Do you lock your door when you’re in the house?

[patienceandprudence]

Inspired by another thread (no prizes for guessing which).

I was surprised that people lock their doors sheen inside the house. Granted, we live in a small house, but it’s in a ‘bad’ area. We never lock our door when someone’s in, except at night if someone remembers. I’d say we leave it unlocked while out a good 30% of the time so if the kids come back or someone drops by to visit they don’t have to wait outside.

In my area this is the norm, and most of the time if you knock you’ll just be called in and told to walk right in next time. We tell anyone the same, even the regular delivery-people know that they can open the door and put the parcel in if it’s open.

Years ago, I used to have a woman with mental health problems nearby. For some reason, she used to love to wander into my house, and would refuse to leave! I had to call the police once to get her to leave. Since then, I've got thumb turns on my front & back doors & I always lock them when I'm indoors. It's also a good idea to prevent burglars from coming in & pinching things- you may never even know they've been in, until something goes missing!

Err. My houses doors don't have locks at all. For a variety of reasons this really doesn't matter.

@Peacocking

Err. My houses doors don't have locks at all. For a variety of reasons this really doesn't matter.

I guess you must live somewhere very remote?

I live in a flat. And I work from home.

I lock my door every night and if I don’t go anywhere during the day, it stays locked all day (deadbolt, chain etc) unless I have a delivery, whereby I have to unlock it to take the delivery. It will then get locked up again before I go to bed.

I live on my own and just feel far safer this way. I don’t live a really rough area, but it isn’t super nice area either. Somewhere in between - average I guess. I’d just rather not take the chance.

@Peacocking

Err. My houses doors don't have locks at all. For a variety of reasons this really doesn't matter.

mafia boss?

keep a pack of hungry, roaming, guard grizzlies on your property?

minimal life with zero possessions?

live in an island fort?

Didn't used to, then met 3 burly, dark suited men coming up my stairs. They insisted they were looking for a flat ( nope, private house).

I think they were debt collectors, but was so shocked at the time, I didn't even think to ask.

Bit of a tangent, but the talk of yale locks (because they are a bit generic) has just reminded me of the time we parked up in my mum's very, very old Fiesta, and it happened to be next to another very, very old Fiesta. The owner was staring forlornly through the window at her keys. We got out, and she, very politely in desperation, asked my mum if she would mind trying her key in the door.

30 seconds later, she was thanking my mum and on her way.

@TheNestedIf

Bit of a tangent, but the talk of yale locks (because they are a bit generic) has just reminded me of the time we parked up in my mum's very, very old Fiesta, and it happened to be next to another very, very old Fiesta. The owner was staring forlornly through the window at her keys. We got out, and she, very politely in desperation, asked my mum if she would mind trying her key in the door.

30 seconds later, she was thanking my mum and on her way.

Do you live in the 1920s?

I used to leave my door unlocked then a neighbour was broken into during the day assaulted and they kidnapped his girlfriend. They only drive a few streets then chucked her out of the car. She was shaken but thankfully physically unharmed.
I always lock my doors now.

TheNestedIf
I remember many years ago when my dad got a company car with remote central locking. He was walking down a street clicking it and thought he opened up a completely different car. I think after standing there opening and locking a strangers car for a couple of minutes he decided to get a steering lock for his!

We live in an elevated house so the burglar would need to walk up 29 steps and walk past the kitchen window before brazenly walking into the house. Last burglary around here was about twenty years ago so I only lock the doors at night or if my husband is away. In london it was a different matter...

@patienceandprudence

Maybe I’m not so concerned because we don’t have much to steal. There are 2 TVs, one older than my adult DD, phones which everyone has with them… they can take my bag but good luck getting any money!

That doesn’t matter you are irreplaceable.

Badabingbadabum

It wasn't a Ford, was it? I think I had a friend with a Mondeo who did similar. 🤣

House insurance would be invalidated if a person was burgled whilst on the loo and the doors were unlocked.
If I am in the room I might have the back door open, but I shut and lock it even just when I nip upstairs. Takes 2 seconds for someone to grab and run.

Porch is open during day.....main door locked...in the evening both porch and main door locked until morning

Are you mad?! I lived in a v safe part of London. The upstairs flat left their door & main door constantly on the latch. Until a homeless guy walked in on their 10 year old who was home alone . Also did you never see the famous CC TV footage of 2 guys with axes trying peoples front doors in a Leicester street at 3am?

Hell yes I do!!!!!

Are you in the northeast by any chance?
I lock ours at night or if we go out always but not usually through the day.

I usually lock mine as I work from home and don’t want delivery drivers opening it and chucking stuff in. I also lock it whenever in-laws are due to visit as they just wander in rather than knock and wait which really winds me up

Our front door has a Yale lock that locks automatically when you close the door. Thinking about it, I've never lived in any house/flat where you have to actively lock the door, have always had the kind of lock that locks itself. I cannot imagine relaxing on my sofa knowing that anyone could just push the front door open and walk in!

Not with the key. But you can't open our front door from outside without the key.

If it could be opened without then I'd lock it.

First thing I do when I walk in the house is lock the door behind me

Locking your front door is really easy. People could just walk into your house if you don’t lock your front door.

Why wouldn’t you lock your front door?

I always lock it & I have widow restrictors on a lot of the ground floor windows. I wouldn't say I live in a high crime area but I'm not going to take any chances.