Posted on 03/10/2009 7:43:28 PM PDT by franksolich
Today while in a small town (circa 1,500) in the Sandhills of Nebraska, when I turned off the automobile, the blade of the key snapped off, leaving me with just the top half in my hand.
Okay, so I went around looking for a locksmith (as I am deaf, telephoning around does not work; when seeking information, I have to shoe-leather it).....and much to my surprise, this particular town had no locksmith.
The alternative was 17 miles away.
This really suprised me, because in some towns a tenth the size of this town, at least in Nebraska, there's always at least one locksmith, at least a part-time one.
Okay.
So I got to thinking. I lack all practical skills, due to the emphasis, in my education, on the liberal arts, although later I did add economics and accounting.
I make my living doing income tax work, and while it pays the bills for the year, it means I'm pretty idle more than half the year.
In other words, I have time.
I'm thinking about checking into locksmithery; surely it is something practical. I'm going to check with old-timers in the area, to see if any of them had once been locksmiths, and get their observations.
Just how hard is it to become a locksmith? I'm sure it's not easy, even though I'm talking here about the basic essential fundamental locksmithery; automobile ignitions, house door-knobs, that sort of thing.
It's not like I would have to make a living doing it; just something to dabble in for spending money.
I'd appreciate any observations here. Thank you!
ping-o, although it’s not a short story, sorry.
Consider getting an agreement with the AAA group. They get lots of auto lock calls.
This is just a thought...but call a dozen locksmiths within a 25 mile radius of where you’ll be operating from and ask them how business has been lately. It might be worth getting into!
Matter of fact, now you have me thinking about learning it again.
When I was a teen I worked in a wholesale warehouse that provided locksmith supplies to the area locksmiths. The items in stock included key blanks, jimmys, and other assorted tools. I guess you just have to learn the tricks of the trade and have the right tools.
In CA at least there are pretty strict licensing requirements, background check, the whole deal.
I remember as a kid ALL the comic books seemed to have an ad in the back for learning the trade of being a locksmith. Haven’t seen a comic book in years, so I have no idea if they still do it or not.
I recall the ads about the bent cigarettes and the guy who was always getting sand kicked in his face!
I agree with the other post, call around, see what it takes to get one.
As for your broken key, seems like as long as the shaft of the key was still in the lock you could have operated the lock by using something sticky to grab the part of the key that was still in there. Shows how much I know about such things.
Locksmithing by itself is not a way to earn a living. That’s why locksmithing is usually part of a hardware store nowdays. You can make more money doing emergency calls to rich people and charging them up the wazoo, but you can’t do that in the sticks in nebraska. THey won’t put up with the cost. THat’s why there’s no locksmiths around.
If you are really curious, start by educating yourself about the classic YALE and SCHLAGE door keys(and locks) THese are extremely common and pretty simple. 5 tumblers on only one side, as I recall.
Things will get much more complex in the boonies, as those folks tend to have alot of antique stuff. You will run into locks that you wouldn’t normally see in a city.
When you start getting into cars and trucks, the keys get even more complex and varied.
I really think you are dead in the water from the get go since small town folks don’t usually even bother with keys at all. They don’t lock their houses up. They leave the keys in their cars. Lots of them even leave a key in the trunk lock of their cars all the time.
A background check's no big deal; I have immaculate records, nothing on them.
And many years ago when I was a records supervisor for Immigration & Naturalization, I had some sort of national security clearance, some sort of level that only 3 out of 500+ people in the office there had.
I don't think I'd have any problems with a credit check, police check, drug-alcohol check, whatever.
I've always lived a dull life, never getting into trouble.
Why that is, only God knows.
Don’t leave us hanging!! What happened?! Did you have to hotfoot it for 17 miles???
Prepare to be disturbed at how easily locks are picked.
Hey I think this is a great idea Frank!
I live in Nothern Colorado Springs and to have the all the locks keyed on the same key and and a new lock put in recently cost me over $100. And it took a couple of days.
A locksmith drove up from downtown CS almost half an hour away.
Granted, but hey, surely there's a need for people to work with ancient locks and keys.
When you start getting into cars and trucks, the keys get even more complex and varied.
That would be pretty much what I would try to do; I'm not interested in it as a profession or a full time job.
I really think you are dead in the water from the get go since small town folks don’t usually even bother with keys at all. They don’t lock their houses up. They leave the keys in their cars. Lots of them even leave a key in the trunk lock of their cars all the time.
Very true; for example, I've lived out here for years, and never locked the house. In fact, I lost the keys to this house a long time ago.
But even though living is a lot more casual out here, people do lose keys, and lock themselves out of their automobile, whatnot.
As I was saying Frank I am surprised that there are so few and that they are so busy (and therefore expensive) around here.
No, but something similar with that happened the summer of 2007, when I had to walk 13 miles after having a problem with the vehicle.
In this instance, I just walked around town making inquiries about a locksmith.
A guy from a gasoline station looked it over, and discovered the vehicle could be turned on and off as normal, excepting the blade of the key remains in the ignition until I get it removed, and new keys made.
ping to post 17.
Its a good way to waste time. How often does anyone need the services of a locksmith ?
I was hoping this was a thread about Ann Coulter’s comments on Keith Olbermann. He claims to be a Cornell University grad, but he actually attended Cornell Agricultural College. Ann compared this to a guy who sells Yale padlocks claiming to graduate from Yale University. Olbie was outraged at this, and it was hilarious.
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