# NCIS question: so why DOESN'T Gibbs lock his front door? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 6, 2011, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-question-so-why-doesnt-gibbs-lock-his-front-door/587963 "2011-07-06T00:39:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [July 6, 2011, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-question-so-why-doesnt-gibbs-lock-his-front-door/587963/1 "2011-07-06T00:39:54Z")
Oh, I know the story-external reasons: to let people walk in on him while he’s working on the boat in his basement, and to give him an odd quirk. But is there any in-story reason ever given? ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-question-so-why-doesnt-gibbs-lock-his-front-door/587963/2 "2011-07-06T01:30:48Z")
Because he figures that anyone who wants to do him harm would kick the door in and he doesn’t feel like having to fix it? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-question-so-why-doesnt-gibbs-lock-his-front-door/587963/3 "2011-07-06T02:06:05Z")
Same reason Giles never locked his door on Buffy? Which I assume was that he gets a funny little thrill out of getting knocked out? ---
**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:** [July 6, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-question-so-why-doesnt-gibbs-lock-his-front-door/587963/4 "2011-07-06T02:26:19Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Same reason Giles never locked his door on Buffy? Which I assume was that he gets a funny little thrill out of getting knocked out? :: checks date :: Okay, it’s Tuesday, so I can admit that I watched _Buffy_ regularly. I don’t think Gibbs has been knocked out more than twice. Giles got kncoked out more than that in any given episode, including the ones in which he didn’t appear. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-question-so-why-doesnt-gibbs-lock-his-front-door/587963/5 "2011-07-06T02:49:56Z")
Because he takes secret joy in killing people and hopes that the burglars will just walk right in? ---
**Author:** ![Tess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@Tess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tess)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-question-so-why-doesnt-gibbs-lock-his-front-door/587963/6 "2011-07-06T03:14:01Z")
Most of the people who really want to kill Gibbs aren’t going to be deterred by a locked door. If a random burglar walks in and has the good fortune not to run into the homeowner, I doubt Gibbs would truly care about his losing material possessions. On principle he’d still probably hunt the poor SOB down, of course. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2011, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-question-so-why-doesnt-gibbs-lock-his-front-door/587963/7 "2011-07-06T03:41:19Z")
Because he’s kinda old, and old people have a weird quirk of not locking things. Some even leave their keys in their car! d&r ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-question-so-why-doesnt-gibbs-lock-his-front-door/587963/8 "2011-07-06T03:59:33Z")
That’s what you want to know? Full size boats disappear from his basement at regular intervals, but you’re only baffled because he leaves his door unlocked? Now I’m baffled. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-question-so-why-doesnt-gibbs-lock-his-front-door/587963/9 "2011-07-06T16:18:00Z")
> [@](#): > > :: checks date :: > > Okay, it’s Tuesday, so I can admit that I watched Buffy regularly. Wait, I thought that what Tuesday meant was that Dawn was in trouble again. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-question-so-why-doesnt-gibbs-lock-his-front-door/587963/10 "2011-07-06T16:41:53Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > That’s what you want to know? Full size boats disappear from his basement at regular intervals, but you’re only baffled because he leaves his door unlocked? Now I’m baffled. You’d think he would’ve started locking his doors after the first boat was stolen, but noooo… ---
**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:** [July 6, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncis-question-so-why-doesnt-gibbs-lock-his-front-door/587963/11 "2011-07-06T17:19:04Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Wait, I thought that what Tuesday meant was that Dawn was in trouble again. Obviously I could not comment on this yesterday, but yes, that is something _else_ that Tuesday means.