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Original poster

We left the door unlocked

173 replies

uhohdoor · 01/09/2023 21:09

I am so horrified that we did this, yet relieved nothing happened

We live down a nice enough street but it’s just off a main road, quite close to the junction. We went out for a meal tonight (for around 2 hours) and left the patio door unlocked with the key in. DH was last out of the door to get a parcel in that Evri had left around the back. Usually I would double, triple check all doors and that appliances are off, straighteners have been left safe etc. I do actually have OCD and checking is one of the traits. On this occasion I didn’t succumb to doing the checks, and actually didn’t do any checks at all.

Somebody could have stolen my car, or our house keys or anything from our house. How could we be so careless?

Do I need to let it go or should we take any extra precautions like changing the locks just in case? Please be kind - I’m hormonal and now this has happened I’m unable to think about anything else!

OP posts:
madeofcheeze · 01/09/2023 21:11

Let it go. Very very unlikely someone saw the keys, didn't get in but decided to take the keys and make copies in order to break in at a later date.

Bonbon21 · 01/09/2023 21:12

These things happen, it jogs you into being more careful... or at least to be as careful as you normally are...
There are still places in the UK where folk dont habitually lock their doors and nothing adverse happens.
Let it go. Its fine.

TeenLifeMum · 01/09/2023 21:13

We’ve done this a few times and the back door is regularly unlocked… but never on days dh forgets his keys.

GrandHighPoohbah · 01/09/2023 21:14

I once left my front door actually open all night. I thanked my lucky stars nothing happened, and moved on.

TigerDroveAgain · 01/09/2023 21:15

I wouldn't worry at all.

Lovemusic82 · 01/09/2023 21:15

I do this all the time 😬
These things happen, there are not buglers sat outside waiting for you to leave a door unlocked?

WhiteFire · 01/09/2023 21:15

Deep breath, nothing happened. It was a mistake, one that pretty much everyone has made at some point or another.

If it makes you feel better we went away and left the back door wide open, the neighbour noticed it over, knew we had gone away so climbed over our fence to lock it.

fuckmyuteruslining · 01/09/2023 21:16

Dh left the door unlocked all night last week. I was furious with him. I went to bed early and he'd been last one in. Luckily nothing happened but it just makes me check it in paranoid fashion which is annoying.

DiscerningDiana · 01/09/2023 21:16

Please let it go, absolutely no need to change locks or beat yourself up about this. All will be fine.

Toddlerteaplease · 01/09/2023 21:16

Meh. I've left the key in the front door Al night a few times!

BCBird · 01/09/2023 21:16

Let it go. It easy done.

WhiteFire · 01/09/2023 21:17

Toddlerteaplease · 01/09/2023 21:16

Meh. I've left the key in the front door Al night a few times!

I've done that one too.

Wiii · 01/09/2023 21:17

We often do that.

I can't tell you how many times we can't find the keys and realise they've been in the front door lock on the outside of the door all night. Sometimes the postman has knocked to tell us.

Stratocumulus · 01/09/2023 21:17

I went on a week’s holiday & left my front door unlocked. It’s not a Yale lock so you have to physically turn a key.
All was well and I’ve never given it another thought apart from always trying the door handle now before I turn away down the path.

Lilithlogic · 01/09/2023 21:18

I once left my keys in the front door, a passerby knocked to let me know, I was very grateful

OhNoForever · 01/09/2023 21:18

I frequently leave my doors unlocked 😂 my ndn went away on holiday and left her door unlocked for us to feed cat.

Findyourneutralspace · 01/09/2023 21:18

Let it go! Once, when I was just back to work as a single mum with PND, I came home from work to the front door wide open. We lived on a main road about half a mile from the city centre.
Loads of things could have happened but they didn’t . I took it as a sign I needed a good night’s sleep.

DollyPartum · 01/09/2023 21:18

I always leave the patron door and back windows open for my cat. Often leave the key in the main door facing the street too. I am a bit scatty. Once someone stole the car, but that’s once in 20 years so not too worried.

DollyPartum · 01/09/2023 21:18

Patio door not patron door

SweetAndSourChick3n · 01/09/2023 21:19

It's not a big deal. Just let it go.

Ratfinkstinkypink · 01/09/2023 21:19

You don't need to do anything, nothing happened, no-one has been in your house, no-one has your house or car keys. Everything is OK. We have all done it or something similar.

Kissnmakeup · 01/09/2023 21:20

Maybe invest in a doorbell camera if anything. It won’t fix things, but at least anything suspicious (whether it’s related to this or not) would be captured

saraclara · 01/09/2023 21:21

Burglars don't break in, or head into people's back gardens, in the evening. Think about it. Everyone's likely to be at home.

So chill. We've all done it.

I went out for hours having left my front door wide open, a few years ago. And only last week, I left the patio door open when I nipped to Tesco.

I don't advise being as absent minded as me, but seriously, there is no need to react to this in anyway. Assuming your patio doors open onto the back garden, why on earth would anyone be there in the evening?

SisterMichaelsHabit · 01/09/2023 21:21

Let it go. It is extremely rare that anyone would be walking around trying door handles unless you live in a really rough area in a big city. We used to leave our doors unlocked all the time in rural Ireland.

sandyhappypeople · 01/09/2023 21:22

assuming the patio door is around the back and people can’t just walk round there, there is absolutely zero chance anyone would have noticed.

we get people trying front doors round here occasionally, but they wouldn’t specifically climb fences to access the back unless they fully intended on burgling you.

try not to let it worry you, these things happen! I went out all day and somehow left the front door wide open, luckily it’s only a porch and the interior door was locked.