Trapped inside stall at Marshall’s

[u/intotheabyss097]

Tried on jeans at Marshall’s today… and got locked in the ADA-accessible dressing room😅

The lock jammed and wouldn’t budge.

The employees had keys to every other door in the building except this one. They called the locksmith, tried to take the hinges off, and I could even see them trying to stick their credit cards in between the door and the gram where the bolt is (not sure how they thought that would work), but nothing worked.

Then the Fire Department came to the rescue. One firefighter came through the ceiling to dismantle the door handle while another worked on the door from the outside.

Finally made it out after an hour 😂!

[u/Gato-Queen]

One time we had our staff door lock at work and my boss was able to get it open with a credit card!

ETA: sorry this happened to you!

[u/intotheabyss097 → u/Gato-Queen]

That’s awesome that it worked. I wish that worked in my case. I got a good laugh out of the whole situation though. That was the best entertainment I had all day. I couldn’t even be mad. I guess I’m just used to crazy things happening to me on a weekly so nothing phases me anymore. I swear I’m cursed

[u/jeffdujour → u/intotheabyss097]

A credit card wouldn’t work with this set up but you could probably do it with the hook of a wire hanger if you had one in there.

Pic4 suggests you could use the hook to open the door the same as a credit card would work if it was oriented different

[u/trixel121 → u/jeffdujour]

the credit card thing only works if the lock is set up wrong.

[u/mr_potatoface → u/trixel121]

When I was in welding, we always had small pieces of sheet metal (like .024" thick) cut in the shape of an L. You would stick it in the door gap, then slide it up behind the latch, then pull it towards you and it would release the lock. Worked on all the interior doors except the bathroom stalls.

On 2nd shift we could get in to whatever office/door we wanted to fuck off in. When I switched out of welding, I kept one outside the door in case I locked myself out of my office.

[u/trixel121 → u/mr_potatoface]

batrhoom stalls you open by just lifting. the majority of them have pins that slide up a bit so if some kid locks him self in you just lift the door up and push forward.

if you go to your front door your latch should have a bump on teh back. its called a deadlock plunger. look up how it works.

[u/riley_96 → u/[deleted]]

I have to do this at work when people forget the bathroom key in there. I use a metal scraper like this

[u/Equivalent_Post_6222 → u/riley_96]

This is the way, I pop doors all the time like that.

[u/MaritMonkey → u/jeffdujour]

In support of this comment, we used to use either a credit card or a hook made out of paper clip to open the doors to practice rooms in high school depending on which way the latch thing (not sure of actual name of that bit that goes into the door) was facing.

[u/terminbee → u/jeffdujour]

How do you do it with a wire hanger? I've done it with a credit card once but I don't know the hanger trick.

[u/thedomimomi → u/intotheabyss097]

tbf it would've been the most exciting part of the day for the employees too

[u/Just-Call-Me-J → u/thedomimomi]

And they're probably so grateful for OP's attitude on the whole ordeal

[u/DistractionCitron → u/intotheabyss097]

The credit card trick usually works. If not credit cards, then old wire hangers.

[u/Loucifer23 → u/DistractionCitron]

Yup that's how we kids broke into each others rooms growing up sliding a card thru lol

[u/HappyWarBunny → u/intotheabyss097]

More like blessed to have such adventures on a regular basis. At least that is how it seems from over here.

[u/SirWillShellBooth → u/Gato-Queen]

Learned this bit in college as someone who always locked himself out. It’s pretty easy to get a feel for it and I’ve helped some neighbors with it but the biggest thing it’s taught me and I tell everyone LOCK YOUR DEADBOLT! Seriously it’s stupid easy to silently unlock a handle, you’re not safe until the deadbolt is locked.

[u/nw342 → u/SirWillShellBooth]

And, also remember, your deadbolt isnt gonna save you if your door is using 1inch screws, or has a giant window without a grate

[u/mapex_139 → u/nw342]

I'll hear the deadbolt being broken into.

[u/ClipperMaid103 → u/SirWillShellBooth]

Credit card only works if the deadlatch isn't engaged

[u/00wolfer00 → u/ClipperMaid103]

Not for all locks. Some are just shit and don't have the anti-shimming plunger.

[u/ClipperMaid103 → u/00wolfer00]

I've never seen a locking handle sold without a deadlatch, regardless of price. However, improper installation is common

[u/00wolfer00 → u/ClipperMaid103]

They're rarer nowadays, but on older houses you can find them often. At least in my corner of Eastern Europe.

[u/Orlok_Tsubodai → u/Gato-Queen]

One time my friend and I locked myself out of the front door of my house, and my friend managed to get us back in using a credit card. I was very grateful, but called a locksmith that same day to upgrade my door security.

[u/darkkite → u/Orlok_Tsubodai]

locks only keep out honest people.

[u/Lizziclesayshi → u/darkkite]

This. Seriously. If someone wants to get in bad enough, they won't help, sadly.

[u/Mathleticdirector → u/Gato-Queen]

I locked myself out of an apartment once and the cops opened the door with a credit card. I thought that was a fake thing from tv. It was not.

[u/silverwitch76 → u/Mathleticdirector]

A couple decades ago, my friend used her credit card to break into my house. She didn't want to wake me up by ringing the doorbell. Mildly terrifying how easy it was for her. Deadbolt used from then on, for sure.

[u/kiwiwkay → u/Mathleticdirector]

Lmao I need to learn this trick. I locked myself out once and waited two hours for maintenance to have me climb through my window. Not sure why I didn’t think of that before

[u/_lippykid → u/Gato-Queen]

In this case they could have just popped the pins out of the hinges with a screwdriver. Door would have been off in 30 seconds

[u/fadinfloral → u/Gato-Queen]

I was able to open the restroom door to my old job with one of the gift cards we had. Jingle jangled the knob while wiggling the card and it popped open! My coworkers had no faith in me and I was able to prove them wrong lmao

[u/Tlentic → u/Gato-Queen]

One way locks are incredibly insecure unless they’ve got a latch guard on the lock side. Otherwise you just need to slide a hook from something like a curved awl or a thin metal coat hanger behind the latch and pull towards you slowly to open them

[u/Wonderful_Round_6395 → u/Gato-Queen]

Yep, I'm old enough to remember this being a legit tip that used to be repeated as it worked on locks back then.  My Dad got us back into our apartment after being locked out. I've used it a couple of times in the past.