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.

Yes, the front door is always locked every time I come back to the house. I’m semi-rural, outskirts of a village, but I don’t view that as a magic force field re burglary!

Many moons ago I House-sat for a good friend who was going on holiday - they were rural. I went out mid-morning on a weekday to get a food shop. Came back and something seemed “off” as soon as I entered the house. Heard glass breaking at the back (ornaments knocked over). That was them escaping out the back door. It was before mobile phones were accessible to all. They’d cut the phone wire to the house - nearest “neighbour” was a pub about 10 mins walk away and had to go there to phone the police.

Lived in London for 15 years, always locked doors to whichever property I lived in.

Long answer is, doors are always locked here!