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Original poster

To no the lock my door?

284 replies

FutureMrsRanj · 08/02/2017 23:34

Imagine this has been done to death but have just seen another thread where the op is being to,d to lock her door, is this normal? In the day? I don't think I know any door lockers but maybe I should start in case of burglars, I did wonder when reading a thread this evening as DC were asleep upstairs and I don't think I would hear from sitting room if someone quietly wandered in through front door, ddog would either greet them enthusiastically or carry on snoring

OP posts:
melj1213 · 09/02/2017 14:00

Why does it depend where you live? Are some areas unburglable?

No, just some areas are less likely to be burgled.

I live in town in a terrace and kep the door locked most of the time because I'm right off two main roads and there's half a dozen shops and takeaways nearby so there's always a fair bit of foot traffic past my house. Having said that, if I'm in my living room during the day I don't lock up because my front door opens into the room and I think I'd notice someone breaking in through it.

My parents on the other hand, live in a detatched house in a tiny village (8 houses, all but one of which are owned by the same families that have lived their for generations and all are basically on a single square) that is way out in the middle of nowhere - not enroute to anything, 4 miles down a country lane etcetc. They never lock their doors if they're home or niping to a neighbours house, they only really lock the doors if they're going out all day or on holiday because burglers are very unlikely to turn up, and even if they did about three or four nosy old ladies would twitch their curtains to clock all his details. I once drove over to pick something up in a hire car, as mine was in getting serviced, and before I'd even got out of the car after pulling up on the drive, a neighbour across the road had already phoned my parents to tell them there was an unfamiliar car at their house.

Monkeybunkey · 09/02/2017 14:03

I always have front and back doors locked, even when I'm in the house. If I'm in the garden, the front door is always locked (even though I can see the front door from the garden). I have been burgled though, in a previous house, while I was asleep upstairs with the doors and windows locked, so I'm a bit paranoid about people walking in!

TheCatsMother99 · 09/02/2017 14:04

I don't lock mine when I'm in but I'd either notice someone walk in due to the location of my door or they'd be caught on my cctv which I have as part of my burgler alarm.

My house is also situated somewhere where we don't have passers by anyway as it's a small private road.

Maybe I'm too complacent but I don't see the need for me to continually lock it whilst in.

Willow2016 · 09/02/2017 14:05

If entry is gained through open windows and unlocked doors, no payout.

So I can never open my windows to air the house/ cool it down in summer even when I am in the house? Leave the door open in summer when its hot?

You cant actually go anywhere from my front door (tiny) hall apart from my sitting room so they could maybe grab my coat off the rack but thats it. If I am upstairs for a long time cleaning I would lock the front door but thats it.

Sweets101 · 09/02/2017 14:21

I live rurally I always have my doors locked. My job only deals with shit situations so maybe I forget how unlikely these things are as from my perspective they happen every day!

LunaLoveg00d · 09/02/2017 14:23

I don't lock the front door ever when we're at home during the day. We lock the door at night when we go to bed

There have been opportunist thefts in the area but always at night when people are asleep - and mostly people locking doors, leaving the keys right by the front door and having house keys and car keys on hte same ring. All they want is the car. There are a lot of people around during the day at the end of my street - my next door neighbour works from home, the couple over the road are retired and spend 90% of waking hours in their garden. There are always people walking dogs and jogging past.

I feel very safe and secue in my house without the door locked.

Original poster
FutureMrsRanj · 09/02/2017 16:17

I'm not sure it's 'fall off your chair laughing' funny user. I did recently start locking car doors after someone locally had several pounds stolen from their glove box. It is a fairly low crime rate near me but not a 'no crime rate' and I just hadn't given much thought to it, after starting this thread I want to start but am equally now worrying about fires.

OP posts:
NarkyMcDinkyChops · 09/02/2017 16:40

My sister used to work in insurance - she practically fell off her chair laughing at the idea that anyone would get a successful claim if someone's been able to simply walk in through an unlocked door

As funny as your sister finds it, it can and does happen. I have seen it, which is when I checked my own policy, which is all well.

user892 · 09/02/2017 17:13

Who is your policy with, please?

Frillyhorseyknickers · 09/02/2017 17:20

Why does it depend where you live?

Really?! I live on a farm, we're surrounded on all sides by open fields. The driveway is gated and a mile long, it has two motion detectors and one CCTV camera. I don't feel the need to lock my door whilst I am at home, there is no real threat of anyone casually dropping a mile and a half off of the pavement in the village and into my kitchen.

However, if I lived in a built up area and had my door directly off of a public access such as a road or pavement, I would be locking my door.

Iamastonished · 09/02/2017 17:27

There have been a couple of burglaries at the bottom of our road in the last six months. It does kind of remind me that although we have a low crime rate round here, it isn't a no crime rate.

MongerTruffle · 09/02/2017 17:41

I don't think I've ever seen a front door that didn't automatically lock on closing.

I've never seen a door that DOES except in hotels.

AnUtterIdiot · 09/02/2017 17:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Badcat666 · 09/02/2017 17:55

What doors do some people have that you close and they don't lockwhen you close them??

Both my front and back doors have yale locks. If I close them you cannot open them from the outside unless you use a key! (unless you leave them on the latch which I only ever do if I'm popping into the garden).

Maybe it's because I have old ancient hardwood doors and not some plastic fantastic double glazed ones.

MsJamieFraser · 09/02/2017 18:00

We lock our doors during the night, but during the day, they are not, our front door is also wide open we close the internal door, as the kids are running in and out. WE wouldn't have it any other way.

Ragwort · 09/02/2017 18:02

We never lock our front door (you need to physically lock it - not a yale lock) when we are at home, only when we go to bed. Have been known to forget to lock it when we go out. We are lucky in that we live in very low crime rate area, but yes, I know it is probably a bit foolish to never lock the door.

MsJamieFraser · 09/02/2017 18:06

I've just looked at my policy and my insurance covers us, my cousin was burgled and she was at home with her doors unlocked her policy also covered her.

NarkyMcDinkyChops · 09/02/2017 18:06

What doors do some people have that you close and they don't lockwhen you close them??

Doors. Just regular doors. No odd kind, nothing strange about them. They have a lock on them which you put a key in.
I imagine you've seen one before. Smile

LolDeLol · 09/02/2017 18:10

MrsJamieFraser

Does you insurance not have a general clause stating that you have to take reasonable precautions? Which company is it?

NarkyMcDinkyChops · 09/02/2017 18:12

Why does it depend where you live?

Odd question. How does it not depend on where you live? Obviously your relative chances of burglary vary immensely, if you are in a terraced house in London you are at a different risk than a croft on Fair Isle, wouldn't you say?

Lostpangolin · 09/02/2017 18:19

We lived in a village for nearly 20 years, never locked the door, or the cars. Moved to near a city and now lock the door at night.

MsJamieFraser · 09/02/2017 18:20

No it does not, it states that the property must be key locked and secure if not occupied.

Also reason precautions could mean anything, its not really worth the paper its written on saying that, it could mean few and far between, if a person is in the property, that can mean that you've taken reasonable precaution, also where on the line of reasonable precaution does it state that a door must be bolted or key locked, when in the property so your policy is valid.

Reasonable precaution is meh really.

LolDeLol · 09/02/2017 18:23

MsJamieFraser

So can you say which company it is? I can't see how it would be outing. It might be useful for those of us with overly onerous conditions on our insurance.

MsJamieFraser · 09/02/2017 18:29

NO I cant, if I say who it is, then it gives away my town.

LolDeLol · 09/02/2017 18:39

MrsJamieFraser

NO I cant, if I say who it is, then it gives away my town

Really, im surprised there are 'local' insurance companies. Maybe that explains why there is no requirement to lock your doors or to take reasonable precautions in the policy.