How does that happen? Well, I went to unlock the lock and the deadbolt, and the dead bolt, instead of turning smartly to the right, simply spun. Door still bolted. Oh dear.
There is a balcony, but I live on the third floor, and unlike the handy bricks on my Ann Arbor apartment, this building offers no footholds to enable me to climb down.
That's okay, I can call the managers! Except my phone has run out of juice, and my charger is still in my luggage. In my car. In the parking lot. On the OTHER side of the bolted door.
That's okay, I can use my land line to call the managers! Except the number is in the phone and isn't on the lease.
That's okay, I'll look online! Except the computer chose this morning to blow up again, reminding me once again that I need to wipe it and start over.
That's okay, I'll use the laptop! Except that laptop is also in the car.
Crap.
Turns out it was fine. I used a screwdriver. All that fancy equipment, and the oldest of tools saved me. *shakes head in disapprobation*
[ February 29, 2004, 12:56 AM: Message edited by: katharina ]
Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
No offense, but the screwdriver would've been my first thought. Glad you made it out alive, though. Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
I thought the "rock" was the oldest of tools
Glad you didn't starve to death, kat!
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
It WAS my first thought. But I was going to have to call the mangers eventually anyway, so why not then, where I stood?
<-- mechanical, yet lazy
Thanks Geoff! Fortunately, I have a supply of Caffiene Free Diet Dr. Pepper to get me through the rough patches.
[ February 29, 2004, 01:26 AM: Message edited by: katharina ]
Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
Ah, yes. Laziness: the great foe of industry. I curse thy name!
But what would've happened if you had run out of your caffeine-free Diet Dr. Pepper cache? We might have found your body, days later, an empty DP can in one hand and a dead cell phone in the other, with the screwdriver that could have saved you lying nearby. So tragic.
[ February 29, 2004, 04:42 PM: Message edited by: Jon Boy ]
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
I guess I was locked out of my apartment the time that all these little doodahs came cascading out of the lock. Fortunately, we were able to stand on our car and crawl into a window. Nothing like feeling secure.
Posted by MoonRabbit (Member # 3652) on :
Watch out for wet paper bags!
Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :
quote:No offense, but the screwdriver would've been my first thought.
Which just goes to prove that you are male. My first thought would be "OMG, what if the building catches on fire?!"
Kat, that happened to us not too long ago in our house. My husband had the guy down the street replace our deadbolts last summer, and he did such a crappy job that we hadn't been using them. I'd been meaning to call the locksmith to come do it right, but hadn't. So we've been having a friend of mine come do our housecleaning because I've been travelling so much and just don't have time to keep up with it, and she had a key to the house, and locked the crappily installed deadbolt. And couldn't get it unlocked. It just turned round and round and round. Fortunately, we could get out through the garage, but still.
The locksmith got to our house faster than your typical pizza delivery guy. I didn't know they could do that! Amazing.
Anyway, my daughter took one look at the locksmith and declared her babblish version of undying love, and clamped her little arms around his leg. After I pried her off, it was all I could do to keep her occupied elsewhere so he could get the work done. I've *never* seen her behave like that, so it was totally weird. When the guy was done, she toddled over to him, put her arms up imperiously to be picked up, and when he complied she threw her arms around his neck, and would not let go. I mean really...he was a good locksmith, but that was going a bit far.
I'm glad your experience with locks went so well.
Posted by Khavanon (Member # 929) on :
quote: I thought the "rock" was the oldest of tools
You sure it wasn't a stick? Could of been... Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Katharina,
I had a miniature panic attack just reading your story. I immediately kicked into disaster mode. What if there was a fire? What if you were having an asthma atack? I am pretty claustrophobic, so I could feel your frustration.
Seriously, though, is that is your only exit from your home other than the window? No fire escape?I don't like that.
Liz
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
I would have only thought of the screwdriver as a last resort.
*thinks: yes, I do have a screwdriver in the house*
Given my house at the moment is all windows and french doors, I know I can smash my way out if necessrary - so no panic.
However, the place we were staying at in Paris was in the attic of a 8 floor apartment block: old servant's quarters, obviously converted for the trendy real estate market. There was one tiny spiral staircase up to the apartment and no fire stairs. So I spent the first night there figuring out what I would do in case of a fire in the back stairwell (our only point of escape) - turns out it would have involved climbing through sky lights and walking over icy roofs. But I did work out the route! Very happy I never had to use it.
Posted by aka (Member # 139) on :
Jeniwren, kids used to do that to me all the time. Not so much lately, I'm losing my aura or something. But I get this Pied Piper thing going on sometimes. Particularly toddlers, but also babies and older kids on up to about 5th or 6th grade. A few times in the park or at the pool I've gotten almost mobbed. I think it's because I give them my complete attention and consider them fascinating people. Plus they can tell I'm a kid, but I also have grown up size and powers, so that makes me cool or something.
It usually sort of freaks the parents out, though. Parents can be weird like that.
Posted by docmagik (Member # 1131) on :
Heh.
The latest issue of "Men's Fitness" included a sidebar on how to kick a door in.
My first thought was, "Hey, an excuse to kick a door out!"
Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :
Kat, you obviously don't have a fire escape? Isn't it the law for all buildings over 2 stories? It was in New York.
You need a rope ladder. Seriously. They sell them at Home Depot and Lowe's. I think they're specifically called fire ladders.
Posted by Stan the man (Member # 6249) on :
heck, the apartment complexes i stayed in over in Hampton, Virginia never had fire escapes. but then we never used a dead bolt either. i don't think we even had one. I do remember the first day that my roommate and I showed up to the place. Navy housing had givin us the wrong keys to the place so we couldn't get in. Management took care of that in less than 10 minutes. Now, I have locked myself out of my truck maybe twice. Still trying to figure if there's a way I could ever be locked in w/o an auto accident. I can on my chevy tho. of course the door handles on the inside are missing. that's a different story.
Posted by Destineer (Member # 821) on :
I didn't know you used to live in Ann Arbor. I was at UMich for 5 years.
Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :
ak, it was very funny, but at the same time way weird. She's a huggy-snuggly kind of kid anyway, but this went well beyond her norm. It made me wonder if she would grow up to have a taste for bald men.
That's a nice aura to have. I apparently have a "you can talk to me" kind of aura for kids. They tell me the funniest things.
Posted by Banna_Oj (Member # 6207) on :
Welll after that story katharina, Steve is convinced that we are related or have some sort of similar gene to enable us to get in these predicaments, grin!
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