Ethical quandry

[WilsonTrucking]

I had a neighbor knock on my door this morning and ask if I could open her door. She had her keys locked in her apartment. We have the same landlord, who has mentioned previously the potential of having me open doors in just this circumstance. Thing is, neither of us bothered to call the landlord in this case as she is dealing with family issues currently. I know the pervue of a hobby picker is to not pick locks in use, but as of late I've been asked more and more for assistance when people in my neighborhood have locked themselves out. I do specify that I do this as a hobby, but as the closest "real" locksmith is over 3 hours away people in the community have been calling on my services more and more often. Im not advertising or anything, but people have asked me for help several times. Heres the rub: I'm not sure I should be opening locks for people, from a locksport perspective. Personally, I dont mind helping people. I've talked to the local police force, and since there are no laws in the province prohibiting carrying picks and I verify information before opening a door or other lock, they are ok with it. TThe question is, from a locksport perspective, is what im doing ok or am I breaking some sort of taboo?

[Robotnik]

I've opened locks for family and friends in a pinch. I don't accept payment (i.e. I'm not operating a business), and as long as I have permission from the owner of the lock, I see no ethical issue. Nor for that matter is it a legal issue in my state.

[billdeserthills]

I'm a locksmith and I can't see anything wrong with what you do-- I know if you
mess up someone's lock you will fix it too, so what's the big deal? If you take responsibility
for your actions I can't see a problem. I do think you should get a receipt book or otherwise
charge for your work, is anyone else doing free lockwork?
If that hot neighbor lady wants to personally thank you for banishing her lock dragon, hubba hubba

[AngryHatter]

You have asked all the relevant people all the right questions.
I do not believe you are in legal jeopardy.

I do have issues with neighbors that will "take advantage" of a skill.
I had a neighbor in the 1980s that would come over at least once a month to have me remove a jammed tape from his vcr. After 10 years of free house calls he regifted me a $10 harmonica. (I don't play harmonicas?)

Now if a neighbor asks for help they get one free house call - after that I ask for some payment in return. Doesn't have to be money, but show me you value my time and skill.

[Squelchtone]

Only thing to watch out for is how the neighbor you help later talks up what you did. I opened a lady's car at work and for a year later any time she introduced me to someone new she would say "oh this is squelchtone, he broke in my car for me" and that's not the image I want passed around about me. I finally asked her not to say that, I don't think she even realized how it sounded.

Another thing to consider is letting the person you helped know that you are just helping them and not to volunteer you if some other neighbor or someone's friend or relative is locked out. I fixed my downstairs (ex)landlords cable tv wires behind his tv once (wife had unplugged something behind the cable box), and a month later his golf buddy calls me during my work day and insists I come over his house to set up a new wireless printer that afternoon while I was at my office job and he wouldn't take no for an answer, I ended up giving him some help over the phone and then told him to call Staples nerd squad. I chewed out my landlord for volunteering me and giving out my cell phone. Just because I'm an IT guy during the day, doesn't mean I'm one after 5pm or for free to his lawyer golf buddies.

Squelchtone

[Ralph_Goodman]

I always say, "Do not pick locks that are not yours, or that you have not been given express permission by the owner to pick."

As long as you know the person you are helping, so you know they have the authority to make such a request, it does not violate that rule.

As to the rule, "Do not pick locks that are in use," someone already mentioned that you should take responsibility if you break the lock.

You know the risks, but there does not seem to be an issue with violating the lock picking hobbyist code. And that seems to be the consensus, at least among your peers.

[demux]

Agree with Ralph. Although depending on the terms of your neighbor's lease, the actual owner of the lock in question might be the landlord, not your neighbor. If there was any ethical taboo here, I think it would only have been not explicitly getting the landlord's permission first, but if you had already talked to her and permission was implied (which sounds like it might be the case), I think you're in the clear.

[stratmando]

Squelchtone, I think I worked for that same Lawyer, I Dug a 40' Trench, ran Conduit and wiring for Hot Tub, Got Operational in part of a day, He insisted on paying me $60 Per Hour, Because I charged him $60 once, for a small repair. I told him I charge People $80 an hour every day, he called police, I showed him my Invoice book, all showing $80 per hour. Police said too Pay me. All the Time he Jumped up and down saying he makes $400. Per Hour. Reminds me of the joke, "Whats the Difference Between a Catfish and a Lawyer?", "One is a Scum Sucking Bottom Feeder, the Other is a Fish?"
I am sure it is the same one, as their couldn't be 2 like that?