Let’s say you return home after a tiring day at work. You are looking forward to some quality relaxation time on your couch but just as you are about to unlock your front door, you realize the keys aren’t there in your pockets or purse.
You search your pockets or purse thoroughly, and also look for them in your car, but to no avail. Perhaps you left them at your office or dropped them somewhere else. Either way, you don’t have the keys right now and are locked out of your house. What do you do?
While panicking seems like the most obvious thing to do here, it can’t get you your keys back nor can it help you get inside the house. So you have to think rationally, which in such situations can be tough to do. Hence, to help you out, here is a list of dos and don’ts that you should ensure when you get locked out of your house.
The Don’ts
When they can’t seem to find their keys, people resort to one of three options – picking the lock, breaking the lock, or forcing an entry through the window. None of these are good options.
Modern locks are not that easy to pick. The mechanism used in making them prevents simple hair pins and needles from picking the lock. Unless you are a professional lock-picker, you have a very small chance of succeeding.
Besides, you might damage the inner mechanics of the lock while trying to pick it. So when you eventually fail to open the door and have to call a locksmith, they too will have a hard time trying to open it. Hence, it is best if you leave this to the professionals.
Breaking the lock seems like another good option until it no longer does. Say you break the lock somehow and manage to get in, but how do you plan on locking the door later on? You might have to spend an entire night with no locks if you can’t get someone to fix it for you.
Forcing an entry through the window might also seem like an option if you’re a bit too desperate. However, you might attract unwanted attention while doing it. Neighbors or passers-by, unaware of the actual situation, might call the cops on you, and you’ll have to do some serious explaining to them.
Thus, none of these options will work, and you should avoid them.
The Dos
Instead of trying to pick the lock yourself, call a locksmith to do it for you. They have all the necessary tools and skills to handle the job. Plus, they are experienced with all kinds of locks, so it won’t be difficult for them to unlock the door without damaging the lock. You are sure to find a locksmith near you that offers their services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Visit this website for more information on locksmiths and how they can help you in this situation.
After you have called the locksmith, you should call your office (if anyone is still there) and ask someone to check your desk or around the office for your keys. Given they aren’t in your car, you might have dropped the keys at work or wherever you were that day. However, don’t expect to get your keys back this way. Chances are they’re gone for good.
The locksmith will open the door in one of two ways – either by picking the lock, which is what usually happens or by breaking it in case the lock is too stubborn. The latter means that you will have to get a replacement lock. Fortunately, the locksmith should’ve arrived prepared for such a scenario. They can help you put in the new lock, and will leave after handing over its keys to you.
Preventing Such a Scenario from Happening Again
It’s quite nerve-wracking and embarrassing when you get locked out of your house. So to avoid being stuck in such a situation again, you should always check on your keys whenever you’re returning home from somewhere.
Besides, you should also keep a spare key with your partner, roommate, or neighbor. In case of emergency, they can access your house for you. Don’t try hiding it near the entrance of the house, like in a potted plant or under the mat. You don’t want unwanted guests gaining entry to your house.
