Safety at the Inn

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JBloggs

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A few years ago we talked about how easy and opportune it would be to rob or burgle a B&B. Many innkeepers do not lock their front doors, and some do not even lock the guest rooms. Guests do travel with ipods, pc's, cameras, jewelry, cash.
Many innkeepers have guest information at a check in area open to visitors or guests (or do not keep their quarters locked which also has credit card and guest info, and/or use index cards of something UNSECURE for this information) or have an unsecure wifi connection.
The show we mentioned had a mock up break-in at a B&B and the burglars simply walked to the door with suitcases they got out of their trunk, when no one was home, took what they wanted and walked out with the same suitcases with their booty. No one was the wiser.
I just got a state police notice that the pa pa j ohns piz z a delivery guy is a re gi se xo ffe er. Interesting concept when the neighbors who probably wouldn't notice anyway say "Who is that over there walking around looking in the windows!? Oh never mind he has a uniform on, he is the pizza delivery guy."
  • What do you do to protect your guests?
  • What do you do to provide a safe environment? It doesn't matter if you say you can leave the keys in your car and you never NEED to lock the door this is no argument, really it is not. You are responsible for OTHERS when you operate a B&B.
  • Do you have a note in the rooms saying "Not responsible for lost or stolen items?"
  • Do you do a background check on your housekeepers?
 
I can try to beat it into their heads to not let anyone in, but it doesn't work. Our reg form says we're not resp for lost or stolen items. If we find they've left their room doors unlocked we lock them unless we also found the keys in their room!
I guess it's hard to say what steps we take because nothing is really safe if someone else wants it badly enough.
We have outdoor lighting and we do encourage guests to lock their cars (if they ask) because theiving from cars is very easy if the car is unlocked.
 
Thought provoking! Things that had not occured to me and perhaps a LOT of others.
 
Thought provoking! Things that had not occured to me and perhaps a LOT of others..
gillumhouse said:
Thought provoking! Things that had not occured to me and perhaps a LOT of others.
Not that I think the bad guys haven't thought of this, and it is good to point out this information to IK's, but this is a PUBLIC forum - publishing this info is also announcing to anyone in the world that these are opportunities for potential thieves.
 
"I guess it's hard to say what steps we take because nothing is really safe if someone else wants it badly enough."
Ahhh Mortie, a defeatist attitude. Making it harder will deter most criminals. Making it take 2 minutes longer will deter them. It has nothing to do with "Bad Enough" don't make it simple and easy for them.
Case in point from a NY perspective, carry your handbag where? Swinging off the end of your arm or tucked under it tightly or better yet over your head and shoulders both? Which is a deterrent? Which is an INVITATION?
When iPod's first came out they had the white headphones/wires and people were getting mugged for them in NYC and other metropolis cities. They told people to put the wires under your shirt instead of on the outside and that solved most of the crime.
What steps are you taking to make your Inn a safer environment. Obv any gun or knife wielding drug addict can barge in at any time, that is not what I am asking about. Obviously.
 
Scott thanks for pointing that out, may it cause concern for innkeepers who leave guest cc details laying around and rooms and front doors unlocked. If guests KNEW their information was within reach and unsecure how would they feel about it? They are assuming what they provide is kept safe, as it should be.
 
I couldn't think of a bigger city to use as a ref. :)
PS Still mad that they moved the Phantom Love Never Dies Part 2 to the spring, I was planning on going to NYC in Nov to see it!
 
I think most of its common sense we keep our private quarters locked when one of us is not in them. We keep all credit card stuff locked in a file cabinet in there so it is two layers of locking. I make sure when they have filled in their reg cards I take it straight downstairs as i recal a story on here where another guest read it saw they were away for 4 nights and robbed their house while they were away.
 
Burglery is not high on the list. We're in the friggin' middle of nowhere in the woods. Most guests are only concerned about what critters are in the woods. I always give brief instructional talk on proper wild hog and copperhead ettiquette.
Each room has a doorlock and deadbolt. We ALWAYS lock our house when we are not in it. When we are away from the property with no guests, we lock the front gate.
I'm hoping to have a keypad entry gate installed next year. That way we'll essentially be a gated community.
 
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