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barres wrote:I voted always locked, but that's not entirely accurate. I actually only lock the doors when they're closed!

Same here.

I also lock the fence gate to my backyard.

We keep the doors locked all the time!!!! If we are outside working, we lock the doors unless we are always going to be insight of the door! I carry at home at all times, inside or out. If I'm mowing the ditch or working outside the fence I carry my license. Inside the fence I don't carry the license.
We live on 5 acres and the area is full of people NOW. 2-1/2, 5, 10, etc acre tracts for miles. Too many strangers wandering around these days.

Quick, true story about a neighbor: He and his wife were on the couch in the living room "watching" TV one night. They were partially clothed. The front door was behind the couch. He happened to glance over his shoulder toward the front door. The "Old Crazy Neighbor" guy was standing inside the door, with the door closed behind him! When my neighbor asked the old guy just exactly what was he doing in the house. The old guy said "His TV was broken and he just came over to watch thiers."

They didn't have a fence, they didn't lock the door and thier 180# mastif didn't make any noise.(He probably licked the guy while he was having his ears scratched)

I'm a door locker,................,OE

stevie_d_64 wrote:

jbirds1210 wrote:I am not going to have someone walk/run into my home while I am watching my Dancing with the Stars episode.....I flat out refuse to be disrupted!

I know what I am getting you for Christmas!

A TuTu?

OverEasy wrote:...thier 180# mastif didn't make any noise.(He probably licked the guy while he was having his ears scratched)

I'm a door locker,................,OE

The dog probably didn't attack b/c he knew the guy. However, their problem, as many others, could have been prevented by merely locking the door.

I live on the edge of town and have a automatic gate at the road and my house in 300 feet off the road and I always lock my doors. My shop is about 100 from the house and I lock the house when going to the shop. Never know when I might take off walking to the back of the place. One key opens everything so I always have a key.

side note: I also have keyed locks on my interior doors so when company comes with small children I can lock the door to a room that might have a gun or a computer I do not want touched.

OnTexasTime wrote: side note: I also have keyed locks on my interior doors so when company comes with small children I can lock the door to a room that might have a gun or a computer I do not want touched.

That is really smart.

I lock my doors it's too easy for somebody to sneak in an unlocked door and surprise you,I shut my garage door when i'm mowing the back yard and now I think of it I am going to install a device on my windows to prevent somebody from outside to be able to open them more than about 4 inches,unless they break it out.And yes i carry in the house i'm disabled due to spinal cord injury and can't sprint fer a gun if a problem arises.I live about 20 miles from the mexico border and crime is big business down here

I always lock all doors unless I'm working immediately outside that door. My wife and 17yo daughter... not so much.

They've gotten much better lately, but I couldn't begin to guess how many times I've come home after getting off work at midnight, finding everyone in the house asleep, and all three entrance doors unlocked.

Since we moved Mary's business to our home, it's gotten a lot better. With clients coming to our home (most of whom are only casually known at best), she's gotten as paranoid as I am. Clients only come to the side door, are only let in by either her or me (after they ring the bell and we unlock the door), and they never set foot anywhere except the small exclusive area dedicated to business.

They are still a bit lax about locking the patio door after letting the dogs go out and come back in. I'm working on that one, but they don't realize the potential danger since they're "just right there!" in sight of the door.

I'm thinking a good practical lesson is in order.

always.. although i live in the nicer part of houston (studemont / allen parkway) you'll never catch me with my door unlocked. even when i was moving into the current apt, i locked each time i left to go get more things.

call me paranoid.

KBCraig wrote:I always lock all doors unless I'm working immediately outside that door. My wife and 17yo daughter... not so much.



I'm thinking a good practical lesson is in order.

Just my thoughts.

Back yard is fenced, so our back door tends to remain unlocked during the day. Front door is normally locked all the time unless doing a lot of in and out. I always carry at home, and the wife is never far from her XD9 either.

I live on an Air Force Base (even though the base isnt in the best of neighborhoods) there is a fence, a gate guard and a law enforcement patrol. Two nights ago I was on the phone with my wife (I am currently deployed to Iraq) and someone banged on the window and tried to turn the handleto the front door. Immediately she got the handgun and called the police. Cops showed up and of course noone was there. Rule of thumb for me and my family -- Lock all the doors all the time.

I keep all my doors locked at all times. I used to be a short way away from Houston but the way it's growing not any more. We've had alot of undesirable characters moving in the neighborhood during last year or so. I carry at all times in or outside.

A little off-tangent but something to ponder if you live in Houston...And maybe this applies to all of Texas, I have yet to find the new law here...

The private companies supplying gas and electricity to your homes lobbied, and got a law passes that allows them to fine or charge you for "failing" to maintain adequate accessibility to "their" meter(s) in your property...

Meaning (in my interpretation) if they hire people that can't jump your backyard fence in the first place and can't get a reading on their meter to bill you...They can levy a fee or fine against you for this...

This bothers me from the standpoint that I am tired of them leaving the gates open to my backyard when they did do this...So I locked them up and you can only open my backyard up from the inside and only when I am there...

Just recently I got into an arrangement (which I believe is a fair solution) to have them mail me a card that I can send back to them with the meter numbers and gauge (dial pointer) positions marked on that card...

I like that system, and intend to not allow that to go by the wayside...

It takes care of them from having to come out and fail to close my gates properly and letting the dog(s) out...Much less someone that shouldn't be in there to have access...Not that in reality it would do anything but slow them down...

I just don't like the idea of them coming into the backyard in the ways they are doing so in recent years...It used to be different years ago when they took the time to ask if someone was home before they just arbitrarily jumped fences or opened gates...They used to be overly conscious to secure any gates or doors before they went to the next lot...Now they don't give a rats...

So yeah, I try to keep things secure as much as possible...If I am there or not...

WillieD wrote:I fall in between the top 2 choices.

The front and back doors are usually locked, but the door leading to the garage is only locked at night. The front and back doors kind of depend on what I am doing that day. If I am in and out working in the yard then they probably stay unlocked so I have easy access to come inside through any door when needed. Other than those 2 doors stay locked.

At night all doors are locked and the alarm is set.

+1 except for we dont arm the alarm at night. It beeps really loud anyway if any door or window is opened or if the motion is tripped.