To lock the front door even when we are in?

[fitofthegiggles]

Not always but often enough that OH comments that I'm a bit obsessive about it and tbh I feel I'm a bit overly cautious.

Context is we live in a pleasant suburb in a peaceful neighbourhood where there is a very low crime rate. However occasionally over the years people have had someone walk in through their unlocked front door in broad daylight - even when they were in - pinch stuff and scarper. It was quite a scary experience especially for one old person who was living alone. As I say this has happened maybe twice in the 12 years we've lived here. My thinking is "better safe than sorry".

So I lock the front door (it's one of those ones where you have to use the key on the inside rather than a "snick lock" but I leave the key in the door for emergencies) if ever we are in the back garden or upstairs or I'm leaving the (now adult) kids at home and they are upstairs.

They and OH sometimes raise their eyes and think I'm being OTT and to be honest I feel that in terms of crime rate statistics in our area it's not really necessary and I don't want to be that person who thinks there's danger lurking everywhere (I don't believe there is) or give that impression of fear to the kids.
But I still do it.

DH does my nut in as he's forever just leaving it open, and our house is more 'townhouse' style so front door and entrance hallway is down 2 floors if I'm up in my office or bedrooms etc. He grew up in a quiet village but we're now in a city and whilst I always lock the door without thinking, he just doesn't think to do it.

I live in a tiny rural hamlet that’s hard enough to find if you’re looking for it, not the kind of place you accidentally happen upon, and if my OH is away, I leave the front door wide open almost all the time, just in case something happens to me (drown in the bath/whatever) so the dogs can get out/raise the alarm/forage for food in the woods, etc.

When the police started publishing crime rates by area many years ago, I looked up where I live and there are 0.25 crimes per quarter, “traffic offences”, which I presume means one person a year gets nabbed driving home drunk from the pub.

Having said that, the gate to our horses’ field was stolen one weekend after we’d left it open after moving the horses to their other field. 2 days later it was returned and hung on its hinges - clearly someone had just borrowed it, not nicked it.

This. I have cctv and motion senses and all my neighbours are retired and home all day. I also have lots of big dogs.
I live rural in a nice town location but small town and very low crime rate.

however, I have just put my car on the drive after a trip to the garden centre - I have a roll of anti weed matting, a nice bucket, scissors and have just redone the side of the drive and then I’m having a break (on here) and I’ve chucked everything on the hall whilst I do so as I don’t want to go out and find some chancer has taken them off my drive.

a neighbour had three bags of compost delivered (huge things) and they put them at the end of the drive (not massively long but long ish) - he went in the back garden and made room in the shed - 15 minutes tops and the bags were gone - cctv showed a Range Rover driving by - two blokes got out and heave ho on the boot and off.

I’m always going on at my sister to lock her door- she is alone with the kids a lot and has had someone just walk in and walk out with cash and games consoles in the night.

My cousin left her door unlocked (in an nice expensive area) and someone came in and had both the cars off the drive- an Audi and a Mercedes.

My door locks automatically when you shut it (it’s one of those old fashioned ones)

Well I certainly wouldn’t have lied when I took out the policy, so presumably we met whatever their requirements were at the time?

But yes, I can check.

Regardless of the type of lock, I don’t believe the doors have to be locked when you are in the property. Does no one ever open a window in the summer?

This

My door is locked when I’m in or out and I live in a secure building but we all do the women especially.

I wouldn't ever leave a door like that unlocked. In fact, I replaced the front door on this house, for this exact reason. I don't want to be coming in at night, closing the door and for it to still be openable from the outside. Lots of my neighbours have also done this.

I always lock my door as soon as I come in. DH points out that someone could come through the side gate and in the back door which I almost always leave open for the animals but I still lock the front door. DDog goes mad if someone comes in the garden so I’d hear that.

Locking the door is completely normal. Plus sensible.

Oh and I have one like this in addition to a double lock. You can open the door like 2 inches and then hopefully the hounds will come
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Restrictor-Reinforcement-Security-Restrictors-Forceful/dp/B0BSFXKXH2/ref=mp_s_a_1_36?crid=KHGLVHHZ4L29&keywords=door+safety+chain&qid=1690465222&sprefix=door+safety+chain%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-36

you just slide it across and it stops the door opening fully. The kids find it easy come in unlock the door slide across or lock which is a bit more of a faff

I also assumed front doors were always "locked" from the outside and could only be opened with a key. We have a Yale lock that can be opened from inside but is fully locked unless you leave it on the latch.

I didn't used to bother until a drunk staggered into my house. Clarified my thinking somewhat.

I’ve actually just remembered another one - I had just had a miscarriage when the lady next door had a baby. I was wallowing at home on the sofa and the midwife walked through my door for a home visit! I actually said “is this a joke!”

the one bloody day I didn’t lock the door🤣

although think I would still have been pissed if I had to answer the door to her anyway

I think more surprising than the locking/unlocking debate is the people who cannot get their heads round the fact that not all doors are the auto locking sort.

I had a very scary and potentially dangerous situation happen to me a few years back and thank goodness my door was locked. Now the front door is locked all the time unless we are walking through it.

I don't but I don't think it's unusual

Eh?? The doors are usually locked. I said that they are because of my DC. I was just answering a specific point about people that hide car keys out of sight, we deliberately don’t do that. That has absolutely no relevance to rapists.

But women have had sexual violence used against them to get car keys. I’d rather they just took the car and left me alone.

I can understand they exist, I don’t know why anyone would have them as they’re such a pia.

I don't lock it. I don't even bother to lock my car overnight. Never had a problem, although 40 years ago in a London flat someone reached in through an open window and stole some loose change.

I'd be locking myself out on a weekly basis if I had this! When we had a new front door fitted the salesman suggested this and I specified that I need one you have to physically lock.

It's not so much a question of someone nicking something, it's having people come in to your house while you are in and causing you harm.

My sister-in-law nipped out to put her bin out, and came in to find two men in her house waiting for her. They hit her a bit and stole some valuables. It could have been far worse.

Ours locks from the outside when you pull the handle up, and from the inside when you use the key to lock it. We lock it at night, and also when our daughter is home as she's autistic with developmental delays and may wander off.

As for living in a quiet cul-de-sac, we did in our last house, and several cars, parked on the driveways just outside the houses, had stuff pinched from them one night.

My DH is OBSESSED with locking the door, he also hides from anyone even the postman.

I get in trouble for leaving the door unlocked but I get sick of him locking me in then I have to faff around with my keys.

We do get travellers roll through town and things not tied down have a habit of vanishing when that happens. Once there was a knock at the door, I didn't answer it as it wasn't the post man, we weren't expecting anyone and I had just got the baby to sleep. Then I heard the door open so I yelled 'woah' (automatic reaction) and jumped up to run to the door and it quickly SLAMMED shut. By the time I got to the door there was no one of the street so they must have bolted or jumped in a car.

We had a fancy carriage style pram (not silver cross but a polish cheaper version, would look like silver cross through the translucent door glass) that we parked just inside the door that they must have been after (the only thing visible) but they didn't get it.

Other than that (and one overly entitled family member who would let themselves in randomly which to be honest annoyed me enough to consider locking it) I have never had an incident in 15 years of someone trying to just walk in.

When I lived in the UK (towns and cities), I always locked my doors when home but I never do here. We do have a large breed dog that’s very vocal whenever a stranger comes down the drive and we usually keep the main gate closed so people can’t just drive in. More for their safety than anything.

I’ve got so used to feeling secure that I often forget to close the windows downstairs when I go out, even though I’ve locked the doors. 🤦🏻‍♀️