Locksmiths?

[david lang]

Hi All

Inspired by something I read yesterday;

Imagine you are locked out of your house, you call a locksmith using 118247 via your mobile, and he duly arrives.

How does the locksmith know it's OK to let you in? I'd assume they would ask for photo ID, but not everyone would carry that. Even if you did, you could be the estranged partner in a nasty divorce, intent on doing damage once inside. Or a stalker? Or even a burglar?

How would these guys check and what would happen if they got it wrong?

Dave

[Bill]

In message , david lang writes

I don't know but if I was the locksmith and had any doubts the quickest and easiest would be to knock on the neighbours door and ask if they knew you. If I was a burglar and had to call a locksmith to get me in I would seriously think of a change of career. What did you read yesterday?

[Alan]

In message , david lang wrote

Would the burglar pay the call out £100 fee or would he just smash a window?

[mark]

They don't check! If they got it wrong and were caught they would be prosecuted. It has happened many times and people will use that method to get at high value goods. If the neighbours see a locksmith van they will probably stop twitching the net curtains and sit and watch TV. I have seen one case of a lady who made the locksmith a cup of tea while he opened a door for someone so they could remove antique furniture!

[Peter Johnson]

Heard of the fire brigade being called out to gain entry for a burglar years ago.

[david lang]

An article in an old womans magazine (in a waiting room). It was about a very disgruntled ex wife who had called a tree surgeon to cut down a tree in the garden of her ex husbands house. The tree had great sentimental value to her ex husband - he played in it as a child etc. Pure spite.

I have also read of 'bunny boilers' who have cut up clothing, destroyed stuff & run up huge phone bills etc.

Just got me thinking.....

Dave