On Thu, 6 Jul 2006 09:27:41 +0100, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:


"T i m" wrote in message
.. .
Hi All,

I am considering fitting a security chain / device to the front (and
possibly rear) doors so that I can leave both ajar over the hot
evenings to get a through draught without having someone 'just wander
in'.

Also it would be handy for generally answering the door to 'unknowns',
especially for the wife and daughter ( who generally won't answer
the door less we are in anyway).

Have they had a personal bad experience?

Not that I know of?

Both sets of our parents used to lock, bolt and chain doors, as children we
couldn't understand the fuss.

Mine would only do so at night (but the front couldn't be opened from
the outside without a key)

During our married life we've only locked our
doors at night, unless it's cold the back door at least is ajar most of the
time.

I expect *you* lock the doors to stop 'spouse' escaping Mary? ;-)

Each door has two locks, they use just one key. We removed the latches
and bolts.

eBay?

I answer the door to anyone ...

As do I .. but then I'm a big ugly bloke and often have one hand near
some sporting equipment that may have been left in the hall ....

I suppose that's just because we're too laid
back, our attitude is that no-one's gong to want to attack us and we've
nothing to steal which anyone would want.

There's loads of dead folk who thought that Mary .. ;-(

My car was broken into because they 'assumed' there must be a radio
hidden away somewhere, I mean, what car doesn't have a radio these
days .. well mine ... (as they found out)?

If there was it wouldn't matter
anyway ... people are more important than things.

Until you try to replace those 'things' and the insurance company says
you hadn't provided sufficient security?

Ours is the only house in
the street without a burglar alarm. Perhaps we're wrong.

Perhaps you have been lucky?

Our next door neighbour has locks and chain on his door. When he goes into
the garden he locks the door after him, when he takes rubbish to the dustbin
he locks the door after him. I don't know what valuables he's protecting.

'His' valuables .. and they needn't be 'valuable' in the commercial
sense?

When his partner comes back from work and has forgotten her keys she has to
ring him to open the door, he can't hear a knock on the door or the
doorbell.

I can hear the doorbell when I leave the key on the inside of our
front door and 'she' wants to get in. But with our multipoint locking
you have to lock the door to stop someone just walking in anytime?

The other next door neighbour has a drive gate which is locked all the time,
as well as the usual door hardware and security gate which are kept locked.

Ok ..

Next-door-but-one neighbour was paranoid about locking her doors with bolts,
locks and a chain.

Wasn't there an old saying '.. better to be safe than sorry ..' ?

Then she had fitted one of those ugly 'security' gates
and kept that locked all the time too, whether she was in or out.

They made me take the laser canon off the front of our house .. ;-(

During one night early this year she had to call the ambulance. She managed
to open her door when they came but the security gate had to be unlocked
from the outside, she couldn't reach round to do it and wouldn't give the
ambulance crew the key. They had to watch her fall to the floor and die
before the police arrived with the power to force an entry.

Life's a compromise .. like those who don't wear a safely belt because
of the fear of drowning usually die when their heads hit something
more solid than water .. like a bridge .. ;-(

I think about this every time I lock our doors at night and wonder ...

Well there is that. But remember some of us are *obliged* to ensure
the security of our houses .. and the reason involves the sorts of
things I would rather not be on the wrong end of when I come home ....

All the best ..

T i m