Excuse me but what are they doing?

[undeadspacehippie]

..... This was the question posed to me while I waited tables at the restaurant on Sunday evening.

It was a regular group of customers, and at table 1 (owners table) my family was sitting, talking with the one of the owners (my second family) and my Dad and my Brother were sitting there fiddling with locks and picks they pulled from my courier bag.

The table was intent on figuring out what they were doing, and I had no idea on how I should break it to them as to what they were doing. It them just blurted out of my mouth - well after I asked my Dad if I should tell them what they were doing, he said - go ahead (I'm 33, still take his advice regarding issues) - I said - They are picking locks, but not having much success. I had to then demonstrate because they thought I was full of carp (yes misspelled). I tried to explain lock sport concept to them, but they had never heard of it, i even referred them to google. And after they saw me pop open a master no. 3 in under 5 seconds, their jaws hit the floor.

My point of this post is that, I bring locks with me everywhere, this is my favorite thing to do while waiting. I even brough locks to a wedding reception on saturday evening. I could be doing a whole range of other unhealthy and unsafe things. But is there a way to explain this to people. I tried to explain the ethic of only a lock you own, and one not in service. I did not intentionally mean to shatter these people's sense of security.

I also appologize if this is not the proper forum to post in, not sure where this should go.

[Krypos]

HAHAHAHA!!! you should have heard the words coming from my mothers own mouth when i showed her how fast i could pick my own padlock with a hairpin and a pen clippy thing. (mostly four letter words) and she was amazed. i tell people at work about it and they get a kick out of it, today for instance i told a coworker that i could pick a security, 5 pin deadbolt in under 10 sec (true) and he was like "well, that will surely come in handy someday when you lock yourself out" (he was serious too) and so reactions tend to vary, but i only ever tell people whom i know. (mostly)

i would say that knowing JUST* how easy one can open any given lock is not knowledge for all to know. some people are happy in their perfect little bubble- others like to know more than they perhaps should. i think it's the same as any other "secret agent" skill- most people think it's a myth. but those who WANT to know, they (us) find out.

as for telling people, what I* do is tell them i am studying locksmithing and that picking is part of it, and then it doesn't seem so much like i'm some teenage thief who is going B&E every night. i am a learning craftsman.

THEN shatter their conceptions about security and all other things picking related.

finally, i know that was a long reply, but i think this is a good question to pose to th LP101 community....for your part i thank you.

[pip]

LockSports

maybe if you could insert the concept
of LockSports into the conversation

opening locks against the clock
and other competitors

and if these people are still sceptical
steer them toward webs links toward actual competitions

[NKT]

I get all kinds of static, but that's because my other half doesn't like me taking work out with me! Also, I think it's really anti-social to be raking away at a cylinder while people are trying to watch the film!

I hand out a lot of business cards, though.

[illusion]

A lot of my family don't understand many of the things I do - parkour was a nightmare to explain. The most you can hope for is utter acceptance and support, but realisticaly your best result will often be polite indifference.

If you are lucky and they actualy understand what they are dointg, then point them to the TOOOL site,k or even LSI - show them what makes it cool.

[Shrub]

If its someone i dont know and they find out im a lokie whislt in the pub or somthing i normally get asked if i will do a bank job with them

[NKT]

Been there, been asked to do that.

Must be like saying you are a doctor, and hearing the line "I've got this problem..."

[Raccoon]

"So you're a plumber? My toilet makes the most obscene noises... want to come to my place?"

[undeadspacehippie]

LockSports

maybe if you could insert the concept
of LockSports into the conversation

opening locks against the clock
and other competitors

and if these people are still sceptical
steer them toward webs links toward actual competitions

I've done the locksport explaination, the competition aspect. What they wanted was probably not what they needed to see though - the opening of a lock.

My friend who picks says that he is a magician, I would rather not make things up, tell them straight.

My concern seems like maybe there should be a Press Pack made. I'd like to join LSI or something but I don't think there are enough people in my area for a chapter.

Krypos - no worries about long replies, its nice to get long replies.

[Wolfman]

In public?

I always have extra downtime that I have nothing to do but twittle my thumbs but I have always wondered about the awkwardness of picking in public. Do you guys think its not realy a "bad" thing to do? Thinking about it I dont see why not. IDK

Opinions?

(not trying to steal your picking thread. pun intended)

[undeadspacehippie]

I don't see anything bad with it - I am concerned about how others initially view it. Its a hobby for me. I love it alot - more than my blankey, lol. I am just concerned over the lack of awareness of the sport - but then I am concerned that if there is a lot of public awarenss of it, maybe it will be banned, like pitbulls were in the city where I live.

Also the way the media handles everything, the sensationalization of everything, the production of Tv news has become better than the production of full scale movies from back in the day - every story has to be breaking news, grab your attention, create some type of tension that will keep you tuned in. Even radio is doing it now. I get worried about what happens if the media starts making people paranoid about hobby pickers (What do we call ourselves anyways? - hope this does not spark the whole Trekkie, Trekker type of debate, but that in itself could be pretty funny).

This is where I see formal organizations and perhaps even a registry helping, but then I don't want to force everybody to join a group or register - I can sorta see it both ways, by making a registry its sorta like damning the practice and art. But by having an organization that is formed, there are (I hope at least would be) a guide of ethics. LP101 is somewhat a type of group, its a community of lock enthusiasts and lockies - I have learned a great deal from this site, which is comprised of the forum which are the thougts and actions of the members. Thanks for the training thus far, I have even chatted with a few people online, met a couple in real life . I guess what I am getting at is that current society seems to like groups and organizations with names and ID's - lets them define others, to categorize and deferentiate, which in turn creates a sense of control and reduces ambiguity and the resulting anxiety. That is what we do best as humans - we name things, by doing so we give things a life of their own - otherwise we are all just the same quarks, electrons, protons neutrons, atoms, molecules rearranged into forms that are "different but the same" - This is where my people get the term "all my relations from" - we are all related somehow when it boils down to it. Sorry to go off on a tangent, thinking in print more than anything. (Lost my mind ages ago, I know I am going to beat somebody to this line. lol).

[n2oah]

A lot of my family don't understand many of the things I do - parkour was a nightmare to explain.

I want to hear the whole conversation.

[TheMikeMan]

I like picking locks in public. People will come up to you and be like, "WTF are you doing?" I tell them that I'm picking locks, and thats where the fun starts. If they are interested, they will eagerly ask tons of questions and you immediately become the focus of their attention. Of course there are others who say, "Thats the lamest f*#cking thing I've ever heard!" They usually say that stuff because they wish they could do it, but are too lazy to stop thinking about whose going to call them on their cell phone and make them seem important. The people who want to learn, however, will usually be all over you trying to extract more information from you about locks and stuff. I have had a number of people ask me about it, and most are eager to learn.

I have never been criticized by anyone for picking locks in public, though I'd like to see sombody try. If they did, my argument would be, "Excuse me sir, but do you realize that your blabbering is distracting me from learning a trade which I have been working dilligently at for months? Good day to you sir."

or:

"this is constructive, now what about that guy over there? what is he doing?" (run away).

(yeah, I take every opportunity I can to mess with people. It entertains me)

But seriously, there is no reason whatsoever to not pick in public.

[Krypos]

well, i have never picked in public. although when i get my picks i might start or something, but i DO* know that i can solve the rubiks cube in about 60 sec. and i have done that all over the west coast- at school, on trips on airplanes, in airports, etc, etc and people are either like "dude...you have no life" (i know they just are jealous that their GF is like "whoa..." and others are like ..."wow! how did you learn that" etc, they're all over me bout it. (not meaning to brag at all) but on my last trip to hawaii i taught my mother to solve it- took bout a weeks time, but i did it. and i think that something like that is alot like this- in that it is one of those "secret agent" skills, like something you see in movies but like i said is just a myth- unless your as cool as us.

like, i probably will never show my grandparents this- unless i make it as far as being a lockie. but my mother i will be like "mom- check this out- i can pick a 5 pin, 4 serrated and one mushroom pin schlage (insert hard lock) in under 10 sec!"

it's just a matter of the person i think. mikeman- as for effing with people- man that sounds fun- try gambling- er not gambling...wagering with drunkards for money that you can pick almost any lock they throw at you. watch the money pour in...

ps- im in NO* way advocating some sort of fraud or anything and im not responsable if something bad goes down.

[jordyh]

When you guys know the feeling of "no effing way" when a lock gives way to picks, i have had a similar sensation by teaching my mum how to pick a 66677 pinned europrofile lock. Spools and all, and she got it.
She was like: Ah, nice.
And all i could think was: wow.... i can teach someone how to pick locks...
The kick was allmost as good as actually picking the thing myself.

As for explaining lockpicking, i advertise it as a puzzle, one that gives a similar kick like the harder sudoku puzzles. You've finished em, and you want more.
My dad in law (who, strangely, never got to picking) said that he understood me drive, not thought that he understood, but understood.
I found that weird. Untill he said "Must feel good, to crack a code."

At that point, i shut up, and just nod, because he's sooooo close to truly feeling that kick...
He'll ask when he's ready to try.


Yours,

Jordy