House doors, why do we lock them?

[joshuaayt]

It's symbolic, mostly. A door is, universally, an entryway, and so, by locking it, you convey your desire to not have people just barging in. Now, if someone wanted to get in, and didn't appreciate the significance of your gesture?
They'll get in. It is a single, thin, wooden barrier, after all.
They do defend against accidental break-ins, though- for example, som drunk person can't mistake your door for theirs, and mosey on in.

 

[Unrulyhandbag]

I never lock my door.

You want to come in uninvited, you go right ahead.

If you can make it past the trip wires alive, you damn well earned my Xbox.

If you set your house with sadistic booby traps, and someone breaks into it and dies horribly.

Would you get the blame?
Because you could be all "Woah, we wasn't meant to be there, so technically it's not my fault..."

In most countries yes it's illegal to booby trap your house; even where defending your property is legal you have to actually find someone intruding not lurk in expectation. If companies can successfully be sued because crooks fell through fragile roofing then your razor trip wires, bear traps and punji pitfalls are lawsuits waiting to happen.

 

[Lukeje]

I never lock my door.

You want to come in uninvited, you go right ahead.

If you can make it past the trip wires alive, you damn well earned my Xbox.

If you set your house with sadistic booby traps, and someone breaks into it and dies horribly.

Would you get the blame?
Because you could be all "Woah, we wasn't meant to be there, so technically it's not my fault..."

Yes you are responsible unless you post a warning about the traps at some point where someone entering would see them. After all, they're supposed to be a deterrent.

Edit: Well, this is the rule for watchdogs anyway. And they're a sort of booby trap.

 

[SwagLordYoloson]

Well if zombies attack, why make the job easier for them ?

 

[Daipire]

I never lock my door.

You want to come in uninvited, you go right ahead.

If you can make it past the trip wires alive, you damn well earned my Xbox.

If you set your house with sadistic booby traps, and someone breaks into it and dies horribly.

Would you get the blame?
Because you could be all "Woah, we wasn't meant to be there, so technically it's not my fault..."

Yes you are responsible unless you post a warning about the traps at some point where someone entering would see them. After all, they're supposed to be a deterrent.

"WARNING: Indiana Jones-style boulder trap inside."

I'd like to think that the crooks would have a laugh, thinking it's a joke.
But I'll have the last laugh.

MWAHAHAHAAA

(I should really spend more time outside...)

 

[Cowabungaa]

I mean, if someone wants to rob your house it's not likely they'll just walk away if the door isnt open.

Actually yes, it is. By far the most burglars are opportunists and they simply don't have the time to break through proper locks. They want to get in and out as quickly as possible to avoid getting attention. If they notice a house is properly locked down they'll check the next house.

We had one break-in and 2 break-in tries before. The break-in happened because, lo and behold, someone forgot to lock the door. The tried break-ins were all thwarted by a simple set of bolts on the inside (you put them on on the inside so even when someone can open the lock they still can't open the door) and a certified lock.

The best defence against burglary is simply making sure they can't get in, not guns. Your average home owner isn't important enough a target to go through a bucketload of trouble (and noise) to get into.

 

[Funkysandwich]

A friend of mine works in a place that makes and sells door, and customers ask him all the time "How secure is this door?"
His standard response is "About 10 times more secure than any one of your windows."