Today I learned...

[Kraco]

How about insurance? Technically an insurance company could require good locks (for some deal), but wouldn't pay any attention to the fact the door itself is insufficient to make any difference.

Btw... How is it in Canada? I have noticed in American movies and series that doors always open inwards in the USA (unless it's just the TV and movies).... Over here they always open outwards. Thus, in the US the lock would be the only thing preventing a door from being kicked in (or rammed to be realistic). Over here, you would actually need to break the whole door into pieces or the door frame to gain the same effect. In that sense one might think structurally very sound locks would indeed be essential in the US. But like I said, I don't know about Canada.

[woofcat]

The doors here mostly open in. Some open out tho. Sure the lock could get you a better deal on insurance but calling a lockie to unlock it would cost alot since they are a bitch to open.

[dragonrage]

Today I learned that Floods are the most common natural disasters. Many people who are in high risk areas, do not insure thieir houses. So if you live in a high risk area or even a low risk area, get flood insurance. High risk areas are: houses near rivers, areas that are plagued by hurricanes, etc.

This has been a public service announcement.

dragonrage.

[XanBcoo]

Today I learned that Floods are the most common natural disasters. Many people who are in high risk areas, do not insure thieir houses. So if you live in a high risk area or even a low risk area, get flood insurance. High risk areas are: houses near rivers, areas that are plagued by hurricanes, etc.

This has been a public service announcement.

dragonrage.

A day late and a dollar short, I'm afraid. My house was flooded a few years ago and we didn't have flood insurance. We were located in a Low-risk area until about a few months before the flood, then they redrew everything and included my neighborhood as a High-risk area. But we had never had any flood problems during hurricanes before, so my parents didn't bother getting the insurance...=\

[Yukimura]

Today i learned that people often really really really miss the point. This guy makes install Alboy locks on this Jank door that could be kicked down in about 5 seconds. We tried to point out that no matter how much money you spend on locks if the door can be kicked down or a window broken it kinda makes spending the money useless.

This exact problem came up in the movie Crash. The door to this store wouldn't lock properly so the owner hires a locksmith to replace the lock, the locksmith tells him that the door itself is the problem, but the store owner feels like he's being cheated and just yells at the locksmith to fix it, obviously locksmiths don't fix doors so he just left. Then later the store gets broken into and ransacked, the insurance guy comes to appraise it and deems the robbery negligence because the owner didn't listen to the locksmith and fix his door. Now said owner has lost everything and goes out to drive the plot of the movie forward.


As to doors opening out, if the police are coming in and they find a door that opens out, they'll probobly blow the whole damn door off it's hinges, and you don't want that happeing just because you were out partying when they came to serve their warrant.

[Kraco]

As to doors opening out, if the police are coming in and they find a door that opens out, they'll probobly blow the whole damn door off it's hinges, and you don't want that happeing just because you were out partying when they came to serve their warrant.

Heh. Fortunately over here that happens extremely rarely, so it's not really any point to be considered when designing houses and apartments. I suppose it's just some tradition.

[gr3atfull]

Today, I learned an afghan proverb. It goes:
The unfortunate learn from their own mistake, but the people with luck learns from the mistakes of others.

Its not word by word, but the idea is there.

[Assertn]

How about insurance? Technically an insurance company could require good locks (for some deal), but wouldn't pay any attention to the fact the door itself is insufficient to make any difference.

Btw... How is it in Canada? I have noticed in American movies and series that doors always open inwards in the USA (unless it's just the TV and movies).... Over here they always open outwards. Thus, in the US the lock would be the only thing preventing a door from being kicked in (or rammed to be realistic). Over here, you would actually need to break the whole door into pieces or the door frame to gain the same effect. In that sense one might think structurally very sound locks would indeed be essential in the US. But like I said, I don't know about Canada.

Actually, I think the door opens in the direction that the flow of traffic is mostly going in. Or if the flow is about the same, then it opens in if it's a main entrance. For example the front door to a restaurant would most likely open into the restaurant, while a back-alley door to a restaurant would most likely open into the alley.

[Kraco]

Yeah. But it's the reverse here. According to my observations doors mainly open so that when you are heading out of the building, you push the doors. This applies not only to the outer doors, but as well random corridor or staircase doors (fire doors for example), inside the building. I have sometimes wondered if it's because of emergencies, or something, if people would need to leave a burning building in hurry (if there's a mass panic, the pressure of the mass would prevent you from opening a door in). But that's how it is here: Unless there's some specific practical reason for it to be otherwise, doors open out.

[PSJ]

Today i learned that keeping my contacts in while i sleep is a pretty fucking stupid idea, my eye hurts like hell and it tears up constantly. Never had any problems with it before though.

[Terracosmo]

Today I learned that buying pink eyeliner was a waste of time since I have no clothes to go with it.

...it's a tough world.

[complich8]

Going back to this whole "which way should the doors open" discussion ...

In a private residence, the primary doors should ALWAYS open inward, no matter what. The reasoning behind this is who has control of the door.

If someone knocks on your door and steps to the side, and your door opens out, they can jump at the door and hit it and they've got control of it, they can swing the door wide and walk right in.

On the other hand, if the door opens in, you pop your head out and they jump out, you can slam the door, or at least keep the actual door between you and them and try to push them out. In other words, you maintain a higher degree of control over entry to your home.

Similarly, bedroom doors behave the same for the same sort of reasons. In case of home invasion, it's universally better to have a door between you and the invader than not to -- especially when the door is somewhat sturdy and decently framed.

Moreover, the structural integrity of the door isn't going to matter much -- there's easier ways to gain access to a house than brute force through a locked door, if you're looking to commit a crime -- smashing a window is a surefire bet, and picking the lock tends to work quite well too. In fact, many households don't lock all of their windows, and many homes have sliding glass doors that can be susceptible to the old "glasscutter hand-hole" approach, which doesn't make a whole lot of noise if done skillfully. Kicking in a door can be easy, but it's also extremely conspicuous (ie: loud), just like breaking a window. It's unlikely to be done when people are home, knowing that they'll either call the police or have a shotgun at the ready (often both) by the time the door gives.

Remember: your property is not as important as you are. This is the whole reason why most home doors (and bedroom doors) open inward.


But what about public doors? They follow somewhat different rules. In a home, the average number of people is small, and it's unlikely that a crowd would be able to form and act irrationally. But in a public place -- a restaurant or store, for example, it's quite easy to imagine a critical-mass mob in an emergency (say, a building fire). Such a group would have trouble navigating an inward-opening door. Even worse would be a theater, where you have a large, dense group of people in a darkened room. Inward-opening doors can potentially be deadly, both because of irrational mob pressure blocking the doors, and because of the trampling risk associated with being between the forcibly-closed doors and a pushing mob of panicked people.

Public place doors almost always open with escaping fire in mind.

Most of the logic of which way your door should open is regulated by local building and fire codes. Some local codes dictate that in order to be certified past a certain occupancy, a building has to follow certain restrictions -- including which way the fire egress routes open. Other places don't even leave it an option, and simply force businesses to comply with those codes to even operate on commercially-zoned property.

[woofcat]

I agree, except for a few points.

Crooks using lockpicks is very seldom unless its high end crime and that is not home invasions.

Glass cutters at crimes are very seldom aswell.

Also most home breakin's happen inbetween 8-5 when people are at school / work, thus no-one home and noise is less of a factor.

[Kraco]

Yeah, it's a good point about what you said about private property doors opening in, and thus allowing greater protection for the one defending the property. I didn't come to think of it now when posting here, but the thought has crossed my mind earlier, when I have tried to imagine such a situation. Although I most likely didn't then think of the US standard, as it's rare here.

But based on your post, complich8, I take it many public places have doors opening out over there, as well? The emergency / panicked mass situation is indeed the strongest reason I have ever imagined for it.

Interestingly enough it's good to keep this in mind especially when walking through complex places, like large hospitals or universities. If you have a hunch whether you are going towards an exit or away from the nearest one, you can with satisfactory probability predict well beforehand if you need to push or pull a door. This allows a good chance to avoid the humiliating (ok, a little exaggerated) situation of trying to move the door to the wrong direction.

[Knives122]

Yesterday I found out that my asswhole brother bought a 360 when I was going to so now I have 2 options:

1. lower myself and do crap just so I can play my games on his console b/c he's a douchebag.

2.I get a job and go buy myself one and start paying for the internet bill so he can't do anything online without asking me for my consent......

I choose option two -_-

[PSJ]

option 2 is the correct answer, the key with brothers is that you always have to be in charge, if you have something they want you are the boss. If you can't keep it that way they will eventually whip you around and that is extremly humiliating especially if they're younger than you.

[el_boss]

Today I learned that there is actually going on a serious discussion on which way doors should open.

I don't get where you get your reasoning from complich8. If door would open inward, someone outside could just push it in after you "pop your head out". Hence getting access to the house just as easily as when the door opens outward. Though if it opens outward you get a small advantage when leaving the house in a hurry. Also if the door opens inward, it steals alot of space in the house. Maybe you have heard of a peephole. It allows you to see who's at the door without needing to "pop your head out". In sweden almost all doors have these.

@Kraco: If you don't want to get humiliated anymore, just pay attention to which side the hinges are on. If you don't see any hinges, pushing the door should be the way to go.

[kenren]

today...i learned to be more ..uhh..kind to my friends...during basketball..i yelled "foul" to one of them..after the game..they were not happy about it...i guess the way i yelled is more like "scolding" than telling them.. sigh~

[Kraco]

I don't get where you get your reasoning from complich8. If door would open inward, someone outside could just push it in after you "pop your head out".

While that is true to an extent, still if the door opens in, you can have it as a defensive shield between you and the trespasser, like complich said. It will be then a match of strength between you and the criminal. If it opens out, you basically have to stick your hand out of the doorway to pull the door shut again. And that's hard if the offender stands in the doorway.

If you don't want to get humiliated anymore, just pay attention to which side the hinges are on. If you don't see any hinges, pushing the door should be the way to go.

Heh. Yeah, you are right. But that's not nearly as intellectually interesting than trying to figure it out by philosophical means!

[Terracosmo]

Today I learned that my band actually exists on the swedish wikipedia:

http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/With_Pain