Lock Your Doors

Why is it so hard for people to lock their doors?  I get into an argument with my wife at least once a week over this. 

I am a large male with extensive training in all sorts of dangerous things.  I lock the door.  So why would a woman who weighs almost half of what I weigh refuse to lock the door?  It's completely moronic.  Idiotic.  Indefensibly stupid.

In Santa Monica, a wealthy beach town, two different people on different days were murdered in their apartments.  There are two killers on the loose.  Both times, the murderer walked in through an unlocked door.

In an affluent area of San Diego, three savages walked into an apartment.  Then then repeatedly raped two college girls.  Again, the apartment's front door was unlocked.

What the Hell is wrong with people?

You walk inside, you turn the dead bolt, you move on.  It's simple.  It takes less than three seconds.  And it's a lot more comfortable than wearing a seat belt.  (You do wear one of those, yes?)

I am all for people buying guns and training their dogs to attack unwelcome intruders.  Heck, keep a machete next to your couch.  But often in life the most effective way to avoid harm is the cheapest and easiest thing you can do. 

Unless you want to be raped or murdered, lock your damned doors.

Comments

[KipEsquire]

"extensive training in all sorts of dangerous things"

Like law. ;-)

[Aaron]

I think the odds of a horrific crime occurring are pretty remote, with or without the door being locked. But there's no question that simply locking the door can prevent a great many unwanted intrusions and opportunistic crimes.

A number of years ago, an opportunistic criminal went down my street trying every door, and stealing items from any house that was not locked. He was drunk and unarmed, but he was entering occupied houses so there was plenty of room for a nasty situation to have arisen.

And then there was the time, in broad daylight, I was over at a friend's house and a naked guy, running from the police, ran through the house. A lock of any sort would have prevented him from entering, although I would have been left without a colorful anecdote. (Dogs? I had to actively restrain her rather large dog who was very displeased with the three intruders, naked guy and two police officers, who had entered his master's space.) Naked guy's back story? Let's just say "Don't do drugs."

[JR]

I often point out to my female friends that our small community is not safe and they need to be careful. (As a former prosecutor and brand new defense attorney, I know way too many scary things even if I can't share them with others.) I once started to share a story with a friend (of a case that happened here before I ever even went to law school) and she didn't want to hear it. Her complaint was that she was a single female living alone and she didn't want to discuss this topic anymore. Now, I can understand not wanting to live in constant fear, and she shouldn't, but, sticking her head in the sand is not good either. There are horrible people in this world and that is a reality can't be ignored.

[Mike]

I didn't know you opened your own firm.

You gotta let your friends know when you do this stuff.

ABM - always be marketing.

[AJ]

I likewise don't understand this. I live in a condo in a city that is not known for it's crime, in a location that is relatively up-to-do, and not somewhere anyone would feel in danger.

One night while reading a book, a notice a man is watching me through a the door. When he notices me, he starts trying to kick it in - it was locked.

I don't know who he is, or where he came from, or why he was at my door, but it was quite apparent that he has ill-intentions. I'm still terrified to think of what would have happened if the door was unlocked.