A couple of probably very stupid questions but . . .

[Ben WV]

Like the other poster mentioned, the "loid" is a small square of celluLOID. The type of locks you use it on are knob locks in doors (the round handles you grab with your hand and turn to use most house doors in the US). The way it works is that even though the handle won't turn, the part actually holding the door shut is a little spring loaded latch on the inside of the door with a ramp on one side. YOu push the loid, in the space between the door and the doorjamb to depress the spring latch and the door swings open without actually turning the handle at all.

For the purpose of your novel, this does NOT work on doors with deadbolts, and it would not be usable at all on a padlock. FOr padlocks, there's somethng that operates by the same exact principle called a "Padlock shim." But this only works on cheaply made hardware store padlocks. The same goes for boltcutters. YOu can cut the bolt of a cheap masterlock, but the better locks are too well tempered for that to work.

What actually will open almost any quality padlock in a jiffy (though it makes noise, destroys the lock, and wouldn't be too practical for your lady spy is a thing called the "duckbill."

[Mad Mick]

For climbing chain-link fences, Andy McNab describes the usage of a pair of 3"X3" wooden blocks, with a 6" nail driven through each, then bent over to form a hook. With the hook pointing downwards, a loop of webbing is then nailed to the sides of the block. The hook is attached to the fence and held onto with one hand, the foot on the same side is placed into the loop, then the other hook is also attached at a higher point. The other foot is placed into the other loop and the whole body is suspended from the two hooks. To climb higher, the body is supported entirely on one side whilst the other hook is repositioned...and the cycle continues. Sounds pretty ungainly at first, but I'd imagine with a bit of practice they could be effective.

No disrespect to SF, but I'd think they'd be easier to carry/conceal than a step-ladder. Used either side of a fence post, (as suggested by SF) the movement of the fence would be lessened and balancing would probably be much easier.

I know that, in this story, the point of entry/exit being discovered is not a problem, e.g. a gaping hole in the fence, but there is a sense of added tension, for the reader, whilst the character is going over the fence and risks being compromised in a position unable to return fire.

An obvious hole is a magnet for anyone doing a follow-up...if a tracker is involved, there will probably be 'sign' leading away from the hole in the fence. If the fence is scaled intact, then the tracker has to scan the whole perimeter for sign...leaving a larger window for escape.

I'm not writing this story, so I don't know where it's headed. But if I were...the risk of capture would be apparent from the reason why fences are erected....to keep people out.

HTH,
Mick.

[ndgreen]

Mick,

There are commercially available products for the same purpose. Basically elongated s-shaped pieces of round steel bar (8mm diameter). You just place them on the fence and 'walk' up the side.

Very cheap, available and popular with those who do this kind of thing (SF I'm sure you've seen them before!)

Also, I know that in the case of this novel that evidence of entry isn't an issue, but in the future the heroine may wish to just cut the tie wire holding the mesh to the poles. Very quiet (thinner wire), then just roll back the fence. Easy to replace on the way out, too!

N.

[wtf|pickproof?]

Why don't you just use one of those?
http://www.finnrappel.fi/ladders1.htm

[Chrispy]

That would be more suited to hard structures, like concrete, wood, or solid metal. For wire or rope obstacles, it would be difficult to negotiate.

[helix]

Thought about stilts?

or these:

http://www.superdairyboy.com/poweriser.html

[Megareader]

Thanks, ndgreen! Cutting the tie wire sounds brilliant. Stilts . . . hmmm. Tempting for its comic appeal, but probably not. Maybe the next novel.

[vector40]

Understand that razor wire is not the same as barbed wire, and is severely nasty stuff. Just want to check that you're aware of the difference.

The most common commercial material for "loiding," or slipping non-deadlatched latches, is probably mica.

[Chrispy]

Razor wire is a lot nastier.

[chopitup]

How do they even install the stuff? Do they have special thickened gloves? I don't think standard work gloves would cut it.

[Megareader]

Hmmm, the "Door Latch Slider" that ChuckIZ found for me at multipick-service.com are made of .8 mm flexible spring steel. They look like foil. They are called "TFG" but I have no idea what this is an acronym for, as it seems to me "DLS" would be more appropriate . . . TFG? The Frame Gap? Too Freakin' Great? Any guesses? (I hate to ask, but . . .)

Anyway, I was thinking of just referring to these handy little guys as "sliders" since to call these "loids" would be a bit misleading. (And yes, I actually did know loid came from "Celluloid," though I wasn't sure if that material was actually used anymore. I think there was a time when Rubber Duckies were also made from celluloid, or so I've read somewhere . . . )

Anyway, I can't exactly say, "She took the Door Latch Slider out of her jacket pocket and then she inserted the Door Latch Slider into the gap and opened the door. Then she put the Door Latch Slider . . . "

Well, you get it. Really awkward. So I was going with "slider" after the first encounter, but have no idea if there's another generic name for these thingies. Aside from loid. Maybe loid is used even when it is made from steel? Any thoughts?

[vector40]

To be honest, I'm not sure how universal "loid" is in the first place. It's not like "pick"; it's just one of many words that's sometimes used to describe a certain type of tool. They're so straightforward (and often, improvised) that it's not exactly like a name-brand specific thing.

[sivlogkart]

I know the method, but have never known that the tool is a loid. I don't think anyone calls in that in the UK.

KJ

[vector40]

I've heard it relatively rarely as a noun, but it has happened, maybe just by extension.

[raimundo]

There are some very old chainlink fences that are of a heavy gauge wire that seems hardend, and for this a bolt cutter will work fine. modern chain link fence comes in two smaller gauges, and neither is hardend. Long ago, a telephone lineman left a plier in the grass at the bottom of a pole, it had three sharp cutters on it. To cut chain link vertically, cut every third bend of the same wire and it will look just like an intact fence until you are ready to open it, then the pieces come out easily with a twist. if you do not want to cut all the way to the top, you can cut horizontally, and for this you have to cut each wire. you can leave a small 'sliding door' that will open and can still be pulled back to close. it looks good from a short distance, but can easily be seen up close. Many of these fences are easily opened with wrenches at the corner, where straps are fixing them to the pole, and are secured with nut n bolt.