Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Yodel delivery driver opened my front door..

333 replies

harboromummy · 30/12/2015 13:44

This is the second time in two weeks! Same guy!

I went to go into the hall way to go upstairs and the delivery man literally came up to the door, didn't knock, opened my front door and went to put the parcel on the stairs!! He about pooed himself when he saw me then asked me to sign the thing.

The first time I heard the front door go went to check and he had done it then too!!

😡😡

OP posts:
BitOutOfPractice · 30/12/2015 23:33

Yes, anyone can be broken into. The difference is that their insurance will pay out if the door wasn't, effectively, left wide open as far as the insurance company is concerned

Dipankrispaneven · 30/12/2015 23:36

Kaytee, what BOOP said was "But you both feel happy with the risk assessments you've made and obviously won't change that. I wouldn't expect you to." How does that equate in your mind to lecturing you on whether you should lock your door or not?

ghostspirit · 30/12/2015 23:37

i leave my door unlocked during the day. because people in and out all day. but if that happend to me i would then keep it locked....

i went out once and forgot to lock the door behinde me. it must have swung wide open when i was out. my daughters friend came in the house and searched round. whilst shitting herself and locked up and left. very lucky.

Kaytee1987 · 30/12/2015 23:44

Dipankrispaneven - I was referring to quite a few previous posts including her first one to me saying that my driveway should make me feel less safe (I think im more qualified to comment on what makes me feel safe in my own house) and posts to a pp about her lack of contents insurance.
This is getting ridiculous I can't see why it matters if strangers on the Internet do or don't lock their doors. Absolutely no one has told anyone to leave their doors unlocked if they don't want to.

PrettyBrightFireflies · 30/12/2015 23:44

turkey forced entry burglaries are very different from walk ins, usually carried out by different offenders, for very different reasons.

A minority of offenders will force entry when they can't 'walk in', but by no means all.

KoalaDownUnder · 30/12/2015 23:48

Nah, dipan, no guests turning up late at night. So I lock it then. If I remember. Smile

My friend who lives in South Africa has a panic room in his house and armed guards at the entrance to his estate. On the other hand, my parents live in country Australia and it wouldn't cross their minds to lock any of their (multiple) exterior doors during the day.

Don't understand why any of this is surprising.

PrettyBrightFireflies · 30/12/2015 23:50

kaytee But surely the point of a conversation is to share different PoV? if you explain why it's important to you to leave your door unlocked, and others do the same, maybe I will realise how much easier it would make my own life and maybe I'll decide thst it's worth the risk, too?

I'm always open to new ideas and suggestions - it seems odd that anyone would post on MN that they do things a certain way and then not explain why, saying that they just do, and people should accept it.

Kaytee1987 · 30/12/2015 23:58

I wouldn't try and convince anyone to leave their door unlocked though? Locking our door was never something that we worried about growing up - in and out house playing etc. Now in and out house with dog, doing work in the garden, doing diy, dh home an hour before me no point in him locking the door then me having to find my keys in my bag to get in... as I said it's not something that's on our agenda all the time. In the summer the back door is left unlocked most than the front door I would say as we're in and out it more. I'm not suggesting that anyone leaves their door unlocked so find it odd that you would want me to explain why I do.
I'm sure a pp also explained why she finds it easier having hers unlocked.
The reason I posted that I left mine unlocked sometimes was because op was getting flack for leaving hers unlocked not because I wanted to convince anyone that my way was the right way.

Kaytee1987 · 31/12/2015 00:00

There's nothing wrong with having different points of view but being told you're making a stupid decision isn't just having a different point of view its being rude about someone's choice.

PrettyBrightFireflies · 31/12/2015 00:04

kaytee who said anything about right and wrong? There's no one right way to do things. I haven't ever considered leaving my door unlocked, because I have seen the consequences of doing so - but that doesn't mean that the OP hasn't got a reason for doing so that is compelling enough for her to continue to act in a way that risks her being angry and upset.
And by explaining that, it makes me think and revisit my own decisions. Not be "pursuaded" or "convinced" but to reconsider for myself based on additional info shared by others.

5madthings · 31/12/2015 00:06

Re why I leave door unlocked at times during the day, it's just easier and makes sense when kids are in and out and playing in front garden or cul De sac. As I said in summer/warmer weather if kids are out front playing as they often are then the door will be open. Plus once madthing6 arrives there will be times when I do school run or go out etc with baby in pram and they will fall asleep. To get pram into house I have to bump it up a step backwards, pretty much guaranteed to wake them up so instead just left pram by front door in front garden and have door open. I can see/hear them and can get on with jobs in the kitchen if need be or just have a quiet cup of tea or do something with elder kids whilst baby happily sleeps. They always sleep better in fresh air ime so why would I bring them in and wake them up when they can stay asleep and I can keep an eye.

Our front garden as I said is bigger than the back garden with a full height (adjustable) free standing basketball net. The kids scooter or skate, when littler they had a water table/sandpit. It's a place where the kids can and do play, chalking on the driveway is a favourite thing for littler ones to do but they can play and o can keep an eye and they can come in and out as they please. Even in less warmer temps they still play out, ds3 often skates up and down or dd scoots or for Xmas ds3 got a remote control helicopter so was flying thar in the front garden. We have a bench out there as well and in the summer I will sit and read, the kids will have picnics and they have a tee pee and paddling pool. So it's a space we use regularly hence keeping the door to it unlocked.

It just varies depending on what we are doing and who is coming and going. Today it was mainly locked actually as we all slept in and had a lazy pj day so it didn't get unlocked until dh went out to the shops, then ds3 was in and out for a bit and it stayed unlocked until it was getting dark and ds3 was in. It will stay locked til morning now, I am taking little three out and depending on what the others are doing it may or may not be locked, most likely the internal door will be shut (which locks automatically) if it's just the teens in the house. It really depends on what we are doing.

As I said we are happy with our choices, I do object to being told I am ignorant or don't know what it's like ro deal with bad things happening, that's just bollocks.

Kaytee1987 · 31/12/2015 00:07

BitOutOfPractice "I think you are taking a stupid and unecessary risk Kaytee"
Which is one of the statements that I found to be lecturing.

Kaytee1987 · 31/12/2015 00:11

There's been quite a few comments that have suggested leaving your door unlocked at any time is wrong...

Dipankrispaneven · 31/12/2015 00:11

Having to get your key out to unlock the front door really isn't a problem, everyone in our house does it automatically. If we're working in the front garden (which is fairly rare) we would leave the door on the latch, but that's on the basis that obviously the presence of the householder in front of the house would deter opportunist thieves. We definitely wouldn't leave the front door open if we were working in the back garden.

Dipankrispaneven · 31/12/2015 00:12

Boop's entitled to express an opinion, isn't she?

Kaytee1987 · 31/12/2015 00:13

Good I'm glad you've come to your own conclusion. Again I really don't care if people leave their doors locked or unlocked, doesn't make a difference to my life at all.

Salene · 31/12/2015 00:16

I live in a small village and this is totally normal

The postman opens your door and places parcel on Mat and closes door again

Save him bothering you

Kaytee1987 · 31/12/2015 00:16

Yes she is entitled to an opinion, PrettyBrightFireflies asked me who said anything about right and wrong ways so I copies a previous post over.

BitOutOfPractice · 31/12/2015 00:19

Did you notice the words "I think" at the beginning of the sentence? Indicating that it is my opinion. Not a lecture. Crikey you are defensive!

Kaytee1987 · 31/12/2015 00:20

"I think" you have been lecturing Grin I can do it too.

BitOutOfPractice · 31/12/2015 00:21

And, as I've said, not an opinion based solely on a gut instinct. But there you go. You seem to be taking personal offence at it

BitOutOfPractice · 31/12/2015 00:24

Ok. I'll leave you to it kaytee. You have a bee in your bonnet about this for some reason.

Kaytee1987 · 31/12/2015 00:24

If you go around posting things like this aimed at everyone on the thread that leaves their doors unlocked without knowing anything about them then people will get pissed off because it is quite rude.

BitOutOfPractice

The common denominator amongst the "I leave my door unlocked" side of the fence is the absolute certainty that nothing bad will happen to them, plus, thankfully for them, no experience of dealing with people who it has happened to, or those that pick up the pieces in the aftermath. Ignorance, I suppose, is bliss.

Katarzyna79 · 31/12/2015 00:27

i think its dangerous to leave the door unlocked good or bad area, and those saying nothing ever happens here, yes that's what we always hear on the TV until some great crimes occurs then its too late.

ive always locked doors, whether I'm home or not. yale type locks are shite i don't know why people are praising them, just barge the door and it opens easy, happened in my first house thankfully it was my husband hed forgotten his keys id gone to sleep.

also if you have a parent with dementia get a mortice lock and keep the keys on you, otherwise you will get out the shower to find a stranger sitting in your living room curtesy of your mum or dad, happened to me several times. luckily they were harmless door stop sellers selling rugs and potatoes lol.

mortice locks are more secure i have kids so i make sure to use it always they can easily open the yale type lock.

those saying double glazing or pvc doors open from outside easily yes if you don't bloody lock it. People i know just keep a key near the door but not on the door for that purpose. You can't use that as an excuse just say you don't lock it for x reason or no reason at all.

my sil leaves her pvc door open then complains when neighbours and cousins walk in unannounced and shes not dressed appropriately. she still does it so i think she likes it that way, otherwise no brainer LOCK IT

BitOutOfPractice · 31/12/2015 00:32

I'm afraid I stand by that statement. I know you don't like it. We shall have to agree to disagree. But really it's just that. A statement. An opinion from a stranger on the Internet and if you are happy with your choices then I really can't understand why you are seeing it as such a personal sleight