Do you lock your doors?

Do you lock your doors ?

  • I am from the USA : yes, always (even for 5 min)

    Votes: 10 22.2%
  • I am from the USA : only for longer absence

    Votes: 7 15.6%
  • I am from another Western country : yes, always (even for 5 min)

    Votes: 12 26.7%
  • I am from another Western country : only for longer absence

    Votes: 6 13.3%
  • I am from another country : yes, always (even for 5 min)

    Votes: 8 17.8%
  • I am from another country : only for longer absence

    Votes: 2 4.4%

  • Total voters
    45

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Do you lock your doors?

This question I guess is to gauge the amount of fear you feel and danger you percieve.

Michael Moore asked this question in Canada in Bowling for Columbine, suggesting that Canada was less violent, not because they watched less violent entertainment (they don't), or because they own fewer guns (they don't), or because the have better laws,- but because they percive less danger- they don't lock their doors.

I was wondering how many of us (especially in Japan and other nations outside the US) lock our doors.

I don't lock mine all the time, and I live in California where I probably should.

Sabro
 
I always lock my doors, because I live in the capital, maybe I don't have to as I feel very safe where I live, but I think it is a matter of principle for me.

My parents live in the suburbs, and they don't lock their doors always, only when it is late afternoon.
When I was a kid my parents never locked the door, as I ran in and out of the house during daytime.

Of my friends and family from Japan, the ones in the big cities always lock their doors, and some outside Osaka don't always lock them.
:balloon:
 
I wouldnt really, but I live in London with a paranoid mother (paranoid when it comes to brake-ins..) so the doors are locked the whole time...
the funny thing is: do you know anyone who locks the doors from the inside (of a glass door) and then leaves them there for all robbers to use?
+ i dont see the point: I knew how to lockpick the simple locks aged 16 (the ones most people have installed), and if I could do that, then.. who is to say robbers cant either?
 
When I lived in Canada, not so much. Now that I'm living in New Jersey, U.S., almost always.
 
My host families in Japan made it a point to stress to me to lock the door. One day I left it half-locked (bolt wasn't securely in) and my mom sat me down for a little talk. Having always perceived the neighborhood as safe, I was a bit confused, to say the least, but I suppose the desire to be secure in your belongings is a universal thing.

In my college dorm, I never locked my door. Our room was open to anyone who wanted to come in, and there'd be days where I'd wake up to see someone playing games on my computer or printing something out. It didn't matter because not only did I feel no real threat, but I had nothing of real value...a shitty computer that I wanted to replace anyways, same deal with the stereo, and clothes. Though this one dood used to borrow my clothes...that sucked.
 
I can't say that I have ever made it a point to stress on my self or friends to always lock my doors, we hardly lock the house door unless at night time or when gone, but as far as my car goes.. I don't ever keep it locked, unless a few times when in a bad part of town...
 
I always lock my doors, but it isnt so much a security issue as it is an energy issue.

It gets hot here very often, and to save on our cooling bill, I'll deadbolt the door shut to keep the hot air out, and keep the inside cooler without having the A/C working.
 
I Have....

a sign on my door "I haven't shot anybody this week, come on in!". Because of my guns, I have double deadbolts and fancy alarm systems on my garage & house. Then there are my 2 attack cats.

Frank

:blush:
 
sabro said:
Do you lock your doors?


I don't lock mine all the time, and I live in California where I probably should.

Sabro

This begs the question, where in CA do you live? The state is as big as Japan, and there are some areas that are as crime free as Antarctica. Mostly rural. I live in the middle of los angeles, so my doors are locked at all times, even when i am home.
 
I live in a really safe neighborhood. The houses are really close together, and everyone seems to monitor everyone elses activities (to a sometimes annoying extent). Fair dinkum, coming home with your shopping in transparent bags is just asking for it to analysed and the contents commented upon by the curious and well intentioned (I think) neighbors. Sometimes I think geijin watching is some kind of sport here in rural Japan, as is train spotting in G.B.

The only reason I lock my doors is to prevent people from just walking into the house. People tend to knock just once and then open the door and just walk straight in! Too bad if you just hopped out of the shower and are walking half naked around the house! Of course they do not proceed beyond the entrance area but it doesn't sit so well with my western ideas of privacy, so these days I lock the door.

P.S. I think my immediate neighbor's family name is Takayama-Attenborough ( a lovely soul, but I wish she would stop feeding the brigade of mangie stray cats that plague the area. I think they are far more likely to steal things than the humans. "Hey, where is my gommie bag?").
 
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I grew up in Alabama and never locked my doors and even left the keys in the car. Here in Okinawa, I still never lock my doors. Even if I go to town for a bit. My wife locks the doors when I'm not at home, other than that the house is wide open. I don't have a fear that anyone could get in and hurt me, and if all they want is my stuff? Have at it...I don't own anything that is that valuable and can not be replaced.
 
Well, I live in a very small, rural town with a population of about 1000. There's hardly any crime at all here, except the occasional moonshine still, but nevertheless, I always lock my doors. My grandma thinks I'm insane and my grandpa will come over here and all but yank the door down and yell, "what's wrong with you girl?! You think somebody's gonna getcha?!" I don't care, though. I have little kids, and do not want them to be able to get out easily. Don't want to take any chances on someone coming in easily, either.
 
Generally, we lock the house due to petty burglary in the past but our neighborhood is not really thug infested. I envy most you guys. I means that your place has well 0 crime rate. I live in a city and most people lock their doors (cars, house) all the time. Leaving your doors open is like sending an unspoken message "C'mon guys help yourself to my stuff!!". As to my bedroom, I don't lock though I've always wanted to but since I share it with a younger sibling then I can't. :) We did have an attack monkey but it turned on us... 'oh so sad...'
 
I always lock my doors, even when I am in (and windows when I am out), even in Tokyo, and most Japanese also do, eventhough the crime/robbery rate is very low. I have been scolded by my wife for leaving the door unlocked for 10min the time I went to walk the dog, and she was inside !

I guess crime or gun ownership has little to do with that. It's just a matter of precautions and anxiety.

Once we had an strange old woman talking to herself trying to open our door. Another time, as I left the door open 2min to move some things outside, a cat sneaked inside the house. Nothing much to worry about though. :relief:
 
When I lived in France I never locked the door, because there was always somebody home, at night we always locked though. Here in the US I always lock, I guess it's because I live in an apartment and that all the stuff inside actually belongs to me, so I'm alittle bit more careful. Also a few times people who confuse the apartments just come in, I welcome them with my long kitchen knife :evil: :ninja:
 
sadakoyamamura said:
I envy most you guys. I means that your place has well 0 crime rate. I live in a city and most people lock their doors (cars, house) all the time. Leaving your doors open is like sending an unspoken message "C'mon guys help yourself to my stuff!!".

Well, I live sort of in the country. (I'm 5 min from town) There are only 8 houses on my street, and immediatly behind my house is a sugar cane field. Not too much to worry about here. I never leave anything valuable in the house. And my TV, Stereo, and other things are very well protected by my attack Golden Retriever...ok, he won't attack maybe, but he sounds huge when he starts barking and most of my friends are afraid to walk into the house! :)
 
Hey CCI, do you get Mamushi down there? We have them here in the forests and rice fields around Nagano Pref. They are really short and REALLY deadly. Some folks make a distilled drink using them somehow. It's supposed to really liven you up. They are about the only dangerous snakes around here.
Ever get visiting critters from the cane fields?
 

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