Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not want the front door to be double locked?

184 replies

Keke94LND · 07/09/2021 10:18

So I live in London on the ground floor of a terraced house, there are two other flats in the building and there is a sturdy front door to the building, and then obviously we all have our own front doors for our individual flats.

My boyfriend and I never bother double locking the front door, but the neighbours always do, even if they just pop our for five minutes. I find it annoying, that the door is always double locked when I get in from work, especially as it is getting darker now, mainly because having to unlock the door twice adds an extra 10-15 seconds onto opening the door and, especially as you have to bend down to unlock the second lock, I'm paranoid about getting mugged or attacked from behind. I'd like to be able to get into the building as quickly as possible without faffing about. My boyfriend also has an expensive bike that could easily be stolen whilst he's faffing about unlocking the door.

On one hand I understand that the neighbours do it for extra protection to stop burglaries, but on the the other hand I think the risk of being mugged/attacked is actually higher, especially as the front door is very sturdy anyway and would be pretty hard to break into, plus we all have extra front doors as well.. so AIBU?

OP posts:
Holskey · 07/09/2021 10:51

Yabu. You cba with the extra few seconds to unlock the double lock. I get that, it's the kind of thing I'd be lazy about. But the risk of you being mugged, having a bike stolen etc is just you trying (and failing) to find an argument to justify your preference (because you recognise "I can't be bothered" isn't a good reason).

It's not that much faff for the extra security.

Mybestgirl · 07/09/2021 10:51

Double lock the door. It’s not about what suits you and your boyfriend only.

Sparechange · 07/09/2021 10:52

I also live quite close to where Sarah Everard was abducted (although that case is not a good example of the safety of the area, but that’s an aside…) so I assume we are in similar areas

If so, the statistical chance of a random attack while unlocking your door is much, much lower than the chance of being burgled

So it makes much more sense from a crime prevention standpoint to be double locking the door

The one and only time I’ve been burgled was when they got through the communal door which hadn’t been double locked, and then smashed, and I mean literally smashed, my front door down

The police said that burglars getting into flats are much more bold than with a house

Once they are past the communal door, they can take a sledgehammer to a flat door without anyone seeing, and be straight in
Where as if they did that to a door of a house in view of the pavement, they would be seen

So it really is important to double lock communal front doors, because they are potentially targeted more my burglars, because of the rich pickings of several flats once they are in

ShrimpBarbarian · 07/09/2021 10:55

My boyfriend also has an expensive bike that could easily be stolen whilst he's faffing about unlocking the door.

Where do you live where a bike can be stolen while someone is unlocking a door???? (I know you said London, but bloody hell)

noprofessional · 07/09/2021 10:56

Tbf you're making it sound like it's just an inconvenience to me and I'm just being lazy, when it's not about that... although I do understand it's about their properties. This isn't anything I've actually complained to my neighbours about either btw

That is how you sound in your posts though.

Original poster
Keke94LND · 07/09/2021 10:59

@Holskey

Yabu. You cba with the extra few seconds to unlock the double lock. I get that, it's the kind of thing I'd be lazy about. But the risk of you being mugged, having a bike stolen etc is just you trying (and failing) to find an argument to justify your preference (because you recognise "I can't be bothered" isn't a good reason).

It's not that much faff for the extra security.

Lol wtf, I don't know how you've come to the conclusion that fearing safety is 'just as excuse for laziness' .. if you're facing with your back to the street, bent down to unlock one lock, then you get up to unlock the other lock, still with your back to the street, it's not unreasonable to worry that someone might come up behind you, it's not an excuse, but maybe you've never been attacked or followed home 🤷🏼‍♀️
OP posts:
HeddaGarbled · 07/09/2021 10:59

This is about perception of risk, I think. House burglaries are much much more common than assaults by strangers, aren’t they? But when your personal fear is assault by strangers, it’s difficult to weigh up the comparative risk.

Original poster
Keke94LND · 07/09/2021 11:01

@ShrimpBarbarian

My boyfriend also has an expensive bike that could easily be stolen whilst he's faffing about unlocking the door.

Where do you live where a bike can be stolen while someone is unlocking a door???? (I know you said London, but bloody hell)

Bikes get stolen whilst people are on them
OP posts:
Original poster
Keke94LND · 07/09/2021 11:03

@HeddaGarbled

This is about perception of risk, I think. House burglaries are much much more common than assaults by strangers, aren’t they? But when your personal fear is assault by strangers, it’s difficult to weigh up the comparative risk.
I spose this is a good way of looking at it.. I've never been burgled, but I have had things happen to me when alone outside, maybe someone who's been burgled would fear that more because it's happened to them
OP posts:
Kiduknot · 07/09/2021 11:03

Can you have a casual meeting and perhaps agree that it’s double locked at night perhaps? But accept that if they don’t want to, then after calling a meeting you need to play your part in making sure it’s double locked all the time.
It’s more understandable when you explain you were chased home once. Explain that to the neighbours.

We only double lock at night.

AmelieLovesAutumn · 07/09/2021 11:03

@Sparechange

I also live quite close to where Sarah Everard was abducted (although that case is not a good example of the safety of the area, but that’s an aside…) so I assume we are in similar areas

If so, the statistical chance of a random attack while unlocking your door is much, much lower than the chance of being burgled

So it makes much more sense from a crime prevention standpoint to be double locking the door

The one and only time I’ve been burgled was when they got through the communal door which hadn’t been double locked, and then smashed, and I mean literally smashed, my front door down

The police said that burglars getting into flats are much more bold than with a house

Once they are past the communal door, they can take a sledgehammer to a flat door without anyone seeing, and be straight in
Where as if they did that to a door of a house in view of the pavement, they would be seen

So it really is important to double lock communal front doors, because they are potentially targeted more my burglars, because of the rich pickings of several flats once they are in

*this

I'm sorry you had a scary experience in the past, but that's not a good reason to not double lock the main door now.

It's really really daft not to double lock main doors in flats.

Original poster
Keke94LND · 07/09/2021 11:04

@noprofessional

Tbf you're making it sound like it's just an inconvenience to me and I'm just being lazy, when it's not about that... although I do understand it's about their properties. This isn't anything I've actually complained to my neighbours about either btw

That is how you sound in your posts though.

I spose I did say I find it annoying, but what other word should I of used 🤷🏼‍♀️
OP posts:
Sparechange · 07/09/2021 11:05

If you want to mitigate the risk of being mugged on your doorstep, you are far better off getting a Ring doorbell or Nest camera installed by the door, and keeping it double locked

Visible CCTV is a huge deterrent and will give you extra peace of mind, rather than reducing security for everyone in your block

And they aren’t expensive to install

Balonzette · 07/09/2021 11:06

If your area is that dangerous that you're scared of being mugged while unlocking the door then YABVU. I'd want it double locked too

Meloncurse · 07/09/2021 11:06

bent down to unlock one lock, then you get up to unlock the other lock

Where exactly is the second lock, it'd have to be at floor level to involve bending down surely? Normally locks are at waist level or eye level

FiveShelties · 07/09/2021 11:06

Perhaps the other residents have been broken into and are trying to make sure it does not happen again.

Original poster
Keke94LND · 07/09/2021 11:07

@Meloncurse

bent down to unlock one lock, then you get up to unlock the other lock

Where exactly is the second lock, it'd have to be at floor level to involve bending down surely? Normally locks are at waist level or eye level

It's at the bottom of the door, well not right at the bottom, it's like shin level
OP posts:
Balonzette · 07/09/2021 11:07

It's actually really selfish of you to not lock it and put everyone at risk for the sake of 10 seconds.

takehomepay · 07/09/2021 11:07

Is it possible their home insurance could be void if they don't lock both locks?

Bluntness100 · 07/09/2021 11:08

I think that you need to balance your fear of being mugged in thay 10 seconds with your neighbours fear of someone breaking in at night. Which fear is the most likely to happen.

Maybe you could ask them to leave it single locked to a certain time in the evening then commit to double locking it for the night and explain about your mental health issues surround it?

takehomepay · 07/09/2021 11:09

Having been burgled and mud tracked all through my carpets, I would err on the side of caution too.

Sparechange · 07/09/2021 11:10

It's at the bottom of the door, well not right at the bottom, it's like shin level

Can you get it moved up the door a bit, and get some hinge bolts and a London bar added to make it more secure..?

Meloncurse · 07/09/2021 11:10

Ah shin level is a bit odd. Any possibility of changing the locks so it could be double locked without having to have a lock at shin level which seems a bit unusual?

Lokdok · 07/09/2021 11:11

YABU. Insurance.

Iggly · 07/09/2021 11:11

If the fear is such that 15 seconds would make that much difference then you really don’t live in a safe area (or at least you don’t think so). So why live there?

Do you have a decent security light at the front door?