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Q: Is it worth installing bars on the windows of your apartment?
I've been hearing a lot recently about people's apartments getting broken into while they were away for the holidays, which got me worried as my apartment is on the second floor of my building.
I started looking into having bars installed on the windows of my apartment, but my landlord told me the inexpensive ones are basically useless, while the expensive ones are 1000s of RMB each and can still be broken into quite easily.
Is it even worth having these installed?
11 years 28 weeks ago in Health & Safety - China
Everyone seems to have them.........interesting fire escape prevention invention though.....
Maybe there's a market to develop these 'prison cell bars' with lockable doors in them in case you need to jump!!!! Need to be a burglar proof lock though......
There have been a few instances in the rougher parts of the UK in inner cities, (I remember one in particular in Manchester),where it had become common to install bloody great huge solid metal doors on the flats, to prevent people breaking in, as on the upper floors the windows weren't such a problem. The instance I remember was when a family of 5 all died in a fire because the parents were overcome by smoke and the fire brigade couldn't break in. The children were found right behind the door, because they couldn't open it (too heavy or too complicated to open I don't remember which).
So before I'd consider bars on a second storey window I would have a very careful examination of emergency evacuation routes.
snowballeffect:
And contact your local Health and Safety department for advice and guidance.
I did in Guilin. Didnt stop a break-in.
They cut through the bars and ransacked my place. I was gone for only 45 minutes. No one saw or heard anything, including the security guard who was stationed in front of my building. Best part? The police said it was my fault for keeping things in my home (!!??)
snowballeffect:
I'd select the security guard posted in front of your building for cross-examination.
Hulk:
Wow, I'd take to the streets and keel until that cop stopped me.
I don't want to live in a prison.
I think a big dog would work better.
They don't really help. If someone really wants in, they know how to break in even the most expensive bars. Also, as others have mentioned, it is quite dangerous in the event of a fire. If you can't reach the stairs or elevator, you are basically stuck in your house to die a painful death. Yo uwill regret it when you see the ladder truck going to the floor above you to rescue someone, and they give you a "tough shit" look through the window. The bars are only used on old buildings in rough neighborhoods that have no security, any modern building I have seen they are not used.
As Scandinavian mentioned, they make your house look like a prison on the inside. Ugly as hell to look at, and ruin a potentially nice view outdoors and block sunlight.
