House doors, why do we lock them?

[TheRealCJ]

So, I was really bored yesterday and started thinking (OH MY GOD!). Why do we actually lock the doors to our houses when we're going out? I mean, if someone wants to rob your house it's not likely they'll just walk away if the door isnt open. When people rob houses they usually have tools to break in to your house, and I very much doubt they'd even check the door before breaking in.

Short: Why do we lock our house doors?

Short of having an angle grinder, ain't nobody getting into my house.

 

[Yureina]

My neighbors are all wierdos who have spied into my windows and then asked strange questions about my hobbies. I also saw one looking like he was writing down the license plate of my car outside. Also, one of my neighbors apparently is ex-CIA.

Point is, my neighbors are wierd enough that I keep my house locked even when I am home.

 

[Downfall89]

Many would-be burglars actually just walk up to the front door(s) and windows to see if there's a possibility of easy access and if not they walk away. The more determined among them however wouldn't bother checking and would just get in regardless.

This.

Is this thread really needed?

 

[Kortney]

So, I was really bored yesterday and started thinking (OH MY GOD!). Why do we actually lock the doors to our houses when we're going out? I mean, if someone wants to rob your house it's not likely they'll just walk away if the door isnt open. When people rob houses they usually have tools to break in to your house, and I very much doubt they'd even check the door before breaking in.

That's not really true. Many thieves literally do go door to door and try to find an opening. Not very classy ones, but I've seen kids do it around here. An unlocked door is asking to be burgled.

Also, it helps on a psychological basis.

 

[Reverend Del]

Most house burglaries are opportunist. Simple. Locking your door is a simple way to deter those. Professional house thieves (them as rob house contents not them as rob the actual property) will not hit houses that may not be empty for long, they'll hit you when your on holiday, as there's no chance you'll arrive home at a random point. To them a locked door is as much a deterrent as a super soaker. But there's not much you can do to deter them except be poor.

Amusing fact, it's easier to get in through my windows than it is through my door. Good luck finding anything worth stealing though, you'll have to navigate the Pit.

 

[Daipire]

My old man said that "A lock's job is to make the surrounding houses look more appealing."

 

[Queen Michael]

One word: Batman.
...
Hm...
I guess my usual catchphrase doesn't make much sense here, huh?
I guess I'll have to try a regular reply.
We lock house doors because on some level, it makes us feel safer. It's an undisputable fact that a house the door of which is locked is always going to be marginally safer than one without any locked doors.

 

[Eponet]

Because you just need to make your house more inconvenient than the last person's

 

[AbsoluteVirtue18]

I lock the door while I'm in the house. What can I say? I'm paranoid.

Plus, I hate when people walk in uninvited.

 

[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..."

 

[Flames66]

You don't lock your door to keep professional thieves out, you lock it to discourage them and to keep out opportunist.

 

[neoontime]

To keep a false sense of mind but also that opening a locked door is more susupicious looking for anyone so it might help.

 

[Unrulyhandbag]

"Locks keep honest people honest"

A lock will only do its' job to keep those who aren't seriously considering it away. If you're seriously considering breaking into a house nothing will stop you.

I very much doubt people will go up to your house, check if the door is locked and then walk away again ^^

No, but they'll have to break a window or door or something to break in, which leaves evidence. In fact, a lot of the time, criminals will go through a neighbor and look for cars missing from driveways. If they're gone, they'll check to see if the door is unlocked. If it is, they can walk in, no turned heads. The easiest kind of theft is the kind where no one suspects theft...

EDIT: Oh, and your home security system doesn't work when the door's unlocked.

My home security works without the door being locked.

take a ridiculously stereotyped scenario that the police love to pretend is common:

Junkie needs a fix, dealer asks him to get some home electronics instead of cash. The addict isn't prepared to break into houses but if he just tries enough houses that look empty chances are someone's will be open and he can grab a stereo, PMP etc.

You want it to be your door? depending where you live this could be a reasonable or stupid risk.

In reality though my dad has a smallholding in the countryside and lives a fair distance away from anyone else. he thought it was pretty safe to leave the door unlocked until someone came in to steal his store key and robbed him of his farming equipment.

 

[Kortney]

Yes. I've always found the sound a burglar makes while slowly picking my door lock, very comforting and soothing...

Haha, no I mean leaving the house knowing your door is locked is comforting for some illogical reason. One day I forgot to lock the door and the whole day at school I was freaking out, I ended up leaving early to lock it. There was no real logical reason to do so, but I felt like I had to.