StartFragment -->Hey John...

As a locksmith, I feel a need to ask a philosophical question or two of you, and let you know most of us are actually pretty good folks. :) 

You called this guy out to open your car, he did so... You're offended by that, why?  Would it have been more acceptable or less offensive if he had used a tool to do so, and it still took him less than 5 seconds (our average)?

This may or may not make you feel better about locksmiths, depends on your overall outlook I suppose, but there are reasons he used a key rather than a tool.  This guy happened to use what in the industry is called a "jiggle key".  Jiggle keys are available for only a few certain types of cars, and within that category of cars, some are easier to open than others.  Some take quite a bit of "jiggling" for it to work, others are not at all secure to begin with and can literally be opened with a paperclip, the key is just a handy method.  Jiggle keys are "kind of" like masters (skeletons), but not really, there's still skill involved.  Jiggle keys are a type of lock picking.  The methodology is the same.  It's the manipulation of the tumblers within the lock using a special key rather than a pick.  Sounds like your car happened to fall into the easy open subcategory unfortunately. :)  The main reason a locksmith would use a Jiggle key rather than a tool if the car being opened allowed for it, is that the possibility of linkage damage or weather stripping damage or window tinting damage is 100% eliminated.  If you have a tool that will save you and the customer time, and eliminate any possibility of damage, why not use it? :)

You're absolutely right that locksmiths could, if they wanted to, become pretty good criminals.  They rarely do.  The main reason I suppose is that the art itself is an old, time honored, and believe it or not, highly skilled tradition that takes years to learn, and learn well.  Most "real" locksmiths are much more interested in doing the job well, and correctly, than they are in thinking about what they could steal.  They're kind of nerds in a way, as they tend to get much more excited over how quickly they opened the safe, or the technique they used, or how they repaired a lock rather than replaced it, and tend to go on and on to their fellow locksmiths about such nerdy subjects at length.  Standing in a room with a group of locksmiths is like standing in a room full of Microsoft programmers, it's ALL tech talk, utterly incomprehensible, and endlessly boring to anyone who can't make head's or tails of it. :-D

There is however, a new and growing subset of individuals out there that learn lock picking and other quasi-locksmith skills for all the wrong reasons.  There are whole movements, websites, books, videos, etc., available that teach this to anyone who wants to know it, always with the disclaimer that it's "just for entertainment purposes".  That, to me, is the scary part.  There is no tradition, honor, or skill bound up in that, and these are the things that keep locksmiths honest.

So yes, locksmiths "could potentially" be dishonest.  Yes, they CAN do or get into just about everything.  That's what they're trained to do, and what you want them to do.  But they are required to be licensed in Illinois, and everyone in any state that requires licensing should make sure the person they call out IS licensed.  Licensing in Illinois, as in California (where I am) is an relatively extensive Department of Justice and FBI background check, fingerprinting, and an inability to get a license if there is any criminal past.  That's a good thing. :)

Cheers from one of the good ones...

Kim
Owner
San Diego Lock & Safe