Yes or no?

[m0ose]

Hi Branden;

If you're going to be near downtown Rochester Weds, Thurs, or Friday
I have an easy job. I managed to lock my back bedroom door and can't
find the keyset. I doubt it would take a professional more than a few
minutes to get open and could pay in cash. I can be flexible
time-wise on those days, but am looking to pay something reasonable
for the job. (The lock is one of the ones which comes in a package
from Home Depot, so my other option is to go get a few packages and
see if any of those keys work. There can't be THAT many combinations.

Please lmk either way if you're interested.

Thanks,

45+ Minute drive to open a interior bedroom door? Efen if I can't pick open the lock most interior doors have molding that doesn't get painted so I can just pop that over slightly with a putty knife and shim the lock. However if the molding is painted, or solid, I'd have to go the picking route. I've yet to take on a Defiant or whatever Home-Depot's brand is, and I hear they have minimal securities.

The only thing I can think of is if I charge him mileage, which with my mom's car is roughly 25 mpg, so a 45 min drive to a place I've never been to open a lock I've never touched, and possibly be asked to rekey or just make a key. I just don't know. And also, from the comment "There can't be that many combinations" I obviously know it's someone who isn't quite up to speed on the process and details of a pin tumbler lock.

[Snor]

Do it, from what I understand you need the money.

[ratyoke]

I assume this is someone you know, who you know should have access to the room they are locked out of?

I have no idea what your skills are like, so i dont know if you should take it or not. Tell them you have to charge a little for gas. Or work that into your fee.

Personally if it was me i would dig deeper and ask for more details before diving straight into it.

Unless you Know this guy you really do not know what your walking into.

Obviously this isnt the case but say he was a mega junkie and his stash was on the other side of the door so he cant get a pro in to do it so he asks you then you get him into the room and then he takes you hostage lol.

But as i said, ask for more info first and find out what the deal is.

Lew

[Josh]

Obviously this isnt the case but say he was a mega junkie and his stash was on the other side of the door so he cant get a pro in to do it so he asks you then you get him into the room and then he takes you hostage lol.

i think i would be ok with moose getting taken hostage

[HallisChalmers]

First of all, asking to be paid for mileage is not the same as asking for gas money. If you ask for mileage, it has to be a certain number, such as 45 cents a mile or what ever the going rate is.

Mileage is to cover normal wear and tear on your vehicle.

If you want to be paid for gas - then you have to monitor how much gas you have in the vehicle - how much was used on the trip and then verify that your car uses X gals per mile.

You are better off charging a flat fee for callouts - say a minumum of $75, for trips within a 50 mile radius, which should cover normal gas AND mileage usage.

Remember, you are not trying to ripoff a customer by charging an exorbitant amount for mileage and gas. You can only charge for what a court would determine as fair compensation.

Also, keep in mind that the cost needs to cover auto insurance, and general liability coverage for you in case of damages. For example, what happens if you show up, start working, and damage the lock - or worse - the door?

And if said door was a precious anitque door that great grand ma passed on to her heirs?

Well you just screwed the pooch, buddy, and now the homeowner is going to sue your ass for damages, materials, labor and mental anguish. If you have insurance, the insurance company MIGHT cover you and work it out with the owner. As a self-employed businessman, you need to diligently protect your assets and legally cover yourself. If you don't and you are Joe Shit "The Ragman" doing this as a hobby -or maybe a prospective career - and don't have legal backup - well BOHICA.

Bend Over, Here It Comes Again.

I'd pass. You're not a certified locksmith, you're a minor, and you (or your parents) can get sued.

If you are an adult - well then, you'll have to make an adult decision.

Besides, you have to have some ethics before you consider doing this. Just the overall nature of this sounds fishy. What proof do you have this is his door or authorized to be inside? Did he get evicted - or is he trying to access stolen property, I mean WTF is the deal?

Personally, if I needed a locksmith, I'd be prepared to ask for some G*****n credentials. I don't want some hipster doofus that I found trolling on the internet poking randomly at my door, especially one that protects all my worldly possessions.

As a wannabe locksmith, I would think the first thing you need to learn is discretion and a respect for your trade.

[m0ose]

I agree Frank. Which is why I decided to let it go. This is a random person who contacted me randomly off of Craigs List. I really wasn't sold on the idea at all. Plus, like you said being a minor, and uncertified, it just wouldn't be great at all.

Mainly I was more wondering if any of you would give me some advice on the situation. Honestly, as I was posting this I decided to slide. The situation isn't great, and in all honesty, being uncertified and a minor, I just can't take the risk. I've got way too much going for me to fuck it up by doing a poor job, and getting screwed with, or hell, even a good job and getting screwed with.

I'm going to advise them to seek the help of a trained professional and explain that my posting was to find work in a shop where I could apprentice and learn, not to pickup odd jobs.

Hello Steve,

First off I would like to thank you for this opportunity but sadly I am going to have to advise you differently. As I am not a certified Locksmith, working outside of a shop for me is not quite advised. I assume that you have found me through Craigslist, which, if so you must understand that the posting was more to find steady work where I could apprentice in a shop to work on getting my certification and experience. It is with great stress that I urge you to go with someone more professional and preferably certified. It is the only way to ensure a top notch job. Now, I'm not saying my work isn't good, but compared to someone who has been in the field for many years, I just can't stand up, nor am I willing to run that risk onto you. Plus, frankly out of a legality stance, me even stepping foot inside your home would be a very bad idea as I'm still a minor, and unlicenced for the work I am performing. Not so much for you, but more so for me. I've got a long road ahead of me, and running the risk of flubbing up my future wouldn't be a good thing.

So with this I must say thank you, but no thanks.

If you would like a couple of numbers of local Locksmiths, just let me know.

Sorry,
Branden

Also, on a side note, everything did match up. Phone number, address, and name (except the last, as he only used the initial) so I figure that maybe after some talking, this may have been a legit job, however, I'm not going to run the risk.

[HallisChalmers]

I think that's a smart decision on your part. In a perfect world, you can take somebody's word as gold. Unfortunately, that's not realistic nowdays. You have too many folks that will try to squeeze a buck out of you anywway they possibly can.

Even though the person may be a saint and a goody-two-shoes - when emotions come into play their word doesn't mean a damn thing. Once the lawyers start talking to them and start spewing crap about how much money they can potentially make on the victim's behalf - watch out.

When dollar signs replace eyeballs, dollars will prevail.

Man, I'm not trying to be preachy or act like I know everything, or be all bossy and shit. I'm just trying to keep you from walking out in front of that unseen "Mack truck situation" that can nail your ass.

In a litigious society you have to constantly think about some leech that is just itching to score - at your expense.

[m0ose]

Hi Branden;

I appreciate your candor. I respect anyone who takes their
profession that, well, professionally. Seeing as how this is an
inside lock one step above the 'pin locks' for bathrooms, I can't
imagine that anything done to it would be a big deal. I really just
want to get inside and have to do so by Friday afternoon.

I would appreciate anyone you could recommend, but I'm not going to
pay someone $50 for what really will be maybe 5 min worth of work.

Thanks for replying,

Steve G.

p.s. yes, I found you via CL. Gotta love it.

That kinda cheesed me off about the monetary aspect, but hey, whatever he wants. I mean if he lost the key you figure he'd want a new one or the lock replaced or something. From that response it seems quite fishy to the max. So I dunno, but hey, whatever floats his boat.

I'm going to give him some numbers of people near here and just let him price shop at this point.

My response:

Well, I'm glad you can respect my decision. I was a little afraid of a response I would get, but I couldn't really dedicate myself to a job I'm not 100% sure I could handle.

As for local locksmiths I can't quite vouch for anyone's work specifically but I can suggest you some as near to you as possible. That way the mileage cost isn't as much as someone, say, across town. Basically from here just price shop and give it a whirl. I'll be the first one to tell you though, Lockouts can sometimes be quite costly. Depending on the person/shop you may pay upwards of $25 or so. You might get lucky and find someone for less, but many shops do charge upwards of $25, no matter how easy the job. But hey, Locksmiths are just guys like you and I, so sometimes talking can be a big part of the deal.

Here's a few I found. I can't personally vouch, but then again it's always good to shop before you buy anyways.

Rochester Locksmith
Toll Free:
Telephone:
Email: service@rochester-locksmith.com
Mailing address:
Website: Rochester-locksmith.com
Notes: I have heard good thing from their service, however I've never worked with or had them work for me personally.

24/7 Mobile Locksmith
Toll Free:
Rochester -
West -
East -
Email: service@24-7mobile-locksmith.com
Notes: They have the option to call for a free estimate before you buy, so that is great. Plus I've also heard some good things regarding quality.

Well, there are two options for you that I have heard good things. Enjoy those, and if you need any others, just search through YellowPages.com by copying the url that follows:
http://www.yellowpages.com/Rochester-NY ... =locksmith

Good luck,
Branden

[ratyoke]

They're not going to pay someone $50 for what would be 5 minutes work. I love that sort of attitude. Learning the trade, getting the tools of the trade, and driving out there, not to mention all the other expenses of having a business, and making profit, all that counts for nothing. This person should just learn the skill themself since its such an easy job.

[HallisChalmers]

They're not going to pay someone $50 for what would be 5 minutes work. I love that sort of attitude. Learning the trade, getting the tools of the trade, and driving out there, not to mention all the other expenses of having a business, and making profit, all that counts for nothing. This person should just learn the skill themself since its such an easy job.

Abso-f**kinglutely, g*****n right. Ask this nimrod if he does his work for free.

Face it - he's a cheap bastard that doesn't appreciate what a working man has to go through. If he knows it will take 5 minutes to do the work, then why in hell doesn't he do it himself?

Steer clear of cheap bastards who know everything. Just my opinion.

[m0ose]

They're not going to pay someone $50 for what would be 5 minutes work. I love that sort of attitude. Learning the trade, getting the tools of the trade, and driving out there, not to mention all the other expenses of having a business, and making profit, all that counts for nothing. This person should just learn the skill themself since its such an easy job.

Abso-f**kinglutely, g*****n right. Ask this nimrod if he does his work for free.

Face it - he's a cheap bastard that doesn't appreciate what a working man has to go through. If he knows it will take 5 minutes to do the work, then why in hell doesn't he do it himself?

Steer clear of cheap bastards who know everything. Just my opinion.

Agreed. After that comment I was like, "Fuck that." Since I was going to charge him flat $50 any ways. That way I knew everything would be covered. I mean, hell the drive time alone is just under two hours, then the work and not being sure of exactly what he wants, etc.. So yeah, I'm glad I had said no before being tempted.