Locks and Stuff

Kootch just left for her morning walk and visit to K-Mart. She usually leaves the place around 0700. Often she has to wake me up so that I can set the dead bolt. Locks are not enough. They have a key to the apartment and they also know the combination to the simple combo lock. I could change the locks but that would be futile, since they would have a new key and know the new combination within a day or two (being gassed lightly here). I also set the chain stop and the two door locks out of habit. When I leave the place Kootch goes through the same procedure. It is rare that both Kootch and I are out of the apartment. When that happens I use a combination (4-digit) padlock fixed to a chain attached to a loop bracket inside the door. This allows the door to be opened just enough to do and undo the padlock. A determined burglar could easily break in despite this arrangement but would not be able to hide the evidence of unlawful entry. They don't like 'evidence.' No lawyer likes 'evidence,' especially not 'admissible evidence.'

In fact I usually use two digital padlocks. I do this because they often try to 'break' the combination. Sometimes they succeed with one of the locks. I know this because they have screwed up more than once by forgetting to re-attach the chain to the lock they just 'broke.' Whether they did so on purpose or by accident I don't know. I always change the combination to the padlocks before using them. Then I write down the two combinations and recheck to make sure they work. I use a random method. No 'favorite' numbers.

Each padlock provides for ten thousand possibilities. The padlocks are 'anti-scan.' That is, they can't simply put pressure on the lock as they scan through the possibilities. The lock won't let them do that. They have to release pressure then reapply it with each tumble. Breaking even one of these lock combinations could tend to tie up your whole day, especially if you screwed up when you stumbled on the right combination. But they try it anyway. Kootch knows how to set the locks herself and has done it a few times.

I am fairly sure the 'locksmiths' used to live in the apartment across the hall from us (being gassed again here). They have since moved out, but there is certainly somebody living nearby who is willing and able to replace them - possibly even the same folks.