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Original poster

Why don't people have locks on their bathroom doors?

156 replies

Frazzels · 20/04/2019 20:29

I've never understood this but a lot of people I know don't have locks on their bathroom doors, probably more don't than do. I've always had a lock on mine, it's much easier than knocking if the door is closed or worrying someone will forget to knock and walk in

OP posts:
JemSynergy · 21/04/2019 01:27

I renovated my house when the children were really little and I deliberately didn't put the locks on the door handles because I worried they would get locked in the bathroom which is something I did as a child. We still haven't put the lock on the doors but if the door is closed it means someone is in the bathroom.

sweeneytoddsrazor · 21/04/2019 01:28

@Sparklingbrook it sometimes feels like it Grin

LucyBabs · 21/04/2019 01:34

My Dad had a stroke when I was a teenager, not long after he came home from hospital he got locked in the bathroom as he was paralysed on his right side. The bathroom door had to be taken off the hinges by my boyfriend and his two friends! We never had a lock on the door after that. When I moved out I never had a lock on any of the internal doors in my house.

ShakespearesSisters · 21/04/2019 06:43

We have locks on our doors that can be opened from the outside. We rarely shut the doors when we are at home, let alone lock them, but I do use them if we have guests.
There was a thread on here last summer by a woman whose son had had a friend over on a playdate and had burst in her on the loo, he quickly scuttled off. The mother rang the OP and said that her son was traumatised by the event and he was never coming to play again.
My in laws have recently had new doors with locks :-). There are 8 grandchildren when we are all there for a visit and are used to bursting in on their parents. Many a time I'd been sat on the loo, one would burst in, not necessarily mine, see me and run off leaving the door wide open and me a good 3m away from being able to shut it. And normally times to perfection with my FIL walking past Blush
I think it's good to have locks, you don't have to use them unless there are visitors.

NoArmaniNoPunani · 21/04/2019 06:44

I live alone with a 3 year old who locked himself in last year. I took the lock off to get him out and haven't put it back

FissionChips · 21/04/2019 06:52

I end up announcing that I'm going to the loo or singing while in there, but still fear someone walking in

I bought a door-wedge to take about with me.

pinkpopcorn · 21/04/2019 06:59

Always have a lock. I don’t want bathroom smells creeping round the house or the door banging if there are windows open, which we would get with the door open/ close method.

CustardCreamLover · 21/04/2019 07:06

We have locks but only so guests can use them. Sometimes I don't even bother closing the door!

Ivegotthree · 21/04/2019 07:13

We don't have locks. If the door is closed we assume someone's in there and would ask before entering.

Ivegotthree · 21/04/2019 07:15

Also we are family and if one of us walks in on the other, so what?

Like some PPs, I usually don't even shut the door tbh. I go upstairs where I'm unlikely to be disturbed.

This major shyness around your immediate family is weird.

HotChocolateLover · 21/04/2019 07:18

I don’t because i’m Epileptic and don’t want to be locked in if I have a seizure. We have a sign on the door instead.

reetgood · 21/04/2019 07:26

@shakespearessisters I have to say I’m coming round to the idea of a visitor lock. I had no idea people felt so strongly!

JE87 · 21/04/2019 07:36

I hate going to someone's house when they don't have a lock on the door it makes me so uneasy! So much easier to just put one on there and avoid any embarrassing mishaps!

Rubberduckies · 21/04/2019 07:41

We usually have locks, but when we first moved the downstairs loo didn't have one. My Mum visited once and my Dh walked straight in on her. Very amusing!

whiskeysourpuss · 21/04/2019 08:09

Yes, I am baffled by the 'door shut= bathroom occupied' people.

Me too... my bathroom door opens out into the hall - no idea why as there's plenty of space inside the bathroom - so leaving it open would mean it was in the way when I want into my bedroom.

Monitoring form:

Lock - yes
Use lock - no
Door closed - bathroom not in use
Bin - yes
Loo brush - yes

englishdictionary · 21/04/2019 08:13

Also we are family and if one of us walks in on the other, so what?

Well o don't want anyone walking in on me in the bathroom. Yes we are family, no I don't want them walking in when I am using the toilet.

Like some PPs, I usually don't even shut the door tbh. I go upstairs where I'm unlikely to be disturbed.

Our bathroom is downstairs.

This major shyness around your immediate family is weird.

No major shyness. Wanting to take a shit privately doesn't indicate shyness. It indicates someone who wants to take a shit in private. We don't need a label for it.

MontStMichel · 21/04/2019 08:17

We took the locks after DD2, aged 3 locked herself in the bathroom and was screaming hysterically for an hour. We tried to explain through the door how to unlock it, but she was beside herself. Eventually, we realised there was else to do but break the door down. Just as DH got a chisel to force the door open - she managed to unlock it herself. Never again!

Now DC are grown up with partners coming to stay, we had new doors put in with locks that can be opened from the outside!

Grosserygangrule · 21/04/2019 08:29

We only have one loo whic is downstairs, we don’t have a lock, if just dh and ds no one even bothers to close the door, if others here if door is closed someone in there. Pretty simple.

Took lock of originally when ds was little so he couldn’t lock himself in and never bothered to replace

Original poster
Frazzels · 21/04/2019 09:32

I have one you can unlock from the outside with a coin, which is helpful incase my toddler locks herself in but this hasn't happened yet luckily. I don't think it's being shy around family really, I couldn't care less if DC see me on the toilet, I do care a bit with another family member I live with but I know if I didn't have a lock I'd still be sitting there worrying about someone barging in, I don't like the noise or sudden movement, I'm a bit weird like that

OP posts:
MsMightyTitanAndHerTroubadours · 21/04/2019 09:32

but if someone walks in it's not like they are going to stop, make themselves comfy and hold up cards marking you out of ten, they'll just turn on their heel and leave

My ILs are bathroom precious and no matter how often they were told the door was difficult to close, never mind lock they'd be up there crashing about, heaving the door, bang bang, bang, the door does actually have a lock, with a key so the banging would be replaced by clicking as they tried to lock the bloody door before admitting defeat and hauling the laundry basket over to barricade themselves in.

We are like chippychips ...none of our doors close properly! Old victorian house with an individual knack required for each individual door :o

SushiGo · 21/04/2019 09:37

We had a dodgy lock when our DC were small, my 1yo managed to lock me, her 2yo brother and herself all in to the bathroom and I just couldn't get the stupid thing back open again.

Thank god, my neighbour was home and had a spare key. She came round and managed to force it open for the outside.

We had no lock for a while after that!

We've got one now, but it's up high where small kids can't reach and it rarely gets used.

Original poster
Frazzels · 21/04/2019 09:38

Also I've learnt now to knock if they don't have a lock but as a child there was always a lock on the door at home so when visiting other people's houses I did walk in on a few people and yes I did just say sorry and walk out again but I still remember the embarrasment I felt and it's enough to now dislike (maybe not fear) doors without locks

OP posts:
VanGoghsDog · 21/04/2019 09:39

@Sparklingbrook

Well, I was responding to the person who said she does fear that.

The wedge is a good idea, you can get ones for burglars which emit a high pitched screech if activated. I have one to take to hotels. I might pop it in the loo for guests to use. That'll be fun!

Butteredghost · 21/04/2019 10:53

I bought a door-wedge to take about with me.

FissionChips you are a bloody genius! Adds door wedge to shopping list

Ghanagirl · 21/04/2019 10:55

@aLilNonnyMouse
I’m guessing friends don’t want to see you on the toilet.