Do you set your alarm on your friend's quiet residential street?

[Zeke]

In another thread I told about the house FS across from me. People have been coming to see for 3 days, today being Sat has been the busiest. What I don't get is them setting their alarm. Chirp, chirp, all day long. Hey, if you think the hood is that bad, why would you look at a house to buy?

OK, so maybe that's not what they're thinking. But, crikey, you're parked in front of an open house with people around constantly, if only the 2 RE people. And you think your car is gonna get smoked?

I call inconsiderate if not just plain stupid. When I visit, I leave the windows down. I work all over town and only lock my truck if I'm gonna be in back for an extended period, and then maybe not all the time.

Chirp-chirp, another one leaves.

[carnutzzz]

I keep a gun in my car so... yes, I do set the alarm every time. Only takes a second for someone to slip in there.

[fingpilot]

Milt;

The hood they are moving OUT of requires the alarm. A habit they are hoping to lose when they move into your hood.....

[red911sc]

I do it everywhere... out of habit.

[Jim Richards]

me too.

[porsche4life]

The only place I do not lock my vehicle is at my house. I live 5 miles out of town with very little traffic.

[Noah930]

Probably out of habit. This is the big city, after all. We've been house-hunting for several months. Usually, I'll lock the car, even though we're looking in nice neighborhoods. Our cars don't chirp, though.

Except for the one time I pulled up to a house which was located in a gorgeous neighborhood that rivals anything you'd see from 90210. The only reason I was even looking at that one house was due to its tiny lot size. The rest of the surrounding homes were true estates. I was in the P-car, and realized that it was silly for me to lock it or even roll up the windows; I was by far the poorest schlub on the street.

[mjohnson]

Some at my office lock their cars.

This is one mile behind a guard. Not a place that the public goes. Anyone walking around on their own had to promise that they aren't bad people. No guns or even cell phones in the cars to steal.

And some still lock up.

Me? I leave the car unlocked, sometimes with the keys in. We keep an eye out and turn each others' lights off and close their windows if it's raining.

On my street? Nothing of value in sight and locked 1/2 the time. Small towns are nice.

[Hugh R]

Is it setting the alarm, or locking the doors with the remote, which probably activates the alarm anyway.

[Rick Lee]

I lock my cars in my garage.

[gprsh924]

A lot of the cars probably automatically chirp when the doors are locked. The drivers aren't likely actually setting the alarm.

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by gprsh924

A lot of the cars probably automatically chirp when the doors are locked. The drivers aren't likely actually setting the alarm.

+1
Both our cars 'chirp' when you lock the doors. We don't have aftermarket alarms.

[TimT]

A lot of the cars probably automatically chirp when the doors are locked.

yea more ++++

In my dd I lock the drivers door before I exit the car..when I close the door the car chirps to let me know the alarm is set...

If the alarm is not set.. no sound

If a door is not closed, a double chirp..

[wcc]

Heck, I've lost a radar detector, CDs AND a speaker box for not locking the car to pay for gas. Plus my vehicles have been broke into numerous times so YES, I lock it and set alarm EVERYWHERE now. Sorry....... Oh, and two different cars at two different living places were broke into. One was the weekend we moved in!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Always. Car is always locked with the alarm on and the Club on the wheel. I don't care if it sounds corny or funny or if someone else thinks it ridiculous. It'd be more ridiculous to report that my car was stolen because the alarm was off and my Club was sitting there useful as a paperweight under the seat because I was too lazy to put it on.

The Mercedes has the advantage of not "chirping" when you turn the alarm on, it's silent.

[sailchef]

My Jeep doesn't chirp, it HONKS.

[Taz's Master]

Never. The only time my doors are locked is when the Tundra is in drive (I hate that feature). My house is equally secure, Cave Canis however...

[toolboy62]

GM cars of recent vintage were set up by default to chirp the horn whenever you used the remote to lock the doors. This was the first thing I defeated whenever I had to drive a different company vehicle. Fortunately the new ones now just lock the door on the first press and then chirp the horn on the second one (if you didn't see the lights flash and need some feedback that your doors are in fact locked.) Much better. Not everything needs to make a noise.

Also annoying: the headlights that stay on for 30 seconds or so after you lock the doors after dark... handy sometimes, but freaking obnoxious if you've parked in front of a restaurant with big glass windows...

[David]

Yes.

I'm surprised they don't have a setting that doesn't chirp.

My '01 Chevy truck only chirped if you hit it twice and my '08 doesn't chirp at all.

[Pazuzu]

I thought you asked "do you set OFF alarms on your friend's quiet street."

In that case, yes

The Mazda has the doors locked and the alarm set whenever we're not in it, but that's ONLY because of the insurance (we use the alarm as a discount, and they said that if the alarm wasn't set, they might tell us to shove off if it's broken into). I hate alarms, I hate chirpy door locks, I hate that there's no lock assembly on the passenger side. I don't even carry the fob, I use the actual honest to goodness key to lock and unlock the car, which sets and un-sets the alarm.