Wherever you have locks; you will have lockout situations. We simply can’t avoid them! They will happen no matter how careful we are or how many cups of coffee we just consumed! They happen here in Newport News, VA and everywhere else in the world so keep reading this post and see how to best avoid lockouts and handle them when they occur.
Stay calm
“Keeping your cool” is not always easy. (It’s just easy to say!). It’s true, though. Have you ever taken martial arts or boxing training? They always stress remaining calm during a match or a real fight. This is because once emotions come into play your mind reacts instead of responds. In fact, it was probably a moment of
distraction or inattention that caused the lockout in the first place! Did you park the car and run inside to the dry cleaner’s to drop off your clothes? Did you find the keys still dangling from the ignition when you got back to the car? You were probably thinking about what to make for dinner or where you were going next on your errand run.
Staying calm and focused also works once you actually ARE locked out. At first you can feel silly; especially if you are outside in your bathrobe while trying to bring in the morning newspaper. Then the feelings of worry or panic take over. Was something still cooking on the stove? Is the baby inside safe? Were you going to walk the dog once you got back inside and you know he “needs to go?”
Breaking back in is NOT good!
Ok, if you left the back door unlocked, go for it! But, don’t smash glass, pry off window sills, bend door frames or hit the lock with a hammer! Our Pro Newport News Locksmith crew has seen and heard EVERYTHING from frustrated and sometimes bleeding customers that resorted to forcing the situation and didn’t success too well.
First of all, why destroy your own property in the first place? Sure, if it’s an emergency like a dog or child in a hot car, we can see it. But if you are just trying to save money over calling a locksmith then you are simply making the situation worse. Not only can you hurt yourself wielding a hammer and dodging glass shards, but you can truly damage property that will need repair later. Then, you might get arrested, accosted or even worse if a police officer, neighbor or family member doesn’t recognize you and does something drastic! This is especially true at night. Bottom line; if you get locked out; do NOT become a vandal and attempt to break back in!
Residential lockouts
Home lockouts are our second most requested lockout service. They happen at all hours of the day or night and since more people are home on weekends and holidays, they happen all the more during these times. Pro Newport News Locksmith does not classify evictions or deliberate lock changes as lockouts. These are a different matter entirely. The residential lockouts we mean are all accidental and can happen both outdoors AND indoors. You can be locked out of your bathroom, bedroom, shed, basement or even garage so we are not just talking about front or back doors.
Automotive lockouts
You guessed it! Vehicle lockouts happen more than any other. It’s so easy to get distracted when trying to cope with traffic, pedestrians, road signs, bicyclists, traffic lights, billboards, incoming texts and dozens of other items that can take our minds off of our keys. From loading luggage into your trunk and leaving the keys inside when you close it, to thinking that you put your keys in your purse (you didn’t!) and going inside to enjoy the movie; auto lockouts happen all the time and for quite innocent reasons, too.
Commercial lockouts
Lockouts at local businesses occur more often that you’d think. Part of this is due to back doors that stay in the locked position at all times. Oddly enough, these are often propped open by a chair or a brick while staff goes out for a smoke break. All it takes is tiny bump or nudge to dislodge the propped door and boom – lockout! Other times common for business lockout situations occur when the owner or manager is opening for the day and going outside to raise the flag or set up signs, and accepting deliveries from vendors and suppliers. Imagine customers arriving to shop and seeing you locked out of your own store. Or picture in your mind trucks full of food that needs to be unloaded and refrigerated, and no place to put it!
What about spare keys?
Spare keys are wonderful if used right! Don’t hide one under the door mat or in the flower pot! Do give one to a trusted neighbor or family member that can come to your aid and let you back inside. Don’t make several key copies and forget where you hid them or who you gave them to! Do hide spare keys intelligently and discreetly and remember where you put them!
So what to do?
As you can imagine; there is no one right answer! With hundreds of possible lockout scenarios, the best thing to do is to be prepared for any and all of them by having fast, 24-hour access to a trusted and fully licensed lock and key shop like ours at Pro Newport News Locksmith. If you already have a local lock professional that you use or trust; use him. If not, you are welcome to call our family owned shop at any time, night or day, weekends and holidays included!
Take this advice a step farther and add the telephone number to a reputable, 24-hour locksmith to your smart phone. People are often without their keys but they are NEVER without their phones! If a lockout occurs at any time; tap to call and have a mobile locksmith on his way to your home, car location or business to let you back in!
Article source here: What to do in different lockout situations
