One of the hardest things I do here is trying to teach people to lock their car doors.
Especially the Germans- they tell me that they are officially discouraged from locking their car doors over there.
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One of the hardest things I do here is trying to teach people to lock their car doors.
Especially the Germans- they tell me that they are officially discouraged from locking their car doors over there.
For no other reason but to drive the point home.
Lock your doors! There is no such thing as, "It can't happen here".
Less than 2 miles from my house in an affluent town where nothing ever happened.
http://www.newsweek.com/2015/09/11/c...me-366889.html
Before.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/02/01/...t.courtesy.jpg
After. The news said, "died from smoke inhalation." They were raped and burned alive!
https://thenypost.files.wordpress.co...y=90&strip=all
There's no reason for the doors to your home to be unlocked, EVER. Unless you're actively moving something in or out, the first thing you should do is lock the door behind you. It takes a second and is an excellent form of habitual deterrence. My mother in law is currently living with us, as she does from time to time. I really had to lecture her on this, but finally got her to comply a couple of years ago.
Personally, I never had a problem with making my family members think they were potential victims, because they are. How much that potentiality is minimized is up to them. I prefer live loved ones with hurt feelings to the alternative.
Never in my life have I ever (deliberately) left my front door unlocked. This was inculcated into me by my father when I was a child, too, so that helps.
I do, however, tend to leave my car door unlocked, mostly because the lock is old and shitty and tends to be more trouble than it is worth. Perhaps I need to reevaluate that decision, even though I don't keep anything of value in that car.
Fortunately, (or not), being raised in the boroughs of NYC pretty much insures that you have a built-in, lifelong habit of locking doors.
I am frequently amazed by tales from my neighbors hereabouts regarding how they never locked their doors and many still don't. I just can't do it.
Door closes. Door locked. Done. Wife is the same way...with very few exceptions over the years, one of which was the other day with the dog out on the deck and her about to be busy elsewhere in the home.
Regarding old and shitty locks on cars...
My 21yo 4Runner was the same way, with the problem starting with the rear gate lock, proceeding to the driver's door, and ultimately impacting the passenger door. I thought I was looking at replacing 3 door locks. Then, due to a flash of inspiration (and some desperation), I grabbed a can of WD-40 and squirted it liberally into each keyhole. After sitting overnight, each lock started working again and has done nothing but improve since.
Worth a try if you haven't done so already...
Chris
A methy dude from the big city started doing "knock-knock" daytime burglaries in a "nuthin' happens here" area near me, a few years ago.
He got away with this routine EIGHTY-SIX times or so, before a suspicious person noted his plate number and called him in:
1. Knock on doors in upper-working class neighborhood during working hours.
2. If someone answers, give bogus story about looking for non-existent friend's house.
3. If no answer, try door knob.
4. If locked, walk away and try another place.
5. If unlocked, go to bedroom, grab pillow-case from bed, fill up with anything good from bedroom area: Jewelry, cash, narcotics, small firearms, electronic devices, marital aids, etc.
6. Calmly walk out and drive away.
His time on target? By his own reckoning, something like two to three minutes.
LOCK YOUR FREAKING DOORS, ALREADY.
Besides taking too much "Vitamin M", this bird was pretty sharp. His reasoning was that the neighbors might notice the commotion or the damage while he was inside and clip his wings. He was quite aware of the large amount of personally-owned firearms in houses, and actually said he didn't want to "get shot by some hillbilly".
It should also be noted that several victims did not notice the entry and thefts for a period of hours, or even days, later.... :rolleyes: