[67drake]

This came up in discussion with friends. I was explaining the difference between where I used to live, and where I currently live. My old house was in a very nice blue collar neighborhood in “the county” outside a mid sized city. We always had our doors locked if nobody was home, unless we had a specific reason to leave them open. Same with our vehicles, we locked them up at least at night. It had nothing to do with neighbors, just too wary of people coming in from outside the area to rip people off.
Where we are at now, in a small rural town, we only lock if we are going away for a day or two. My neighbor and I actually leave our truck keys in the ignition because we are less likely to lose them during the day. I DO lock my truck overnight usually because kids will sometimes steal change out of cars. So between the old place and the new home it’s basically a difference of burglars from out of the area as opposed to neighborhood hooligans.
Anyway this came up as I pointed out to my neighbor that I can’t get used to him leaving his high dollar tools laying out. We poured a new concrete driveway. He has left his packer for tamping the base sitting out for two weeks now. I mentioned how in my old neighborhood this would be gone in a day or two, especially sitting 10’ from the street!

[Stuart]

Crime can and does occur everywhere, it doesn't matter if you live in an urban or rural area.

[71GP76TA]

Yes. CA is the theft capitol of the country.

[77 Canamman]

Yes, and I live in a very sleepy small PA town..

[77 TRASHCAN]

My brother lives in a very nice neighborhood in south Oklahoma CIty. It seems that the current M.O. of dopers (if you are on meth, you only sleep once a week or so, or so I'm told), They walk through the nice neighborhoods at night and pull on car door handles, and steal valuables........If the keys are in the ignition, they don't have to carry anything off, they just drive away!!!

[thepontiacman]

Always lock doors. House and cars. Good Habit.

Put rubber snakes on back of truck and notice how many people look on the back of your truck Nosy people move on.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

[scott70]

Originally Posted by thepontiacman

Always lock doors. House and cars. Good Habit.

Put rubber snakes on back of truck and notice how many people look on the back of your truck Nosy people move on.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

Yep.

[shawn e.]

In and out no gone for more than a day yes. If the dogs are home no. At night we leave back door open for the dogs. We are fenced all the way around and the Dogs are intimidating. If we take the dogs we lock everything down because though our town is rural we have a huge tweeker and homeless issue!

[JimFB400HO]

That discussion subject doesn't come up in the Chicago MSA.

I did forget to close a garage door a few years back and got a call from the police at 3am to warn me that it was open.

[Sirrotica]

I didn't used to on the house, but since I have a drug house next door that the local yokel police force can't see what's going on, even see if I put a sign up proclaiming it, I do lock them now. I also try to keep the garage closed up so no one can see the amount of tools I have in there. Being I've worked on cars for a living for decades, there are many thousands of dollars in tools in the garage.

I have a straight truck body with a roll up garage style door sitting on the ground in the backyard for storage, along with an enclosed trailer and a camper that are locked, unless I'm working out there.

I don't lock the cars up normally but I have 3 coach lights on the front of the house with 100W bulbs in them to keep the front of the house and the driveway illuminated all night long. If they really want in the cars they'll break a side window, and I don't want to clean up the mess and end up replacing the window.

Chances are if the door is open they're going to open the console and glove box, which have nothing of value in them, and go on. The "Turn on the lights, and turn off a thief", works pretty well for me over many years. If the place is well illuminated they'll go down the road where it's darker. Since I increased the wattage of the lights, and leave them on all night long, no one has went through our cars. Previously it was once or twice a year they'd ransack the cars looking for valuable stuff to steal.

If I have anything of value in one of the cars, such as tools or a tool box, they go in the trunk, where they can't be seen, Breaking into the trunk isn't quick, or quiet. Thieves are opportunists, and look for quick, and quiet with little chance of being seen in the act.

[SRR]

If you ever watch any of these crime shows you'll usually hear the "Thief/killer/rapist entered through a unlocked window/door/patio door." Locked and dead bolted for me it is. I have installed motion lights up high also as to not be disabled. All my vehicles are 100' off the street so no problem there. I have lots of "Beware of Dog" signs in the yard also. Crooks tend to avoid houses with dogs.

['ol Pinion head]

Very low traffic out where we live & we're at the end of a dead end road. No criminal activity so far, but we lock 'em up, have an alarm, & are putting up more cameras.

[Chris65LeMans]

Originally Posted by 77 TRASHCAN

My brother lives in a very nice neighborhood in south Oklahoma CIty. It seems that the current M.O. of dopers (if you are on meth, you only sleep once a week or so, or so I'm told), They walk through the nice neighborhoods at night and pull on car door handles, and steal valuables........If the keys are in the ignition, they don't have to carry anything off, they just drive away!!!

We’ve got those in our neighborhood. I wouldn’t think somebody would bother walking all night checking doors, but I’ve seen ‘em on camera. Everyone in the neighborhood had to get locking mailboxes, etc.

I went to college near downtown LA, so I learned early not to EVER leave anything in my car that I would greatly miss.

I hear people tell me stories like “My laptops/$3,000 set of golf clubs/$1,000 in cash were taken from my car overnight “ and am reminded of the line in Full Metal Jacket that said “if it weren’t for **heads like you, there wouldn’t be any thievery in this world.”

As for my house - if someone comes in uninvited while I’m home - they’ll wish they hadn’t.

[GTOnly70]

Leaving your car or house unlocked is leading with your chin, no matter where you live.

[Scarebird]

Albuquerque. Enough said.

[grandam1979]

Yes trust no one my wife makes fun of me for pulling my truck in a locked garage and locking it also. I told her if they get in the garage I’m not making it easy on them.

[sdbob]

Lock them even when we are home. Had a weird woman walk in our old house years ago. You never know that extra minute may save a life.

[The Champ]

I could leave the keys in the car, car running, car unlocked and leave it over night and the only fear would be it would be out of gas in the morning...

I don't do that, but it sure is nice living in a low crime/no crime area.

[geeteeohguy]

All my cars are in the shop or garage, locked away. Keep the house locked. When I'm out driving around, I lock the hardtops but leave my '67 GTO convertible unlocked. I'd rather have a road map and a pack of gum stolen than a slashed convertible top. It has a hidden kill switch and I use The Club (truck version). In 37 years of ownership in various cities, so far, so good.

[Joe's Garage]

Locked, double-locked, clubs and alarms. We've all got dog allergies, so no dogs.

We go to Church with an older pair of sibling sisters who had some tweeker walk into their house about a month ago, run up the stairs and jump in their shower.

Must have been a slow day - nine police cars showed up.

Mr. Stinky didn't get to finish showering.......




The reception to an unwanted guest at our house would be kind of LOUD.........