# Seven-Eleven Door Locks **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 2, 2000, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seven-eleven-door-locks/27820 "2000-08-02T07:47:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![khakiman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b782af/32.png) [@khakiman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/khakiman)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2000, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seven-eleven-door-locks/27820/1 "2000-08-02T07:47:20Z")
Why does a Seven-Eleven that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 356 days a year have locks on their doors? ~khakiman ---
**Author:** ![Danielinthewolvesden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Danielinthewolvesden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danielinthewolvesden)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2000, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seven-eleven-door-locks/27820/2 "2000-08-02T07:49:35Z")
DNFTT ---
**Author:** ![triton277](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@triton277](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/triton277)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2000, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seven-eleven-door-locks/27820/3 "2000-08-02T08:00:49Z")
This question has plagued mankind for years. I have the answer. Simply for emergencies. There are possibly some times when there can be no one watching the store. That is what the locks are for. This is right up there with that question “Why do drive up ATM’s have braille on the numbers?” I also know the answer to that one. Because all ATM machines are manufactured at the same plants, and the plants don’t care if they end up as drive up or walk up ATM’s. Alrighty then. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2000, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seven-eleven-door-locks/27820/4 "2000-08-02T08:08:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by triton277 \* > \*\*This question has plagued mankind for years. I have the answer. Simply for emergencies. There are possibly some times when there can be no one watching the store. That is what the locks are for. This is right up there with that question “Why do drive up ATM’s have braille on the numbers?” I also know the answer to that one. Because all ATM machines are manufactured at the same plants, and the plants don’t care if they end up as drive up or walk up ATM’s. Alrighty then. \*\* Actually, **triton277** , it’s even [stupider than that](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_010.html). ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2000, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seven-eleven-door-locks/27820/5 "2000-08-02T10:11:03Z")
Daniel, don’t be such an ass. You can’t tell a troll from one single post, even if it isn’t the smartest question in the world. ---
**Author:** ![corvidae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@corvidae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corvidae)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2000, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seven-eleven-door-locks/27820/6 "2000-08-02T12:11:27Z")
They do lock the doors from time to time. I’ve been to a 7-11 (or outside, anyway) when it’s been closed. Hell, these guys have to go to the bathroom at one point or another. ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2000, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seven-eleven-door-locks/27820/7 "2000-08-02T12:54:08Z")
7-11’s and other 24 hour convenience stores have been known to close, for various reasons. Examples–taking inventory, closed for repair, shut down after a robbery, some do close on holidays, closed due to bad weather or civic disturbance, replacement clerk didn’t show up, and so on. In each of those cases, they would need to lock the door, and do so. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2000, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seven-eleven-door-locks/27820/8 "2000-08-02T14:33:41Z")
Steven Wright once said: > [@](#): > > \*I went out to the 7-11 and the guy was locking the door when I got there. > > “I thought you guys were open 24 hours,” I said. > > “Sure,” the guy said. “Just not in a row.”\* That’s all the explanation you need. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2000, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seven-eleven-door-locks/27820/9 "2000-08-02T14:35:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by khakiman \* > \*\*Why does a Seven-Eleven that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week _356_ days a year have locks on their doors? > > ~khakiman \*\* Of course, it could also be for the nine days a year you forgot to count. ::ducks and runs:: ---
**Author:** ![don\_Jaime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@don\_Jaime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_Jaime)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2000, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seven-eleven-door-locks/27820/10 "2000-08-02T17:20:11Z")
So the health inspector can seal the place after he finds 711 code violations. HIJACK! Why are they still called “7-11”? That used to be their hours - 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM. They ought to change the name to “7-24”. ---
**Author:** ![fierra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58956e/32.png) [@fierra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fierra)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2000, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seven-eleven-door-locks/27820/11 "2000-08-02T17:33:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by don Jaime \* > \*\*So the health inspector can seal the place after he finds 711 code violations. > > HIJACK! Why are they still called “7-11”? That used to be their hours - 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM. They ought to change the name to “7-24”. \*\* I can’t resist it - 7-24 would just be 7 (am or pm? presumably am, but if it’s a marketing stunt, I’m not betting on intelligence…) till midnight. You’d need a 0-24 or a definitely 24 hour clock number eg 13-13… Fi (I feed the trolls - they’re the only thing holding the damn bridge up…) ---
**Author:** ![Danielinthewolvesden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Danielinthewolvesden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danielinthewolvesden)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2000, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seven-eleven-door-locks/27820/12 "2000-08-02T18:06:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > \*\*Daniel, don’t be such an ass. You can’t tell a troll from one single post, even if it isn’t the smartest question in the world. \*\* can too!! ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2000, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seven-eleven-door-locks/27820/13 "2000-08-02T22:32:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Danielinthewolvesden \* > \*\* > can too!! \*\* Just to be 100% clear, Can Not. Not in this forum. Sheesh, it’s this kind of mistreatment of newbies that sometimes _creates_ trolls. Lay off and give the guy a chance here. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2000, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seven-eleven-door-locks/27820/14 "2000-08-02T23:03:56Z")
I just seems a little odd, because this happens to be one of the questions on the do not ask list. The list can be found here. Read it: [http://www.straightdope.com/faq/lamequestions.html](http://www.straightdope.com/faq/lamequestions.html) (The specific question (number 10) referrs to Denny’s, but the spirit is the same.) ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2000, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seven-eleven-door-locks/27820/15 "2000-08-03T03:21:34Z")
Depending on how **khakiman** found the board, he might not have come through the main page, and thus seen neither the columns nor the FAQ page. He could’ve come in through a link directly to the board on someone’s home page or email sig or something like that.