Back door warning

Re back door keys, we never leave ours in the door. It is on a keyring that only the family know and left in a place we all know in the house. I've often heard of folk having windows broken, and they then reach round and turn the key, once back door is open they empty your house.
Unfortunately, where I live, there have been two instances of neighbours being broken into while they have still been in the house,so I don't have my front or back door unlocked - ever. Unless I am working in the front or back garden, but if I am out front back door is locked and vice versa.

We are also in the process of having 80 flats built near our street and since that will be a whole lot of people I don't know, there is no option for me to have any of my doors unlocked.

My area is an ok street but with some dodgy bits locally. I just would never take the chance. Even our local Health Centre is like a fortress with shutters etc when closed. If you have an evening appointment, you are admitted through an intercom system.I do think though Health Centres have slightly different security issues due to medicines and drugs being held there.

Last year we had parked up to walk the dog in a quiet spot. Car boot was up as we had changed into Wellingtons and I put my handbag in there out of sight.

A you g pleasant family with 3 children parked and the husband asked my husband where to walk as they were new to the area.
There was a hedge in front of the car and DH walked to the front of the car to show him the way. They talked on and on so I with dog started to stroll towards the river. DH eventually joined me and we mentioned it was strange that they hadn't followed us.

Got back to car and handbag gone. Women must have taken it whilst man was keeping DH talking.'
Always take bag with me now which is annoying.

I always lock my back door, and am glad I do as someone came to the front door last week, saying he was delivering a bathroom suite, when I said I hadn't ordered one he asked me to confirm my address etc and said yes that was the right one, but when I asked to see the paperwork he said it was in the van and made a quick retreat, there was no van in sight. I immediately thought of the back door, luckily it was locked, but I would love to have had the double protection of Anya's dog (who seems to be hanging from the ceiling) for comfort.

I would never leave my purse in my bag, but always used to carry it in my hand, till one DIL and 2 daughters told me off several times, I now have cross body bags, worn underneath my coat, unless it`s a hot day and no coat.
Anya, I don`t think there`s a free beer sign, but there must be an as yet unspotted sign that says dump your beer cans and spirit bottles down our passage!

My neighbour had her handbag stolen from her kitchen table once. She was so shocked that someone could just get in and take it from under her nose like that, especially as her house is mid-terraced. The Police thought that the thief would have started at one end of the terrace, and jumped/climbed over the garden walls to try all the houses. We are at the end of the terrace and our door would have been locked (with a large dog in the house!) because we were both at work.
Nelliem I too always wear my bag across my body - it has a front clasp
, so it gets worn back to front! I am amazed at the number of bags I see in supermarket trolleys - often open with purse, car keys etc fully on view. And often in an unwatched trolley, while the owner is perusing the shelves

To be honest a lot of simple precautions over home security make a lot of difference. It can certainly help prevent opportunist thefts etc but if someone is determined to break in they will manage it.

I was very suprised, when a friend of mine had her bag stolen in Asda, that she had just left her hand bag tucked underneath the shopping bags in the trolley.
I wear my bag across my body and usually zipped up. At least makes it a little bit harder to grab and run off with (and it saves hunching a shoulder!)

I still see a lot of handbags in supermarket trolleys.

I always kept the back door locked in our old home, and often locked my poor other half out, because I went indoors and automatically locked the door! After locking him out several times, he always made sure he had his front door key with him when gardening. Here, we do leave our back door open quite a lot, certainly in the summer time, and sometimes way into the late evening. I think it is something we must think about in future.

Blimey number have you checked there isn't a sign offering free beer outside your house?

Many years ago I walked into my kitchen just as a man stepped in from outside. I said, "who the hell are you?" And he said " Sorry love, I've come about the cooker, looks like its the wrong house." I yelled, "Get the hell out of here! " and he scarpered. It was such a shock and the back door is always locked now, even in a heatwave.

I always try to keep the backdoor locked if I am not about in the kitchen.

The keys will be in a kitchen drawer though so if needed in an emergency they can be grabbed to get out through the back door.

Oh Anya! your dog has terrified me!

As a social worker I have on several ocassions seated the visitor at the end of the room and myself near the open interview room door or had a minder with me. In newer offices the doors for the staff opened outwards. Panic buttons under the desks.

We`re always being told by our kids to lock the back door, but just can`t be bothered until 10pm. The summer before last, daughter and I were sitting in here when a man walked in through the back door. We assumed it was a family member till he walked through, looked at us, said "Scusey" in a foreighn accent and walked out again. Well, staggered really, he`d obviously had a few. A few days later, our daughter and her hubby were visiting, we were sitting in here chatting, when a strange (drunken) woman came in through the open door, SIL said "Wrong house mate", she didn`t say anything, just turned and made her way out again! I know we should keep the door locked, but in the daylight hours it seems so unnecessary when we`re in the house. If I needed to go upstairs and there was nobody else down then I`d lock it.

There's a scam in which two thieves are involved: one coming to the front door who engages you in conversation while the other slips round to the back door, pops in and takes anything he can lay hands on.

mumoftwoboys at least you weren't dragged into the room by a large man with an enormous carving knife telling you 'I am Jesus Christ, come to save the world. Sit there and listen to me!'
I did, until his wife managed to slip out and dial 999.
One of the more frightening episodes of general practice in the Blackcountry in the 1970s!

I have two friends in their 80s who seem to have one set of keys. If one is at home and the other goes out , the one going out doesn't take keys. I am always baffled that they can't imagine one being ill and not being able to open the door.

roses and chelseababy

Mine too....

When I was a GP I visited a Mum and daughter who both suffer from schizophrenia. They unlocked the door, let me in, locked the door and put the key in her handbag around her neck. I was rather unnerved to put it mildly, agreed to a script for antibiotics which weren't really necessary and was greatly relieved when they let me out!!! Didn't visit that house again alone!

And mine!

tanith our window cleaner does exactly the same!

I often forget to lock one of my doors when I go shopping but we're pretty rural so less risky than when I lived in a city in the UK.

Please don't leave your key in a locked door when you go to bed or are home alone.
Hang it up on a hook higher up on the door, if you want it nearby for emergencies.
My mum was living in warden assisted sheltered accommodation and left her key in the locked door. Unfortunately, she had a stroke and the warden tried getting in with her key but couldn't and precious time was wasted in getting to her.

Anya, that's a great photograph and made me lol. I have 3 similar looking dogs here currently - they'd sort any burglar out, they'd be so delighted to have another human in the house they might just knock him over in their joy, thus rendering him unconscious.

He's gorgeous Anya, and clearly in charge of the household ?

A friend came to the front door the other day, and after I let him in he locked the door behind him. Never had someone else lock my door. Living out of the village we do tend to be a bit casual especially as our three big dogs are usually running round the garden.

Very cute Anya, couldn't be less guard dog like than the one I had at the time though!

Our back door is always propped open enough to let the stupid cat in and out as she refuses to use a cat flap.
I do lock it when alone and I need to be upstairs. We also take the keys out the lock and put them in a safe place when we do lock it.