Comments The Locksmith Journals

[Texican]

Now I can understand people getting upset over something like this. I can even understand them wanting to vent about it. But I mean, come on lady. I'm the guy who just got you into your home. What are you mad at me for?

DL,

Some folks are just mad for that is their personality....

Aren't you glad that is not many....

Texican....

 

[day late]

You would think that after all these years of just being alive I would learn when to keep my big mouth shut. BUT NOOOO. Open mouth, slot A and insert foot, peg B. I made a suggestion to my boss on how we could possibly get more business. It was a simple idea. Post on our website that for a small fee we will come out and inspect your home. Then we will provide a list of what we see as security issues. After that the home owner can take care of them, or we can come out and do the job. Simple, right? Nope! The boss likes the idea, with modifications. he told me yesterday.

"What I want to do is offer the inspection for free, and then whoever goes out and does the job gets his commission. But, you are older and you know how to speak well. People trust you. You are prefect for the job of inspecting and you'll get the hourly rate while you are doing that."

Gee, thanks boss. I really needed to be reminded of my age. But he is right about one thing. I can't tell you how many times customers have told me that I should be on radio because of my voice. Even his wife has said that to me. But really! Now I'm supposed to go out and sell a service without actually selling it. Just make the offer. That might work for private homes, as long as the home owner isn't like me and ready to do for himself instead of paying someone else to do it. And the apartment complexes are just going to take the list and hand it to the maintenance guys and tell them to get it done.

Some times I really need someone to clamp their hand over my mouth before I shoot it off.

 

[Texican]

You would think that after all these years of just being alive I would learn when to keep my big mouth shut. BUT NOOOO. Open mouth, slot A and insert foot, peg B. I made a suggestion to my boss on how we could possibly get more business. It was a simple idea. Post on our website that for a small fee we will come out and inspect your home. Then we will provide a list of what we see as security issues. After that the home owner can take care of them, or we can come out and do the job. Simple, right? Nope! The boss likes the idea, with modifications. he told me yesterday.

"What I want to do is offer the inspection for free, and then whoever goes out and does the job gets his commission. But, you are older and you know how to speak well. People trust you. You are prefect for the job of inspecting and you'll get the hourly rate while you are doing that."

Gee, thanks boss. I really needed to be reminded of my age.
Some times I really need someone to clamp their hand over my mouth before I shoot it off.

DL,

No good deed goes without reward which can also be construed as punishment....

Yep, we sometimes open our mouth when we should be keeping our mouths shut.... Just ask our wives, moms, dads, siblings, friends, bosses and coworkers....

We open our mouths and it is a good idea, then we realize it has repercussions....

Seems like we have to keep relearning this....

Texican....

 

[Freebirde]

Some local talk radio stations have different local people on for advice shows. Maybe your boss will back a call-in show where you answer questions and promote his business? Even if maintenance people do the work, they can buy parts from you. And if people do the work themselves, you can make money fixing their mistakes.

 

[day late]

My favorite sci-fi author, R.A.Heinlein, once said that if you aren't learning, you are dying. Well that was true this afternoon. I just got back from a call where the customer had bought an antique cabinet and couldn't get it unlocked, even with the key. I was told that he and his husband (YES you read that right and I didn't make a mistake) had bought this thing at an estate sale in S.C. and brought it back to Fla. It was unlocked when they got it, and after bringing it home they locked it. I'm no expert but I would guess it was made in the thirties and after all this time the new owners had the unique experience of having the lock work one last time. When they locked it. At that point the thing just died. I mean, if I'm right, that lock was about eighty years old. Nothing lasts forever. It worked one last time locking the cabinet, then quit. So I spent the better part of an hour trying to get this thing open. I tried every trick I have and NOTHING worked. So I tell the guy that the only thing I can suggest is to take the thing down off the dresser it was sitting on, remove the back panel and then remove the lock from the inside. But I'm no cabinet maker nor do I restore antiques. I'm not willing to do this and possibly damage something that is worth more than I make in a couple of years. I did agree to helping him get it off the dresser and putting it on the floor so that he and his husband could do the work themselves or have a professional come in and do it for them. As we set the thing on the floor, the doors popped open. We both had a laugh at that one. I removed the lock, checked it and pronounced it dead. It would lock, but under no circumstances would it unlock. I informed him a replacement could most likely be found on Amazon and gave him a name to start looking for. He paid and all is good. SO, lesson learned?

Even if the lock has died on a cabinet like this, it is still possible to remove the back panel and get in that way. Just don't do it on an antique without the owners blessing.

 

[Texican]

DL,

Not a type of lock that you could drill out????

Texican....

 

[day late]

DL,

Not a type of lock that you could drill out????

Texican....

Not without damaging the cabinet. It was a warded lock and the latch on one side went into the door on the other side. Besides that, after I removed the lock the key turned just fine into the locked position, but wouldn't turn at all into the unlocked position. It was the grace of God that the thing opened at all.

 

[Texican]

Not without damaging the cabinet. It was a warded lock and the latch on one side went into the door on the other side. Besides that, after I removed the lock the key turned just fine into the locked position, but wouldn't turn at all into the unlocked position. It was the grace of God that the thing opened at all.

Sometimes God smiles at us mortals and does what we least expect to show that God is still in control.

Texican....

 

[day late]

Information and excuses. I always wind up with too little of one and too much of the other. Last night is a good example of the first. At 9:45 P.M. I get a call to unlock an RV for an older couple. RV's are a pain because they have wafer locks. These can be very difficult to pick. AND some RV's have wafer locks with wafers on both the top and bottom of the keyhole. THAT requires a bit of tricky picking because once you get one side picked, you have to maintain pressure on the lock to keep what you've got and at the same time move the tension wrench to the opposite side of the keyhole so you can pick the wafers on the other side of the lock. Most RV's have the double sided wafer locks. That's bad enough, but in this case I have to drive 52 miles one way to get to the job. So at about quarter to 11 I arrive and begin to work. It took a little time but I got the lock to turn, I even heard something click on the inside, however it didn't turn all the way as I expected. But I tried the handle and no soap. Well, I figure the lock must have been installed backwards. That means that instead of the key turning to the right to unlock the door, it turns to the left. That is actually a common problem and has happened more than once on homes, businesses and RV's. So I pick the lock the other way. Same results. When this kind of thing happens the usual answer is the Redneck's friend. WD-40. I squirted the lock and picked it back the first way in the belief that because of gunk in the lock it just didn't want to turn. With the lube in there it picked easier the second time around, again I hear that something click but nothing I can do will get it to turn all the way. I'm working with the handle to see if I can feel anything that might be binding up when the lady tells me,

"That door is kind of tight. You have to really pull on it to get it to open."

I grab the handle and instead of just pulling it, I give it a jerk. The door pops right open. At this point I'm thinking,

'Lady why didn't you tell me that half an hour ago? I could already be half way home by now.'

I didn't say it, but I thought it.

And as for excuses, earlier this week I get called to a business to get a guy into his office. It is routine to ask about the problem before I start just to get a good idea of what I'm up against. The guy tells me,

"I have a key for the door, but it's on my wife's keychain. And she's on her way to North Carolina."

Un-huh. Your office and your wife has the key. Okay, maybe you work together and you just forgot to get the key from her. Have you ever thought of having two keys? And what are you going to do at the end of the day when you want to go home? Never mind, none of my business. Then there is last Monday night I think. The apartment has a smart key lock and no other way to get in. True the girl told me the windows were unlocked, but the apartment is on the third floor. I'm not Spiderman. It turns out that she has lost the key and I ask how that happened.

"I came out to walk my dog and I must have dropped them. But I've looked everywhere I walked her and can't find them anywhere."

"So that's all you did, just walk the dog?"

"No, I also had to throw some trash in the dumpster."

Can you imagine dumpster diving at ten 0'clock at night? We found the keys, for which she was quite happy. At first she wanted to protest the bill, because I didn't pick the lock. I pointed out that the charge was just for the service call which was $29 and I DID go dumpster diving to get them back for her. She saw my point and agreed to pay the bill.

 

[Texican]

Can you imagine dumpster diving at ten 0'clock at night? We found the keys, for which she was quite happy. At first she wanted to protest the bill, because I didn't pick the lock. I pointed out that the charge was just for the service call which was $29 and I DID go dumpster diving to get them back for her. She saw my point and agreed to pay the bill.

DL,

You do live an interesting and different life....

Working in the sunshine, rain, at night, far from home....

Did you train as a postman????

Thanks for the chapter....

Texican....

 

[day late]

THANK THE LORD!!! Just a few minutes ago I got a call to open an apartment. It seems the lady's sister wasn't answering the door or the phone. The cops had already been called and now they were waiting for me. These kinds of calls usually end badly, but not tonight. I was about halfway to the location when the lady called me back. Her sister had finally woken up and opened the door. I don't know if the sister was drunk, stoned or just tired, and I don't care. She opened the door and is still breathing. At 10:30 at night, that's good enough for me. I don't need to go to bed with the wails of grieving family members still ringing in my ears.

 

[Texican]

She opened the door and is still breathing. At 10:30 at night, that's good enough for me. I don't need to go to bed with the wails of grieving family members still ringing in my ears.

How true....

Texican....

 

[Texican]

DL,

Where are you????

Texican....

 

[day late]

DL,

Where are you????

Texican....

Sorry about that. I went on a little vacation. My wife and I spent Thanksgiving with our Son and DIL in Texas. Only been back a few days and only the usual kind of crazy has been going on.

 

[Texican]

Sorry about that. I went on a little vacation. My wife and I spent Thanksgiving with our Son and DIL in Texas. Only been back a few days and only the usual kind of crazy has been going on.

DL,

Glad you had a great Thanksgiving with the DW, Son and DIL in Texas....

Christmas shopping is well underway and there should be lots of folks locking themselves out of their vehicles which should give you some good times....

Texican....

 

[day late]

Well, so far this A.M. I've had to unlock two cars. One guy at a park locked himself out last night and then did a couple of hundred dollars worth of damage to the paint trying to get it open. As usual he was happy to see the door open, but not happy about paying the money for something he thinks he could have done if he had known how. And as I've told customers before,

"You aren't paying me for what I do. You are paying me for knowing how to do it AND do it without damaging your car."

The other was a young lady over on the U.F. campus. She managed to lock the keys in the trunk right outside the basketball stadium. And again I think she did it sometime last night.

The fun thing today, so far, is I hit a garage sale and found a pocket watch that was made in Russia. I paid $15 for it and as I looked around there were some antique pad locks lying there. I picked one up to look at it. Next thing you know I have opened three out of the five locks. The other two are going to need to soak in oil before anything moves. Well an open lock is more valuable than a locked one. It proves the lock still works. The guy asks me what he owes me for opening the locks and showing him what to do with the other two. I told him he didn't owe me anything, I was just playing around and having fun. He insisted and gave me $10 back. I looked up the watch on line (18 Jewel no less) and it's worth about $50. I guess you could call that a score.

 

[Texican]

as I looked around there were some antique pad locks lying there. I picked one up to look at it. Next thing you know I have opened three out of the five locks.

DL,

Not certain, but you may have been a cat burglar in a prior life....

Texican....

 

[day late]

Sorry to have been gone, but "Houston, we have a problem." For whatever reason when the board got switched over to the new system, the computer banned me all by it's self. It took Dennis and Deena a few days to convince the system that I actually am a member in (somewhat) good standing. So a tip of the hat to Dennis and Deena for getting me back in here and allowing me the chance to bore you folks with an old man's stories. I will be posting another couple of things a little later on today, I hope.

 

[Sportsman]

Ummmm, so you "got locked out" ? Now that's appropriate

 

[day late]

Yes, But there always a way to get in.

 

[Texican]

Sorry to have been gone, but "Houston, we have a problem." For whatever reason when the board got switched over to the new system, the computer banned me all by it's self. It took Dennis and Deena a few days to convince the system that I actually am a member in (somewhat) good standing. So a tip of the hat to Dennis and Deena for getting me back in here and allowing me the chance to bore you folks with an old man's stories. I will be posting another couple of things a little later on today, I hope.

DL,

It may just be your ability to unlock just about anything that caused the problem.

You didn't think about using a drill or maybe a jimmy or a crowbar????

Texican....

 

[day late]

Well, I meant to get back yesterday, but life sometimes gets in the way of what we want. Sorry about that.

Obviously cars and traffic have a lot to do with my job and I swear it seems like more and more people are getting their drivers license out of a box of Cracker Jacks. In the past six months alone I have had people do some of the most off the wall things either around me or to me than ever happened when I was as little as ten years younger. I mean we've all had some idiot come screaming around us on the interstate, cut us off, then hit the brakes so they can get off at the next exit ramp I'm sure. But lately it seems like this is happening about four days in ten or more. And it's not just that. Last week I was in the middle of a four lane road, in the left turn lane. There was a river of traffic coming at me so I had to sit and wait for my chance to turn. Behind me is a guy in a jacked up into the air F-150. All of a sudden he starts blowing the horn at me like I'm doing something wrong. I can't turn yet this guy just keeps laying on the horn to get me to move. Well, I like being alive and am in no way suicidal. The traffic coming at me is far too heavy to even think about turning. All of a sudden the F-150 jumps the curb, swings around me to the left which means he's already a danger to oncoming traffic, and then he forces his way through the traffic and goes screaming down the road. Here's the thing. Ten seconds after he endangered not only his life but the health and welfare of several other drivers, the traffic cleared enough for the two of us to have made the turn but for three more cars behind him to make the turn safely as well. So I'm not too far behind Mr. F-150 when I watch his tail lights brighten as he hits the brakes and he goes screeching around a corner into an apartment complex. Come on fella, you couldn't have waited another fifteen seconds?

When I get a call, one of the things I have to do is call the customer and give them my E.T.A. Now the map thingy I have on the phone isn't too bad. It try's to take me down roads that don't exist only about twice a month so I pad my time by five minutes. But there is no amount of padding that will make up for the times I'm doing 35 MPH on a 50 MPH road because someone in front of me doesn't know how to read a speed limit sign. And certain customers can't tell time. I tell them I'm 15 minutes away and within 5 minutes they are calling back wanting to know why I'm late.

Even with all of this, we still have just plain old wear and tear on my car. I'm glad 2019 is almost over because in the past 12 months more money has been poured into my car than it is worth. Last Dec. someone backed into my car while I was helping a customer. $2,700 to fix that. Then the CV joints went out. $800. This was followed by the transmission going south. $2,100. After that, the sunroof drain got a leak and the water got into the car's electronics. It also created a great deal of mold in the headliner and under the carpet, so both of those had to be replaced $4,700. As I'm pulling out of the dealership where I had to go to get it fixed, I get a terrible grinding noise from the rear end. I turned around in the driveway and went back. The rear differential is going out. $2,200 for that. I only owe about $5,600 on this thing. I've had so much replace I might as well have just jacked up the body and slid a new everything else under it.

It hasn't been my year for cars, but The Good Lord willing, I'll survive long enough to get into a new year and hopefully have better luck next year.

 

[Sportsman]

Don't know how you do it, but I learned long ago to not say "I'll be there in 20 minutes (or 15 minutes, etc)." I now say "I expect to be there at 3:45 (or what ever time that works out to). Simply because most people have no idea what time it is, and if they do, the can't remember when it was I told them I'd arrive in 20 minutes.

And I'm also seeing the driving population getting to be more impatient and with worse driving skills. Yesterday, I watched a state trooper trying to run hot be slowed down while he tailed a sedan at about 30 mph in a 45 mp zone because he couldn't pass her. It wasn't until the roadway opened up and he could pass over in the incoming traffic lane that he was able to make time again. I don't think that driver saw him until the trooper was actually in front of him. Everyone with in a half mile could hear the siren and within a couple of miles could see the strobe lights.

 

[Freebirde]

The F-150 had to get home before his 'Sugar Mama' got home from work.

 

[Texican]

Last Dec. someone backed into my car while I was helping a customer. $2,700 to fix that. Then the CV joints went out. $800. This was followed by the transmission going south. $2,100. After that, the sunroof drain got a leak and the water got into the car's electronics. It also created a great deal of mold in the headliner and under the carpet, so both of those had to be replaced $4,700. As I'm pulling out of the dealership where I had to go to get it fixed, I get a terrible grinding noise from the rear end. I turned around in the driveway and went back. The rear differential is going out. $2,200 for that. I only owe about $5,600 on this thing. I've had so much replace I might as well have just jacked up the body and slid a new everything else under it.

DL,

Seems like that with autos, you have more bad luck than good....

Texican....

 

[teedee]

Good to see you back. I always enjoy your stories!

 

[day late]

One of the fun and interesting things about this job is how things that are one part of the services we provide bleed over into other areas. I.E. about a week ago I got called out to the control tower at Gainesville Regional Airport to open a couple of filing cabinets. I wasn't in the tower, but in the office under it. With filing cabinets you never know what you're going to get. I got two cabinets from the same manufacturer with identical locks. So I ask which one has to be opened first. The guy tells me,

"That one has the important stuff in it and we have to have that one open. That other one has been locked since I got here, and I've been here for eight years. I have no idea what's inside there. I just want it open so we can empty it and get rid of it."

Okay, I picked the important cabinet in less than two minutes. The control tower guy was impressed and grateful to be able to get to his paperwork. I noticed he also got the key back from inside the top drawer. The unimportant cabinet just didn't want to pick. I threw every pick I have at that thing and nothing worked. So I told him, The only way I'm getting this thing open is to drill the lock. He repeats to me,

"I don't care. Drill that thing. I just need to empty it and then I'm going to throw it away."

Fine. I drill the lock and open it. The guy looks in, pulls out a machine of some kind and says,

"Cool. A label maker. I can use this."

Alright, that will be $85, thank you very much. So this morning I get called to a rather high end neighborhood to open another filing cabinet for a lady. The cabinet is in her home office. First of all I got there before she did and had to wait about ten minutes for her to show up. Once she does I am escorted to the home office and while I'm picking she wanders off to take care of some phone calls. I won't say the lock was begging me to open it, but it wasn't resistant to the idea. Three or four minutes, max. I walk back out into the house to find her and when I do she askes,

"Is there a problem?"

"No Ma'am. The cabinet is open."

"So soon?"

I don't know what she expected but the service seems to exceeded her expectations. She was quite happy to pay the bill and send me on my way so she could get to work. The odd part is that the boss is currently in a bit of a problem. Commercial jobs doing the exact same thing that we do for residential customers costs more. The service call charge for a home is $29. The same call for a business is $39. Now he has to figure out how much to charge which one for the same job.

I'm glad I'm no longer self employed. I don't have to worry about those kinds of things anymore.

 

[Texican]

The service call charge for a home is $29. The same call for a business is $39. Now he has to figure out how much to charge which one for the same job.

DL,

The company has to make the dollars any way that they can....

Texican....

 

[day late]

Well here we are, Christmas Eve and at this time of year everything actually slows down. I give credit to the fact that everyone is shopping and have valuable items in their car and/or home they are a little more careful than they usually are. But that doesn't mean the fun and games stop. One thing I must give credit to my boss for is something I hear quite often.

"The first locksmith I called said it would be at least an hour. You got here in fifteen minutes."

That kind of thing gets you good reviews on-line and sometimes repeat business. There was a young lady a short time back that called us once to open her car and then when she locked herself out of her home, we were the first ones she thought of. I got the chance to help her both times, and she had very nice things to say about me on-line. In another case we got a call from the landlord of some units in a multi-story building downtown. I headed out at around nine at night to get a guy into his mailbox. I did and then settled up with the landlord over the phone. His review said that he was quite happy someone was willing to help at that time of night and should he ever need a locksmith again, ours was the first name on the list. He then went on to say that should he need a locksmith again he hoped that I would be sent.

For this kind of thing, I credit Dad. He taught me the truth about attracting more flies with honey than with vinegar. And the importance of what it teaches in The Bible. i.e. "A soft word turneth away wrath." I already know when I get there that the customer is upset. Why make things worst for myself by being just as miserable as they are?

For now, I'll simply wish one and all Merry Christmas and wait for the next call.

 

[Texican]

DL,

Great service with a smile gets generates lasting returns....

Merry CHRISTmas to all.

Texican....

 

[day late]

Well, I hope everyone had a good Christmas season. Very little to say this time except holidays are always interesting. Because of the holidays things go up and down. My wife thinks it's because nobody is going anywhere. While that is true during the days just before and after any given holiday I tend to believe that especially around Christmas and Thanksgiving people tend to get a little more cautious. The reason being during these times they are often carrying gifts for other people and they don't want them stolen. Be that as it may, during some holidays people just party a bit too much and end up getting a little more careless. This year starting at around Thanksgiving it seemed like the bottom fell out for me. A normal day is four to six lockouts of some kind a day. This year I was lucky to get three a day. That continued right up through Christmas and a few days beyond. Then yesterday I had six lockouts, five of them homes, between 3:00 P.M. and 10:00 P.M. Today everyone is home nursing hangovers or something I guess. So far just one call and that was from a guy I helped about six months ago. Still the night is young and the fun has yet to begin.

 

[Texican]

yesterday I had six lockouts, five of them homes....

Now why would a person/family not have a hidden key to keep from locking themselves out of their home????

Probably those who think that they are too smart to do this....

Did have a good Christmas....

Thanks DL for chapter....

Texican....

 

[day late]

Quite honestly, it has been very quiet of late, not a lot going on. But still sometimes things that don't seem like a lot affect you. Yesterday was my day off. So of course the boss calls me up at around 8 P.M. and askes if I can do him a favor and take a call. So since it has been slow and I get paid by the job I say O.K. Then I get the job. I have to drive to the other side of town and find an address on a main drag, in the dark. And let's face it, G.P.S. isn't always truthful. I got to the location and pull off the main road to avoid blocking traffic. I'm sitting in the truck trying to call the customer to get him to do something to help me find him and as the phone starts to ring I hear a whistle from behind me. Turns out the house is right on the corner and by accident, I've parked just beyond his driveway. So I park and then open the F-150 and he is happy, but also in a rush. He drives across the yard and around me to get on down the road. But he was full of compliments and appreciated the timeliness of our service. The thing is that while I was on my way there it seems that the boss decided that since I was already on one job on my day off, I wouldn't mind another. Before I got to the first job there was a second one waiting on me. GEE, thanks boss. Also before I get home a third job pops up. This one however is listed for 7A.M. this morning on a regular work day. This means I'm up at 6 A.M. to get a shower and breakfast before I'm down the road to help this guy. (I mean I'm up until midnight or 1 A.M. everyday. But who needs sleep anyway?) I arrive on time, well five minutes early to be accurate, and call the customer as I turn into his neighborhood. He was happy to see me and as we talked while I worked he told me the reason we got the job was because we sounded professional on the phone. Then proved our professionalism by being on time and working so quickly. He even went so far as to request a couple of business cards and promised to provide recommendations to others in need. I did tell him that the boss and I have the same philosophy. Namely "If we don't take care of our customers, someone else will."

 

[Texican]

DL,

Sometimes your/our generosity provides more than we wished for....

Thanks for the chapter....

Thanks for "Overthrown".... Started reading again and agree with what is to come....

Now with you being a Floridian, where would you buy out to except the swamp since there are only a few hills????

No place is perfect, but having one is better than not having one....

Texican....

 

[day late]

Ever heard of a gilly suit? I kind of identify with Caplock50's sig line.

"They can consider themselves lucky if they don't find me."

 

[day late]

I've said it before and yesterday just goes to prove it. Locks are mechanical devices and all mechanical devices eventually fail. If that were not true then we wouldn't need mechanics for our cars, technicians for our air conditioners or even locksmiths. But sometimes these failures lead to everything from conversations to accusations between long time friends. Two cases in point. I had to get some people into an apartment in a better apartment complex. The guy had the key, but it wouldn't turn the lock. I played with it, then hit it with the old standby, WD-40, and there was an audible click and the lock turned. The problem was the lock had been master keyed. That is the way you can have two totally different keys work on the same lock. That is done by placing wafers on top of the pins in the lock so that when one or the other key is inserted, the pins and/or wafers match up to the same level and the lock will turn. The problem is that over time the wafers wear and if they are thin enough they will drop down into the gap between the plug that you put the key in and the cylinder that it fits into. When you try to unlock the lock the wafer jams up between these two and won't let it turn. WD-40 lubes the cylinder and the wafer, at least temporarily, slides back into position and the lock works. For now. I told the customer what was going on and left him with a paper receipt with my name and number on it in case the management wanted to talk about it. They did. I explained things, they were very understanding and replaces the lock with a new one.

Then there was yesterday. A lady had been out of town and left a key for the glass door that is in front of her front door (kind of like a screen door) with instructions that certain mail and packages she was expecting were to be left between these doors. I get there and the friend is not available until tomorrow and the customer doesn't have the key for the glass door. That means she can't get to the front door, for which she has a key, in order to get into her home. So I pick the lock and that is when we find out there is trouble. The lock spins 360% (BOTH directions) and does nothing. The deadbolt doesn't even budge. I don't want to be destructive so I check everything on this house. There is no way to get in without destroying something. And with what I'm seeing, I'm not even sure that drilling the lock is going to help. I mean the lock is working just the way it should, but somewhere inside the lock has failed and isn't moving the bolt. With the lady's permission, I grab the angle grinder and cut the bolt between the door and the door frame. After that the glass door opens easily. Once it was open we checked the handle for the deadbolt and it just isn't budging. No doubt about it, total lock failure. But as I'm leaving the lady is wondering what her friend did to kill this lock. I did leave her with the idea that the lock just gave up the ghost, but she was still having doubts about what her friend did or didn't do right. I'm glad I don't have to be there for that conversation.

 

[Texican]

DL,

Aren't you glad that locks fail so you have work to do instead of the old I left my keys in the house/car/RV....

Texican....

 

[day late]

Ya' know, I'm not here to make judgement calls. I just go to the location, open whatever, get paid and get out. Shoot I don't even enter the customers home unless invited, and sometimes not even then. You just never know what is going on behind closed doors, and I don't want to know. If I don't know then I don't have to lie about it later. Yesterday is a prime example. Last week one of our guys went to a VERY upscale neighborhood and re-keyed 14 locks in the home. Quite a costly job. Well, yesterday the either adopted or foster son had locked himself out of his bedroom. Why this lock wasn't re-keyed I don't know and didn't ask. None of my business. So when I arrive I find the door has a smart key lock, but it is a door knob, not a deadbolt, so it can be bypassed. However before I got there someone had tried to kick the door open. Whenever I see something like that I point it out before I do anything so I can't be blamed for damage later. This door has a crack next to the latch and there is no denying it. The father says he knows about it and to go ahead and do my job. Once the door is open he wants a new door knob installed, THAT CAN'T BE LOCKED FROM THE INSIDE!!! It seems clear to me there are family issues involved here and I have no interest in getting involved in them. It would seem to me that there are trust issues between father and son, but I just change the door knob, get paid and get out. On the up side, he had nothing to say but good things about the other guy who came out and re-keyed the rest of the house.

About not entering the home even when invited, all I can say is that there are times when (usually) the young lady I have just assisted wants to offer non-monetary payment for services rendered. I don't care if it is a hurricane outside, I'm not going inside and accept only debit, credit or cash.

 

[Texican]

all I can say is that there are times when (usually) the young lady I have just assisted wants to offer non-monetary payment for services rendered.

DL,

Have you kept score on how many times this has occurred....

Probably would be a record for an old guy....

I don't care if it is a hurricane outside, I'm not going inside and accept only debit, credit or cash.

And becoming wiser also happens with old age....

Texican....

 

[day late]

As I have said, not everything happens to me. The new guy we have had an interesting time of it a few days ago. This is the guy I mentioned, you may remember, that left the house when one guy came out of the back room with a gun.

So it seems this time he wound up in the middle of some kind of domestic dispute. The husband/boyfriend/whatever had thrown the lady out of her home. The new guy was with her and her lawyer was on the phone. Legally she had every right to enter the home, but her lawyer thought it was deemed wise to wait for law enforcement to show up. For whatever reason she thought that meant that it was O.K. for him to open the door and insisted that he do it. Wisely, he declined. To make a long story short, he waited for two hours for the LEO's to show up but they didn't. He left. I mean, hey, he had other people waiting on him. I still don't know what the lady ended up doing about the situation. Unfortunately he didn't get paid for the time wasted.

And then he had the young lady who wanted him to give her a discount on the price for getting her into her bedroom in the apartment she shared with other young ladies. I must admire his fortitude. It seems she excused herself for a moment while her was working and when she returned to "help" him get the door open she was wearing what you might call a flimsy piece of nothingness, It covered her from shoulder to about mid thigh, but it hid nothing and clearly showed that, that was all she was wearing. He told me she made a point of bending over in front of him and made sure he knew she REALLY wanted a discount on the price of opening the door. But like the old man I am he insisted that the bill had to be paid with debit, credit or cash. As I said, I admire his fortitude. He is a young man without any commitments to any certain ladies, so there was no problem with unfaithfulness. But, ya know, sometimes it just ain't worth it.

Oh yes, one other little ditty that happened to me today and happens more often than you might think. I stopped by the local Publix to pick up some munchies for while I'm driving and while on the way out a woman coming into the store suddenly stopped and calls out to me,

"Oh! Hi there."

I look at her with no idea of who she is and then she tells me,

"You got me into my car yesterday."

I don't try to ignore people and try to treat everyone with respect, but when you see as many people as I do sometimes you just don't remember the faces. At any rate she was pleased to see me and happy with the service provided.