# Is locking your car doors pointless? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 20, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577 "2011-05-20T15:37:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577/21 "2011-05-20T19:31:34Z")
It is absurdly easy to break into almost any car IF you have the right equipment. Petty thieves are deterred by locks and serious criminals aren’t interested n my car, so locking up does the job for me. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577/22 "2011-05-20T19:52:05Z")
No need to be bloodthirsty, a territorial dog really is the best deterrant. (Size matters) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577/23 "2011-05-20T19:54:37Z")
Y’all have covered the reasons we lock ours. But my sister had another reason for a while: she had HIPPA-controlled records, and they have to be behind multiple locks at all times. And you could get into her trunk from the cab, so that didn’t help. It sounds silly, but that’s what her work required. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577/24 "2011-05-20T20:37:36Z")
As I mentioned in the other thread about locking home doors, absolutely not. My car has been broken into four times. Three of those times was when, for one reason or another, the car door was left unlocked. I am reasonably certain this is not a coincidence. Knocking out a car window on a residential street draws too much attention. Generally, much easier to just go from one car to another, quietly checking doors. Now, if somebody _really_ wants something in your car, you can’t stop them. But, in my opinion, most thieves are just going to want to go on to the next car and just make as little ruckus as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577/25 "2011-05-20T20:44:33Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > No need to be bloodthirsty, Take that back. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577/26 "2011-05-20T21:59:51Z")
We interrupt this thread… From _the Amos ‘N’ Andy Show_ > [@](#): > > Andy) Whatcha gonna do today > > Kingfish) I’m getting a new car > > Andy) What kind? > > Kingfish) The kind with a key in it …and now back to your regularly scheduled thread ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577/27 "2011-05-20T22:17:39Z")
I don’t really know about slowing thieves – breaking the wind is almost as fast as opening aan unlocked door. I just figure that other, unlocked cars will be more attractive targets. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577/28 "2011-05-20T22:20:38Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > I’ve only had stuff stolen from my car ONCE. This happened when one of my passengers failed to lock the door behind her. Me too. The opportunity of an easy target seems to be a big incentive, so I think it’s better to keep the doors locked and nothing valuable in sight. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577/29 "2011-05-20T22:25:04Z")
Locking your car doors is not pointless, because a would-be thief wants to go through as little trouble as possible to steal stuff; therefore, he’ll pass up your car to steal the one next to you who didn’t lock his doors. Now, if someone specifically wants \*your \*car, or \*your \*stereo, or \*your \*Dollywood Commemorative Travel Mug, then he’s going to get it, locked doors or not. But unless you are being specifically targeted, a locked door is usually enough to make someone pass by in search of easier prey. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577/30 "2011-05-20T22:33:50Z")
I lock doors. It’s not that I’m trying to make it hard for thieves; it’s that I’m trying to not make things easy for them. People have short attention spans. There are a lot of folks who might just reach in and grab something off the seat, but who wouldn’t bother if it meant breaking a window or jimmying a lock. Plus, of course, if you leave your car unlocked in the summer, there’s a risk that some gardener might leave a zucchini on the front seat. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577/31 "2011-05-20T22:59:25Z")
Voted “No, but for a reason you didn’t name.” Locking may not do jack against a real car thief, but it’s certainly going to stop random ne’er do wells from helping themselves should they happen to see something sitting in there that catches their interest. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577/32 "2011-05-21T06:44:52Z")
I voted No on two choices: No. Thieves will be slowed down by the security system, etc. and No, but for a reason you didn’t name. Who can tell how many times my locked doors deterred a possible thief? I’ve had by car broken into several times, but how many more times would I have been robbed, if the doors weren’t locked? Since my car was broken into one night that I happened to leave my car in the driveway, I keep it in the garage from now on. Anyway, I think there’s far more adolescent punks on the prowl for easy pickings, checking for unlocked doors to snag some loose loot like iPods, smokes, iPod chargers / cables, radar detectors, etc… rather than the true thugs smashing windows and boosting stereos and airbags. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577/33 "2011-05-21T07:01:48Z")
I spent the bulk of my youth in central California, which probably still has the highest overall car theft and vandalism rates in the US. Lessons learned from living there: [ul] [li]If someone wants in badly enough, he will get in.[/li][li]Professional thieves are rare, nuisance assholes are not.[/li][li]Never keep anything you can’t afford to lose in your car.[/li][li]Never keep anything that looks valuable in your car.[/li][li]If you have a car alarm, you’re an asshole, and it won’t keep your car window from being broken. In fact, I’ll break it myself if I have to, to shut your stupid fucking car alarm off after it’s been sounding for 4 hours straight for no fucking reason at all.[/li][li]Lock your car door. It stops the assholes, slows down even the pros, and often makes the difference between someone screwing with your car or just leaving it alone.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577/34 "2011-05-21T19:19:41Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > No. Car burglary is generally a crime of opportunity, so the easier you make it the bigger target you are. > [@Gyrate](#): > > No, because given the option of stealing a locked car or an unlocked car thieves will go for the unlocked one. There’s no point in making yours the car they go for. > [@pulykamell](#): > > Now, if somebody _really_ wants something in your car, you can’t stop them. But, in my opinion, most thieves are just going to want to go on to the next car and just make as little ruckus as possible. Exactly. Most thieves will try other cars simply because that’s easier than drawing attention to themselves. Why make your car the easy one? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577/35 "2011-05-22T06:03:26Z")
I locked my keys in my car once. It took the tow truck guy 45 minutes to get the car open. He had opened hundreds of cars for his job before, and I had opened a good number when I worked for a car dealer. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577/36 "2011-05-22T12:44:35Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > “Pointless” is too strong a word, but I’ve seen too many windows broken out to think of locking my car doors as a good idea. YMMV. What he said. > [@Gyrate](#): > > No, because given the option of stealing a locked car or an unlocked car thieves will go for the unlocked one. It’s not like they check. These assholes default to the assumption the car door is locked. I’ve known people who have had their windows broken _while their door was unlocked_. I think the only way to protect your car from being broken into is to line your garage with explosives, and pack your call full of hungry Dobermans. > [@Shakes](#): > > I had some jack ass smash out my window to get inside my car. Once they got inside, they didn’t steal anything because there wasn’t shit in there worth stealing. Had I left my doors unlocked I wouldn’t of had to pay to replace my window. A long time ago, some asshat broke into my sister’s BMW and tried to yank out the car phone in the center console (told you this was a long time ago) with no success. The damned thing wouldn’t budge. So my sister, who never locks her car door and doesn’t leave valuables inside, had her window broken, nothing stolen from the inside, but a lot of damage to the phone and console. God, I hate people. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577/37 "2011-05-22T14:00:16Z")
My car has self locking doors. Where do I vote? ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577/38 "2011-05-22T14:28:39Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > I’m going with no because if my car is stolen or items stolen out of it while it’s unlocked my insurance isn’t valid (or at the very least is a pain in the butt. > > Also with the door unlocked someone might sacrifice a minion to open the door and be attacked by my large bloodthirsty dog and thus leave the car completely unprotected. Pretty much the insurance thing. If I leave the door unlocked and someone steals my stuff, my auto won’t cover it and I have to file a claim under my renter’s insurance, which is a huge pain in the ass because I have to explain why the stolen item was in the car and not in the house. OTOH, if a window is broken or the lock forced, my auto insurance will cover the vandalism and the missing item. And with my luck, said minion would likely sue me for being attacked by my bloodthirsty dog, so that’s out. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577/39 "2011-05-22T21:00:03Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > breaking the wind is almost as fast as opening aan unlocked door. Well ok, but how does that help you get into the car? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577/40 "2011-05-22T21:37:00Z")
> [@Number](#): > > Well ok, but how does that help you get into the car? You have not experienced the power of my farts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-locking-your-car-doors-pointless/582577.md?page=3)