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.

So by that logic you don't lock your door at night time either?

The risk of being robbed is fat greater than the risk of being stuck in the house unable to unlock the door in a fire.

One of the things I have in the past found surprising about Mn is the number of people complaining about friends or family letting themselves into their houses -- someone says 'Well, don't give people your keys!' and the OP clarifies that these visitors don't have a key, they just walk in through an unlocked front or back door.

I have Yale electronic digital door locks, I never even think about it as it locks it self automatically 🙂

Best things I ever bought.

I like to lock the doors. My DP doesn’t and never has his keys on him so gets annoyed when I’ve locked him out! But I like to feel safe when at home so I keep them locked. Chances of something happening (especially where we live) are so low, but not a risk I want to take.

Always.
I once heard the gate, followed by the door handle being tried. Got up expecting it was teen DS who had forgotten his keys, only to see a flyer delivery bloke leaving and peering into my car on the way.
Obviously combining the flyer round with door checking.

Well if you’ve had walk ins in your area I would

I just get one of those yale locks put on though, less hassle

In the usually not locked camp but that is because the dog is at the gate barking up a storm to any not family visitors.
The dog is a rather sucessfull actor, I like human but could not finish a whole one has been a hit for years .🤷

I’d think more likelihood of needing to get out quickly than someone getting in and stealing stuff while you’re in the house. Our door needs locking with a key when inside so if someone moved the key that could delay getting out. Depends where you live and what your door is like though. Going into someone’s house while they are in is such a high risk and low reward crime for the burglar that I can’t get that excited about it.

Yup. This says it all. Why in the fuck would you not lock it? The doors of your home are your protection.

I live in flats and I lock my door unless some has just gone out - but that's more laziness that anything. My parents door is never locked family members just walk right in - low crime rate area

We lock ourselves in too. But it’s just me and dc so I tend to be more vigilant about thing like this anyway. Better safe than sorry!

When I shut the door it’s locked to outside people

It’s automatic

I do this too, seems like a sensible thing to do

I live in a much higher risk area than you but its good sense and a hood habit.

You dont really know the crime rate unless you are checking withthe police every m9nth.

Opportunistic cerime is probably the greatest risk for you so protect yourself

Do people generally lock their cars where you are or leave them open?

You're right OP but there's no way to win this argument with people who think you are 'over cautious' because the only way to 'prove' you are justified is to leave it open and wait for something bad to happen! I keep mine locked and if DH/DC moan I just remind them that it's a tiny compromise for them to have to unlock it versus me never feeling safe in my own home (we have been burgled before so not an unfounded feeling) so it doesn't hurt them to do it for my sake even if they don't feel it's necessary.

We only lock it because of our toddler, but we didn't before he started threatening to escape. We live on a main A road, in the busiest part of the village, you would have to be pretty brazen to just walk in if you weren't expected and we have big dogs which helps too.

Our back door is just as accessible (yard has a heavy gate the toddler can't get out of but it doesn't have a lock), more private as it's off the main road and our back door is wide open most of the day without us worrying about it

But then I left my car keys in the door of my car for a good 2 days before next door pointed them out to me and it was still there untouched, so that says something about the level of opportunistic crime in our area (or maybe just shows how shite my car is 😂)

TBF most people I know around here are the same, when I pop to someone's house I do a quick knock and walk in (obviously the ones I know who are ok with that), never locked. And when you see people going into houses they're often doing the same, not getting keys out

Let's say you're having a shower and someone tries to break in whilst you're in there.

A locked door should make it harder for someone to get in - i.e., you might be out and realise what is happening before they make any moves towards gaining entry. Leaving it unlocked is basically an invitation.

I don’t during the day and at night always leave the car keys somewhere obvious downstairs. Much happier for them to come in and take the car keys and clear off than come up stairs and beat me up until I tell them where they are. Obviously the alarm is put on before we go to bed.
The cars are insured and can be replaced. My cranium can’t be fixed if stoved in with a hammer as happened to someone not far away.

Not to say I think others are over cautious, we did where we used to live (but our door did lock automatically too), and my parents do (again back in our home town). I think it's very area dependent, also whether you have big scary dogs etc

Our front door has a Yale lock that locks automatically when you close it. You have to actually press a button to keep it in "unlocked mode"

We also have a top and bottom mortice lock that I only lock when we go out.

I will only lock it if I can get out one handed if an emergency like a fire

Check that your front (and back) doors and all windows have locks that comply with your insurance. I am fairly certain that most insurance companies won’t cover you unless you have compliant locks, So a lock that requires you to have to lock it yourself from inside, really doesn’t sound as if it covers most insurance requirements.
A few years ago, a prominent celebrity’s house was robbed by people who stole a large amount of jewellery. The insurance company turned down the claim, because the windows (which hadn’t been used to gain ingress) did not have the correct kind of locks on them!
Your DH might be unbothered by your over-caution, but he might think differently once he realises that your house and contents insurance is null and void if your locks don’t comply with the insurance policy…

I always lock mine with the key left in it too. I don’t want strangers or unwanted visitors just wandering in!

We’re in a high rise flat, 24/7 reception, main building door & lifts need a residents fob or unique code for visitors, cameras on every floor. My flat is always locked! Even if one of us is in while the other goes downstairs to throw the rubbish.