Lock people vs. No Lock People?

Sharon McKnight SPHR

I read an article in the NY Times about how there are lock people and no lock people. Never thought about people in those terms before, but the article (see link below) was interesting. It left out one valuable piece on information, though. If you don't lock your house and someone walks in and takes your belongings, then your insurance won't pay. Reason enough for me to be a lock person.

So, which are you -- a lock person or a no lock person?

Sharon


[url]http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/garden/14nolock.html?hpw[/url]

NaeNae55

I don't know if I am a lock person or not, but my hubby is a serious lock person. If he had his way we would lock the door while we are working in the yard 10 feet from the front door. I refuse to lock the door when I am working om the yard, but I do lock it when I leave the house, even if it is just for a little bit.
Another concession I made was to stop leaving my purse by the front door. He insisted it was an invitation to come in and steal. I don't agree with that thinking, but since his protectiveness is one of the things I like best about him, I just see this as a side effect and keep my purse at least 10 feet from the front door.

plynnl

I am a no lock person. I will lock my car if I am carrying something valuable which is not often and I don't even have a key to my house. I know, weird.

I have 2 very big dogs!

sonny

I was a no lock for years, now a lock. . it is, unfortunately, a sign of the times.

cnghr

I came from a household where the doors were never locked, but since I moved out on my own at age 17 I have always kept my doors locked. I was a single mom for many years, and while I never lived in a high-crime area, I did live next door to a guy who sold pot so there was a lot of foot traffic around there day & night and some of the characters who showed up gave me the creeps, so I just developed the habit of always locking the door. I've also had family members and acquaintances who thought nothing about walking in unannounced, without knocking, so that was a secondary reason for keeping the door locked. We also always lock up the truck when we get out of it, whether or not there's anything of any value in there.

Nevada HR

I am a lock person. Watched too many episodes of Law and Order and the like.

NaeNae55

Even if you don't watch Law and Order I can't understand leaving your door unlocked ALL the time (as the article said 'lock people' would.) True, a determined person will get into your home no matter how much you lock it up, etc. However, most crooks are not that determined. They are not looking for YOU. They are looking for an easy crime. I have seen videos of a car theif going down a street full of parked cars and trying each one until one of them opened. That is the car he stole.

I don't expect my house or car to be broken into, and it is true that I do more locking than I would on my own just to ease my hubby's mind. However, if someone does want to rob me I see no reason to make it easy for them.

Just my 2 cents.

ACU Frank

No lock - I don't even know where my house keys are. And my car keys are in the ignition right now.

cnghr

I agree, Nae, about not making it any easier for them. We had a rash of thefts from unlocked cars in our neighborhood some years back, and all the thieves had to do was wander down the street late at night checking to see if car doors were unlocked. They were able to walk off with stereos, CDs, tools, and I think in one case a woman had even left her purse in her unlocked car overnight! A co-worker of mine had a fairly expensive jacket stolen out of her unlocked car in our parking lot during the workday before she figured out that yes, even in our relatively small city, opportunists will take your stuff if you make it easy for them to do so.

joannie

I was a no lock person until about 15 years ago. I parked in front of our church hall and left my purse in the car when I ran in for 5 minutes to check on something. Got back to the car and my wallet had been taken out of my purse. Seriously, I was in the church no more than 5 minutes. Having to replace driver's license, credit cards, etc. was such a pain, I started locking my car.

Sharon McKnight SPHR

There was a story in the news here a few years ago about a man who ran into a convenience store and left his car unlocked, engine running, baby in back seat, and the car was stolen. He swore he was only in the store for a few minutes. Talk about a hullabaloo. They did find the car pretty quickly, though, baby still inside, no harm done to the infant. Bet nobody ever lets him babysit again.

Sharon

Paul in Cannon Beach

Lock. My wife told me its my job as protector of the family to lock up the house each night.

We don't lock our cars though. Not regularly anyways. This area is very safe and its easy to get a false sense of security.