Deterring louts from opening front garden gate overnight

clematisdorset · July 2023

I am trying to keep my garden gate closed overnight, when nobody should be coming through. It is a typical metal garden gate with a latch for posties and visitors to open. I am aware that emergency services may need to open it at night and any bonafide visitors. However, I wish to discourage passing louts with ill-intent (littering/vandalism/fighting/urinating etc). Is there a way of making the gate difficult to open, eg stiffer. Could I wedge something against it (in an inobtrusive fashion) so that more effort is needed to open it. What could be used to wedge it closed overnight or make it difficult to open in a casual manner?

In an ideal world, measures like these would not be necessary, but so many passersby are not ideal human beings!
😬😥☹️

SalixGold · July 2023

Perhaps but a fiddly catch on the inside of the gate. When doing leafleting I have found gates that are amazingly hard to open. Maybe there is a way to put a length of fine-linked chain through where a padlock would go - attached to the gate post on one end. Posties and vistors etc you can tell to just pull out the chain (it's kind of fake security). It might put off randoms from getting in.

I am sorry you are having such trouble. Humans can be foul.

clematisdorset · July 2023

Thanks @SalixGold yes 'fake security' is the sort of thing. 🤗. I can leave the gate a bit ajar from the morning to evening. It sounds as though something that you described would feel like resistance to anyone who tried to open it during the night.

Plantminded · July 2023

I'd put a padlock on it overnight. Keep it open for any expected guests and lock it after they've gone. Emergency services will be equipped to remove it if the need arises. Just remember to unlock it every morning for your postie and others. If you fail to unlock it, this could alert your normal visitors that you are either away or need help.

fidgetbones · July 2023

Try a sign. CCTV in operation 24 hours.

wild edges · July 2023

pansyface said:

Something along these lines maybe (but higher up!) 😊

Image: https://i.redd.it/k0alh2eoot891.png

Pete.8 · July 2023

One of these?

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030279/uploads/editor/5e/qvfec8vrgllt.jpg

CrankyYankee · July 2023

What about a motion sensor light pointed at the gate? Some of the solar ones are pretty bright. I wouldn't point it toward the street, but at the gate so that if someone were to open it, it would trigger the light. Sometimes that's enough to discourage people.

KT53 · July 2023

Are you actually troubled with louts opening the gate, or simply concerned that it may happen?

clematisdorset · July 2023

Thankyou @Plantminded, ☺️I had wondered about this. It sounds as though the Emergency Services have bolt-cutters etc ( I had not thought of this, but, of course!) Do you think an obvious padlock could look weird or act as a 'challenge' to entice them to chuck rubbish over the short gate? Maybe I could install a discreet padlock, even a bicycle chain type set-up. Sometimes they come through on the way back from clubs at 3am and apart from anything else, the gate is quite noisy to open and has woken me up in the past, but not always. I once found someone sleeping in a garden opposite after a night out! I don't want drunks in my garden, falling over and breaking plant stems and worse, so this might be the way to go!

It does not happen every night, week or even month, but is worse Thursday to Saturdays and in good weather and holiday times, mainly because of late-night 'revellers' and I don't like wondering what I will be waking up to in the morning!

clematisdorset · July 2023

Oh @pansyface that would be so good, 😅 especially if it was something like a bucket of vomit or worse...I can just imagine rigging it up and having it then tip all over me...but if there was a way to do it, well it would be fun!

Deterring louts from opening front garden gate overnight

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Oh @pansyface that would be so good, 😅 especially if it was something like a bucket of vomit or worse...I can just imagine rigging it up and having it then tip all over me...but if there was a way to do it, well it would be fun!