How Do They Know?

I’m not giving away a security secret here, but we don’t use keys at home. Don’t rush to my house, all the doors are locked and alarmed. We just always come in through the garage and we don’t carry keys.

That’s totally weird, isn’t it? It is, however, true.

It’s never been a problem. In 16 years, we’ve never come home and found the power out and the garage door inoperable. We’ve been very lucky.

While we were on vacation in October, we needed to have our next door neighbor get something from our place. She has a key. It didn’t work!

Today, finally, I went to Home Depot to get a new lock to replace our keyless wonder. Since the lockset comes with two keys, Helaine suggested I get another two made.

No problem. I found the key guy… and then I made my mistake.

Holding the new doorknob in my hand, I asked him if they were all the same size (in other words, could I pull out the old one and replace it with this)? Why not just ask if he had a smoke shifter or left handed wrench?

He looked at me over his nose and asked if I had a screwdriver?

Damn. How did he know? Is it that obvious I’m ‘tool challenged?’ Maybe some chip was secretly implanted in me to let everyone know I grew up in a building with a super!

My screwdriver and I installed the new lock as soon as we got home. It’s probably as complicated a home repair as I’m capable of… and he knew it.

4 thoughts on “How Do They Know?”

  1. I’ve seen people with garage door openers get hit as well. For one, the door usually isn’t “locked” with a door opener. A small manual jack or pry-bar to lift your door over the closer drive and the garage is open.

    Also, universal remotes available right at home depot make it easier to open most models of “un-encrypted” door closers.

    I would still recommend a steel door from the garage to house and a properly keyed lock.

    Good luck

  2. There are security measures once we get into the garage. By the way, anyone jimmying open our garage would do so in full view of our State Police Captain neighbor, directly across the street.

  3. Although this method of entry may be simple for you I assure you it’s not entirely secure. I bet I can guess your password. You’re a portly fellow

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