I'm so sorry to hear of the passing of your mother. It must be difficult for you. We seem to have many similarities on how we lock and take our keys. I always keep my keys in my pocket also. Not my purse.
Although I have keys for my house and also a mailbox key I never go out or come in through the front door. I come in through the garage which has an opener in the car. I only carry my keys because of the mailbox key and also in case the garage door opener isnt working. @Krissttina Isobe , sorry about your mom but CONGRATULATIONS on your upcoming marriage.
Regarding car break ins. There have been a couple of instances with cars at my apartment complex but I was told by a past manager, they only got cars that were not locked. We have had break ins at work. One at my last job was about 5pm still very much light. The car next to me got their window broken out but luckily I was spared. At a past job there were also rashes of break in with windows smashed. Again I didn't get hit. I guess I have been lucky.
@Krissttina Isobe I'm really sorry to hear about your Mom's passing to and I'm praying God will fill you with His peace and assurance that one day you will see her again. Congratulations on your upcoming marriage too, may your new husband bring comfort to you in your time of sorrow as well as joyful and happy days too.
I keep my doors locked. I even lock them if I go out back to the garden area. I have a friend who was working in her garden without locking the door. She came back in and sat at the kitchen table. A few minutes she felt somebody behind her and turned around to find a man standing there. She screamed and he ran out. It could have been disastrous.
An officer investigating a car break in here, told me "it's a crime of opportunity". There was no "breaking and entering" of the car and the owner told the officer she must have left it unlocked. It doesn't have an alarm. She got hit twice. When our alarm is on, there is a small red blinking light on the dash. Generally, anyone looking to get into a vehicle, will check out to see if there is a light like that blinking on the dash. If so, they will leave it alone if next to a apartment or house.
Many years ago, I had an old Datsun pickup. The passenger side door wouldn't even close sechbey rurely, and wouldn't lock at all. It started with a toggle switch under the dash, and didn't need a key. I guess I accidentally locked the driver's side door one night, and someone broke the vent window on the driver's side in order to get in rather than simply opening the passenger door. They rummaged through the glove compartment and may have taken something, but there wasn't anything that that I'd have missed.
I remembered that the person who I bought my boat from said don't lock the cabin door I asked why. Well if they brake in to the boat a teak louvered door will not stop them but that door is worth a lot of money probably worth more than they will steal.
@Ken Anderson Never thought about it this way before, but leaving doors unlocked while at home might be of interest to the Macho Self-defense tripper seeking real, live, combat target practice............Frank
I do not advertise what surprises might be in store for someone wanting to harm me or my family but they would get a big surprise if they tried it. I am well protected.
@Martin Alonzo Understood, and Agreed! I should have simply asked if firearms are allowed by law in D.R. Frank
Yes Dominicans can get guns and surprising how many you see in peoples belts it is a little like the old west especial in the countryside and I think you will find shotguns in many homes. There is a restriction to a foreigner having a gun but money can buy almost anything here.