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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:

Sallydimebar · 02/09/2023 00:08

Left key in door couple of weeks ago , car keys attached and for some reason went to bed without locking porch where I would of seen keys ! Anyway 2am ring goes off guy stood in porch knocking on internal door , next thing he’s in hallway shouting “hello”pushed Dh out of bed . He’s like “oh you left key in door “ Dh “thanks “ then I hear “you owe me something now “ I’m petrified on hearing this legged it downstairs said I’ve a family member who’s really I’ll you need to go I’ve help coming .

Long story short he’s known for begging and being a nuisance by police wanted £25 to get a bed for the night was his story after being kicked out . Was very persistent and I was worried what he had in his bag but we got him out . We noticed on ring he was coming to knock on anyway then noticed keys ! So unfortunate he was roaming our street that night which is usually a very quiet street . So I’m extra cautious now everything locked day and night . He was arrested in next village after knocking on others after ours .

larkstar · 02/09/2023 00:09

If it's a sliding patio door you might want to think about cutting a bit of wood to drop into the part of the track that the moving part of the door slides into when you open it - this is added security - even if the door is left unlocked you can't open the door (because the wood is jammed in - to stop the door from sliding open) - I find it helps to keep the door secure - if I haven't locked it - if I've been using the patio door - the wood is lying on the floor in full view - I can see it's not secured - the easiest thing to do is to put the wood back in the track rather than leave it lying around. It's easier for me to spot the wood in the track - the key is sometimes behind the curtain so it's not as easy to check it's locked.

Cutting a piece of wood literally took me 10mins. It was a slat off an old single bed.

waytootiredofthis · 02/09/2023 00:10

I went out the other day for a few hours and left the door wide open with the key still in it! We're on a busy road and when I got home I thought we'd been broken into but nothing had been taken so I think I just didn't shut the door!

tt9 · 02/09/2023 00:12

@larkstar I promise I am not a burglar (although I did once join a mumsnet thread about burgling cats/jewels from the tower of london)... but surely one can cut the wood in the middle and take it out quite easily?

but I guess it would deter amateur opportunists

Ihateslugs · 02/09/2023 00:12

i once got a phone call one Tuesday evening while I was at work for a Parents Evening. It was my lovely neighbour to say he had just been in his garden and spotted that a window in my study was open. He does have a key but wasn’t sure of the burglar alarm so pushed the window shut from the outside. I was able to get home within an hour but was horrified when I worked out that I had opened the window on Saturday! So was open on Sunday and Monday too!

Another time I was lying in bed ( bungalow) and heard a scratching, pattering noise on my laminate floor in the hall. It was too loud for a mouse so I got up, armed with a pillow, and saw a fox in the hall! On seeing me, it ran back through the lounge and out of the patio door which I’d left open! I then had to inspect every room to make sure there were no other unwanted guests or that the fox had not left me any presents!

I now really try to check doors and windows at night and when I go out but I am grateful that I live in a quiet area with elderly neighbours, it’s an estate of bungalows, who keep a very good eye on any passers by!

DeeCee77 · 02/09/2023 00:12

FunnysInLaJardin · 01/09/2023 23:17

Don't know what the UK is like right now, but we quite often leave the front door unlocked, sometimes for weeks before we realise!

Edited

In N.Ireland burglary (petty crime in general) is extremely low.

My brother leaves his house unlocked 24/7.

I have only ever heard of one house in our area that was burgled, and that was one time.

I put it down to the parishes still being very close knit (despite religiousity declining). I live in one of over 7000 people and a theft (of anything) you come across once in a blue moon.

The Troubles gave a very skewed perception of here to the rest of the world as they thought we lived in a warzone...truth be told bar the police checkpoints that were there are at time, and the odd helicopter flying above, the vast majority of us were unaffected. That period was an extreme outlier in that it was separate from normal day to day crime, which as I say is very low here (especially comparitively speaking).

The whole island of Ireland ranked as the 3rd safest country in the world after Iceland and New Zealand.

https://govisafree.com/safest-countries/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20%E2%80%9CSocietal%20Safety,crime%20rate%20in%20the%20world.

tedybear · 02/09/2023 00:22

Let it go it was a mistake and nothing happened.

I leave it unlocked by mistake maybe a handful of times a year but usually during the day and not for long. I shld know better as I was robbed!. Most often it's the back door. Opened it to take bin out or something and then forget and go out! I now try to lock it as soon as I'm back in. Occasionally it's the front door. I often go back and check as I can't remember sometimes if I have locked it, usually harassed getting the kids out and in car seats and holding bags etc

Our patio doors were unknowingly left open for about 3 months. We were getting a new kitchen fitted and I gave the guys the key for the patio doors one afternoon. We never have them open, like ever! It was because they were bringing in big items, it wld be easier for them. They must have opened it and gave the key back but hadn't locked it. We always check the back and front door before bed but never patio doors as we don't use them.

Basically we only discovered they were open because we were robbed overnight. Took me hours to realise though and only when I cldnt find my hand bag. Then I cldnt find my laptop. Took all the electronics they cld find downstairs. Were in drawers and everything that's where they got my iPad and kindles. Was well over £1000 worth. Probably more £1500. Police said that ppl actually just go around seeing who has left a door unlocked. They were wearing gloves though as cld see glove marks on some of my mirrored units so they cldnt get prints. Cldnt claim insurance as no forced entry.

They cld have taken both cars but they were obvs just looking for a quick buck, bastards!

CantHaveTooMuchChocolate · 02/09/2023 00:24

MoiraRosesBaybay · 01/09/2023 22:34

I’ve often heard it said that a lock will only stop an honest man.

Show quote history

What a strange attitude. I’ve had gangs try and break in many times to my house, last time trying to lever the back door open, before that they tried get in via a bathroom window. I’m very glad my locks were all working! I’m happy make things as difficult as humanly possible for these scum. That said I don’t think op has anything to worry about.

truthhurts23 · 02/09/2023 00:59

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.

😂wrong thing to say to someone that's already anxious!

larkstar · 02/09/2023 01:09

@tt9 the wood is on the inside.

ShadyPaws · 02/09/2023 01:10

I have done it before
As I leave the house I say to myself "vape, phone, keys, purse" and lock the front door
Shame I left the bloody patio doors unlocked!
Nothing happened

mondaytosunday · 02/09/2023 01:23

After my husband passed away I guess I wasn't that on the ball and i went out for a few hours to deal with stuff to do with the service. Came home and door was wide open - I live in London, nice neighbourhood but still! Didn't occur to me to change the locks though, as there weren't any keys that could have been nicked. Figured he was up there looking after the house!

FeigningConcern · 02/09/2023 02:43

We once went on holiday and left the front door wide open!

Came home to a card on the doormat from the police who had been in to check all was ok and helpfully shut the door for us!

Nothing was stolen.

StarbucksSmarterSister · 02/09/2023 03:36

I had been obsessive about security for decades since being burgled more than once in previous homes.

A few years ago I went off on holiday and I came back to discover i'd left the back door unlocked. Then one time last year I came back from the supermarket and couldn't find my housekeys in my handbag. They were in the outside of the front door! I'd locked the door then been distracted by something in my garden and accidentally left them in the lock.

Fortunately I live in a very quiet street and no harm was done on either occasion. It happens to everyone occasionally don't worry about it too much.

WiddlinDiddlin · 02/09/2023 05:22

I used to live on one of the nastiest roughest council estates in the North West (documentaries, national newspaper headline murders)...

Rarely locked my front door when I was in, even at night, generally remembered to lock it if I went out in the day but often failed to lock the back.

Never burgled or anything, would occasionally find my fridge had been raided by my bestie but she had a key anyway so locked or not, made no odds!

Don't think my dads house (rural naice south west) has been securely locked in 40 years! I don't think you CAN actually... the shed is more secure than the house!

I really wouldn't worry!

Vettrianofan · 02/09/2023 06:36

Don't worry. It was just a mistake that will teach you not to do it again. I have on numerous occasions got home from somewhere and unlocked the door for all the family, they close the door whilst I am occupied with bags getting in hallway and as they close the door I don't see that the keys are still on the outside of the door 🤦🏻

Often it could be hours blissfully unaware until I need to go out then see the keys sitting there on the outside of the door so anyone can just grab them. Very stupid! I haven't done this in a while 🤞

WinterFireJanuaryEmbers · 02/09/2023 06:40

Not long after moving in, we came back from shopping to find we'd left the front door wide open. Panicky rush to check the dogs inside were safe - they were.

Never did that again!

milveycrohn · 02/09/2023 06:56

You need to let it go.
I've done worse; went out once and not only left the front door unlocked, left it OPEN! I live on a busy suburban street in SE London. Nothing happened.
I have learned from this, and make sure I lockup in future.

C1N1C · 02/09/2023 07:12

I came home and left the keys IN my front door. The postman had to actually hand them to me and gave me the worst condescending look ever. It happens, hopefully we get lucky when it does and learn from the mistake.

springtome · 02/09/2023 07:18

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.

My DH did that one night after a night out.

We often leave doors unlocked. The back I am less worried about during the day/evening.

A few months ago we all went out for breakfast. Teenage DS didn't get up so we left for our booking (it was Father's Day so it was planned). He followed us about 10/15 mins later. We saw on the ring cam he didn't lock the front door. We were on alert checking our ring cam notifications though.

bluejumping · 02/09/2023 07:32

I have done this more than oncr
Also had keys dangling on the outside all night

Try not to do it again

violetcuriosity · 02/09/2023 08:12

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.

This has happened to me too!

SpringboksSocks · 02/09/2023 08:36

Obviously I’m not saying stop locking the door from now on, but this is a great opportunity to learn from in terms of overcoming your OCD. You didn’t do the checks and nothing bad happened 🙂.

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