Do gated apartments really help anything?
The people who run the apartment complex I live in decided to get the gates working. I’m generally not in favor of these things because I don’t think they do anything. If a burglar wants to get into the apartment complex the worst they have to go through is to wait for someone else to open the gates and then go in behind them.
I can think of about five reasons off the top of my head why they suck.
1) These gates use a key card. If, say, you have your card in your wallet and lose the wallet, you’re screwed. If you leave it in your car and, say, go out drinking and take a cab home then you’re screwed. Or any variation of this.
2) Recently we lost power to the apartments. During business hours, the gates are open. However, there was one gate that was still closed and when I tried to go out that way the gate wouldn’t open. So, what if power is lost early on a weekday? Or on the weekends? Then everyone inside is stuck in, and people who want to get home are stuck out. At least until the power is restored (took four hours the other day).
The other three are specific to how the gates and card readers are set up here, so I won’t bother going into that.
But, do you feel safer in a gated apartment complex or do you think it’s a waste of money and only hassles the people that live in the complex?
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Gated communities may be marginally safer and make residents feel more secure, but really, if a bad guy wants to get in, he’ll get in.
Gates also are able to be manually opened.
So… I’d still have to wait for someone to come and open them. It’s a violation of policy for someone else to open them. Although I’d do it if it was a real emergency.
@BoBo1946 I’m sure ours does, also. But the office won’t give it out. When I asked them about a couple of scenarios (“I’m at the Pecan Festival, it’s around 10pm, my wallet gets lifted and it had my card in it. How do I get home?”) about not being able to get through the gates I asked what to do. I got a shrug and was told to hope it didn’t happen.
wow…that is crazy! That would piss me off. Would go on line and find out who the owners are and send them a message on their dumbasses running the joint.
From what I have seen, the gates give the residents piece of mind, and usually prevent drive-by shootings, although there was a shoot out between residents at one place near-by.
Ask for an extra card and keep it under the seat in your car, where you’ll be less likely to lose it.
@YARNLADY Another card will cost me $50. And I have two cars, so it would be easier than transferring one to the other. But, still, if a friend drives me home or I get into a minor accident and don’t think to take the card from the car…
But, like has been said before, the only thing a criminal needs to do to get into the complex is be patient.
@BoBo1946 Thanks! All is mostly well. Car is back from the shop and I’m moving forward in life, I think.
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