Sorry about the off topic post, but this amazed me and I figured I wouldn't be the only one. Your house locks can be defeated with a special key and a tap.
and, if you think bump keys are hard to find, they aren't. Just google 'Bump key' and you'll see. Here's one:
K Barrett
Hmm. Every criminal on earth will have these.
Diana
Having worked as a locksmith for a good many years I don't recall of a single break-in that involved picking a lock. Stolen keys - yes. Most break-ins involve breaking something, hence the name. Locks only keep honest people honest.
Mark
That is correct. I did locksmithing myself for a few years. Bump keys are a fad and ae hard to usse than they make it look.
Hey, Mark. Glad to see there's another locksmith in the group. I worked my way through college as a locksmith; I don't do it every day, but I do keep on top of it.
Anyway- what Mark said. Most theft and break-ins are functions of opportunity. It's easier to break a window next to a door and open it on up- good reason to use double-cylinder deadbolts, although there are safety risks if you do so. Tip: Keep a key on a hook at floor level near the door, or at least keep a key in the lock in the event of fire.
Theft involving direct manipulation of a lock- picking or bumping- is very rare indeed. Some locks- like Kwiksets- are easy enough to bypass without bump keys. Have a Kwikset key-in-knob lock? A pair of vice grips and a machine screw will do it- pop the cup and directly manipulate the mechanism with a screwdriver. Cinch.
People want a cheap lock on the door, and they get what they pay for. The $18 piece of pot metal won't do the same job as a $160 Medeco. Even then, unless the strike is done correctly- anchored into a wall stud with the 3" screws each lock comes with- it's still easy enough to kick it in. Lots of houses just have the strike put in place without the anchor screws thanks to lazy or cheap builders. It all looks the same once it's finished.
Bump keys are just an extension of a long history of bypassing locks the easy way. Maybe Mark'll remember the "ice pick" attacks from the early 1990's when some genius figured out you could directly manipulate the latch after piercing the door- bypassing $300 locksets almost as fast as you could with the key. That's why all modern latches (the good ones, anyway) come with integral shrouds.
The address in the header doesn't work. Send no email there.
-AJHicks Chandler, AZ
OK, don't laugh. My house was broken into a couple of days ago.
The fellow kicked the door in.
The cops caught him about 15 minutes later. (Priceless!)
I now have to buy a new front door. I also have to get a crash course in home security.
Does anyone have suggestions about a good way to do that? Do cops offer (free unbiased) advice?
Please answer off list so we can stay on topic. What I'm afraid of is getting sold a bill of goods because I'm a naive idiot who can be had.
K Barrett A fool and his money were lucky to get together in the first place.
Yes, everything's OK. Thanks for asking, Reka. Joe was home when the idiot tried kicking in the door. Joe got a description/ car/ and license, so the cops had an easy time of it. It was rather freaky for Joe, though. Afterwards all the usual fears about 'what if'. [shudder].
KThat happened to me a couple of times, Kathy. It feels like you've been personally violated. I was living alone (pre-Frank days) and the house was kind of isolated up on a hill, back from the road. Nothing behind but a steep drop into woods and a little marsh land.
I got home with my dog in the car at around 11 PM. The dog went nuts as we got close to the kitchen door. I opened the door and the first thing I saw was a bottle of beer on the kitchen counter. I don't drink beer, but there had been some in the fridge.
I rushed the dog back into the car and took off like a bat out of hell, heading for the police station. That was before we all carried cell phones. The assholes had broken down the front door and then broke sliders at the back of the house to get out, and it was pretty clear that I'd surprised them because of what they *didn't* take.
Shudder. I'm glad you are okay, and I hope you get good security advice.
Turns out the police department will come over and give advice. Especially if you've been a victim. So I'm happy about that.
What ever happened with your collection? Ever get a handle on what wrecked them? Are they pulling out of it (nah, its too soon for that) but maybe they've stabilized?
K*G*! K
The collection is hurting, but I see some signs of stabilization. I wish it would stop raining so I can hit everything with Cleary's. It's not that I mind getting wet, but spraying the plants in the rain sounds kind of dopey to me.
A mounted Phal is down to one leaf, and some of the other Phals are really sad (lots of lost leaves). My Sievekingiana rothschildiana looks like a goner. I was so proud of that little plant; it was growing really well for something that exotic under my care, LOL! Several Vandas have lost lower leaves, including V. Rev. Masao Yamada, which is a favorite. On that one, it seems to be still spreading. Figures.
Diana
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