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AIBU?

to think we DO live in a world where we can leave the bavk door open

113 replies

TraineeBabyCatcher · 10/02/2013 23:31

There's been an article in (forgive me) the dailyfail about a baby who's finger was ripped of my a fox that got in the house. I shall not link you to it- long story short, back door got left open, fox came in and attacked baby.

Whilst I.can understand that if you live in an area where there are a lot of foxes/fox attacks then you do need to be careful but many people have commented on saying that anything could have happened, baby could have been snatched etc.

Please tell me I am not living a deluded life thinking its okay to leave your back door open whilst your in the house?!

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Plomino · 13/02/2013 05:40

I think the last time we actually locked the doors during the day , was about 2009ish, when we had a spate of masked toerags kicking in people's doors and armed with shotguns , then removing them of their car keys . Until they picked the local estate gamekeeper who'd just come in from work as who responded in kind .

That said , we do lock the doors at night , but seeing as I have a very territorial dog who can run at 40mph , I wish any prospective thief luck during the day! The only crime we have round here at the moment is oil theft , usually carried out by attaching a sharpened scaffold pole to the back of a truck , then reversing sharply into the tank and puncturing it to get the oil out . My next door neighbour thought he'd been a victim , had police round to examine the tank for forensics , and it was only then that his DW confessed that as soon as he left for work in the morning , she'd whack the thermostat up to 30 , hence going through a years worth of oil in 3 months ....

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choceyes · 12/02/2013 23:11

We live in an area almost in the city and quite a lot of car crimes and drug related crimes (actually people think its worse than what it is) around.

Once I left the front door wide open all day long. I had a baby and toddler at the time so was quite stressed and we were trying to get out to go to a toddler group. Was gone the whole day. I was gobsmacked to when I got back and even more so ypon realising nobody had been and taken anything!

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Seabird72 · 12/02/2013 23:05

I always keep my doors locked. Why invite trouble, even if you are home it will not stop a burglar and there are plenty of people who just see an opportunity and take it. If someone tries your door and its unlocked then there is nothing to stop them doing what they want and you would have to consider yourself lucky if you only discover later that someone else was in your home. It also stops my friend from just walking in which I hate, it's my home, I expect her to knock.

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Punkatheart · 12/02/2013 22:45

We have had this discussion elsewhere on Mumsnet. If you shoot one fox, another moves into the territory pretty damn quick - so it's a pointless exercise, as well as being inhumane unless you are a fantastic marksman. Also there is a ginger cat who looks exactly like a cat - what happens if you make a mistake? I have chickens too and I have a Foxwatch to deter - plus a very secure aviary.

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countrykitten · 12/02/2013 20:16

I keep hens and there is no way in the world I would shoot a fox if one was sniffing about. They are beautiful animals. I hate the stupid attitude displayed by maninawomansworld - thankfully I know very few people like this even out in the sticks where we live.

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LynetteScavo · 12/02/2013 17:14

I've left the front door unlocked all day, and wasn't burgled.

I've also left the back door unlocked over night, and was burgled while we slept. (Although DH woke up). DS2 was 10 months old, and I kept thinking he could easily have been taken...he was such a lovely trusting baby, happy to go to anyone....he wouldn't have cried, and I wouldn't have woken up.

But I happily leave the patio doors open all evening during the summer, until we go to bed. A fox could easily get in. My family have seen foxes during the day, and one during the evening, so heaven knows how many are about at night.

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wfrances · 12/02/2013 17:07

i wont even let our dog in the backgarden alone incase she gets pinched.
ds has had people in a car follow him home when he was out walking her.

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wfrances · 12/02/2013 17:03

all windows/doors locked here ,always (even attic)
.

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SuckingDiesel · 12/02/2013 16:30

aamia...I have 2 large dogs. Didn't stop someone trying to break in to my house. Dogs slept through it.

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aamia · 12/02/2013 15:02

Everyone I know has a large, loud dog. So you can leave the back door open all you like - no one and nothing is coming in! When I was a child, the back door was open all summer long when we were in the house. I, the dog, the two cats and my parents were in and out of the garden all day long. Not once, in twelve years, was there a problem. Equally, I was allowed out on my own from a youngish age - with the dog. She was fiercely protective and I was completely safe! Then the dog died. Within two months the house had been broken into, car stolen. After that my parents got an alarm, a locked back door and a new dog! There is a reason why mankind domesticated the dog - child guarder, property guarder, hunting partner, best friend.

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ChairmanWow · 12/02/2013 14:38

every now and again a fox gets a bit bold, sniffing around the (almost impenetrable) chicken enclosure and has to meet a bullet. Why does it have to meet a bullet? Why not just make your enclosure completely impenetrable? I have friends who keep chickens on their urban allotment - there are several foxes in the area and their chickens were killed in an attack. It's never happened again - they just keep maintaining their fencing.

On the flip side I got into an argument with some animal rights ultras last night who were either a)claiming the fox attack was made up or b) blaming the mother for daring to leave the room to go upstairs. So it seems we're not even allowed a wee when we have babies. We must be surgically joined to them at all times. In fact I might not bother having the cord cut this time Smile

On the question of urban/rural crime, this is of course anecdotal but I've lived in Manchester over 21 years and have never been burgled - two attempts but both when I was a student a long time ago and both failed. My mum, who lives in rural East Yorkshire was completely cleaned out a few years ago when she popped out to the shops and was heartbroken.

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quoteunquote · 12/02/2013 09:41

I live where I do because I don't have worry if I shut doors, my doors and windows are open most the year round.

as for wildlife we have a lot of wildlife, but it tends to stay outside, the bats have sitting tenant rights, so they pop in out of the attic as they please.

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maninawomansworld · 12/02/2013 09:14

We live in the country and don't make a hobit of leaving doors unlocked, why take the risk?
Most wildlife is pretty wild like it's supposed to be and won't come near although every now and again a fox gets a bit bold, sniffing around the (almost impenetrable) chicken enclosure and has to meet a bullet.

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ComposHat · 11/02/2013 16:41

(Really pleased you didn't mention the Nicholas Cage version)

The Nick Cage version?

no,no dear god!

no Christ!

no! no!

awake ye heathens and hold!

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Punkatheart · 11/02/2013 16:24

Ha my mother came over from India with a monkey (not me) and he was a destructive little bugger.

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AngelsWithSilverWings · 11/02/2013 16:17

I live in an area with very low crime and it's the sort of area where people talk about it being safe to leave doors unlocked/ walk around safely after dark etc.

I got very complacent until one morning I came downstairs to find a strange man asleep on my sofa. He had got in through my unlocked kitchen door. Luckily when my DH woke him up he apologised and made a hasty exit!

I now lock up carefully all the time.

I don't generally leave doors wide open as I have indoor cats but before I got them the kitchen door would be left open most days while I pottered about the house.

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OhMyNoReally · 11/02/2013 16:09

We leave our back doors open, we luckily have a secure garden. I also leave my front door open but keep the gate locked. The gate is an ornate metal thing, it was there when we moved in. Again very lucky as I can air the house worry free, I would definitely put one on if we moved to house without one, or a security screen

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Buzzardbird · 11/02/2013 16:07

Cow rustling is also hardly ever reported. (no horse in my mother's burgers)
certainly did elemci [grin

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Punkatheart · 11/02/2013 16:07

Yes the Wicker Man crimes - always grim.

Grin

(Really pleased you didn't mention the Nicholas Cage version)

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TheMagicMumber · 11/02/2013 16:06

I wouldn't. Monkeys here.

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countrykitten · 11/02/2013 16:01

Grin at ComposHat

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ComposHat · 11/02/2013 15:38

Stats will of course show less crime in rural areas and that will always be the case

Yes I also guess it depends on how you define crime. You have to distinguish between recorded and non recorded crime. Crimes such as burglary and car theft are almost reported to the Police for insurance purposes.

Whereas I guess the kind of crimes that predominate in the countryside such as drink-driving, animal cruelty (hunting badger baiting etc) or the burning of Edward Wooodward in a neo-pagan ritual are less routinely reported. In fact 100% of recorded cases of burning Edward Woodward to appease the wroth of pagan gods have occured in the countryside.

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TabbyM · 11/02/2013 15:36

No, insurance won't cover you if you get anything stolen with your door sitting open. This is a major cause of car theft as well due to people leaving keys near their doors. I live in a low crime area (member of neighbourhood watch!) but would never leave a door open, too tempting for passing opportunists.

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