Do you lock your doors?

[rrneck]

If you do, I assume you are locking them against whatever or whoever is out there that you don't want to get in (unless you're running a jail).

Do you go outside? Among whatever or whoever is out there that needs to be kept out of your home by a locked door?

Do you think there is no need for anybody to carry a firearm among whatever or whoever exists beyond the door you feel the need to lock every night?

Just something to think about when you lock up before you go to bed.

[My Good Babushka]

1. My fine gooderies

and extra cash are in my house. So I lock it. I don't carry my fine gooderies and extra cash around on me, so I don't feel too scared walkin' around, like a normal human being, during daylight business hours.

[rrneck]

5. Wesley, is that you?

You must bad ass!

[Glassunion]

19. My wife is my FINE(ass) gooderies. I gave her a gun to go out with and keep with her.

Dude... We are talking a perfect heart-shaped ass. I was this |.....| close to getting her a Howitzer.

[rrneck]

22. Your post would be greatly improved with pictures.

But I can understand if you'd rather not.

[Glassunion]

25. I have photos...

But(pun intended) I don't like sleeping on the couch.

Bad enough I'm working a triple(24 hours straight) on Valentine's day.

[rrneck]

28. Shit. That sucks.

But I predict a joyful reunion.

[Glassunion]

32. I'm saleried so it double sux. No OT.

But my company "takes care" of all of their employees. So I have no issue putting in the time.

My wife understands we are both in the same line of work. She just came off an 18 hour shift. We are looking forward to an early retirement. We figure we would be about 50 when we can retire.

[Callisto32]

90. It wouldn't suck if you worked for PennDOT.

My wife's uncle is one of those "I am in charge of keeping 5k miles of road clean" guys. They just changed a regulation/law/something that he gets paid overtime (I think it is double pay) even though he is a "salaried" employee. He can't explain how his "overtime" is calculated, and nobody else seems to know either.

[YllwFvr]

75. I admit my hopes were up

Until your next post :(

[Glassunion]

76. Sorry to diappoint...

[YllwFvr]

81. Just save up for the Howitzer GU!

[Glassunion]

84. I can't afford a shell, let alone the gun...

I saw one with a plugged barrel 155mm going for over $84,000... Of course the gun ha some very specific history, but I can't imagine what one in working order would go for.

[X_Digger]

21. Which is more important- the 'fine gooderies' in your house, or your health / life? n/t

[My Good Babushka]

27. I don't feel like my life is in danger when I walk outside

I don't really feel like my fine gooderies are in danger, either, since they are mostly comprised of rare books. People looking for quick drug money probably aren't going to research which volumes are worth something, and which ones are thrift store dandies.

[rrneck]

29. And those who might do you harm would know that?

What do you do, wear a sandwich board or something?

[My Good Babushka]

34. What would I write on the sandwich board?

I don't understand your question. Who are these harm doers that you speak of?
I carry mace for dogs, cause there are a lot of big dogs that get loose in our neighborhood, but I don't think they've been conspiring against me.

[Glassunion]

43. If we could all be so lucky to live where you do. We may have a different perspective.

[My Good Babushka]

51. I live in a low-income, rust belt, dried up

old mid-Atlantic town. It's pretty much a pothole with a Walmart just outside of it. Maybe it's because everyone already knows we're broke, we don't want to steal each others crummy shit. I can play my violin right on my doorstep and no one tries to steal it away from me, even when I play real bad.

[rrneck]

56. Can you make it that safe for everybody? nt

[My Good Babushka]

58. Maybe if everyone just minded their own business

like I do.

[rrneck]

62. Maybe.

[Glassunion]

60. Whatever it is, your violent crime is about 1/2 the state rate.

Off topic: style of violin that you play?

[My Good Babushka]

68. I'm trying to learn gyspy violin

I have been practicing the same three songs for three months. I only got my violin in October. I spent most of the winter on Mary Had a Little Lamb and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

[Glassunion]

72. Sweet... Have you ever seen the Red Violin?

I'm reminded of the montage scene where the violin passes from gypsy to gypsy...

But this will tug at your heart... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxTKtKQzu34

In college, I wrote a paper on Gypsy music and it's influence on both eastern and western culture for a final.

[My Good Babushka]

94. Yes, I saw that movie

years ago.
Awesome video. I like this one, too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3fYZDqb7qw&feature=related
It's so beautiful and dramatic!

[Glassunion]

99. Sweet!

[Glassunion]

35. I would say that your gooderies are you. Not your stuff.

I could introduce you to three young gentlemen that I met once, but I'm willing to wager they are in jail right now, so they would probably be unavailable for a meeting.

[My Good Babushka]

36. I don't want to meet your degenerate friends.

anyhow.

[Glassunion]

48. Not what I said.

You. Yourself.

This is what is worth protecting.

Stuff... ALL stuff can be replaced or is not worth dying over.

You... You can not be replaced. That is what I am saying. You are what is worth protecting.

Ask any police officer why they do what they do. It ain't to defend and protect book collections.

[My Good Babushka]

57. Well, I don't really see why anyone would expend the energy

to harm me without anything to gain. That's just not been my experience. I'm not convinced I should be afraid of people all day long. I'm not convinced the best way for me to be safe is to carry a firearm.

[Katya Mullethov]

69. It's fun

Like keying a car . weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee !

[Glassunion]

71. You said 2 things that caught my eye.

"That's just not been my experience." and "I'm not convinced I should be afraid of people all day long."

For me, that has been my experience. But, I am not conviced that I should be afraid of people all day long as well.

I had an experience once that changed my point of view. I was beaten to within an inch of my life. My face(cheek, nose and jaw) was broken. This was brought about by nothing more than 3 men who wished to see me dead. They took no money, and they demanded nothing from me. Their goal was to do nothing but beat me to death. It was luck that stopped the attack, nothing more. But all said and done, I do not live in fear of people at all. I just rearranged my map.

I call this metaphor “maps”. In life an action happens to us, it can be anything from someone yelling at us to a cup of coffee that we spill in our laps. It can be anything. Anyway, to that action we react. No two people react in the same way to the same action. From that action, whatever it is, there is inevitably a result(a reaction). Let’s use for example that a bee flies into our car while we are driving on the interstate. Some of us may absolutely overreact and perhaps wreck the car trying to get away from the bee. Some of us may react more calmly and carefully pull over and let the bee fly out the window. Some of us may become aggressive towards the bee and try to kill it, while others may simply let the bee, well… be. Our reaction is driven from maps that we all have in our head.

If in my head, I have built a map that makes me absolutely afraid of bees; either because of an allergy to their sting or just a phobia, my reaction would be quite different than that of an individual who works with bees for a living. We use maps every day throughout the course of our lives. The danger is when we let others build maps for us. This is one of the places where racism and intolerance stem from. If I were raised by racists and my entire life my parents showed hate and fear for other races, would not my map lead me to believe that other races are inferior, to be hated and feared?

But what if I live my life knowing that my maps ALL stand the possibility of being inaccurate? Thus allowing me the opportunity to rewrite them? I think that this is the better route to take. I feel that it keeps me from giving into fear. Fear is not bad. It reminds us that we are alive. And in most cases, fear keeps us alive. But fear should not be given into. In my head I have a map that stepping in front of a moving train is bad. I have never stepped in front of a train, and I never will willingly do so. Am I afraid of stepping in front of a moving train? Your damn right I am. But I do not let that fear prevent me from walking across rail road tracks.

Allow me to give a few real world examples. Growing up my parents instilled in me that seatbelts are good and may save my life. So I always wore a seat belt. I went through 20 years of my life without ever having an accident. Then one day, while making a left turn someone plowed into me from behind. No warning, nothing but a loud crash and the next thing I knew my car was spinning and the force alone was so great that I could not hang on to the steering wheel. My body was trying its hardest to fly out the passenger side window; however I had on my seatbelt. I stayed in my seat, a few bruises and marks from the belt, but overall I was ok. That day I had observational evidence that seatbelts work. Does that mean that seatbelts always save lives? No that does not, however my map was affirmed and I continue to wear a seatbelt to this day. Am I afraid that I will be in another accident? Probably will, the odds are just there. Do I enjoy driving any less? No.

In the town I used to live in, there was an accident where the seatbelt actually played a major role in the death of a young adult. There was an accident in front of a Wal-Mart where a car was struck and a 16 year old was trapped in the car by his seatbelt. Though there was a gallant effort by the Wal-Mart employees many of whom suffered severe burns, they did not get the poor kid out of the car before he burned to death. Did this change my map about the good of seatbelts? Not really, but I do keep one of those tools that cut seatbelts and breaks windows in the car. Am I paranoid for that? Do I enjoy driving any less? No.

I went hiking one day, brought a lot of water, and a little bit of food. It was a popular hiking spot in the area, and I had a map that I got from the Ranger Station. I am very comfortable in the woods as I grew up with forest land in my back yard. I was out and about for about 6 hours when I became lost. I had completely lost the trail and had no idea where I was on the map. This had never happened to me before. I did however have some skills to rely on. I started a double-back method of walking in concentric circles that will usually lead one back to a trail. But it was not working fast enough. Eventually it became too dark and I was in danger of hurting myself by stumbling around in the dark. I decided to hunker down for the evening. I made a small shelter, and a small fire to keep me warm and comfortable. That day I had to reassess my map that I knew what I was doing in the wilderness. Yes I had some skills; however I did not have enough. So I reworked my map. Now when I go hiking I bring more tools with me: a compass, rain gear, and extra food. Does this make me paranoid? Does this lessen my enjoyment of the outdoors? No. Could I get lost again? Absolutely, the odds are there. Will I be more prepared? Yes.

So I grow up thinking that people are good. I was blessed with the opportunity to have good friends growing up and going to small schools and living in a small town. We had no crime in our area. There was of course a mandatory gun law in the town. Our city Kennesaw GA (in case you are wondering) was much smaller than it is today. I wish I still lived there, however that is not the hand I have been dealt. But overall during that time of living there (till I was 14), I never experienced violence. I have moved around a few times since with nothing more violent than the few scraps you get into as a teenager in high school. Then that one night I experienced the most violent thing that ever happened to me. So I reworked my map. Not all people are bad, but there are bad people. Does this make me paranoid? Do I enjoy life any less? No. Could I ever be attacked again? Sure, I go out in public every day. The odds are there, no matter how slim.

I am simply more aware now than I was then about what the world is like. There are tens of millions of good people in this world, but it only takes one bad one to take everything away from you. I am not afraid of people, nor am I in constant fear of my life. But I am aware that random violence does exist, and I feel that I would be better off prepared for it, than to hope for the best and pray nothing bad ever happens again.

I work in a quiet area. One day there was a bank robbery 2 miles from my office. An FBI agent was shot and killed when agents attempted to break up the robbery. http://newark.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/2009/nk052809.htm . During the shootout with the FBI 2 of the armed robbers were able to flee the scene. At our office, we locked the doors and no one was permitted into the building. As we left for the day, we all went to our cars in large groups. Were we paranoid? No. We relied on our maps telling us that armed bank robbers are dangerous desperate people, and that we would be more formidable in a large group. Were we paranoid for installing televisions where we could keep an eye on the news in case something similar happens again? No. we could all happily go through life never seeing a local event that we need to be concerned with. And hey, we got a TV in the cafeteria. Score!

EDIT: I spelt stuff bad...

[My Good Babushka]

95. You can't prevent every bad thing from happening.

You can't force or cajole or convince me that I should carry a gun. When I go out I've got a seven year old in one hand, and a four year old on the other. I've got mace in my pocket. I walk straight to the school and straight back home. The safety of the three of us is not going to be improved by my carrying a gun, if anything, it would make me a target for someone who wanted to steal my gun.
It's just a question of best practices. I'm not going to stop wearing my seat belt because someone was in a freak accident where the seat belt harmed them. The preponderance of evidence is on the other side.

[rrneck]

97. You can't force or cajole or convince me that I should carry a gun

I wouldn't dream of trying. I don't carry either.

The point of the OP is to remind people who think nobody should carry probably also lock their doors at night for some reason. And that is the same reason a small percentage of the population carries a gun.

[Glassunion]

98. You misunderstood me...

I was in no way even suggesting that I wanted you to carry a gun, let alone force or cajole you. Carrying a firearm is a choice and I would never be so arrogant to make choices for anyone else.

You are correct, that I cannot prevent every bad thing from happening. But I can make the choice to be prepared in a legal fashion of my choosing. You carry mace, this is your choice. I carry a firearm, this is my choice.

After all is said and done, there remains the fact that carrying a firearm is not for everyone and the decision to carry one is neither the correct or incorrect answer. The reason to carry one should not be made out of fear, anger, indecision, intimidation, etc… On the other hand, the decision not to carry should not be born from those same emotions. If you are 100% honest with yourself, then you will make the correct decision, whatever that may be. As you said... "Best Practices"

[X_Digger]

42. So why lock your doors? n/t

[My Good Babushka]

52. I leave them open all day because I like light

I lock them at night because if someone walks in I won't be awake to tell them to go away. Where I live, the apartments look a lot a like, and someone could come into my house accidentally.

[rl6214]

2. Front door yes, back door not normally

An eight foot wall and two German shepards in the back yard are good enough for me. That and I normally have a firearm at hand regardless of where I am in the house.

[rrneck]

30. Sounds like a lot to carry around. nt

[RandomThoughts]

3. Yes, the lock is a really deep concept.

At what point do you have the right to 'lock' someone.


And isn't that a form of judgment.


I am due beer and travel money and many experiences, and the smears used on many 'thought concepts' I don't agree with. Should that allow locks, can I claim to know that? Probably not.

But I do know I am due beer and travel money and many experiences. :shrug:

[Chipper Chat]

4. I started locking my doors about 1984. For some reason things changed then.

It wasn't necessary pre-1984 as I lived in a small town and private residences were respected. Even the high school left one door unlocked over the weekend so if a kid needed something from his locker he could go in and get it. Schools would be crazy to do that now.

[Glassunion]

Orwell?

[Chipper Chat]

70. Ha ha. Funny you should mention.

I thought of the same thing when I was typing "1984". (I don't remember any telescreens in the school)

[Glassunion]

73. Sorry... I had a few beers and that just popped instantly into my head when I read it.

Would that qualify as DoubleThink?

[Chipper Chat]

85. Let's ask Winston Smith.

If we can pry him away from the Ministry of Republican Truth.

[Glassunion]

86. He's too busy stuffing the Memory Hole...

[Katya Mullethov]

87. This whole gunwalker thing has turned into a real circus

Got 'em all workin' double shifts .

[Chipper Chat]

91. OK. You've done it now.

I'm going to pull that book off the shelf and re-read it tonight! Will have to watch out for the Thought Police though.

[Skittles]

6. I've lived alone in the city for decades

never needed a gun

[rrneck]

7. Do you lock your doors? nt

[Skittles]

9. only a fucking idiot doesn't lock their doors

[rrneck]

16. Does only a fucking idiot not carry a gun with them when they go out? nt

[Skittles]

38. gawd, you are a fucking idiot

DONE!!!

[rrneck]

41. Well, if you can't take the heat... nt

[Sherman A1]

53. I go out all the time

go to work at 4am across a large metropolitan area and I have never seen the need for a firearm, nor do I desire to have one.

If you want one, then by all means enjoy the benefits the 2nd Amendment or the current understanding of it.

I do lock my doors, but the comparison suggested in the OP is simply beyond silly.

[rrneck]

59. It's not that silly.

There are people who lock their doors. There are people who think that nobody should carry a gun in public. There are no doubt people who lock their doors and think nobody should carry a gun. Sounds like they may suffer from cognitive dissonance to me. (See post #38)

[YllwFvr]

78. I tend to be somewhat forgetful

As I get so much in my head little things get pushed out. So I try to form habits, put everything in its place. When I first started to carry I would leave my gun at home often. So now, I lay my clothes out on the bed as well as everything I intend to leave the house with. After my shower I dress and stuff my pockets with thing for the day. When my belt goes on, my gun goes on. Now I leave nothing at home, and my pistol is on me when I go out, and until I take my belt back off for sleep.

My last two psych exams gave me a clean bill of health. The last one was 60 days ago ;)

[GreenStormCloud]

96. You've been lucky.

Your good luck is no guarantee that I will be as lucky. I carry two guns on me, just in case.

[notesdev]

8. I leave my car unlocked

hoping someone will steal it, since its net value is less than zero

[rrneck]

10. I hear you.

I keep hoping somebody will at least steal something out of it, that way they'd be helping me clean it out.

[YllwFvr]

79. Love it!

great post :D

[DaveJ]

11. Door yes, Gun no

If I lived alone I'd probably not bother with the door.

If I was woken up by an intruder and reached for a gun, I believe my judgement would be impaired having just woken, which could easily lead to a bad move.

Is this an argument for gun rights?

[CTyankee]

14. This is the classic "heads I win, tails you lose" argument...don't even do it...

[rrneck]

17. Why? nt

[CTyankee]

23. I was agreeing with Davej, rneck...and I take my own advice...

[oneshooter]

61. And it is worth exactly what you paid for it. n/t

[CTyankee]

64. Va bene, rrneck...as the Italians say...

[rrneck]

15. Yeah.

So many people feel that there is no need to ever carry a gun outside the home (and most people don't), but I was wondering how many of those same people lock their doors at night against a threat that seems only to exist to prompt them to lock their homes.

Sure enough, the first reply asserted that there was no danger as if muggers, rapists, and murderers only come out at night when they are home as if they were vampires or something.

[DaveJ]

24. This is weird but someone actually did walk in once

Years ago a guy wandering into my place where my wife and I were sleeping. The neighbors saw it and called the cops, and we were woken up by the cops at our bedroom door. The cops had the guy in their car and we had no idea who he was.

A gun would not have done any good, since we were sleeping, you know.

So I guess it's probably a good idea to lock the door even if you do not support carrying a gun.

[rrneck]

26. Makes sense.

I know a lot of people who lock up when they're inside no matter the time of day. I guess it depends on where you live and such. I don't have to sweat it myself, and I feel no need to carry a gun.

But it's worth thinking about isn't it? If one a)locks their doors against the bad guys and b)thinks nobody should ever carry a gun and c)proceeds to go outside among those same bad guys, doesn't that reveal at least a bit of cognitive dissonance?

It would be a much better world if we didn't need guns or door locks.

[montanto]

92. lol. I once had a person walk into my house too. -->

It was Sarah Shahi, the actress from The L-word (at that time). I'm glad I didn't shoot her, because speaking of fine ass from up-thread, she has it! But seriously, Sarah Shahi actually walked into my living room as I sat there on the couch. I almost had a religious conversion. Now I lock the door when I'm in the house though. Never know who might walk in while I'm busy thinking about the last time someone walked in.

[My Good Babushka]

31. Aren't most people usually murdered by family members?

Like a spouse? He's the one I've been annoying for all these years. He's the only one whose really got reason to deck me. It won't do me any good to lock the door then.....
Now I really hope he likes his Valentine's Day present.

[rrneck]

37. Beats me. I don't like statistics.

I just found it interesting that there are probably more than a few people out there who lock their doors but think nobody should ever carry a gun. The OP was more to prompt thought than anything else, since I have no idea about the particulars of other posters lives.

[My Good Babushka]

47. I like my brother-in- law to carry a gun

he knows what he's doing. Me, not so much.

[rrneck]

49. Yep.

I had a carry permit for a while years ago. I only carried once or twice and was very self conscious about it. I only got the permit so I could tell the judge and jury I was a responsible gun owner in case I had to shoot somebody at my own front door.

Never had to shoot anybody, never had to explain it. And I like it that way.

[CTyankee]

39. This happened in my family. The gun was supposed to be for "protection."

But it was actually used to kill the family member and wound other family members.

A tragedy waiting to happen, IMO...

[rrneck]

45. I see why you wouldn't want to carry

or even have a gun in the house. It was a tragedy and I am sorry.

[CTyankee]

65. Yeah, great. that means a lot...

[rrneck]

66. I'm all out of cookies. nt

[X_Digger]

40. Actually, no.. unknnown / acquaintance is higher incidence than a family member.

http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/offenses/expanded_information/data/shrtable_10.html

[YllwFvr]

80. Get bad gummy eyes

full of grit when you wake up? Sometimes I get that. On those days Im not ready to do more than grab coffee and migrate to the kitchen table... let alone fight off a criminal ;)

On the "morning person" days I feel like I could roll out of bed and fight like an Irishman. If I ever have a break in I hope they get me on a good day

[mike_c]

12. generally not...

...although we probably lock the front door 50% of the time and similar for the back. Of course, one or two windows are nearly always open for the cats.

The former kid next door crawled through my window a couple of years ago and stole prescription meds-- I knew it was him because he was always coming around asking to "borrow" some painkillers and other meds (and when I confronted him he whined about how it just wasn't fair that docs didn't give teenaged tweakers whatever drugs they wanted, while old dudes like me get all the good drugs-- I kid you not). That and he was too dim-witted to walk through the open door ten feet away from the window he crawled through, LOL. He had the nerve to come around one night a week or so later to bum smokes from my partner and I told him what I'd do if he ever came back. He never did.

Mostly though, we have little to fear in terms of harm to ourselves, so we're not really very concerned. Everyone suffers occasional crimes against property-- petty theft of stuff-- but we don't worry about that sort of thing too much.

[rrneck]

20. Same here. nt

[Fumesucker]

13. Don't have a key so I guess not..

I don't have anything worth stealing in my home, everything worth anything is in the shop and it looks like a pawnshop in a rough part of town.

Anyone who breaks walks in here is going to get taken off at the ankles by two attack dachshunds.

Strangely enough, I *do* have a key to the shop.

[Arctic Dave]

18. Rarely. Our house policy is knock and walk.

[postulater]

33. I wouldn't feel safe living in a place where I had to lock the doors.

[Monique1]

50. Lock my doors

day and night. I also had someone walk in my house (had two dogs also)- the two who walked in my door were Jehovah Witnesses, they didn't knock - they just opened the screen door that taught me to lock my door. I do walk o utside during the day by myself not night anymore. I do sit on the patio at all hours and not afraid. My friend and I would leave our cigarettes and lighters on our table there - one afternoon a kid about 13 jumped over the patio wall - grabbed our cigs and lighters and ran off. I was not fast enough to get him.

As for a gun - don't own one and don't want one. I know someone was a victim of a home invasion, she owned a gun rather than a security system. The gun did not help her- they stole it and sold it. She is lucky they did not use the gun on her. She was severely beaten, tied up for over 24 hrs. A gun would not help me, I would probably freeze if I woke up to someone trying to break in - I do sleep with my cell at my side though.

[rrneck]

55. Of course the question is

would you advocate legislation banning the practice of private citizens carrying guns in public? And if so, how would you go about making sure their level of risk is at least no greater than yours? And would you assume their proficency with a firearm is the same as yours and not greater?

No need to answer if you don't want. Just something to think about.

[Starboard Tack]

44. If I felt the need to lock the door I'd move somewhere else

[rrneck]

46. A lot of people who have to lock their doors

would love to exercise that option I'm sure.

[TheCowsCameHome]

54. Night, yes. Daytime, no.

[rrneck]

63. How do you feel about people carrying guns? nt

[jeepnstein]

67. We've been having roughly...

one home invasion per week lately. Nobody's sure how many because the police won't share that information with local media. The only time we know for sure is when one of the robbers get shot, which happens about once a week.

The pill heads are getting desperate for money.

[YllwFvr]

74. I lock my doors

when I am home or not. My car is also locked. I lock my car when I am driving it. I have a safe at home for my valuables. I have a fire extinguisher in my home and my car and wear my seat belt.

I have had a car stolen from my driveway. I have had someone try to carjack me, auto door locks stopped them, I didnt even realize until they were walking away what was going on. I have had a car catch on fire while I was driving it. Ive never had a home fire. Ive never had my home broken into and never been in a car accident. I hope those things never happen, or never happen again. I keep or use those items anyway, just in case.

[AndyTiedye]

77. If I Dont Lock the Door the Wind Will Blow It Open

Dang saggy door doesn't latch so well these days so I gotta lock it if I want it to stay closed.

[kudzu22]

82. Yes I do. They're what keep my stuff from walking away.

[rrneck]

83. So does your stuff ealk around outside? nt

[MyrnaLoy]

88. we very seldom

lock our house or car door. I actually can't remember when the last time I locked my car door. We live in a medium-size town.

[TPaine7]

89. Of course not--that would be paranoid.

I don't have fire alarms, fire extinguishers, seat belts, or any first aid or medical stuff either.

What do you take me for, some paranoid, racist, misogynistic, anti-gay, survivalist, extremist?!!!

I am offended, sir. Deeply offended.

[Kennah]

93. Lock the door and set the alarm; however, the most important thing is ...

... the flip locks. Keeps the kids IN the house so they can't just wander off whenever they please--as the 18 month old has tried to do once or twice.