quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
The only time it's open is if I'm working in my garage, driveway, or front yard, or actively driving in or out of the garage.
I don't even leave it open when I go around back to mow the back yard.

Exactly this.

My tiny subdivision had a "mayor" some years ago. He watched for garage doors open on midnight strolls and called people to remind them to close the doors. This did not go over well.

A senile citizen living next door to a young couple always called them to remind them to close their door. They were nice to him, but did tire of his intrusion. To this day, I'll remind them when I see the door open just to remember our departed friend. He was a good guy. Alzheimer's took him far too soon.

Closed except for the common exceptions. I've actually been building a device to notify me when my door is left open, prompted by an incident. I'd rather build my own than use an off-the-shelf solution. It's pretty much designed and built, just need to find time to install it.

I also installed a keypad deadbolt. Apparently my kids are incapable of carrying a house key, so the wife was always leaving the front door unlocked. Said children are also incapable of locking the door behind them. The keypad deadbolt will lock itself after a set timeout. Bonus that it doesn't have WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.

Nope, unless I'm outside doing stuff.

But my neighbors do, all the time. Even in winter.

So do my in-laws. Both In-laws and my neighbors are from CA. Seems like a CA thing to do...

Nope. I probably don't really have to worry about it so much here, but where I used to live, no way in hell. Old habits...

Only when I am working outside and need access to the house. I live in a safe area but all doors are closed and locked when the outside work is done. Why tempt fate?

Only when I’m in it, or outside mowing. I know shitbags have wheels (bikes or cars) and roam the earth looking for the next easy hit.

Billy across the street moved here from Killeen and used to call me when my garage door was open-I had to explain I was inside the garage several times. He did that because of the crime he experienced there.

My next door neighbor just moved out to the next town south. His mom n dad moved in next door to me. I found out yesterday that he leaves the front doors unlocked during the daytime. The kiddos were up and visiting Pops, the 6yo bailed outta mom’s SUV and ran into the home as I was walking by. I spoke to Kiddos mom and she rolled here eyes and said that Pops was old and no amount of berating him would make him change his ways. I reminded her of the recent door tugging shitbags that bi-annually roam thru the neighborhood stealing from open cars- she said she had already told them about it. The wife thinks the same way as the daughter in law

I’m of 2 minds-one I don’t want them being hurt or victims, but I know having thugs roll by my place to an easier mark is helpful to me.

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:
I’m sorry but that’s exactly what you’re doing…

Ok. I think it's bonkers to leave your house open, and normally I wouldn't put any thought into it or bring it up for conversation, but I wondered if maybe I was just totally out in the weeds on this one. Seems like so far, I'm in good company. I just went outside to get something out of my truck and the first thing I see when I walk out is the new guy left his garage open again. He can do whatever the hell he wants, I'm free to notice and be puzzled by it.

Where it starts to wander into me not minding my own business is wondering if perhaps two houses in the same cul de sac being open to anyone and everyone starts to look inviting for shitbags who case neighborhoods. I don't need our house targeted because I have neighbors who are far more trusting than I am, but that only just occurred to me.

As for your tier 1 neighbors... all I've got is "lol." I could have Pat MacNamara living six doors down and I'll still take my chances with keeping my garage closed. I don't see what one has to do with the other.

No, in order to keep out 4 legged rats and 2 legged rats.

This weekend had the house rear door open, ended up with 2 sparrows in the ficus tree.

Even though we have no crime around us, we try to keep the garage door shut day and night.

I finally installed an alarm sensor on the door to alert when the door is opening, and nag every five minutes when it is left open. It could also be set to set off the whole-house alarm.

Growing up in Detroit that's an easy no.

quote:

Originally posted by FP2000H:
It’s definitely an old person thing.

I disagree.

I consider myself an old person (70), and I never leave my garage door open.
The neighborhood is good, an even when I mow the lawn, I take the mower out and then close the door.
If I'm working on something in it, I'll have it open - but that's it.

Both cars get parked in the garage, too.

I have neighbors younger than me that do leave the garage open all day.
Most of them park their cars on the street, too.

Not as a matter of habit, but it does occasionally get forgotten. I'm easily distracted...

This is a low or non-existent crime area (as long as you don't count recreational pharmaceuticals...) It's probably not NECESSARY to keep things out of view, but why provide the temptation?

Quite a few years ago, some druggie shitbags broke into the local sporting goods store around midnight. The store has an alarm system.
Even though it's less than a half mile to the State Police barracks, and only several miles from the Sheriff Dept. headquarters, the thieves got away with a huge supply of stolen guns.
They were so successful with the first heist, they returned around three in the morning the same night for a second helping. Also successful.
I did read in the local newspaper rag, that all the stolen guns were actually eventually recovered.

They caught one of the shitbags.
The other shitbag went on the run in the woods in the dead of winter. The State Police set up a helicopter landing zone in the cornfield across the street from the house.
Some days later, they found the frozen stiff shitbag corpse in the woods. The shitbag had walked behind our detached barn/garage building, following the small frozen creek.

One day, I was working in the barn building. I needed something from the house and walked the ~ 20 yards back to the house.
I left the garage door open, as I would be back inside the garage within several minutes.
As I exited the house heading for the barn, I happened to see a very large Raccoon waddle around the corner of the barn building, and enter my building through the wide open garage door.
I went back inside the house, grabbed a scoped .22LR rifle, loaded it, and headed for the barn for the second time.

We had moved a big pile of boxed possessions into the garage bays, and it was quite disconcerting doing "house clearing" drills inside the barn/garage building for real.
The Raccoon eventually growled at me, I raised the rifle to shoot the Raccoon, and enough dust had settled on the telescope objective lens, that you couldn't see shit through the scope.
I pointed the rifle in the general direction of the Raccoon at five to six feet distance, and pulled the trigger.
As I was carrying to Raccoon corpse to the trash can in one hand, and the rifle in the other hand, the school bus arrived dropping off my stepdaughter.

So, a really long answer about do you leave your garage door open question.
NO, it's always closed unless I am inside working.
You just can't tell what two/four legged creatures will walk/waddle inside.
The Racoon died under my toolbox, the dried bloodstain is still there.

IMG_20170927_161527623 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20170927_161510959 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

Yeah mine is open most of the time when we’re at home. Closes around dark.

I’m not old I’m 43. My name is not Dennis, though.

Not when we lived in the city because of opportunity theft and not now in the country because of animal invasions.

Only by accident, and seldom then.

I had sensors put on the garage doors that are wired to the central alarm. If any doors are open when the alarm arms, the system announces "Door open" every 15 seconds until the door is closed. It is most annoying, but in a good way.

I also have heat sensors, motion sensors and video in the garage.

Mine stay closed unless out doing yard work or whatever may require me going in and out. I’ll leave my radio loud in hopes it will keep 4 legged, and two legged, critters out.

Having your stuff on display for all to see all day is not very smart in our world today. I only have mine open when I am in it.

I live well away from prying eyes (what few might end up on our dead end, private-marked road) and I STILL wouldn’t leave my doors open unless I was in the immediate vicinity.