Do you lock your doors? Car, House?

[Maine Mary]

I've learned to lock my car doors because I have an automatic lock on it, (and I actually drive to places where other human beings reside------Wooooooohhh :scared: ;-) ) But I've never locked my house door. In fact, during the 6 years I've lived here, I don't think we've ever had a key. I doubt the realtor had one either because as I recall, we just went in. Anyway, if there ever was a house key, I've never seen it.

But with our new home remodeling, I now have doors I can lock. This is so cool! No more latch locking the German Shepard and 38 in w/me during showers (Hitchcock was just too good!) :crazy: Yeah, I'm slightly paranoid, but I'm originally from NJ so give me a break! :-)

Most people around here don't lock their homes and think nothing of it. We're all loaded (in more ways then one) and have lots 'o dogs and guns. I wonder why our violent crime rate is so low? I'm getting a little off subject here, so sorry.

Anyway.....


Please don't give specifiics as to where you live, (state woulld be fine) but I'm curious.... do you feel the need to lock your car and home doors?

[CanuckAmok]

1. Locked house and vehicles, one alarm in each.

I don't know how many Canadian doors Michael Moore tried for Bowling for Columbine, but we've been victims of crime too often to trust peoples' good intentions anymore...

No guns in the house, though. Wouldn't dream of that.

on edit: we just lock up when we're out, not when we're home.

[radwriter0555]

27. I spent a FORTUNE on massive professionally installed locks and a

comprehensive security system for this new house, including custom security doors, using the steel mesh, NOT bars. I took ALL the bars off the house, because that crap is just tackly. The steel doors look very calm, and blend right in, no prison feeling.

I spent about $4000 on security, because here in the historic West Adams, I thought it would be a little risky. BUT, I don't even use the security system; have never had one tiny indication of a problem, and there is a guy across the street who watches the neighborhood... safe as kittens.

Besides, we have 3 dogs who put Mrs. Cravitz to shame. Then we have Woody the lab/pit next door who watches the street from the second story landing and makes SURE nothing funky is going on!

[radwriter0555]

28. BTW, just for the record, I think car alarms are silly. I've yet to hear

of one foiling a robbery... and more often than not, the people who own em don't know how to use em. NOTHING more irritating car alarms going off at all hours, no one around.

I leave my cars unlocked, no matter where we are, unless I have shopping or valuables in them.

[Blue_State_Elitist]

2. yes on car and house

I live in Tustin, California. We lock our cars and house because both have been broken into.

[peterh]

11. Just up the road from ya in Los Alamitos…

Never been broken into…period. But why test fate…we lock everything.

[madrchsod]

3. no to both

i don`t even have the keys to the doors.got good neighbors and three dogs. if we leave for any amount of time some in our family checks the house..i don`t have alot of "good stuff" to steal....

[Melsky]

4. Sometimes

We live out in the desert. I lock my doors when I am sleeping. I'm not that picky about locking them when we leave the house though. We never lock the cars when they are in the carport at home, but when we go to town we do.

In case anyone is thinking of coming to rob us, look out for the scorpions and rattlers on your way in!

[boilerbabe]

18. Your artwork is killer!!

I just went to your site and saved a bunch of pics, since I couldn't get to the next link to buy them!! (my computer has been acting up, I hate internet explorer!!)
They are so vibrant!! It's hard to explain, but it's like static/movement!! I am a former art major, that kind of lost momentum, but, I would certainly love to adorn my living space with some of your stuff, if I can afford it, anyway!!

XXXOOO

[Demobrat]

5. I have been a city girl all my life.

Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco. You bet I lock my doors.

[HEyHEY]

6. Depends

Even in the city there are certain places I don't bother. I was living in New Brunswick once and I went to the mall with my friend, he got out of his car left the window rolled down, and threw the keys on the front seat...then we walked into the mall...I was astonished

[Old and In the Way]

7. Never......

I hope I never have to either...

[Coffee Coyote]

8. yes

We got robbed twice (in 2 different houses) in broad daylight when we lived overseas. When SOMEONE WAS HOME. They walked right in our naively habitual unlocked doors while no one was looking. That feeling of violation created a new lifelong habit in our family of locking any and every door there is even if going to the mailbox..

I draw the line at alarms though - neither my car nor home has one. I think that is paranoid on a higher level than even I, or past experience, can summon.

I am grumpy. Trolls always give me gas. (See NFL-GOP thread) :urp:

[anti_shrub]

9. I sort of do....

I lock car doors because my best friend was hyper obsessed with people locking doors and he got his license first. I got into the habit from riding with him and its just a reflex now.

As far as houses, we never really locked our door, but then our doorknob was half-broken for YEARS anyway. Techinically it would lock, but a well placed shoulder would open it so we usually just left it open. Finally got it replaced this summer and I probably lock it 50% of the time now.

[MercutioATC]

10. Front door locked, back door wide open all night (during the summer)

Garage doors closed (on openers, so they can't just be lifted from outside) with the keys in the ignition in both the Honda and the Porsche.

[FloridaJudy]

12. Actually, I'm the Opposite

I've learned the hard way NEVER to lock my car! Most every car I've ever owned was a piece of junk, and I never have anything valuable stashed in there. I've had to replace a lot of $500 rag-tops and $200 windows before I decided that any thieves who wanted to help themselves to battered paperbacks, screwdrivers, broken plastic toys, and fast-food containers could help themselves.

I ALWAYS lock my house door, on the other hand. Not that I have anything terribly valuable to steal (no buglar with a lick of sense would go after a few thousand books and a bunch of twenty-year-old appliances), but because I value my own skin. I don't want to come home some day and find some low-life standing in the middle of my living room holding a knife and screaming "Is this all you've got?"

[ButterflyBlood]

13. I lock my dorm door while i'm sleeping

otherwise I leave it open. I lock my car door even though I don't really have anything valuable in it. I don't have a house.

[VOX]

14. City dweller. Lock 'em up tight.

Lucky so far...

[leftofthedial]

15. locked and alarmed

and I keep my fly closed too

[boilerbabe]

16. Sometimes, when I think of the disgruntled ex boyfriend...

and also the fact that I live right behind the Mohegan Sun casino, which has expanded. anyways, about a year and 1/2 ago, someone stole my wallet out of my truck , parked in my driveway, left the door open, and left my CDs (so I figure it is someone who likes maybe country music or something haha). I actually think it was a work friend of mine who used to get really really drunk and he just maybe got mad because I threw his ass out unceremoniously that same night.

I used to live in southern CA and there, you might as well not lock your doors, because that just causes them to smash the shit out of your windows. Been there...

It's a mixed bag, anyway, I grew up in Maine, and even there, you would be surprised by what people would do to steal your stuff, especially now, with all the mills shutting down.

XXXOOO

[SOteric]

17. I live in a large, major metropolitan area

And I've had to put up with creepy dudes who seem over-interested in my comings and goings, and one genuine confirmed nutcase stalker.

Damn straight I lock my doors. I double and triple lock my doors. I have alarm systems in place.

[grasswire]

19. pacific northwest..

...small city of about 35,000. Our apartment is ground level, just off a busy street, and we have had some silly thefts off the porch in the past few months. Flower pots, a bag of potting soil, etc. In the summer I leave my front door wide open until about 11:30 p.m. When we go to bed I shut and lock all the windows and lock the doors.

I also make VERY SURE that all outside lights are working. I'm thinking of adding a motion sensor light in one area.

[radwriter0555]

29. LOVE motion sensors. I have those on 2 potential entry points on the

sides of the house. They're comforting... Course,luckily it's the neighbors cats that trip them once in a while, but they're THERE and they work!

[Gingersnap]

20. car no, house yes

I live in LA, but on a cul de sac and I know all my neighbors. I have accidentally left my purse in the car over night, CDs, etc. Never had a problem. I usually lock my car when I'm not parked in front of the house, but have forgotten too with no problems. My car is a dented, unwashed 1991 Prelude, so that probably accounts for a lot.

I mentioned I know all my neighbors. That means I know the guy next door is a sex offender. First thing we did when we moved in was to build an 8 foot high fence with deadbolt gate (car is parked outside this) and put on extra locks.

[sandnsea]

21. I lock nothing

Probably shouldn't have said that. Hope nobody can track me down! Truth be told, I haven't got that much you'd want to steal... well, now wait a minute. Maybe I do. Oh well. The only thing I've lost in 20 years is 3 crab rings and a coat. I think I'll be okay!!

[LosinIt]

22. Leave my purse in the car unlocked lots of times,no house key

Of course we have the Homeland Security force at our house and they take their jobs VERY seriously. Two Boston Terriers and a Rhodesian Ridge Bassett. One goes off and they all go off. They make such fools of themselves. Where we live there is practically no one around after Labor Day so they sometimes get a little bored and have to bark at nothing.

[LWolf]

23. Car yes.

House sometimes.

[GOPisEvil]

24. I lock EVERYTHING!

Once, when I had forgotten to lock my front door, a woman just wandered in by accident. I live on the 2nd floor, she lives on the 3rd. She just zoned out and walked right in. :o

Basically, when it comes to my stuff, I trust no one.

[arwalden]

25. Just Outside Of DC... and HELL YES... Locks, Lights, Alarms...

The whole enchilada!

== Allen

[xJlM]

26. I have an idiot for a neighbor

So yeah, I lock the place up tight. I feel sorry for the poor son of a bitch I catch breaking in, though...

[ProfessorGAC]

30. Yes, But . . .

I have a convertible and i leave the top down when it's not raining, almost all the time. I lock some important stuff in the glove box. Not that this would stop anyone determined, mind you, but neither does locking one's house door. We do have windows that can be broken.

I lock my house all the time, unless we're just next door at our neighbors' home or something. My wife always locks the car when she gets out.

I do if the top is up. It would be a little stupid to lock the doors of a ragtop with the top down, huh?
The Professor

[YellowRubberDuckie]

31. everything's locked...

Except my car...I usually leave the windows down, truth be told. I go to school in a town likened very often to Mayberry. VERY low crime. But the dorm's locked unless I'm here, and when I'm at home with my man, he has a few dozen rifles and pistols. He lives in a good neighbnorhood, but the town sucks. I feel very safe. Also, those of you who are freaked about having guns in the house with kids: If you teach them about what they can do, they will leave them alone...also, when we were kids, if we touched one without permission, we got our asses blistered. It's all about education.
Duckie

[sangh0]

32. I lock everything! Even the bathroom door

when I go, and I live alone!