Do you lock your doors?

[Luck12]

I feel that a locked door is not a deterrent to a professional car thief and is also not a deterrent to many thieves that grab stuff out of your car since a window is so easy to break.

I can see your logic for a car, but not for a home.   People have been spared murders because their home was locked and the murderer went to another home that was not locked.  Since it apparently is not so uncommon for people to leave doors unlocked, it's an advantage for those who do lock.   

[Wilson Hall]

Everything is locked. Our neighborhood has had a number of break-ins/attempted burglaries, plus more petty stuff like the theft of mail and packages. We don't fear for our safety but are aware of the lesser crimes that occur.

[Pigeon]

I have a relative who is in law enforcement told us that most of the theft that happens in our neck of the woods is from opportunists.  They very rarely will break or force a window or door.  They try the door and if it's unlocked, they walk right in.  If it's locked, they just move on to the next place.  It just makes sense to me to lock up. 

I also have watched too many episodes of Criminal Minds and CSI: Wherever to leave the doors unlocked while I'm home.  I don't want to walk in on someone who has wandered into my house because the next thing you know, Hotchner, Morgan and Reid will be gathering in my kitchen.

[MLKnits]

Always, but I leave my balcony door open all summer, 24/7, so I don't have to use AC and my pets can enjoy it when I'm at work. There's some risk someone could use that to break into my seventh-floor apartment--particularly my next-door neighbours or someone who got into their apartment--but it feels like a very small risk for a very large reward.

My hallway door and my car, though? Hell, yes, I lock them.

The philosophy I was raised with is that it's cruel to tempt someone who may be desperate. All the studies are pretty clear: almost everyone will steal if the opportunity is put in front of them and they think they can get away with it. Leaving your car or house unlocked could be that opportunity, and make it easy for someone, perhaps a young person, to do something they will regret forever. Maybe that's too simplistic and takes too much responsibility for other people's choices, but it works for me.

[PJSparkles360]

We always lock our home, just to keep honest people honest. I truly believe that if someone wanted to be in our house they would be. We almost never lock our car doors in our driveway. This past winter someone actually broke into our cars one night and took...wait for it....absolutely nothing! We drive beaters that collectively (all 4) are worth half the value of our neighbors lesser valued car. We don't leave anything of value in them ever, much less money, who leaves that stuff lying around anyways?  If the thief had broken a window to get into one of the cars we might have had to have it totaled. LOL. Is that a mustachian people problem?

[Chris22]

In general, yes, lock house and cars, but I have a convertible that I don't generally lock and I leave the top down all the time.  There's nothing of any substantial value in the car to steal.  During the day at home, I'll leave the garage door open (and the door from garage to house is always unlocked) and possibly the front door unlocked, but when we leave or go to bed, I lock everything up.  Just too easy not to.  I also know that a determined thief will get in no problem, but a determined thief would also probably pick a more lucrative target.  I'm trying to protect against the casual thief who will look for an easier target.

[sky_northern]

I live in a small town, I know lots of people that don't lock their doors. My mom's never locked her door. Only once she had someone 'break in'. There were muddy foot prints to the kitchen. It appeared they made a sandwich, leaving crumbs all over, then muddy prints to the back door. Didn't change her behavior because she figures if all they are going to take is food, they must need it. I do lock up but I live on the same block as a known drug dealer that will take electronics on exchange so there is a few people that will opportunity poke around my area of town.

I don't have anything of value in my car usual so I don't lock it. I've never had anything taken but I know others have had their change in the cup holder taken from their car.

Bikes tend to go missing, there are teenagers that will pick them up, ride them around and then dump them (risky riding them around, because its a small town, people will recognize their bike so they tend to dump them, I don't understand why then they take them in the first place then.)

[MLKnits]

In general, yes, lock house and cars, but I have a convertible that I don't generally lock and I leave the top down all the time. 

When my parents lived in LA, this was their policy, too--because it's much cheaper to replace whatever minor crap you may have left in the car than to pay for a slashed convertible top. Or if it was raining, they'd leave it unlocked and the windows down a bit.

[nobodyspecial]

Moved to a small town where the realtor showing us around had forgotten the keys to an empty house
"Don't worry, the back door won't be locked" - and she was right.
It's the sort of place where not only do you leave your car unlocked - you leave the keys in it in case anyone needs to move it.

[Mississippi Mudstache]

We don't lock the door to our home unless we're leaving overnight. We never lock the car door. Actually, my wife leaves her keys (along with her wallet, ID, credit cards, etc.) in the car, unlocked, every night. I ride a bike everywhere and I don't own a lock for it.

In all honesty, I dislike that my wife leaves her purse and keys in the car overnight, but no matter how many times I've tried to convince her otherwise she never, ever, brings them inside. It used to drive me crazy, but we've been married for 5 years and I'm just used to it now. As far as locking the bike and our home - I just don't worry about it. I had a (locked) car broken into when I was in college, but that's the only time I've ever experienced a theft of any kind. Not worth the effort.

[Chris22]

In general, yes, lock house and cars, but I have a convertible that I don't generally lock and I leave the top down all the time. 

When my parents lived in LA, this was their policy, too--because it's much cheaper to replace whatever minor crap you may have left in the car than to pay for a slashed convertible top. Or if it was raining, they'd leave it unlocked and the windows down a bit.

I basically do it out of laziness.  Unless it's going to rain, no need to raise the top. 

OTOH, I don't drive this car too many places, just the office and short trips to stores in decent areas.  No street parking in the city, etc.

[Bateaux]

I have u-locks for my bikes.  Gotta protect whqt is important.

[Bob W]

Moved to a small town where the realtor showing us around had forgotten the keys to an empty house
"Don't worry, the back door won't be locked" - and she was right.
It's the sort of place where not only do you leave your car unlocked - you leave the keys in it in case anyone needs to move it.

yep!   I was in the 150k population city today in the Midwest.   I had to lock the car doors at every stop and remember to take the keys with me.   Seemed weird.   I'm sure  my Mayberry town isn't  as safe as I think it is but I love living the dream that it is.   

[obstinate]

I often leave my car unlocked. My reasoning is:

• If they're gonna steal it, they won't feel bad about busting the window to do so.
• If they're gonna steal the stuff in it, I'd rather them go through the door than the window.
• There's nothing much to steal anyway. Twenty to forty dollars in small bills in the glovebox and a phone holder.

I drive a dumpy looking 2008 Prius mostly in safe places. I mean I lock it sometimes, but I don't go back to it to lock it when I forget, nor do I kick myself when I return to find it unlocked. The one thing I do is remove all the bills if for whatever reason I have to valet it.

House is locked at night. I don't take unnecessary risks with people, just stuff. If I could be certain that a burglar would never touch my wife or son, then I'd probably be fine with leaving the house open. Since no such guarantee exists, I lock it.

[Knapptyme]

Most doors on the house get locked at night, but there are unlocked paths in at all times. Any idiot trying to get into my house would at least wake the already anxious dogs which would alert me and my neighbors. Cars get locked everywhere we go, but not in our own garage. Plus, we'll leave the garage door wide open while on a walk with our dogs (usually less than an hour).

Bikes get locked almost everywhere we go, unless I forget the key. (I have a few bikes for different jobs with different locks, and I forget sometimes.) While I feel overly safe in my neighborhood, and have done otherwise foolish things (left the garage door open all night by accident), the bikes would get picked up and resold on Craigslist in a heartbeat. I have resigned myself to riding less appealing bikes because of this strange phenomenon.

[Zehirah]

Our doors are always snibbed from inside when we are home and locked when we are out.  Windows are shut if out for an extended time, key locked if away for more than a day and our sliding windows have dowel in the tracks the rest of the time so I don't have to go around shutting them all if I go out on a sunny, breezy day for a few ours.  Cars are always locked as well.  It's not uncommon for someone to walk in the front door and steal things while you're in the backyard or having a shower (shudder).

To echo others, if someone is really determined to get in, they'll get in regardless of how many locks I have on my door.  Why also expose myself to opportunists? 

For those who don't self-insure, you may want to check your insurance policies.   They usually have a clause along the lines of you must take all reasonable precautions to reduce risk and mitigate your loss.   Habitually failing to use the locks you have may be construed by an assessor/investigator as not meeting that contractual obligation.  In a lot of areas, your premium goes up or you can't even get insurance if you don't have deadlocks and keyed window locks.

[Pigeon]

Interesting. I have never seen a keyed window lock in any house.

[Big Boots Buddha]

Growing up I lived on a dead end street up a huge hill, last house on the right. I can count the number of people on two hands that came up that hill who weren't living on the that street. It was a very steep hill.

We never locked the doors except for at night when we slept, but there were some doors off the deck that might have been left open.

[zinnie]

Lock everything, always. I got complacent and wasn't locking the storage area under my house (since my yard is gated) and I got my bike stolen. Never again!

[amberfocus]

For those who don't self-insure, you may want to check your insurance policies.   They usually have a clause along the lines of you must take all reasonable precautions to reduce risk and mitigate your loss.   Habitually failing to use the locks you have may be construed by an assessor/investigator as not meeting that contractual obligation.  In a lot of areas, your premium goes up or you can't even get insurance if you don't have deadlocks and keyed window locks.

We don't lock our house unless we're going out of town. I'm almost positive that our insurance deductible is greater than the sum total of all the worldly possessions in the house -- we literally paid more for the cat furniture than the human furniture. The insurance policy is for catastrophic loss, not for minor losses/damage due to a break-in. I'd honestly be way more devastated if a burglar let my indoor cats escape than if they took any of my other stuff.

We're on the outskirts of a small-ish town, though, because we prefer the isolation. We've never gotten a single trick-or-treater on Halloween in the seven years I've lived here. But I'd likely behave differently in a more densely populated area/city.

My car is always locked, though. My car (2012 Honda Civic) is one of the more popular targets for theft, and I actually need the damn thing. I'm not too worried about it being stolen out of my driveway or the parking lot at work, but I do leave my purse/wallet in the front seat and I cannot function without my GPS (like, even if I don't need to use it, it's my mental safety blanket when I'm driving), so I lock it (it also came with an alarm that I've accidentally set off).

[Bob W]

Had my dog out for an outing last night.   I locked him in when running errands.   Weird priority.  I'm more concerned with dog being stolen than the car.   On a related note I have accidentally locked my child in the car while it was running a long, long time ago.

[Jack]

I live in the city, so I lock everything, all the time. The only exceptions are as follows:

• I leave windows open (only when I'm home), often even at night while I'm asleep. I have more than once considered getting security bars in order to feel better about doing that.
• I do not lock my convertible, because I'd rather not have somebody damage the top. I do lock the glove compartment, center console, and trunk, and do not leave anything in the car that isn't secured in one of those three areas. The other cars stay locked.

[BlueHouse]

For those who don't self-insure, you may want to check your insurance policies.   They usually have a clause along the lines of you must take all reasonable precautions to reduce risk and mitigate your loss.   Habitually failing to use the locks you have may be construed by an assessor/investigator as not meeting that contractual obligation.  In a lot of areas, your premium goes up or you can't even get insurance if you don't have deadlocks and keyed window locks.

We don't lock our house unless we're going out of town. I'm almost positive that our insurance deductible is greater than the sum total of all the worldly possessions in the house -- we literally paid more for the cat furniture than the human furniture. The insurance policy is for catastrophic loss, not for minor losses/damage due to a break-in. I'd honestly be way more devastated if a burglar let my indoor cats escape than if they took any of my other stuff.

We're on the outskirts of a small-ish town, though, because we prefer the isolation. We've never gotten a single trick-or-treater on Halloween in the seven years I've lived here. But I'd likely behave differently in a more densely populated area/city.

My car is always locked, though. My car (2012 Honda Civic) is one of the more popular targets for theft, and I actually need the damn thing. I'm not too worried about it being stolen out of my driveway or the parking lot at work, but I do leave my purse/wallet in the front seat and I cannot function without my GPS (like, even if I don't need to use it, it's my mental safety blanket when I'm driving), so I lock it (it also came with an alarm that I've accidentally set off).

Protecting my things isn't my primary concern. I don't want to come home and find someone hiding in my closet. I don't want to wake up with a killer standing over my bed.  I used to think I would feel terribly violated and maybe not able to sleep in the house again if someone broke in even if I wasn't home. But I'm trying to get over that because I live in a city where shit happens and it's not terribly unlikely that my home will someday be broken into. I was afraid I'd have to move, but love living here so trying to acclimatize myself to the eventuality. Still, I'm not going to make it easy on them and I intend to be the very last person that this happens to. So yeah, I take a lot of precautions.

[Bob W]

Be interested to know how many folks have home security systems as well?

[Rural]

Be interested to know how many folks have home security systems as well?

Not the sort you're thinking of. :-)

[BlueHouse]

Be interested to know how many folks have home security systems as well?

Not the sort you're thinking of. :-)

Alarm, firearms, and slingshot just in case

[Katsplaying]

Have had both a car and apartment broken into while living in the Seattle area years ago. Everything locked always. No exceptions.

[Shamantha]

How does it work with insurance if your home/ car is not locked? Here in The Netherlands you only get compensated if there is damage that shows it was a break-in, not just a walk-in. So leaving your door open not only leaves you vulnerable to opportunistic thieves, but will ensure the insurance will not pay out either.

I lock my car and double lock home and bike (on a night out the bike gets triple locked, chained to a fence). Had one small window and one large window smashed in 2 attempted break-ins, and one creepy guy who just sneaked in when the front door was ajar due to building activities, pretending to want to warn me my front door was open when I surprised him.

[Letj]

I always lock both my vehicle and the house doors.  My wife often leaves her car unlocked when parked in our driveway.

During the day, while the dogs are wanting to go in and out of the house, we only do the "doorknob" lock.  At night, we set the deadbolt as well.

Why take a risk when it only takes a second to flip the lock?

Well my theory is that if I'm home and awake and cars are out front a home intrusion is extremely unlikely.   If I'm not at home I like to leave the door unlocked for two reasons.    If you are a home robber and you find the door unlocked perhaps you think "damn,  someone must be home?"     I also have sliding glass doors times two on the back.   I live in a very private location so anyone can walk up and break the glass and be in quicker than using a key.    So the lock is more a psychological thing than any real deterrent. 

I must admit that I recently put a home security sign out front.   My son sells home security and gave me a sign.   I'm thinking about putting up a fake camera as well.   I'm sure if I lived in an area prone to home thefts I would buy a home security system with cameras and remote monitoring.   

Wouldn't it be nice if we lived in a world were no one needed to lock things?    But of course we don't.

Yes we do. In most places outside the US nobody locks their house but then again they don't have as many valuables.

[Sunnymo]

Yep, everything all the time. One of the first things I do moving in to a new home is to sort out the locks.

I have been burgled twice (18 months apart, two separate locations) and have had cars broken into. As a female I lived alone for a number of years so it was also a personal safety habit.

The very minor hassle of dealing with keys is nothing on the hassle of dealing with insurers, law enforcement etc and the emotional effects of strangers in your home.

[MMMaybe]

I live in Manila (Philippines) so yes on all counts. I have chosen to live in a condo for additional security and lock all the doors when I am in the apartment and out.

There have been occasions when there are workmen in the building and I have heard someone trying the door.

I also have to be mindful of security when I am out and about.

[Shamantha]

Yes we do. In most places outside the US nobody locks their house but then again they don't have as many valuables.

This really is a strange comment. http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/stats/Crime/Burglaries

[alsoknownasDean]

I lock the car, the front door to my apartment, and there's a security gate out the front of the apartment block that's locked too.

It's just habit really.

If I didn't lock the place up, I wouldn't go admitting it on a public forum either :)

[patrickza]

Leaving a door unlocked is something I can't even fathom being from South Africa. A typical street facing house here has a 6 foot wall, electrified fencing on top, an electric gate to get in, 2 big dogs inside, burglar bars on all windows, sliding gates on all doors, and something called a rape gate between the living areas and sleeping areas of the house.

Sadly, I'm not exaggerating here. The criminals run free and the rest of us build our own prisons. I myself refuse to live in a street facing house, so I will only stay in what we call a complex. It's basically a compound with 8 feet walls and electric fencing, security cameras and guards who patrol at regular intervals.

I truly long for FIRE so I can move somewhere safe and relaxing so I can sleep easy and enjoy walks without fear.

[Mississippi Mudstache]

Leaving a door unlocked is something I can't even fathom being from South Africa. A typical street facing house here has a 6 foot wall, electrified fencing on top, an electric gate to get in, 2 big dogs inside, burglar bars on all windows, sliding gates on all doors, and something called a rape gate between the living areas and sleeping areas of the house.

Sadly, I'm not exaggerating here. The criminals run free and the rest of us build our own prisons. I myself refuse to live in a street facing house, so I will only stay in what we call a complex. It's basically a compound with 8 feet walls and electric fencing, security cameras and guards who patrol at regular intervals.

I truly long for FIRE so I can move somewhere safe and relaxing so I can sleep easy and enjoy walks without fear.

That sounds similar to upper-middle class homes in Brazil: 6-8' concrete walls, with bits of broken glass mortared into the top, big, scary dogs inside the walls, and bars on all the windows. I stayed in Brazil for 3 months, and my sister lived there for 2 years, and I enjoyed the time I spent there, but honestly, I can't imagine spending the rest of my life there. I never give personal safety or security a second thought at home, and that's the way I prefer it.

[Retired To Win]

About a week ago, around midnight, I was sitting at my pc when I heard knocking at my back door.  What the hell, I thought.  Sure enough, there was some stranger back there with some cock-and-bull story trying to get me to open the door for him.  No way.

Imagine if that door had not been locked...

[Bob W]

Leaving a door unlocked is something I can't even fathom being from South Africa. A typical street facing house here has a 6 foot wall, electrified fencing on top, an electric gate to get in, 2 big dogs inside, burglar bars on all windows, sliding gates on all doors, and something called a rape gate between the living areas and sleeping areas of the house.

Sadly, I'm not exaggerating here. The criminals run free and the rest of us build our own prisons. I myself refuse to live in a street facing house, so I will only stay in what we call a complex. It's basically a compound with 8 feet walls and electric fencing, security cameras and guards who patrol at regular intervals.

I truly long for FIRE so I can move somewhere safe and relaxing so I can sleep easy and enjoy walks without fear.

that is some scary shit!    Move asap my friend.     What about Germany?  Anyone know about that?   Good god I live in Paradise!

[GuitarStv]

Leaving a door unlocked is something I can't even fathom being from South Africa. A typical street facing house here has a 6 foot wall, electrified fencing on top, an electric gate to get in, 2 big dogs inside, burglar bars on all windows, sliding gates on all doors, and something called a rape gate between the living areas and sleeping areas of the house.

Sadly, I'm not exaggerating here. The criminals run free and the rest of us build our own prisons. I myself refuse to live in a street facing house, so I will only stay in what we call a complex. It's basically a compound with 8 feet walls and electric fencing, security cameras and guards who patrol at regular intervals.

I truly long for FIRE so I can move somewhere safe and relaxing so I can sleep easy and enjoy walks without fear.

This is the reason I'm often a bit left of center.  Not because I'm a bleeding heart liberal . . . but for purely selfish reasons.  Reducing income disparity, lifting people up out of poverty, providing education, and aid to those in need over the long term makes a country safer to live in FOR ME.

[iris lily]

Living in LA?  Yes

If I lived in Missouri?  No

I live in the urban core in St Louis, MO and you can bet that I lock house and car each time. We have a club for the car. One time when I didn't use the club, my car was stolen.

[Slowdown]

Lock car - always. Otherwise it would be stolen almost for sure because it is parking on the street.
Lock bike - always outside, never in the courtyard, because I just do not think my neighbors will steal it.
Lock house - the housedoor itself has an oldfashioned doorhandle and a simple lock without a key (somebody must have lost it years ago).

But the houses' entry is not facing the street but the courtyard. The yardgate and each apartment has a more modern door with a safety lock that cannot be opened from outside without a key when it is shut.

So I lock my apartment sometimes, when I am away over night or for vacation. If it is locked it is even more difficult to get inside with the help of burglars' tools - but it is still possible, so I take this little risk and trade it in for more convenience.

I never lock the courtyard, neither does any of my neighbors.

[Mrs.LC]

Car is kept in a locked garage and house is always locked.  We live in a nice mid western suburban neighborhood but you just never know who is out there.   

[Slowdown]

Be interested to know how many folks have home security systems as well?

Fire detectors in the two major rooms.

[Clean Shaven]

House always locked up when away from home. Cars always locked when parked away from home, don't bother locking them when they're in the closed garage.

For those of you who don't lock your cars - - do you leave your registration or insurance paperwork in the car (showing your home address)? Do you also leave a garage door opener in the car? Think about that...

[Bob W]

House always locked up when away from home. Cars always locked when parked away from home, don't bother locking them when they're in the closed garage.

For those of you who don't lock your cars - - do you leave your registration or insurance paperwork in the car (showing your home address)? Do you also leave a garage door opener in the car? Think about that...

Good point --- Yeah,  I don't have a garage door opener.  But I do have identifying paperwork. 

You all have me so totally freaked out that I must now consider locking my house.  (I didn't have a key for 3 or 4 years)   That and perhaps it is time for the security system.   (I have the sign out front already)   So for like $30 a month I could have a more secure setting.   

I hate it that it has come to this.   Just hate it.   

Car break ins,  burglaries and home intrusions should be treated right up there with murder.   I know if someone broke into my home while I'm there I would take lethal action.

The cost these criminals cause society is beyond measurement.    It has to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars per year in security,  policing, insurance, etc..

[r3dt4rget]

Living in LA?  Yes

If I lived in Missouri?  No

You would still lock up in Missouri. There is no shortage of small-time burglars, even in rural parts of Missouri. The first year I moved here I had someone walk up to my house and try to get in the front and back door. At the time I had my screen door locked, and they broke it off the hinges to access the main door. Luckily they got scared off when I woke up and turned on lights.

[Sid Hoffman]

Car break ins,  burglaries and home intrusions should be treated right up there with murder.   I know if someone broke into my home while I'm there I would take lethal action.

I don't think I agree that a car break-in is right up there with murder, but there's a lot of states which have a form of castle doctrine which basically says if somebody has gone to the effort of breaking into your house while you're home, the assumption is they mean to kill you & your family and you may respond with deadly force.

[Bob W]

Car break ins,  burglaries and home intrusions should be treated right up there with murder.   I know if someone broke into my home while I'm there I would take lethal action.

I don't think I agree that a car break-in is right up there with murder, but there's a lot of states which have a form of castle doctrine which basically says if somebody has gone to the effort of breaking into your house while you're home, the assumption is they mean to kill you & your family and you may respond with deadly force.

Yeah that is a great doctrine.   I believe in Missouri now that extends to everywhere.   In other words if you feel someone is a significant danger to you or your family at anywhere at anytime you are welcome to send them to their maker.   

[Beaker]

For those of you who don't lock your cars - - do you leave your registration or insurance paperwork in the car (showing your home address)? Do you also leave a garage door opener in the car? Think about that...

I had a friend whose house was broken into through the garage door. Although I think it was somebody just driving down the street with a pile of opener remotes, trying every one. They got a hit on his, and the interior door wasn't locked, and that was that.

After that he wired a switch into the power line for the garage door opener. Of course it has to be on when you've taken the car, so that it'll work when you come back, but any other time you can flip the switch off and make the opener inoperable.

[mskyle]

I've only been "pretty good" about locking doors in the past, even though I live in a fairly dense urban neighborhood in a ground-floor apartment. But a couple of weeks ago someone pushed in the corners of half my screens trying to test if any of the windows were unlocked, so we've been more careful since. I've forgotten to lock the house door lots of times (and sometimes not noticed for days), and I routinely forget to lock the car.

The burglar who wrecked our screens was pretty lazy, though - there was a window air conditioner unit on the other side of the house that he could have pushed in and gotten into the house easily. Don't know if he was just too lazy to walk around the house or was spooked by how close the house is to the neighbors (and their security system) on the other side. Lucky for us though! We bought cheapo window alarms - I'm not going to try to make the house impregnable, just slightly more difficult to break into than my neighbors'. Also the family upstairs has a SAHP and there are elderly house-bound people across the street who spend a lot of time looking out the window so there's usually someone within sight of the house.

[Rural]

House always locked up when away from home. Cars always locked when parked away from home, don't bother locking them when they're in the closed garage.

For those of you who don't lock your cars - - do you leave your registration or insurance paperwork in the car (showing your home address)? Do you also leave a garage door opener in the car? Think about that...

It's illegal for us not to carry insurance and registration paperwork, but ours shows a PO box anyway. No garage, let alone one with an opener, so that's not an issue.