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Great Moments in Lock Picking History...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 3:51 am
by Shearlock
Hey guys,

So when we moved into our house here in Philadelphia a few months ago, an interesting predicament occurred that ended up being a great little story. I thought I would share it, and in turn ask what was your greatest lock picking moment? Or one you heard or know of?

So four months ago my wife and I moved from Baltimore Maryland, to Philadelphia Pennsylvania. We planned the move down to every detail and did it all in one morning. I packed every inch of the old house systematically with my overly obsessive nature, and the moving crew was to arrive at 9am, load everything into one huge truck, and then meet us at our new place in Philly. The trip is about two hours long.

Everything went smoothly, they arrived, loaded up, and they hit the road, and we soon after. We were to meet at the new place at 12pm. We pulled up on time, and the monolithic moving truck was parked in the street waiting for us. Mind you that the street we live on is only one car wide, if you stop on this street, no one can get around you. So the moving truck was blocking the road, with their emergency lights on. Luckily no cars were being held up just yet.

We had to stop downtown on the way to the new house and pick up the keys from our new landlord. We had done that and when we arrived at the new location to let the moving crew into the new house, that's where things got interesting. They gave us the wrong keys. Now understand that this moving crew is EXPENSIVE and also charging for every minute that the truck sits there and idles in the road. My wife immediately starts to panic and fret. She's already on the phone with the landlord explaining the situation vehemently. The landlord told her he would get someone out to change the locks, because he had no idea where the real keys must be. But, it would be at LEAST at hour, before he could get anyone out there.

As you might have guessed, i'm standing there fully equipped with my everyday-carry set in my pocket. I had decided within myself that I wasn't going to break them out if the landlord was on the way with the keys, but, when I heard he said an hour at the least, and the moving crew is standing there not looking happy at all, I admit, I was a bit thrilled. Finally, I get to break out my skills with a real world purpose. Maverick Locksmith style, lol.

So the door lock was a embarrassingly elementary Kwikset, I pulled out my favorite homebrew Bogota and made quick work of it, two swipes. :bogota: The deadbolt was a generic brand, but it at least forced me to SPP. Good morning Deforest Diamond. :offestdiamond: While SPP'ing the deadbolt my wife whispered to me, "omg look at the moving guys." I glanced over and this crew of six meathead-types were dead silent and observing me as if they were witnessing 007 in action. I may, or may not, have totally enjoyed that feeling. ;)

Ever better yet, when the deadbolt gave way and I swung the door open, these moving guys yelled and high-fived each other and one of them ran up and hugged me, lifting my feet no less than six inches off the ground. It was LITERALLY as if, I had been defusing a bomb, that would have killed us all if I cut the blue wire, yet instead cut the red wire, and the bomb deactivated. The reactions were that crazy, like lives were saved. lol It was epic.

Anyways that's my story. When we got in she called the landlord and told him the story, explaining my profession and that my hobby was 'locksmithing.' He was cool with it and let me change the locks myself, and knocked the price off the rent. #winning

Oh yeah, when it was all over my wife said (and she'd kill me if she knew I was sharing this in a forum) "picking those locks was sexy." Which was a joke, but still were words I never thought I would hear in the same sentence. #doublewinning

That's it, look forward to hearing any of your "Great Moments In Lock Picking History." By the way, that title is supposed to be a play on the Chappelle Show skit, "Great Moments in Hook-up History." lol If you haven't seen it, do so.

Re: Great Moments in Lock Picking History...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 9:56 am
by Papa Gleb
Wow sweet story man. Thanks for sharing. Nothing comes to my mind to share at this moment but Ill post as soon as my memory gets into gear.

Re: Great Moments in Lock Picking History...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 10:00 am
by HT4
Nice... except for the "moving to Philadelphia" part (though I definitely agree with the "moving from Baltimore" part). I grew up in SE Pa., about 20 minutes from Philly... I'd venture into the city for Chinatown and New Years, but that was about it. Not a huge fan of the place.

My own "Great Moment": I was attending the military promotion party for one of my college friends. We were in the finished basement around the bar when someone asks about the locked closet (Master padlock). My friend says that he lost the key… he didn’t know about my hobby. I would usually never even offer (most of my friends and family don't know about my picking), but being a little drunk, I told him that I could open quickly it if he wanted; I just had to go to my car and get my picks. He declined, but I refused to take the hint… In front of all the guests I keep insisting that it’s no problem, and I can open it in a few minutes. Finally, when I drunkenly start offering to open the lock with the cocktail toothpicks, he walks me to my car to get the picks. As soon as we are out the door:

Him: “Dude, you left your picks at home.”
Me: “Huh?”
Him: “I’ve got the damn key right here. That’s where me and [wife] hide our porn from the kids.”
Me: “Oh… Uh… Yeah, I guess I left my picks at home.”

Re: Great Moments in Lock Picking History...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 10:25 am
by 10ringo10
interesting - wives - girlfriends - partners should know there limitations - wait while the man that can turns up :???:

male pride - plays a big part nice when you can - but leave it alone if you can not - many moments buddy

20s & 30s yes

40s & 50s maybe

in your 60s no ring the man that can :razz:

Thanks for the trip

Ringo

Re: Great Moments in Lock Picking History...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 11:00 am
by pmaxey83
Although not as awesome as Shearlocks story, mine did involve a lockout and my wife.

So I was coming home from a business trip, and I send a text to my wife to open the back door. 5 minutes go by.. nothing. 5 calls and 15 minutes later still nothing.. She had just worked an all nighter and a full day so I knew she was out cold. Luckily I had a full set of picks on me :) I pulled out a rake and had my padlock on the chain link fence, the outer metal screen deadbolt, and the exterior door knob picked in seconds. Nothing special, just your normal kwikset garbage, but it saved me from waiting another 2-3 hours :)

Re: Great Moments in Lock Picking History...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 11:30 am
by Shearlock
Great stories HT4 & Pmaxey! Love that other people are sharing picking adventures. Ha

HT4, I can't help but wonder what if you were drunker and had popped the lock. Interesting party indeed!

Re: Great Moments in Lock Picking History...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 12:35 pm
by escapenrv
Not real great but it did get me out of a bind. I had traded motor homes with a dealer in FL. I was going to let him have my trade in while my new one was being built. I towed my Jeep to FL from NC and left the old motor home and we were to drive the Jeep back to NC. However, I had not brought the keys to unlock my tow hitch from the old motor home.
I also forgot my picks. There were two wafer locks on the hitch. I got two paperclips and made a pick and a tension bar. I got a lot of stares while sitting on the ground working on the locks. It worked well but the locks would only turn a bit less than 1/4 of a turn when picked so I had to pick each one about 10 times before the lock would unscrew and I could remove it. I got very fast with those locks by the time I was done.
I now check for all my keys and some picks before I leave on a trip. :smile:

Steve

Re: Great Moments in Lock Picking History...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 4:09 pm
by MBI
Pretty cool story Shearlock.

Re: Great Moments in Lock Picking History...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 6:53 pm
by flywheel
Shearlock wrote:...He was cool with it and let me change the locks myself...

Did you replace it with a Fenstermacher?