

SockQueen · 01/07/2023 09:24

Always locked here too. It takes no time at all and is part of my routine as I come in. We're in a reasonable area but there have been plenty of occasions of people trying doors, and I'd rather my house wasn't the one they succeeded with!

We have been burgled once, so maybe I'm a bit more nervous than average - though on that occasion we were all out and they smashed a glass panel on our back door to get in.

RunningUpThatMill · 01/07/2023 09:24

Front and side door constantly locked and rarely used. Patio doors, at the back, are unlocked most of the day.

MrsSkylerWhite · 01/07/2023 09:50

inappropriateraspberry · Yesterday 12:53
No. I leave the back door wide open when I do the school run! Do lock the front but don't really need to. Also leave my car unlocked a lot!
We are very rural, with good neighbours and I'm a 2 minute walk from the school! If I lived in a high crime area, large town/city then I think it would be very different.”

Hmm, be careful. We used to live in a very old, rural house, literally in the middle of a field, half a mile track from the B road.
We bought ourselves bicycles and stored them overnight in the enclosed porch. The very first morning, they were gone. Was horrible, we wondered if someone had been watching the house.

Have lived in cities with few issues.

shakespearetower · 01/07/2023 09:51

Am in central London. There's no need to lock my door, as where I live is totally secure.

ApolloandDaphne · 01/07/2023 10:14

I live in the country and my door is rarely closed never mind locked. Sometimes I walk the dog and leave the door unlocked. I never worry about it. If someone is coming to get me the dog will let me know.

CatsSnore · 01/07/2023 10:29

I don't lock my door apart from when I'm going out or going to bed. I actually leave it on the latch when I get home and often forget to lock it before bed.

I think the older you get or the more anxious you are determines this question.

CatsSnore · 01/07/2023 10:30

My car is also unlocked the majority of the time 😂

sashh · 01/07/2023 10:49

My front door locks as soon as it is shut, actually locking it means some metal bolt type things come out in to the wall as well.

My back door opens directly into the garden from my living room, I often have it open to enjoy the breeze so lock it at night or if I am leaving the house.

MamaBear4ever · 01/07/2023 11:25

We live in a quiet cul-de-sac and easy to hear the door opening. I lock it if home alone whilst working upstairs otherwise it's mostly unlocked till everyone in after school then it's locked

DeathMetalMum · 01/07/2023 11:35

Unlocked until bedtime. You can't get into the house without a key from the outside.

Abc123ab · 01/07/2023 11:41

My elderly nana lives in a really nice, quiet, rural village and only shuts up her garage and locks her back door at night (or did). A couple of years ago she was in the kitchen and heard someone walking in the hallway, she went out to find that a man had helped himself into her house and when asked, he claimed he was selling something and saw the back door open. Clearly wasn’t the case and he clearly would have stolen things had he not been caught.

I live in a city suburb and always, always lock my front and back doors when coming in. You just never know.

Star0Fire · 01/07/2023 11:56

I never used to keep the front door locked when I’m home. But we have a 2.5 year old who opened the front door and legged it down the street, so we never leave it unlocked now

VeganStar · 01/07/2023 12:19

in the good weather ie spring/summer we usually have our front door wide open while we are in the living room as it’s straight onto an enclosed patio. We are up steps from the street and our door can’t even be seen from the road.

We live in a very quiet cul de sac and the dog lets us know when there’s anyone around.
if we go into the kitchen which is at the back of the house for any length of time we close and lock the door.

When the dark evenings arrive our door is always locked because our area has had people trying doors on the off chance of gaining entry. Then we lock the door as soon as we come in.
We don’t take any chances.

GG1986 · 01/07/2023 13:49

Yes always lock!! Our area has had men walk up to houses in the day, open doors and take keys or handbags from peoples houses, same thing happening at night(they are checking to see if anyone is stupid enough to not lock their front doors at night) and trying car doors! You would be amazed how many people leave their car doors unlocked with valuables inside and then moan that their stuff has been taken.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 01/07/2023 13:53

Live semi rurally. I've also lived in big cities and in the suburbs. All my doors and gates are always locked at all times.

VitaminX · 01/07/2023 14:08

We used to have a car that didn't lock because it was so old the mechanism was broken. People did open it to have a look every so often. Obviously we never kept anything in it and I don't believe it was worth stealing in itself - anyway nobody ever did. One night someone didn't bother closing the door again after they'd finished looking in the empty glove box and in the morning the car was full of snow. Very rude I thought, if you're going to try and rob someone you could at least close the door after you! 😆

Notamum12345577 · 01/07/2023 14:37

Scrambledegghead · 30/06/2023 09:13

When you’re in the house? So you’ve come in, shut the door behind you and you’re going to be in for at least a few hours. Do you lock it behind you or leave it unlocked because you’re in? We leave ours unlocked and DM has made me promise never to do it again but I can’t get out of the habit! She locks hers when she gets in even if she’ll only be in for 5 minutes before going out again, whereas unless we’re going to bed, ours stayed unlocked.

should I be making more of a conscious effort to lock it, lest a murderer or a burglar comes in or am I in the majority?

No, don’t lock the doors when we are in, apart from when we go to bed. We live in a small safe village though

Notamum12345577 · 01/07/2023 14:39

lostinfusion · 30/06/2023 09:18

no, we lock it when going to bed but it can only be opened from the outside with a key even when unlocked

Why would you?

Notamum12345577 · 01/07/2023 14:39

Notamum12345577 · 01/07/2023 14:39

Why would you?

Show quote history

Sorry wrong post!

Notamum12345577 · 01/07/2023 14:41

BeeCucumber · 30/06/2023 09:19

Always locked. Why wouldn’t you lock your doors at all times?

Why would you lock it at all times? I get it if in a busy or high crime areas…

UsingChangeofName · 01/07/2023 15:13

Mine is a Yale type lock, so, as you clos the door, then it is locked automatically.

I am really surprised how many people leave their doors unlocked though.
I've never lived anywhere where the door isn't always needing a key for somewhere to enter from outside. I don't live in a particular dodgy area, but there are still people who would just walk in if houses aren't locked.

Cakeorchocolate · 01/07/2023 15:13

I do.
DH doesn't.

He's even been told by his police officer friend we should.
It really frustrates me he doesn't as I think it's basic safety. Especially when you have young kids in the house.

There are occasions of people trying doors and snooping around driveways in the village we live in too.

ASGIRC · 01/07/2023 15:26

Never lived in a house which didnt lock as soon as it closed.
To me, locking a door means double locking it/deadbolting it.

So my door is always "locked" (cant open it without a key), but I only double lock it when I go out and know the house is empty.

Otherwise, no. If theres an emergency, having to unlock the door would just be too much of a faff.

RaraRachael · 01/07/2023 15:27

I don't think anywhere is a completely safe area - even out in the countryside. It just takes one weirdo.

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