Leaving keys in locks. Help me settle an argument.

[M_P]

So, we have a glass door into our garden, and at night, obviously it's locked. Now, I keep the keys in the door after locking but everyone else removes them and insists I do the same, which in my opinion is a waste of time.

If there was a fire then I wouldn't want to be fiddling around trying to find them, in the door they won't get lost etc.

They mention burglaries but it's a glass door, to get in it'd have to be smashed or have the lock picked- which must be much harder with a key in the other side and were anyone to break in we'd have the damn locks changed anyway. No letterbox for them to be fished out through either.

 

I can't see how leaving them in the lock is any worse and if anything is slightly better, or am I missing something?

[Mike636]

Take them out and leave them in the same place.

 

If someone is lurking in your garden and they see something they want in your house and they have a key to easily get in, 90% ain't fussed about smashing the window to unlock the door before they have what they want and are gone. You might come into the room a minute later and see whats happened. By that point your burglar has most likely changed his top, stashed what he's nicked and even if stopped won't have anything on him/her to point to an offence.

[M_P]

Take them out and leave them in the same place.

If someone is lurking in your garden and they see something they want in your house and they have a key to easily get in, 90% ain't fussed about smashing the window to unlock the door before they have what they want and are gone. You might come into the room a minute later and see whats happened. By that point your burglar has most likely changed his top, stashed what he's nicked and even if stopped won't have anything on him/her to point to an offence.

That's kind of my point though, they'd have break the window, at which point the key becomes worthless anyway.

If someone wanted to get in theyd have to break the window, by that point having the key is of no benefit to them though as the locks would be changed immediately.

[BBrotherwood]

Wouldn't it make it easier to pick the lock as all the tumblers would already be pushed in? You would only have to find a way of forcing the thingy round from the other side.

 

 

Btw my only practical expeirence of lock picking is from Skyrim and Oblivion

[Sacarathe]

I agree with you completely. My parents inside I leave them in the place they'd be most useful.

 

I guess the other users at your place approach that door regularly from the other side while they expect it to be locked?

 

So, we have a glass door into our garden, and at night, obviously it's locked. Now, I keep the keys in the door after locking but everyone else removes them and insists I do the same, which in my opinion is a waste of time.

 

Seems like a good time for them to 'get lost'.

In our house I used to get in big trouble if I removed the keys, but at least it made sense.

Have you asked if the issue is the key itself? You could make a copy and leave that in the lock instead.

[M_P]

Seems like a good time for them to 'get lost'.

 

In our house I used to get in big trouble if I removed the keys, but at least it made sense.

 

Have you asked if the issue is the key itself? You could make a copy and leave that in the lock instead.

Yeah we got several copies which is why I'm scratching my head about it lol.

[Mike636]

I don't know about you but I'd still open the door with the key. Easy in and easy out.

 

I wouldn't fancy climbing though a smashed window and then having to climb out again with your expensive toaster in one arm as I could cut myself and leave DNA and if its a full pane of glass guaranteed that you'll end up tripping on it.

 

Don't make the mistake of thinking most criminals are stupid (some are!)

 

Do your best to make it as difficult as you can for them and chances are someone 3 doors away won't have and they'll get done instead.

[dEFCONairsoft]

I do similar to this, leave the key in the lock so its easy to get out if theres a fire but pull it out slightly so it cannot be turned from outside. From a theft point of view though its obviously best to keep key well away from door!

[Colonel Kurtz]

From a feral burgling crackhead perspective; unless they've targeted a house specifically, they'll be on the snoop.

 

You are correct in that the keys in the door wont help gain entrance at all, but it does display an amount of carelessness that will make a potential burglar hope-full that there's lots of other keys and valuables left lying around in spots of convenience rather than locked away securely or at least tidied to the extent where it's hard to find.

 

I've known a few people who turned to the dark-side and a couple who made it back. their tales of crack thievery point towards opportunism, and keys in the door will seem like a good opportunity even if it isn't

[Sitting Duck]

peel the rubber out - remove glazed unit

patio doors are worst - old ones could be prised up & off

 

if they wanna get in they will - move old banger and take Range Rover

Dog - pah they don't give a toss about poison a dog

 

but luckily most are just opportunity trying their luck and hope somebody left window/door unlocked etc....

 

I leave lights telly's on now after being done by a stupid mistake and opportunist got a few things but was disturbed

still $hits you up somebody been in ya house - bastids

[Colonel Kurtz]

Should set some traps, that crack-head aint gonna be able to sell your xbox while half his legs left in a bear-trap hehe Saw episode of QI going on about darwin awards. Was one guy who spent a decade booby-trapping his house as he was paranoid & convinced someone was messing with it/him. Eventually he was found dead from one of his traps, but it was dubious as to whether he'd triggered it mistakenly or deliberately! I myself have had a warehouse smart-water system trigger by mistake and i was unable to go anywhere with UV light without looking like a smurf.

[skarra333]

I'm not sure what to advise as it all depends of course, but I understand that there were some 780,000 instances of domestic burglary last year, vs. some 192,000 fires (to which Fire crews responded at least).

[Qlimax]

So, we have a glass door into our garden, and at night, obviously it's locked. Now, I keep the keys in the door after locking but everyone else removes them and insists I do the same, which in my opinion is a waste of time.

If there was a fire then I wouldn't want to be fiddling around trying to find them, in the door they won't get lost etc.

They mention burglaries but it's a glass door, to get in it'd have to be smashed or have the lock picked- which must be much harder with a key in the other side and were anyone to break in we'd have the damn locks changed anyway. No letterbox for them to be fished out through either.

 

I can't see how leaving them in the lock is any worse and if anything is slightly better, or am I missing something?

 

I always leave the key in the door myself, whether it be the front or back door. our conservatory is glass doors and i leave the key in that as well. Don't see the problem with leaving it in. I defo do it with my front door at night cos if some cheeky fooooker did the old millennium burglary on me then least they couldn't get into my house so easily but just take my car. If anyone knows what i mean.

[GingerBreadMan]

 

I always leave the key in the door myself, whether it be the front or back door. our conservatory is glass doors and i leave the key in that as well. Don't see the problem with leaving it in. I defo do it with my front door at night cos if some cheeky fooooker did the old millennium burglary on me then least they couldn't get into my house so easily but just take my car. If anyone knows what i mean.

plus, with keys in the door, they cant bump the lock as easy

[Dannn]

You can't pick s lock with the key in the other end of the cylinder, I can pick locks... Part of my job.

If you leave the keys in the back of the cylinder it's easy to break the glass at the lick and make a hand size hole reach in and unlock, pinch all your stuff and leave via the door

So leave the keys elsewhere, as for removing the glazing beads, if they are on the outside the door and window fitters are mongs.

[ShadowSniper]

If the key is in the door, the smash the door, put their arm through then unlock it, saves them climbing through broken glass. However yeah, other than that, if someone's locked out and try to get in, maybe they cant unlock it from the other side because a key is already in the way

[Hibernator]

Check your home insurance policy too. There may be some small print that will leave you uninsured if the keys are left in the locks especially if the house is unoccupied. Some don't allow the use of thumb latches - where you lock/unlock the door from the outside with a key, but you can just twist a knob on the inside without needing one.

[two_zero]

If the whole door is glass (so more than 1 meter in height) then I am totally on your side in this. Also, surely being burnt alive is a lot worse than loosing some possessions.

If it's that big of a deal to them, why not swap to a lever?

[joshcowin]

I put my keys in the draw simply because i have a cat flap and anyone with a extension wire could get it then a letter box on the front

[Lozart]

Jesus, is this still going?

[Lozart]

Here's a question - is it actually the OP's house or his parents? Or is it multiple occupation?

 

In either case, if he's in the minority then it doesn't matter. Take the keys out like everyone else does and get on with your life.

 

If of course it IS his house then screw them, it's your house your rules.

[Lozart]

And another thing - everyone saying that it would be easy to smash the window, if it's double glazed it's really not that easy to break. Not without either shattering the entire pane with something pointy in the corner or indeed without waking up the whole street. Of course, if it's not double glazed you may as well leave it open...

[Jedi_Master]

I lock the doors and leave the keys out of sight in a drawer to stop letter box fishing. If they break glass on door then it is still harder to open the door without the keys. Breaking glass may wake me up but if they use a glass cutter, which some do, then no noise and a nice clean hole. Rather risk a fire than burglar / car thief getting easier access to my property.

[Sitting Duck]

I put my keys in the draw simply because i have a cat flap and anyone with a extension wire could get it then a letter box on the front

 

Suppose you have a lot of CAT BURGLARS then - lol

 

ok I'll get me coat - wtf - some bastid's nicked me coat

[Hudson]

 

Suppose you have a lot of CAT BURGLARS then - lol

 

ok I'll get me coat - wtf - some bastid's nicked me coat

Steady on meow.