Denied Access

rjsterry

I keep my bikes in a steel shed - one of the Asgard models. Very good it is too, and I've had no trouble with it until this morning. One of the shrouded padlocks refused to budge. At first I thought it might be the cold, but after fiddling with it for 15 minutes, I figured it can't have been that cold, and I can turn the key part of the way, so the barrel is obviously OK. Another 15 minutes and the key is starting to bend. I really don't want to snap it off in the lock, so I decide to abandon the idea of cycling to work and get the train instead

While I'm at work Mrs RJS phones a locksmith who sets to it: he agrees that the barrel of the lock is fine, but confirms that something is jamming the hasp, and stopping it from opening. Anyway, 2hrs later, he has miraculously managed to cut through the hasp of the padlock with only a few minor scratches to the shed.

Well done him - he must have been frozen and I can't see how he managed to do it without cutting the shed as the padlock is almost completely shrouded when locked.
Well done Asgard - said locksmith was impressed at how long it took him to get in, even allowing for the fact that a thief wouldn't take so much care.
Not so well done to the Securit padlock that cost me £65 to have it removed.

davis

How the hell did he cut through that without busting the shroud open?

Abloy are pretty much the best padlocks, btw.

rick_chasey

I dearly hope that is neither your watch nor your arms.

rjsterry

Rick Chasey wrote:

I dearly hope that is neither your watch nor your arms.

Thankfully not.

@davis: I don't know either, but he earned his £65

ToeKnee

rjsterry wrote:

... cost me £65 to have it removed.

That's a bargain: £32:50 an hour - most trades people charge considerably more (e.g. gas fitters and plumbers).

rjsterry

ToeKnee wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

... cost me £65 to have it removed.

That's a bargain: £32:50 an hour - most trades people charge considerably more (e.g. gas fitters and plumbers).

He insisted on only charging for one hour despite sitting in the freezing cold for two. Mrs RJS offered tea and jaffa cakes, but he only accepted the tea. What a star!

rick_chasey

rjsterry wrote:

ToeKnee wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

... cost me £65 to have it removed.

That's a bargain: £32:50 an hour - most trades people charge considerably more (e.g. gas fitters and plumbers).

He insisted on only charging for one hour despite sitting in the freezing cold for two. Mrs RJS offered tea and jaffa cakes, but he only accepted the tea. What a star!

Cash?

veronese68

rjsterry wrote:

Mrs RJS offered tea and jaffa cakes, but he only accepted the tea. What a star!

Not necessarily, maybe he's a sensible chap and realises that jaffa Cakes are just wrong.
Good to hear the store is so secure.

DonDaddyD

Rick Chasey wrote:

I dearly hope that is neither your watch nor your arms.

Raymond Weil Tango: http://www.time2.co.uk/shop/r-weil-5381-stp-00308.html


Around £800 - £850.

clarkey cat

rjsterry wrote:

The exact same thing happened to me with the exact same padlock. A massive polish guy in Facilities broke through the chain link next to it and extricated my bike. He was at it for about 20 minutes, flexing and heaving and cursing in some Slavic tongue. I felt like such a non-man in his presence.

spen666

deleted owing to posting stupid question

rjsterry

clarkey cat wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

The exact same thing happened to me with the exact same padlock. A massive polish guy in Facilities broke through the chain link next to it and extricated my bike. He was at it for about 20 minutes, flexing and heaving and cursing in some Slavic tongue. I felt like such a non-man in his presence.

Interesting - perhaps worth some feedback to Asgard - they're pretty cheap locks so it wouldn't be too hard to change the spec within a similar budget (£450 for the whole shed). Working in the construction industry, I'm quite familiar with Polish swearing.

Drysuitdiver

rjsterry wrote:

clarkey cat wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

The exact same thing happened to me with the exact same padlock. A massive polish guy in Facilities broke through the chain link next to it and extricated my bike. He was at it for about 20 minutes, flexing and heaving and cursing in some Slavic tongue. I felt like such a non-man in his presence.

Interesting - perhaps worth some feedback to Asgard - they're pretty cheap locks so it wouldn't be too hard to change the spec within a similar budget (£450 for the whole shed). Working in the construction industry, I'm quite familiar with Polish swearing.

was in tesco once and my missus called across the drinks aisle for me to get some of thet cureva tequila. the lady next to her looked aghast, i think she may have been polish. I know what it means and had a hard time keeping a straight face.

if the lock is an Abloy discus i find it hard to beleive its died so early. we use them on containers behind shrouds and they get a lot of abuse from hamfisted sparks

rjsterry

It's a Securit lock, not Abloy. Apparently there's not a lot to go wrong with them, and the locksmith thought that some foreign body must have got into the lock to jam it.

ToeKnee

rjsterry wrote:

... some foreign body must have got into the lock to jam it.

A Pole perhaps? ;-)

mudcow007

DonDaddyD wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

I dearly hope that is neither your watch nor your arms.

Raymond Weil Tango: http://www.time2.co.uk/shop/r-weil-5381-stp-00308.html


Around £800 - £850.

ive got one but mines all silver, i thought the gold looked tacky

The Rookie

One in photo clearly has different writing on it to that one - especially below the centre.....similar looking chinese copy maybe?

Simon

Ben6899

DonDaddyD wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

I dearly hope that is neither your watch nor your arms.

Raymond Weil Tango: http://www.time2.co.uk/shop/r-weil-5381-stp-00308.html


Around £800 - £850.

Just goes to show that, when it comes to wrist watches, one gets what one pays for...

rjsterry

Here's what's ;eft of the lock. You can see how jammed it was by the twist on the key. The lock shroud is rather scratched, but still perfectly serviceable - may need some paint to prevent rust.

DonDaddyD

Why is your wedding ring on the wrong finger?

notsoblue

Also, you've got very short thumbs.

DonDaddyD

notsoblue wrote:

Also, you've got very short thumbs.

Note the bruising and scrapping on the knuckles.... indicates they may or may not have been dragged on the floor while walking.

I was going to mention the thumbs but I thought better of it. May be medical or something.

notsoblue

DonDaddyD wrote:

I was going to mention the thumbs but I thought better of it. May be medical or something.

I have long dancer's thumbs, so maybe it just looks short to me.

rjsterry

notsoblue wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

I was going to mention the thumbs but I thought better of it. May be medical or something.

I have long dancer's thumbs, so maybe it just looks short to me.

The wedding ring is on the right finger, that's another (non-wedding) ring on my middle finger. Yes, my digits are relatively short, but attached to rather wide palms; not medical, just the way I'm made.