"I live in village, so I don't have to lock my door when I leave the house"
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31366)
Denmark
January 20, 2013 4:41pm CST
I have a friend who lives in a village and she doesn't lock her front door when she leaves the house, and she doesn't lock her car when she parks it in front of her house. I asked her why she doesn't lock the house and the carm and she said: "It is a village, nothing happens here"
I was so surprised to hear that. I would never leave the house or the car unlocked. If I have to pick up something in the house I lock the car even if it only takes 5 minutes. My friend laughs about that and she doesn't think that it is necessary, but bad things do happen here even if it is relatively small island.
When I was living in Italy one of my Italian friends told me about an experience he had when he visited Denmark: "My Danish friend placed his key under the mat in front of the door when he left the house, I just couldn't believe that, anyone could pick up the key and walk straight into the house" and he laughed and asked me: "Does every Dane do that?" I said: "Some people in the countryside do it, but I have never done it and I would never do it"
Would you leave your house and your car unlocked in a village? Or do you find it too risky? Have you heard about people in your country who leave their keys under the door mat?
5 people like this
12 responses
@lkbooi (16070)
• Malaysia
21 Jan 13
Hi Porcospino, nowadays everything has changed tremendously. I still remember the time I moved to this village during my middle school days, the environment here was quiet and peaceful. We didn't need fence and gate to prevent bad eggs to step in our compound. It's safe to park our car and motorcycle as well as bicycle under the porch or in front of the house. Our house front window was open wide the whole day.
Since the time foreign workers are allowed to work in construction field. Countless of foreign workers from adjacent countries pouring into here. The life in the village are no longer peaceful and safe gradually. Cases of stealing and theft happen here and there ever now and then. We can see more and more fences and gates are built to prevent culprits from entering the house compound. This made us more aware of the unsafety without the protect of fence and gate 
At present we always keep our gate locked. We even lock all our vehicles in our compounds in night time. It's completely unsafe to leave the key under the doormat and I definitely don't do this to take the risk for sure 
Happy posting 
At present we always keep our gate locked. We even lock all our vehicles in our compounds in night time. It's completely unsafe to leave the key under the doormat and I definitely don't do this to take the risk for sure
Happy posting 1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
24 Jan 13
It is sad when an area becomes less peaceful and safe because of the development in the area like you have experienced in your village. I understand why you always keep your gate locked, it is neccesary to project our home against theft. I live in a small town on an island, but we always keep the doors locked. Some people don't lock their frontdoor during the day when they are at home, but we also lock our frontdoor even during the day. At night and when we leave the house we have extra lock that we use. We also lock our car every single time, I don't want to take the kind of risk even when I know that I am going to return to car 5 minutes later.
@sishy7 (27167)
• Australia
21 Jan 13
A friend who is a native Balinese told me some time ago that they used to be able to do that years ago. Doors were never locked, and no one would dare to come in or steal anything from houses. But things change, he said, as many non-natives come and live in the island...
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
22 Jan 13
It sad that things have changed that way and that the non-natives have made the place less safe. In my country we have also seen that kind of changes. In the past quite a lot of people didn't lock their doors and there are still people who don't do it like my friend, but there is more crime today. Even in the countryside crime happens so I think that it is neccesary to lock the doors if we want to avoid problems.
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
22 Jan 13
Earlier it was safe in village but not any more. Now theft is very common in village too so people are extra cautious. However, in day time it won’t be much risky. We can go nearby places without locking the house. But closing the doors are very necessary as many cats and dogs are wandering, they may intrude and eat the food. In my in-laws place they are reminding me to close the door when I go anywhere to prevent the intrusion of cats.
Here the place I live at present is not at all safe, there is theft is going on in day time too. Many of friends faced theft and lost things when they were at work place even after locking the home safely.
1 person likes this
@jalucia (1431)
• United States
21 Jan 13
It's these very people that say, "I can't believe this happened! This is such a nice neighborhood," when someone gets killed or robbed in that very village. Then they will feel so impositioned because, now, they will have to make an extra movement and lock their stuff up.
1 person likes this
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
21 Jan 13
I don't feel safe anywhere I go. I would even hold on tight to my handbag even if I don't carry that much money around. My sales clerks would often make fun of me whenever they see me walk that way. But that is just the way how I have been. You will never know when those bad people would just suddenly attack you from behind.
I have never left my house without lock! Never! Not ever!
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
21 Jan 13
I do the same thing when I carry my bag. My friend lost her bag some time ago. She was at the mall and suddenly her bag was gone. She didn't notice it before it was too late an I am always afraid that the same thing would happen to me so I hold on tight to my bag when I at a public place. Some people probably think that I am strange or too paranoid, but I don't care about that. I don't carry a lot of cash, but I still don't want to lose my bag and I think prefer to be careful. I grew up in a town with quite a lot of crime and I think that has something to do with the way that I behave today. I have learned to be careful and I am still like that.
@summer0614 (334)
• China
21 Jan 13
It is unsafe to leave the key under the mat,and nobody will do that in my city.But it is true that people from countryside will never lock their cars or doors.My grandparents live in the countryside ,everytime I go there I will be surprised about that.And last summer,my sister who came from countryside came to my home,and my bike was stolen during her visit,she was so astonished that she has never heard of that in her village which surprised me at the same time.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
21 Jan 13
I also think that it unsafe to leave the key under the mat, but some people from my country still do it. I would never do because it would be much too easy for a burglar to gain access to the house. The woman who lived in our house before told us that she buried the extra key in the garden, and I think that is safer than placing the key under the mat.
It must be a safe village that your sister lives in since they don't experience the same crime problems. In my country many people from the country still don't lock their doors, but I think that is risky because there is more crime than there were in the past and sometimes those things also happen in the countryside. When I lived in countryside someone tried to break into the house. They never got through the front door, but we made us realize that our village wasn't as safe as we thought.
@chiyosan (30184)
• Philippines
21 Jan 13
oh my! i have actually had this going on in our place as well. We live in a condo and we feel safe and secure as well. But then an incident happend in the same place and someone got in and took someone's bike(he too is living with us) and we saw it happened in the CCTV.
I mean even if we know everyone in our village, in our community, in our condominium, and even if there are guards everywhere, they are not there to protect your assets and your home. when you do leave it open... i would say that you are inviting people to come to your place and ransack it.. its like a "buffet" of your things and they can just get it without so much effort... .
1 person likes this
@urbandekay (18278)
•
21 Jan 13
Can't remember the last time I locked my house, do lock the car when I leave it in the town sometimes
all the best, urban
1 person likes this
@enelym001 (8322)
• Philippines
21 Jan 13
Leaving the house's front door and car door open is a bit risky I suppose. If we're back from those good ol' days when it is still a bit safe I guess theere wont be a problem doing that. But now you're just lucky enough if your car or house wasn't robbed. Some people are just too comfortable doing that especially if they live in the place for a long time and they find the area safe and peaceful. But I will never do that.
'Though what we sometimes do is leave the house key in a shoe box or anywhere we feel bad people won't think of getting it there. Unless they really try harder to search for a key to open the door. Leaving the key under the door mat is rather common so I don't think it is safe to do that.
1 person likes this
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
21 Jan 13
Wish it was that way here in Mexico. I have to have bars on windows and things here. At least when I move to usa in July, its safer there.
@vernaC (1491)
• Romania
21 Jan 13
Years ago it's ok to do that but today? nahh!! I'm surprised that your friend is too confident of her village. It might be a good village but it's not perfect with saints living around or passing by ans for sure she's not naive of what's happening these days. Why wait for bad things to happen only to realize her mistakes? Some people are just plain dumb.
1 person likes this
@sparkletouch (14)
• Spain
21 Jan 13
I find it too risky, but this is because I live in a big city and I can't imagine myself doing that. If you leave something in a bar or a bank and you come back 2 minutes later...you won't see it ever again xD
1 person likes this
