When you go out do you carry your picks?

[Proctor]

From today, i carry my hairclips

I learnt to open a Master 40 today with hairclips

[JK_the_CJer]

I always carry my Southord metal jacknife. As many of you know, its not the best pickset and has feedback issues. However, it has gotten my friends, coworkers, and superiors out of jams many times. Yeah, I know the whole "do not pick locks in use" thing, but believe it or not this hobby does come in handy sometimes and can be used to help people (with their permission of course)

I decided to buy it when my watch commander locked himself out of his office. He call me over the radio to dispatch. When I got there, he asked/ordered me to pick the lock. When I told him that I hadn't brought my pickset that day, he told me "those picks are now part of your uniform" (joking but a good idea). So, I asked for the jacknife for christmas. It's been with me ever since. My only complaint is that the little thumbscrew that tightens the pick down has a tendency to back its way out into my pocket somehow. It happens all time but for some reason, I still haven't lost it yet.

PS: I know that my personal stance on the "don't pick locks in use" issue differs from the stance held by many in this community. I respect your choice regarding this issue and understand the reasoning. I hope you'll respect my choice in return. I am a hobby picker and that is my motivation; fun and understanding. The thrill of the pick and all that. An extension of this is the rush one gets when opening a real-world lock for someone. It not only reminds you that the picking you practice is "real", but also you see the combination of relief and gratitude wash over a person's face when they realize they don't have to call an overpriced lockie. They also tend to stop making comments like "What are you trying to be a thief or something?". However, if you are considering picking a lock in use, please read some of the arguments against it (damages, image, etc..) before you make your decision.

[Shrub]

JK its horses for courses, i pick locks in use and not mine every day all day (if im lucky),

The fact you are able to make that decision and give an argument for it without causeing trouble intentionaly tells me your not so much on a wrong path doign what your doing,

Theres a big differance between maturity playing with locks and kids breaking into school lockers,
Its always easy to tar everyone with the same brush and be done with it, saves double standards and double rules but more importantly our (mods etc) time,

I know where your coming from but as always dont agree with it fully personally from a hobby picker but there comes a time when the damage issue lessons and the success issue improves and surely hobby pickers become way more proficient than us mere lockies as were in it for the money,

But do not tell any noobs ive said this

[RangerF150]

Picking locks for years now, I never bring my picks out, except to the yard at the back of the house on a sunny evening!
I will never understand why "hobby" pickers seem compelled to bring their picks everywhere they go "just in case" , I carry a mobile/ cell phone everywhere just in case

And don't get me started on the idiots that have some kinda James Bond type vibe going on that carry their picks in little "secret" containers "just in case"!

If I was to adopt that attitude I would have a lorry load of tools to haul around "just in case" , just in case of what ?

Am I the only person in the whole world that manages to go out and come home without a "just in case" event happening ?

If there was a "just in case" event going down, I know a locksmith I could call, he has a lorry load of tools and all the skill for those "just in case" events , I don't !

Enough already , keep your picks at home, your not James Bond, your not an "expert" your a ( at best) hobby picker, who in a real situation could do more damage than good.

Give an idiot a lockpick he calls himself a "locksmith" give an idiot a scalpel he calls himself a surgeon............
Would you want said surgeon to operate on you ?????

[Shrub]

Well said,

[JK_the_CJer]

*JK_the_CJer leaves his apartment to go to work*
*The James Bond Theme plays*
*He makes a flying dive off his balcony and throws his picket at his car*
*Upon landing, the car door is unlocked and open*
*He smoothly steps inside and sits next to a gorgeous bond girl*
*...And drives off into the sunset (err...sunrise)*

[Raccoon]

I need to make a video of that, JK!

*throws his pickset and other auto-opening tools at customer's vehicles, and watches them open as if they'd been enchanted by the sorcerer's apprentice himself*

[Oliwerko]

RangerF150 - exactly. What is "just in case" ? You lock yourself out ? Then you have to call the locksmith unless you are very good lockpicker ( err. or locksmith ), or you are dumb because you have noob lock on that thing you locked out. Or someone asks you to pick something ? None of my business. I don't know what can happen, but I know that you don't have to have them at you for 99%.

Everything is on you - if you are searching for opportunities for lockpicking, you'll find them. If you're not, you will probably find no opportunity.

- Only my opinion though.

[Oliwerko]

RangerF150 - exactly. What is "just in case" ? You lock yourself out ? Then you have to call the locksmith unless you are very good lockpicker ( err. or locksmith ), or you are dumb because you have noob lock on that thing you locked out. Or someone asks you to pick something ? None of my business. I don't know what can happen, but I know that you don't have to have them at you for 99%.

Everything is on you - if you are searching for opportunities for lockpicking, you'll find them. If you're not, you will probably find no opportunity.

- Only my opinion though.

[RangerF150]

RangerF150 - exactly. What is "just in case" ? You lock yourself out ? Then you have to call the locksmith unless you are very good lockpicker ( err. or locksmith ), or you are dumb because you have noob lock on that thing you locked out. Or someone asks you to pick something ? None of my business. I don't know what can happen, but I know that you don't have to have them at you for 99%.

Everything is on you - if you are searching for opportunities for lockpicking, you'll find them. If you're not, you will probably find no opportunity.

- Only my opinion though.

I really am sorry , but I ain't got the faintest idea what your are saying, could you repeat that slowly ......

[rocketmn333]

i dont tend to keep anything on me, my cell and sometimes my wallet, if i did carry my picks on me.. let me refrase that, if i had a set and kept them on me, it would probally slow me down, i would be to worried about moving and breaking a pick, if they were in case, then i have this bulgy thing in my pocket, so i dont, sometimes a shim because i make mine and thats about it

[Oliwerko]

RangerF150 - I tried to say that I share your opinion. It was late when I was writing it so sorry. I'll try to repeat it:

I tried to ask that what "just in case" can happen ? What are these situations. What situation actually deserves a use of picks. Because I don't know any from my life. When I lock myself out, I must call a locksmith ( never needed to, anyway ), because I'm not that good in picking to pick my security lock. And I feel it's risky to just pick something that someone asks me to pick.

But I respect everyone's opinion, so maybe someone experiences situations when he needs them. Me not. So I don't carry them.

Hope it's better

[RangerF150]

RangerF150 - I tried to say that I share your opinion. It was late when I was writing it so sorry. I'll try to repeat it:

I tried to ask that what "just in case" can happen ? What are these situations. What situation actually deserves a use of picks. Because I don't know any from my life. When I lock myself out, I must call a locksmith ( never needed to, anyway ), because I'm not that good in picking to pick my security lock. And I feel it's risky to just pick something that someone asks me to pick.

But I respect everyone's opinion, so maybe someone experiences situations when he needs them. Me not. So I don't carry them.

Hope it's better

Sure is
Those late night posts can be dangerous !!!
And I fully agree with you.

[Lynx40]

Well, I DID have one such "just in case" a few years back. Even had the picks on me.
It was 7:30am. I was out the door and on my way to work. Mid January, temp -17°F. I hopped in my car, headed up the road, and the car died on me 3/4 of a block from the apartment. I hadn't let it warm up enough, and it just died.

I got out of the car to run back to my apartment. Out of instinct, I locked the door, (bad neighborhood), and as the door was about 1/2 way closed, I remembered....MY KEYS! SLAM! So, there I stood, keys in the car, locked out of both car and apartment, -17 degrees outside, in a leather bomber jacket, no hat, and no gloves.

I had just moved to the neighborhood the month before and didn't know anybody. I knocked on a few doors, but everyone had either gone to work or were just not answering their doors. Fortunately, (kind of), I had a cheapie plastic "PixQuik" pick set in my inner pocket.

The downside of the experience was that when I walked back to my apartment my fingers were numb. I tried the picks, but I couldn't get any feedback at all. My fingers couldn't feel a thing. And I was starting to find myself in serious trouble.

In the end, I ended up sitting on my stoop for over half an hour, halfway freezing to death until a friendly stranger pulled up nearby and I asked if I could use their phone. That was a double lesson. First...wear gloves and a hat in freezing weather. Second, PRACTICE.
Yup, never use picks on doors you use. But, in an emergency like that, I was more than willing to take the risk and pay for the lock if need be. And I failed to pick it. And it was potentially a VERY bad situation.

I carry mine with me now. Two different sets. One, bigger set in my computer bag, and 2 smaller picks in my pocket. Probably not much risk of a "life threatening" problem in the summer. But, I can honestly say that I DID have a "just in case" situation once. But, in the end, the picks didn't help me...that time. But, with any luck, that won't happen again.

Brad

RangerF150 - I tried to say that I share your opinion. It was late when I was writing it so sorry. I'll try to repeat it:

I tried to ask that what "just in case" can happen ? What are these situations. What situation actually deserves a use of picks. Because I don't know any from my life. When I lock myself out, I must call a locksmith ( never needed to, anyway ), because I'm not that good in picking to pick my security lock. And I feel it's risky to just pick something that someone asks me to pick.

But I respect everyone's opinion, so maybe someone experiences situations when he needs them. Me not. So I don't carry them.

Hope it's better

[Oliwerko]

Then a question arises: Is it worth carrying the picks all the time when you experience "just in case" only a few times in your life ?

Lynx40 - If it weren't so cold, maybe you couldhave picked it. I personally have a lock in my door that I can't pick... I don't know, I don't feel safe when I can pick my door lock ....