Why the Barefoot Investor has been accused of setting a 'bad example' for his kids

The Barefoot Investor has been accused of not setting a good example for his kids after he revealed he kept his phone with his wallet and car keys near the front door.

Scott Pape said he made the decision to leave his device at the front as he wants to set a good example for his kids about taking a break from technology. 

‘That means keeping my phone in a dish with my car keys and wallet at the front door – and leaving it there – so I can engage with my family without constant distraction,’ he wrote in a column last month.

His comment struck a chord with one reader arguing it was a foolish location to leave valuables.

‘This is not a good example, given all the crime now,’ Reg wrote on Sunday.

‘You might as well put them out at the front gate.’

Reg advised the Barefoot Investor that he should place his valuables in the kitchen instead of near the front door.

Mr Pape responded by joking that it 'sure is dangerous out there'.

He then made a comment about Peter Dutton: '(*If you listen to Peter Dutton, who seems very angry, and very determined to be very angry.)'

Mr Pape suggested statistics reveal house break-ins have decreased over the last 10 years.

He wrote that according to the latest figures, only 2 per cent of households have experienced a house break-in.  

'This figure has been trending down for a decade and is quite a bit lower than when they started collecting the data in 2008–09, when it was 3.3 per cent,' he wrote.

'It’s hardly Venezuela, Gonzuela.'

Mr Pape concluded his reply by writing if he encountered a violent robber in his house, he would prefer if they took his wallet and car keys from the dish.

'Instead of playing a game of hide and seek with a machete,' he said. 

The Australian Bureau of Statistics released a snapshot on crime rates around Australia on Thursday, revealing Queensland to be the crime capital. 

Some 289,657 Queenslanders had been the victims of crime in 2023 with more assaults and home break-ins than any other state. 

NSW came in second with 259,171 cases of crime while Victoria trailed in third with 194,090.