# I have to say this seemed a bit strange ...



## WicklowMan (29 Mar 2011)

I was in Greystones earlier today, outside a business premises about to go in. This guy pulls up beside me with a girl of about 12 or 13 in the passenger side. He pulled up to my right and parked. I got out of the car to go in and as I turned the key I to lock the car I heard what I thought was a premature noise from the locking mechanism.

As I neared the front of my car going in I saw the man coming back out. Heard the noise again. It dawned on me that she'd put on the central locking as soon as I opened my door, and was now disengaging it! I have to say that's a new one on me, but it makes me wonder ... without predjudice to the society we live in, is bringing up children this afraid of everything a good idea?

At the end of the day - in both the child and adult worlds - when bad things happen statistically it's usually a lot closer to home! I don't know, but for my money the words of a Kosovan refugee I knew come to mind: "Some people watch everything so closely you could plant a bomb at their feet and they wouldn't notice" ...


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## Ceist Beag (30 Mar 2011)

Sounds quite reasonable to me WicklowMan, although if it were me I think I'd bring the 12/13 year old daughter into the building with me if at all possible. But I see nothing wrong with her putting on central locking personally.


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## Betsy Og (30 Mar 2011)

i routinely click the central locking, and would definitely do so if leaving anyone in the car. you're fairly vulnerable in an unlocked car, even basic theft from boot is simple if unlocked.

Have enough insurance, take basic precautions and dont worry about it after that (taking basic steps isnt necessarily indicative of paralysing fear).


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## Firefly (30 Mar 2011)

I never leave the kids in the car on their own. This is a hassle but worth it IMO. One time (after filling up) I drove the car upto the entrace of the garage and asked one of the attendants to come out so I could pay for the petrol. I couldn't get out of the car myself because I was wearing a pair of jeans from Dunnes.


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## Pique318 (30 Mar 2011)

Firefly said:


> I couldn't get out of the car myself because I was wearing a pair of jeans from Dunnes.


Oh the shame !!


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## Firefly (30 Mar 2011)

Pique318 said:


> Oh the shame !!




The post was actually tongue in cheek..was hoping it would go unnoticed!


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## Sol28 (30 Mar 2011)

Ceist Beag said:


> If it were me I think I'd bring the 12/13 year old daughter into the building with me if at all possible.


 
Can I ask why? they are 12/13 - they are old enough to start having some independence - its not like greystones is an urban warfare location! I was babysitting for the next door neighbours when I was that age. 

Dragging them into the shop cos you are afraid to leave them in a car will either result in a very sheltered naive teenager - or one that will rebel at every stage due to 'control'.

As for locking the car - I tend to do that when i am driving around town - as once the doors are open - the boot is open - and in stalled traffic it would be very easy for someone to snatch something and be gone long before you could react. But having said that - I tend to do this more in the city centre or the more 'dodgy' locations.


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## fizzelina (30 Mar 2011)

firefly said:


> i couldn't get out of the car myself because i was wearing a pair of jeans from dunnes.


 
lol!!


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## Ciaraella (30 Mar 2011)

I would always lock the car doors when driving around, especially in town or at night.
A 12/13 old i would think is just about the age that could be left on their own but i would be nervous about leaving any children in a car alone, if unlocked for obvious reasons, but i would be worried if i locked the car and then something happened like a fire or a child choking that no one would be able to get to them to help them.


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## Betsy Og (30 Mar 2011)

Ciaraella said:


> but i would be worried if i locked the car and then something happened like a fire or a child choking that no one would be able to get to them to help them.


 
I've heard on occasion that people have managed to break car windows..... cant believe I'm explaining that to someone in Tallafornia .., only messing, all in good jest


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## Sunny (30 Mar 2011)

I know someone who leaves his kids in his new car because he figures someone is less likely to steal it! I think he would make them sleep in it if he could.


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## Firefly (30 Mar 2011)

Sunny said:


> I know someone who leaves his kids in his new car because he figures someone is less likely to steal it! I think he would make them sleep in it if he could.



What about the missus instead?...wouldn't even have to lock it.


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## Ceist Beag (30 Mar 2011)

Sol28 said:


> Can I ask why? they are 12/13 - they are old enough to start having some independence - its not like greystones is an urban warfare location! I was babysitting for the next door neighbours when I was that age.
> 
> Dragging them into the shop cos you are afraid to leave them in a car will either result in a very sheltered naive teenager - or one that will rebel at every stage due to 'control'.



Yeah obviously none of my kids are even near 12/13 yet so I've yet to experience the joys of that!  I guess it's something I'll judge when they are that age and if they're old enough to be left alone then so be it - I'd still ask them to lock the doors tho!!


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## WicklowMan (30 Mar 2011)

I'm probably looking at this with a bit of an old fashioned view, and it escaped me that with some cars the boot unlocks as well ... I guess I just felt it's a pity that we live in a society where this level of security is felt necessary. Obviously it's peoples own business what they do.

Mind you had I been a car-jacker there were only about 20 cameras on the building, and a traffic jam either way


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## Caili (8 Apr 2011)

Firefly said:


> I couldn't get out of the car myself because I was wearing a pair of jeans from Dunnes.


 
Brilliant


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## Leper (8 Apr 2011)

All the girl did was lock her car.  It wasn't as if she pointed a loaded crossbow at you with her finger on the trigger.


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## micmclo (8 Apr 2011)

During the snow there were gangs of young lads who would open car doors of slow or stalled cars and throw snowballs in the drivers face.

Locking the car door when you are sitting inside isn't a bad idea.

And whatever happened to young lads working at petrol stations? I did that job before and I never see it anywhere now. 
Fuel injection technician


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## Bubbly Scot (8 Apr 2011)

I leave my 12 year old in the car if she doesn't fancy popping into a shop or whatever with me. I leave her the keys though and she locks it from the inside and unlocks it when she sees me come back. I only do this around our small village though. She has her phone with her as well.

I've locked the car myself if I feel unsafe, stopping at traffic lights at night etc. 

When the kids were younger I brought them everywhere, even into shop to pay for petrol.

That's what time living in South Africa will do to you though, We never travelled in the car without locking the doors, carjacking was rife.


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## truthseeker (8 Apr 2011)

I havent lived in SA, nor am I particularly paranoid (well not usually ), but I always lock the car doors when Im in the car alone.

There are a few reasons:
1 - so no one can open the passenger door and snatch my handbag
2 - so no one can open the drivers door and snatch me!
3 - so Im less likely to have door malfunction and have the door suddenly swing open while Im driving (traumatic childhood experience in an old ford cortina).
4 - its just safer!

I also always leave a good gap between my car and the one in front of it in traffic so that if attacked I have an escape out of the traffic up onto the pavement or across a field or whatever - thats more an overhang from a paranoid sibling teaching me how to drive and always insisting on leaving an escape route - just in case. Perhaps theyd watched too many scary movies.


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## fizzelina (8 Apr 2011)

truthseeker said:


> I also always leave a good gap between my car and the one in front of it in traffic so that if attacked I have an escape out of the traffic up onto the pavement or across a field or whatever - thats more an overhang from a paranoid sibling teaching me how to drive and always insisting on leaving an escape route - just in case. Perhaps theyd watched too many scary movies.


 
I also do this as well as locking all doors and leaving my handbag out of sight and indeed driving on Poplar Row one time a few years ago I was glad I do it, a guy in a crowbar was coming towards my car window and I swung out of the lane of traffic and got the car safely off. I saw him break the passenger window of the car behind and snatch a handbag (it was later recovered) Better safe than sorry and locking doors etc is a good habit.


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## truthseeker (8 Apr 2011)

fizzelina said:


> I also do this as well as locking all doors and leaving my handbag out of sight and indeed driving on Poplar Row one time a few years ago I was glad I do it, a guy in a crowbar was coming towards my car window and I swung out of the lane of traffic and got the car safely off. I saw him break the passenger window of the car behind and snatch a handbag (it was later recovered) Better safe than sorry and locking doors etc is a good habit.


 

Wow! Perhaps my sibling hadnt watched too many scary movies!!!

Did you swing out of the lane up onto the pavement or into another lane or what?


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## horusd (8 Apr 2011)

truthseeker said:


> ...I also always leave a good gap between my car and the one in front of it in traffic so that if attacked I have an escape out of the traffic up onto the pavement or across a field or whatever - thats more an overhang from a paranoid sibling teaching me how to drive and always insisting on leaving an escape route - just in case. Perhaps theyd watched too many scary movies.


 

Overdose of Starsky & Hutch, Traffic Cops, Sky's Road Wars (my favourite)...


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## z107 (8 Apr 2011)

> 4 - its just safer!


Might not be if you have a crash.

I always leave the doors unlocked because I'd rather take the risk of someone opening a door and snatching something, than be trapped in a crashed, locked car.

A window can be easily busted (see crowbar post above) anyway.


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## fizzelina (12 Apr 2011)

truthseeker said:


> Wow! Perhaps my sibling hadnt watched too many scary movies!!!
> 
> Did you swing out of the lane up onto the pavement or into another lane or what?


 
I was in the lane to go straight ahead to East Wall Road and there was a lane to my right which was for cars turning right at the lights before EW Rd and I swung into that as nothing was coming and there was no car in the lane and then took the right turn, out of danger.


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## foxylady (12 Apr 2011)

The first thing I do when I get into my car is to lock the doors and this has nothing to do with where I might be driving to. Its just a habit I developed and much safer imo , especiallyafter hearing stories of people being dragged from their car while sitting in traffice etc


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## Bubbly Scot (13 Apr 2011)

umop3p!sdn said:


> Might not be if you have a crash.
> 
> I always leave the doors unlocked because I'd rather take the risk of someone opening a door and snatching something, than be trapped in a crashed, locked car.
> 
> A window can be easily busted (see crowbar post above) anyway.



I train for emergencies like that and I, and many others, carry something to smash windows in our emergency car kits. It's not ideal, all that flying glass but it can be done. It's the same with seatbelts, we can't always reach across to undo it and get you out, so we carry seatbelt cutters.

Personally, I'd lock the car if I felt in danger and leave my rescuer to work out which window to smash should they need to.


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