How long does it take a locksmith to open a van with keys locked inside?

[Richard]

I'd do the job I was asked to do, without ripping off the customer.

[soup]

When Amazon stops ripping off Britain then I would worry about cutting them a square deal.

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

Then, you would starve.

[Dave Liquorice]

This is a delivery van. It would make sense for the cargo doors to be slam lock. a) it's quicker b) means the cargo area is aways locked. Having an overide switch defeats this. B-)

How quaint. B-) My "key" stays in my pocket all the time. I just wish the tactile markings on the buttons was a bit better. The buttons are only raised or lowered and the "panic" button feels the same as "unlock" and in the diagonally opposite corner of the 2 x 3 array of six buttons.

When I had a real key Inside the car it would go straight into the ignition. The danger area is the boot, open boot to get something, need both hands, put down keys... I think this car "knows" if the keys are in the boot and will not slam lock if they are. I must check that the spare "key" works and test this.

My "key" has a blade hidden away inside and a (singular) key hole on the car that is normally covered by a cap. Or maybe take the blade from the key and see how that system works as well.

[ARW]

You are talking bollocks.

[MM]

He could be offended. Because he sees it as a slight.

MM

[MM]

I'd open the door as soon as I could. The attitude you appear to condone is sadly redolent among many so-called professionals nowadays, which is one reason why people turn to d-i-y whenever they can.

MM

[MM]

How on earth is Amazon ripping off Britain? They adhere to the tax laws to the letter. If the tax laws are constructed in such a way that legal loopholes are created, then I would recommend anyone to use them. Did YOU never try to save tax?

MM

[MM]

That's not true. You don't have to rip people off to make a living. You just need to a good job at a decent price, which may not be the lowest quote, be reliable and finish when you said you would.

Not hard.

MM

[Brian Gaff]

The AA seem to be the experts at opening vehicles without expensive damage as they have a database of keys and how to create one.

Not sure why they would call a normal locksmith, unless they are to cheapskate to sign up their drivers to a motoring organisation of course :-) Brian

[ARW]

Post Office Vauxhall Combos are modified so that the back door can only be opened with the van key.

[Chris French]

In message , Brian Gaff writes

Probably an auto locksmith.

As has been suggested, these probably aren't the standard van locks, hence needing a specialist and taking longer.

I think most cars (and maybe standard vans?) can be got into using the shaped metal strip down the side of the window to release the catch technique

[stuart noble]

The locksmith is unique in that the average person will probably only need his services once or twice in their lifetime, at which point it will be super urgent, and maybe in the middle of the night. Great that there's someone out there to get you out of trouble, but expect to pay through the nose.

[Huge]

As Lord Clyde, Lord President of the Court of Session, noted (in Ayrshire Pullman Motor Services v Inland Revenue [1929] 14 Tax Case 754, at 763):

"No man in the country is under the smallest obligation, moral or other, so to arrange his legal relations to his business or property as to enable the Inland Revenue to put the largest possible shovel in his stores. The Inland Revenue is not slow, and quite rightly, to take every advantage which is open to it under the Taxing Statutes for the purposes of depleting the taxpayer's pocket. And the taxpayer is in like manner entitled to be astute to prevent, so far as he honestly can, the depletion of his means by the Inland Revenue"

[Huge]

[26 lines snipped]

When my elderly M-I-L locked herself out of the house, I did't mind that the locksmith she summoned (and it occurs to me that I have no idea how, since she didn't have a mobile) charged her £99 to drill out the lock and fit a new one. What I did (and do) mind is that they fitted a non-standard lock that only they could supply keys for.

Fuck you, Totteridge & Whetstone Locksmiths.

(Oh, and I changed your stupid lock back for a standard one.)

[Richard]

I haven't yet. Anyway, thanks for adding to the list of your attributes as being a thieving s**te.

[Dave Liquorice]

A 12" steel rule with diagonal upward facing slot in the edge at one end.

I think any car less than 10 years old has bits of plastic shroud to prevent the link wires from the interior handle from being manipulated.

It doesn't work if the car is hard locked. Many cars have two lock states these days, a "soft" lock where the interior handle will open the door, used when driving through dodgy areas and a "hard" lock where it doesn't and all the alarms and imobilsation is set. Often the first press of a remote only performs a soft lock a second press is required for a hard lock. There may be a time out on the soft lock to hard lock if the car thinks it is empty, the ignition is off etc.

Not that works if the door is locked

or they use a bowden cable or dead lAny modern car has plastic bits

end

[Richard]

Bit retarded aren't you. The added security of having a sole source for keys is of benefit to the occupier.

[Bill]

In message , MM writes

Has he got it open yet?

[dennis]

That used to be true but not with cars fitted with dead locks as most new ones are these days. Not that you needed to do that as most old ones could be opened using a spoon handle as one shocked motorist found out when I extracted his keys from a locked car.