Ok, so I tried this thread over in /adv and got bitch slapped, with one exception, for no real reason. Yes the key is stupidly simple. Yes any moron could pick this lock. But how? Why is the lock this key opens a joke? What is a technical explanation of why this is a bad key? I need this when I go to wreck the apartment management. And now, the earlier post:
So I come home for lunch today and some asshole is trying to rob my apartment. It's a small studio. I'm in the doorway, there's no other way out. He's hiding behind the wall separates the kitchen from the main room. I yell out, "Hey man, I know you're here". Not sure why I did that, still processing I guess. I start to call 911 and he rushes me. We go down in a tangle in the hallway. He gets to his feet first and bolts down the stairs. I know he cant get out of the building without moving through doors with camera, so I run to the rental office and they call the cops. We have him on camera tailgating someone into and out of the building. He left his hoodie in the south stairwell. The Crime Scene technician showed up (Cute as Hell!, My age!, Sharp as it gets! I... I...) and dusted the pile of expensive electronics on my floor. I asked her if anybody ever tryed to rob a clean apartment. I got a smile! The staff found a hoodie (yeah the guy was black, not that that means much) in the south stairwell. The CST was going through it in the rental office and pulled out a homemade lock pick. Looked like twisted coat hangers and shit. I showed her the key to my front door and she flipped out. Then she looked at the apartment manager and said a 10 year old could pick my door in 10 seconds. Anons, here is the key, I'm calling on anyone with locksmithing experience to verify. How simple is it to pick a lock with this key cut? Just so you know. I didn't loose anything. I must have gotten there about 10 minutes after he did. In the end, I got a half day off and a hell of a story.
Is that you, Irish Stu?
>>1005918
No Irish Stu here. Just some guy that got his day wrecked by an asshole trying to steal his stuff.
>>1005916
Is that seriously your key?
>>1005916
I'd like to hear more about you hooking up tech
>>1005923
It was, they replaced both locks, but the new key is also a joke. I like the staff, they've been good to me and I know they don't have any say in this stuff, so I let it slide for today. But I'm going to upper management on this. So I need solid ammunition when I do. Hence the post.
Look at your key.
Now look at how a key works.
That is why.
>>1005928
Your key likely has 5 maybe 6 pins, all but one appear to hit the sear line at the same place, meaning there is no variation in pin height. This could make it easier for someone familiar with your key or an experienced picker. The guy who broke into your house just got lucky.
>>1005928
The reason that lock+key is a joke is because it's only got 1 pin.
>It was, they replaced both locks, but the new key is also a joke.
Go buy one yourself and put it in during the evening when no staff is around. Throw the old lock away somewhere else where they won't find it.
The lock that you buy should have all 5 or 6 pins set at different heights. Like all normal locks do.
If they ask you for a copy of the key, charge them enough to cover the cost of the lock.
Dont waste your money, any mass produced lock can be subverted. Look up key bumping on youtube. Living with someone you trrust with your general belongings and has a different work schedule from you is security.
>>1005940
you can do simple upgrades to those with a drill press and a mill table/vise, hell doing a simple pin upgrade and threading both bores
that should make it enough of a pain in the ass to pick they would just give up, or kick the door in, which is pretty damn easy with un reinforced doors, the point of failure is still the hinges and the strike plate
>>1005916
>comes for advice
>gives some long play by play story of some shit that is barely related to question in mind
>doesn't put a tl;dr
Maybe this is why you got your ass chewed out on /adv/ how does the crime scene technician being cute or what happened with the thief have anything to do with how locks work...like fuck man without that first sentence you did for this post you were just rambling on like a woman before you finally got to the point. Want to know an easier way of saying what you said?
"So someone tried to rob me, when I showed the CST my key she laughed at it and said a child could pick my lock, what exactly is bad about this key/lock so I can take it to my apartment management?"
>>1005935
>Go buy one yourself and put it in during the evening when no staff is around.
>charge them enough to cover the cost of the lock.
Then get evicted because you did shit to THEIR apartment without clearing it with them first.You understand the concept of renting right?
>>1005916
To put this into words that someone who has no idea about locks will understand.
Imagine if instead of a key/lock it was a combination lock, the rises and falls on the key is like the password to the lock, the more numbers (or pins) a combination lock has, the longer it will take to pick as they have to guess which number each pin is and the way they get these numbers is by just going through the combination until it fits/clicks.
How does this relate to your key? Well a normal key, such as in >>1005933 might have a key coe of 9375025, the code for your key is 00010, one of these numbers is eaiser to guess than the others.
>>1005958
>Then get evicted because you did shit to THEIR apartment without clearing it with them first.You understand the concept of renting right?
actually if he is paying for the space, he has a right to a secure livable space per his rental agreement, if they are unwilling to provide an adequate mechanism to secure the structure he has the right to either install what ever locks he wants with the understanding that when he leaves they have to stay, pay to have them replaced, or keep the ones they put in and put them back in
or he can break the rental agreement and leave and sue them for his deposit back and most likely get it if he doesn't live in some shit hole country or some flyover state without rental protection laws
if you do, move, shit won't get better slum lords will always be slum loads, don't deal with them ever, it's less painful to get your asshole waxed than dealing with them
>>1005962
Or you could be a normal human being and ask them first...you know, instead of throwing a tantrum and acting like a baby.
>>1005964
since he asked already and they pretty much didn't do anything, and gave him the shittiest lock because they had to do something might as well do something to shut him up
honestly if someone gave me a key like that and said this is what was going to secure where i keep all of my stuff, i would tell them to change the locks or i would sue them and they wouldn't be able to uphold the rental agreement to sue me back
it's not a tantrum is there is a genuine risk, it's you standing up for yourself, if you don't do that you might as well admit you are a cuck and suck another man's cum out of your girlfriend's twat
now if we can get away from the ad hominem bullshit, with having your shit wrecked about rental agreements
>>1005969
Did he ask though?
>It was, they replaced both locks, but the new key is also a joke. I like the staff, they've been good to me and I know they don't have any say in this stuff, so I let it slide for today. But I'm going to upper management on this. So I need solid ammunition when I do. Hence the post.
Didn't say he asked shit, just said he likes them and didn't want to be mean because he likes them...
It is a tantrum if you don't take the normal steps first, the typical American response is to just go full tilt immediately.
Here is what's happened, OP has a shitty lock that was installed he hasn't told the landlords about how shitty their lock is, they just did it, and you're suggesting that your rights have been violated and that you need to sue them for installing those locks or fuck the law and put your own locks in!
When what a normal person would do is talk to the landlords first, ask them if they can put some better locks in, explain to them that this stuff doesn't hold up to the law and that if they don't do it then you will have to break the lease agreement.
Just calm the fuck down man, maybe if you didn't leave in a country where you were so scared of being robbed 24/7 and need 10 firearms under your mattress just incase you wouldn't be so eager to sue everyone before talking to them
>>1005974
>the typical American response is to just go full tilt immediately.
if that's the only way to get them to do anything, why bother with kissing their balls to begin with
if they wanted to be reasonable, they would've put reasonably decent locks to begin with, right?
>>1005958
>Then get evicted because you did shit to THEIR apartment without clearing it with them first.You understand the concept of renting right?
That lock makes it extremely easy to break in to that apartment. Adults would consider this unacceptable.
They may never know you changed the locks if you don't tell them. It is quickest and easiest to DIY and just not tell them.
>>1005974
>the typical American response is to just go full tilt immediately.
I believe the typical American response is to shoot the guy with your assault rifle.
As far as replacing the lock yourself without telling them, at least save the old lock and key so that when it's time to move out, you can replace it all back to the way it was.
>>1005916
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiYIYXEX9Ko
that is how a lock works (gif was too large, sorry about video)
your lock has a lot of pins which are all at the same height. a common technique to lockpick is called raking, where you just brute force the pin positions by sliding a curvy pick in and out while applying tension. assuming the one pin which is lower sets, all the other pins at the same height will set within the same pass, effectivly making that lock worthless.
>>1005916
>Then she looked at the apartment manager and said a 10 year old could pick my door in 10 seconds
I took an ethical hacking course which touched on physical security and lock picking. During the lock picking lecture, the professor brought his 9 or 10 year old daughter in and let her pick locks. She was picking 4-pin and 5-pin locks in 10 seconds, and making fun of everyone else for not being able to do it as quickly.
So, a 10 year old could easily pick any house typical lock if she's practiced.
That specific key looks like all but one pin are set to unlock the door when they're pushed as far up as possible. This would make it particularly easier to lock those pins into place (during lock picking, you apply torque to the lock while attempting to position ("lock") those pins in their proper place. the torque prevents the pin from falling) as the lock picker would just have to shove the pins as high as they go and they'll lock, without having to worry about pushing the pins too high. It would also making raking easier.
Additionally if someone had seen that key before attempting to break in, they'd know they only have to worry about (it's hard to tell because only one groove but I'm guessing) the 3rd pin.
>>1005916
>How simple is it to pick a lock with this key cut?
I'm learning lockpicking as a time sink. Real beginner here. I'm pretty confident that I could open the lock that goes with that key in less than 20 seconds.
>>1006004
sure a dumb dog could pick that in under 20 seconds using using the pick in its ass
>>1006003
Just guessing, but the ten year-old thing sounded like a figure of speech
>>1005983
Apartment maintenance tech here. We know. And when you lock yourself out or there's an emergency that requires us entering your unit, we will destroy that lock if you haven't given us a key. And you'll be charged for new locks.
>>1005916
That's fucking amazing. Your landlord is such a cheap fucking Jew they're only using one pinset per lock to save money. That's why your new key looks just as bad.
Does he make you use both sides of the toilet paper?
>>1005916
I'm not a locksmith, but you got a single-pin nigger key there.
In >>1005933 it's explained very well. For your entry door, you should get AT LEAST level 4 locks (that's how they're classified in my country). Look for crooked-as-fuck keyhole, the slimmer and more crooked, the better. Then, look at the key. If it has (apart from the teeth on the upper edge) dimples on the wide side, it's better, because that means there are pins HORIZONTALLY on the keyway, which need special tools to pick.
As for the wire, my first lock pick set was made from paperclips and it opened some cheap tumblers. I'll post pics of my current training setup here. It's perfectly reasonable to think that a wire works, no problem with that.
Good thing you changed your locks, man. But spend a LOT on them. You need to realize that the more expensive the lock, the more time it takes. If I were a thief, I wouldn't try to pick ANYTHING that'd take me more than 40 seconds. Too much risk of getting caught.
>>1006004
Dude, it's about shoving a pick inside and slowly pulling it out. Once you push the pin high enough, it just opens. No combinations, no other movement. If you get a lockpick training set (a lock with easy to change pin stacks), you'll find the 1-pin setup as easy as putting the picks in.
>>1006092
Not that Anon, but I have a question: If I leave my key with your company, would I be okay in the event I get locked out?
>>1006084
No. I picked my first lock when I was 13, and it was a double-wafer lock with 4 or 5 stacks.
It wasn't a figure of speech.
>>1005964
It's not really about asking, it's about waltzing into your landlord's office and saying: "Oi, I'm getting a new lock for my apartment, I'll pop the spare key with you when it's done. I'll also change the door for a bulletproof reinforced one."
Seriously, you don't need their permission, you only need them to KNOW
>>1006174
>If I leave my key with your company, would I be okay in the event I get locked out?
Dunno about that company, but here the standard practice is that if you change the lock by yourself (instead of asking the maintenance company to do it) or install an additional lock, then you give a spare key to the maintenance company. They use it (in case you allow it) to do maintenance while you're away or open the door for you in case you lose your own key.
Not that you have to give the key to them, but if you don't, it'll be a hassle to begin with and in emergency cases they'll break your door like he said. There aren't that many such emergencies, though, and the fire department won't wait any keys in any case.
>>1006174
>>1006092
Shit, my question sounded really retarded.
What I meant to say is: Would I get in trouble if I just gave a spare key to your company?
Also, on an unrelated note, story tiem:
>be me
>at grandma's
>lives in a flat innacity
>has a balcony in the corridor
>renovation guys lose keys
>"Anon, bring your picks, I need that door open"
>"Sure, grandma, I'll take a look at what lock that is"
>look at it
>fucking indoor lock (pic related)
>bend coathanger
>slide it in
>jiggle
>30 seconds (it was my first time ever picking this type of lock)
>click
>done
Seriously, OP, your lock is about as secure as my grandma's balcony lock.
>>1006180
As I suspected. I think I'll just give the key to my parents and my GF and keep it that way.
BUT, I'll still carry my EDC picks in my pocket. That's a safe bet that I'm not completely helpless.
>>1005916
fixed
>>1006177
seriously, unapproved modifications to an apartment is usual grounds for a lease termination.
most of the time the landlord won't care as long as the work looks good, but if he hates you/is an asshole he can make it an issue
>>1006175
I mean what the CSI lady said
>>1006244
which is why i say it's usually best to move, than dealing with slumlords
doing the bare minimum and shafting you is their SOP
then again a lot of the time, they don't care if they don't have to pay for it and it's a drop in replacement, they give zero shits if you know you have to leave it when you leave
most rental agreements include subsections that say anything screwed down can't be removed if you install stuff like window blinds or a new shower rod
if you really want to fuck with them just leave the fixtures that attach to the wall but take the thing that goes in them, hold them hostage until you get your deposit back, my mom had to do that with a slumlord, she was an absolute twat, wanted to keep the deposit to clean the carpets when we cleaned them before we left, and we got rid of the roaches that infested the place for her, we got the deposit back, and moved to a place with could buy and didn't have to rent
>>1006361
Yeah, and I said that it may be a figure of speech, but it's also terribly true
>>1006368
>best thing
That would be MOVE TO YOUR OWN FUCKING HOUSE
>>1006633
People who aren't Americans can't afford homes (except BunkerAnon) and must live in squalid Dickensian hives until they are taken to the poorhouse to die.
OPs key is the "least possible Kwikset key" that still works. One notch. I bet the other apartments have the same setup.
Google "bump key" demos for why those locks are useless.
>>1006182
Without being a qualified locksmith you'll find those are considered burgling tools if they're on your person and you're searched.
>>1005916
How do I unsubscribe from your blog?
>>1007216
not in most states, completely legal to carry
So for your convenience the people who pays to live in the apartments must have locks that make it extremely easy for criminals to break in and rob them blind or murder them in their sleep?
I wonder if there's even more than one pin in the lock. OP, stick a paper clip in there and see where it stops.
>>1007216
Top kek, no one ever questioned me about them
>first look: knife
>second look: keychain
>third look: Why you have those?
>Answer: I forget my keys a whole bunch, also locksport
It's a viable hobby, my first pick set was DIY, and I keep a pin tumbler lock in my backpack just in case I want to practice. I bought the set online.
>>1005916
Around blacks, never relax
Sorry you had to learn the hard way; buy a gun in case it happens again.
>>1007262
>must have locks that make it extremely easy for criminals
You just described ALL locks.
>>1005935
No, keep the old lock for when you move out.
>this whole thread
What the fuck is with americans and their obsession with pin side locks.
1900 called, it wants it's innovation back.
>>1005958
>Then get evicted because you did shit to THEIR apartment without clearing it with them first.You understand the concept of renting right?
In my state at least you are permitted by law to change locks on doors of which you are the primary resident. I would assume most states have such a prevision.
