What scares you more?

Wilma33

Your insurance is invalid if you say you have certain types of locks (e.g. mortice) but don't use it when you go out. Check the small print.

marisco_2

Mojisola wrote: »

It's also worth practising what you would do in case of fire. If you work out in advance how you would get out, you have a higher chance of survival.

Of course, you should also have alarms to give you those vital extra minutes.

I have smoke alarms everywhere that I check on a regular basis and exit routes well planned. I am a lone parent with two little kids and the thought of not being able to save one or both of them worries me. Better to be safe than sorry and have it all worked out.

peachyprice

Wilma33 wrote: »

Your insurance is invalid if you say you have certain types of locks (e.g. mortice) but don't use it when you go out. Check the small print.

My policy doesn't.

Any

Why would it be either, or? If there was a fire in such an advance stage that you don't have time to turn the key in the lock, then you are better off leaving by the window in your bedroom anyway.
Definitely not leaving unlocked door, unfortunately we were recently targeted by thieves in our area and I am not just letting them take what they want even if you are telling me that in that case I might die in fire...
I would have hoped that leaving unlocked door is not the only thing you can do to save yourself from dying in fire...
Oh, and we were warned by police that leaving unlocked door or unhatched windows might invalidate insurances..

Primrose

Just beware that if you are burgled and your doors or windows are unlocked or keys are left in the door your insurance company may well deem your insurance policy invalid and refuse to pay out. Also house or car keys left within easy access of the front door can be "fished out" by potential burglars just by putting a hook and line through your letter box. And if they can get your car keys, all they have to do is unlock your car in the driveway and drive off in it or fish up your house keys (you just think you' e mislaid them somewhere) and come back later when you're absent and simply let themselves in to burgle through your front door.

Any

peachyprice wrote: »

Just to clarify, the door can't be opened by a handle or anything from outside, it still needs a key, but the type that has a latch thingymajig on the inside, it's the bottom mortice that never gets locked, although we do all have keys for it. I think we've only ever used it when we took the barrel out of the other lock to get it repaired and when we go on holiday.

If it cannot be just opened then it is a bit different....
I imagined just completely unlocked door, just press the handle and you are in...

ciderwithrosie_2

My boys have had their own keys since they started secondary school, but they would be taken off them if they ever forgot to lock the door when going out or when coming in after a night out. Even drunk they don't forget to lock the door, must be ingrained! As soon as OH leaves for work at 8.30pm I lock the doors, regardless of who's in or out. I live on a council estate (albeit the quiet end) so I'm not taking any chances.

Having said that, I'm probably more concerned about a fire - the boys can exit their room through the window on to the flat porch roof, and have 'practiced' this at least once each whilst grounded :mad: but I don't know what I'd do, I'm not really built for climbing up and out of windows

Buttonmoons

A fire for me definatley. I live on the 8th floor in a skyscraper and my route of exit is via the front door or nothing - well there is the windows but id die that way too - and Id probably die from smoke inhalation by the time the fire engines got here with their cherry picker to get me and DD - and what about my 3 cats!!

Funnily enough 2 men were trying my door handle at 5am about 2 weeks ago, I heard my door handle going up and down, it makes a loud noise - I crept to the door and looked out through the peep hole and stood there with my softball bat incase they got in - I don't really have worth much stealing bar my Imac - but I really think Id attempt to smash their faces in for daring to enter my house where my little girl is sleeping.......

Note - Id probably injure myself more than them with said bat but least I'm prepared :rotfl:

My oven needs cleaned so it sets my fire alarms off on a regular basis so I know they work

marisco_2

ciderwithrosie wrote: »

Having said that, I'm probably more concerned about a fire - the boys can exit their room through the window on to the flat porch roof, and have 'practiced' this at least once each whilst grounded :mad:

I did that as a teenager too and told my dad that I was just practising in case the house caught fire. He didn't believe me mind, cant think why!

neverdespairgirl

I'm not terribly keen on either option, really.

But I think I find burglars more scary than fire. Probably because I do quite a bit of criminal law, and the cases I see tend to be the nastier ones involving fights, injuries, assaults, etc. Whereas I've not dealt with cases involving any fires.

My Dad had a particular bee in his bonnet about unsafe gas boilers etc, and was very careful about where all his children rented places as students. He'd dealt with a few cases involving manslaughter charges against landlords with dodgy boilers.