For my fellow locksmiths, what have been some of your funniest / strangest recent calls.

[Derek Broestler]

Recently I had a customer call me to get a new key and transponder because she "flushed all her keys down a restaurant toilet last weekend"... Thankfully she called before I was open so she left this on my voicemail, allowing me to ponder exactly HOW one manages to do that (I'm ASSUMING alcohol was involved) for a few minutes before calling her back to refer her to one of the other locksmiths in the area who specializes in auto, since I'm not set up to program transponders...

Then of course about once a year I get a call from a rather embarrassed couple needing handcuffs unlocked, having lost the key after securing their partner... (I got three the year that 50 Shades of Gray came out) lol....

[peterwn]

On Wednesday, 15 November 2017 08:11:08 UTC+13, Derek Broestler wrote:
> Recently I had a customer call me to get a new key and transponder because she "flushed all her keys down a restaurant toilet last weekend"... Thankfully she called before I was open so she left this on my voicemail, allowing me to ponder exactly HOW one manages to do that (I'm ASSUMING alcohol was involved) for a few minutes before calling her back to refer her to one of the other locksmiths in the area who specializes in auto, since I'm not set up to program transponders...
>
> Then of course about once a year I get a call from a rather embarrassed couple needing handcuffs unlocked, having lost the key after securing their partner... (I got three the year that 50 Shades of Gray came out) lol....

Charles Courtney described one in hid book 'Unlocking Adventure'. Husband wanted to lock out the wife so got Charles' firm to change lock. Wife could not get in so called same firm who got in and lock changed again. And again. Charles noted they were providing good business and on the next call, handled it himself ensuring both husband and wife were there and did some marriage counselling.

[Derek Broestler]

While I like that he managed to get them together, and hopefully helped them sort out their problems, I DO have to admit that going to the same house twice in that situation rubs me a bit the wrong way in terms of taking advantage of a situation... Then again, that was a different time, and I'm not about to say he was wrong, it's just not something I felt comfortable doing.

It happened to me once, though in reverse.. Wife called for a rekey of the place saying only that her ex husband still had a key.. All her ID was in place and even had a utility bill in her name alone, so no problem.

The next day the husband called for the same address and explained that he KNEW she'd had the locks rekeyed, and they'd just become separated but hadn't filed any paperwork and that she didn't have a legal right to lock him out. I apologized, explained to him that I'd actually done the job for her and that there was nothing I could do, as anyone who's name is on the house has a right to change the locks until there's legal paperwork in place preventing them from doing so, so he had legal right to enter and rekey again, but that I didn't feel it would be ethical for me to have any more involvement... as to do so would be taking advantage of their situation. (I mean think about it, that could have continued several more times... not to mention potentially putting me in the middle of their marital issues, where I decidedly do NOT want to be)

I referred him to another qualified legitimate locksmith in the area who did the job. Neither of them ever called either one of us again, (or any other locksmith in the area we know) and neither of us were ever contacted by any lawyers, so I don't know what happened to them after...

In THAT situation, though, IMO, as long as you're practicing due diligence, following the law, and handling it as professionally as you can, there's really no "right" or "wrong" way to handle that one... you just have to do what you feel is right.

I DO want to say that when I rekeyed the house for the wife, she didn't show any signs of abuse, physical or otherwise, and unfortunately I DO see it often enough to recognize it... Had I even suspected any sort of domestic violence, I wouldn't have been so quick to even give him that much help.

[Skipfromla]

I got a call from a lady who wanted her door locks rekeyed. She said
that her husband was served an order of protection/restraining order
and he had to stay 500' from her house, and that he was currently in
jail for violating the court order. I called the jail to see how long
it would be until he got out and was told about 6 hours.

About an hour later, as I was finishing the job, the husband shows up
and demands entry. I told him it wasn't my house so I couldn't let
him in. The wife comes to the door and a huge screaming session
started. I gave the bill to the wife. She handed it to the husband
and said, "Honey, pay the locksmith," which he did and the screaming
session continued. Just as I was leaving, the police showed up and
hauled him away to jail again.

I've been back to the same house, same lady 4 more times to rekey the
same locks. The only thing different was the husband didn't show up.

[Derek Broestler]

YEP.... done that one as well, far too often... It's actually gotten a bit nasty at times when they show up in the middle of a rekey. I LOVE that your customer actually got her ex/soon to be ex, husband to pay you though.... THAT is a new one here. LMAO...