Locked out scenario

[Anthona]

I was visiting my niece for thanksgiving day and today ( friday ) a woman across the street had locked herself out of her home. She came across to us to ask for help. She had no backup key around the area, her son was working for the day, and obviously could not get into her home. We suggested that she call a locksmith, but for some reason she hesitated..probably the cost..I told her she should have a secret spot for a backkup key in the event like this would happen. All windows were shut, garage door remote she had, but there is no access to the house through the garage. Has anyone faced this problem and somehow managed to get into your home without the benefit of calling a locksmith? She finally had to call her son and he worked about 30 miles from home and came back to solve the situation. But what if a locksmith was not available for one reason or another..holiday or just closed.

[Goedjn]

First. verify that it's really her house.

Then break a basement window.

[Joseph Meehan]

I have come in basement windows a couple of times. They are usually the easiest way in. Of course you can break a window, or if you are really good, pick a lock . It might take me many hours to pick a lock, my father (a locksmith) could do it is seconds.

[marks542004]

Its probably way out of date as an idea , but when I was a kid , a trusted friend nearby had a spare key. If we got locked out we just went to see them and got the key.

This was in a time where most Moms stayed home.

I dont like hidden keys , they are usually too easy for a thief to find.

[gfretwell]

Combination lock on the door? I haven't had a house key since the late

60s when I saw my first Simplex lock. My kid never had a key

[Nate Nagel]

Putty knife will usually pop open the latch on a double hung window. BTDT...

nate

[Doug Miller]

In article , "Anthona" wrote: [...]

Our previous house had a fenced yard, where we let the family dog (a large and "protective" Australian Shepherd) run loose whenever we were away.

The spare key was on his collar.

[Jeff]

I have an electronic push button lock connected to the garage door (uses four digit code), good when I am doing yard work etc and need to get into the garage without going into the house first. As long as you have ac power, you can get in. I believe I bought it about 15 years ago at Sears for $29, also have a buried (in a jar) hidden key just in case.

[Jim Yanik]

"Anthona" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

First,how do you KNOW she actually lives there? I'd be wary of helping a stranger asking for help breaking into "their" house.

You could keep a key hidden in a garden shed locked by a combination lock. A man could keep a spare key in his wallet. A woman could keep one on a neck chain.

Also,if you only use a DEADBOLT lock that must be locked using a key,then you don't get locked out. Using doorlocks that latch behind you without any key leads to lockouts. Deadbolts are better security anyways.

[lwasserm]

The best place for the backup key may be with a trusted neighbor rather than hidden somewhere outside the house.

[lwasserm]

That reminds me of the rough neihborhood I used to live in. There was a very small-statured woman, under 5 ft tall, who sometimes walked her great dane on my block. Instead of carrying her purse on her own shoulder, she put the purse straps around the dog's neck.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I've had the problem a couple of times over the years. There are safe places where a key can be hidden outside. I don't mean those stupid fake rocks though. They can be out of site in a shed, under a deck, behind a shutter, under a fence post cap, on a tree, birdhouse, etc. In her case, it could have been in the locked garage since she had an opener. You just have to use a little ingenuity.

[trainfan1]

That's how we have always done it!

Rob

[<aemeijers]

How many people even KNOW their neighbors, these days?

aem sends...

[Stormin Mormon]

I&#39;ve been a locksmith for 21 years. I&#39;m sure not gonna tell you and the rest of the world how to break into houses.

How dare you ask such an absurd thing!

[Stormin Mormon]

Brilliant!

[HeyBub]

How so? Shoot the dog, now you&#39;re in!

[hallerb]

have a friend who got locked out once, he cemented a stub of galavanized pipe into a wall under his porch, hid the key inide the pipe and screwed on a cap. i seriously doubt anyone would think of that.

When I lived alone I had a spare key taped to the wiring just inside my pole light. screwdriver outside, loosened one screw, removed top got key used that once, neighbor walked up and noted so thats where you hide your key:(

I have taped spare car key to wiring harness under car. inconveient but secure access.

[gfretwell]

It is a lot easier and quieter to simply break a window. It always amazes me when people put extrordinary protection on the doors and ignore the windows.

[Mark Lloyd]

Yes. That&#39;s one advantage of deadbolts. You can&#39;t lock yourself out that easily.