Found a lock in a tree

[irate-turtles]

http://i.imgur.com/f0ERU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Rfe57.jpg

So I was walking around my campus today when I noticed this guy sitting in a tree! I managed to get it down off the tree without picking it. FREE LOCK!

Here's a view of the bottom, it's got a BEST core with 6 pins.

What kind of security pins can I expect in this? Spool, mushroom, serrated? I'm just now starting to try picking IC locks, I bought a couple of 7 pin IC locks on ebay (no brand) that I haven't had time to play with yet.

I also don't have the special sleeve torsion tool, and I can't make it till I finish my spring semester at uni.

[cledry]

http://i.imgur.com/f0ERU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Rfe57.jpg

So I was walking around my campus today when I noticed this guy sitting in a tree! I managed to get it down off the tree without picking it. FREE LOCK!

Here's a view of the bottom, it's got a BEST core with 6 pins.

What kind of security pins can I expect in this? Spool, mushroom, serrated? I'm just now starting to try picking IC locks, I bought a couple of 7 pin IC locks on ebay (no brand) that I haven't had time to play with yet.

I also don't have the special sleeve torsion tool, and I can't make it till I finish my spring semester at uni.

It will probably have no security pins. BEST isn't a high security cylinder, it is for convenience. They have pretty tight tolerances so present a good challenge.

[Evan]

http://i.imgur.com/f0ERU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Rfe57.jpg

So I was walking around my campus today when I noticed this guy sitting in a tree! I managed to get it down off the tree without picking it. FREE LOCK!

Here's a view of the bottom, it's got a BEST core with 6 pins.

What kind of security pins can I expect in this? Spool, mushroom, serrated? I'm just now starting to try picking IC locks, I bought a couple of 7 pin IC locks on ebay (no brand) that I haven't had time to play with yet.

I also don't have the special sleeve torsion tool, and I can't make it till I finish my spring semester at uni.

@irate-turtles:

That lock looks like it belongs to your college campus... Although it was apparently misplaced in the tree on the campus where you found it, it was still college property and still located on the campus... Your unauthorized removal of the property of your college into your personal possession without permission could be construed as theft... I recommend that you turn it in as "lost" to the "lost and found" with your campus police, they can have it examined by the campus lock shop and if it is not actually college property and its rightful owner doesn't come to claim it within the required time period, it can be returned to you after the waiting period established by applicable state law...

~~ Evan

[mech]

nah its finders keepers nice find mate.

[Daggers]

i say keep it. why and how would the school "misplace" a lock in a tree? just seems like someone didn't want it and put it on a tree to get rid of it.

[Evan]

i say keep it. why and how would the school "misplace" a lock in a tree? just seems like someone didn't want it and put it on a tree to get rid of it.

@Daggers:

How the lock ended up in the tree is irrelevant, if it is in fact college property and a student takes control over it without explicit permission, an instance of theft has occurred...

The lock looks relatively new and well maintained so there is not even the slightest validity to claiming it was "abandoned"... As to how it was misplaced, there is a small army of grounds workers on a college campus, probably a lock for something didn't get put back on what it is supposed to keep closed...

However, none of that matters, the OP did not purchase this lock so it is not his to keep... He found it located in and upon the premises of its rightful owner and removed it without permission... That is all that is important... Just because something has become "lost" doesn't mean that whomever finds it gets to keep it...

Otherwise there would be tons of free iPods, cars and houses out there as people tend to lose small electronic devices all the time and lose track of their keys as well... "Finders Keepers" applies only to abandoned property after the correct lawful process of assuming ownership has been followed which includes properly documenting where and when the item was found, surrendering it into the custody of the proper authorities and waiting the required time period to claim it as yours...

~~ Evan

[Daggers]

It was left on a tree..... even if it is the college's then that would be their fault. If you leave your ipod on a park bench and come back 2 hours later, it will no doubt be gone. The person that took it could be called a thief depending on who you ask but it was just sitting there and in that case it would be your fault for not guarding your ipod with at least a minimum level of protection.

[MacGyver101]

How the lock ended up in the tree is irrelevant, if it is in fact college property and a student takes control over it without explicit permission, an instance of theft has occurred...

Evan, I know that you make a lot of good contributions to this site, so I say this in the context of your many good past contributions, and my hope that they will continue... but, personally, I'm really disappointed to find so many of the new threads on this forum getting derailed with legal wrangling, when some new member runs afoul of your best (and often well-meaning) guess of what the law might be in their particular situation.

We have a few lock-related rules that we encourage everyone to follow... and I'll be the first to agree that we're sometimes a bit quick in applying even those few rules. I see an important difference, though, between saying "you shouldn't pick locks in use" and arguing over what constitutes theft or landlord-tennant obligations in certain jurisdictions.

I think it's an important difference because we're here to talk about locks -- advice on how locks work, on how locks can break, and on how locks can be seen as an intriguing "puzzle" -- and many people here (yourself included) can genuinely lay claim to being an expert in that area... but, while many of us understand our local laws, few of us are truly qualified to be giving other people legal advice.

I come here to help people enjoy lockpicking as a hobby, and share whatever knowledge I can. I'm not claiming to be perfect in the advice that I've offered in the past, or will offer in the future... but I'd like the opportunity to welcome in a few of the newer members that I'm worried that we're losing over contentious legal debates.

Just my $0.02.

And, to answer the original question on this thread: cledry is exactly right... you won't find any security pins in there, but the tighter tolerances and change in feedback from the two shearlines will provide a good challenge.

[nhoj_yelbom]

I agree Macgyver101 100% lets not make this a lawyer101.com this site already gets derailed enough

[Eyes_Only]

[Bob Jim Bob]

Was it this tree?

[Evan]

I agree Macgyver101 100% lets not make this a lawyer101.com this site already gets derailed enough

Ah, I see, not locks in use, but a lock left unattended is up for grabs...

That is a very fine line to walk:

Thou shall not commit the act of burglary with lock picks as that could get this website into trouble but there is nothing wrong at all with encouraging larceny/petty theft by people who post here when they "find" a lock...

I suggest that you get better legal advice -- both situations boil down to engaging in a form of conspiracy and can create the exact same trouble for the website in the end...

~~ Evan

[MacGyver101]

I suggest that you get better legal advice -- both situations boil down to engaging in a form of conspiracy and can create the exact same trouble for the website in the end..

Again: not interested in a legal debate, or exchanging guesses on what the law might be in this case. I don't run the website. I was just making an honest, respectful request to please stop turning threads into legal debates.

[Evan]

I don't run the website.

And honestly and respectfully, the policy intention seems clear, to NOT encourage criminal activities which could in any way reflect poorly on this website, legally, ethically, opinion-wise or in some other unknown way...

Ask for specific clarification on the matter from those who actually DO run the website before you jump down my throat about the issue...

As far as the policies as written on the website go, you are all encouraging theft...

The same applies to the legal issues involved... Your opinions or feelings about my specific contributions to this thread can not and will not change those facts no matter how badly you wish that to be the case...

~~ Evan