Brad’s Safe and Lock Service, Inc. 410-526-0200

Hello, this is Brad from Brad’s Safe and Lock Service, Inc.

Lock Outs really test a locksmiths honesty and integrity to the fullest. We can do so many things for family, friends, and who’m ever for money. These openings or things we do for our friends may not be the right thing to do. They may be morally incorrect and we have to put ourselves in the persons shoes who owns the property. The property may be a safe, a car, or a premises. Meaning a home or business. The situation that shows it’s self, tells me everything I need. I have been in so many situations where the person has every legal right but opening is morally incorrect. With this in mind this locksmith company only does these things for customers I know and have a long relationship with. They trust my judgement. If there is a question about a situation, they listen. They don’t get mad and call another locksmith. They understand because I have been in the business so long and have seen just about every situation, to trust my judgement. If I question the job, so do they. I have quit chasing lock outs several years ago. When I ask simple questions over the phone and the person reacts unfavorably, I quit trying to help them right then and there. When opening a premises I am putting myself in danger. Sitting right in front of the door picking the locks so the person locked out can enter. Many of the lockouts we do are legitimate. They simply pulled the door shut without taking their keys. When they tell me this and when I arrive and the deadbolt is locked, I immediately question the person. It’s funny because most of the time they have not taken me to the door they pulled shut. I find most of the time the person that is locked out just has a lot on their mind. All is normal and they really did lock themselves out. But only after taking me to the door they pulled shut will I open it for them. Even a pictured driver license does not guarantee an opening is morally correct. Divorce situations are a good example. The husband or wife could be changing the locks on each other. As a reputable locksmith I, first, don’t want to get involved with that situation, second, there is always someone I am not going to make happy. When I get calls to change the locks in this situation, I inform the person that if they have a legal right to be in the premises, they can change the locks back on you. In this situation I will work for one person, and only that person. I don’t want to get calls changing the locks back and forth. There are locksmiths out there who don’t care about the people let alone about themselves and only want the money. There are morals to consider here. The money is not worth me not being able to sleep well that night.

When opening a safe, a lot of times the person has not lost or forgotten the combination. They are trying to gain access to steal and they are using a locksmith to help them. These people are not professional thieves, they are just acting out on their emotions and trying to get even with the people that own the safe. Questioning them can be tricky. We don’t want to hurt their feelings, but at the same time we need to know if they really are suppose to be in the safe. A lot of times, the safe has malfunctioned or the people really did forget the combination. This does happen quite frequently. Determining this before we open the safe is what our responsibility is as locksmiths. Again, so many locksmiths go after the money. I have walked away from just as many jobs as I have performed my tasks and gotten paid.

Automobiles seem a little easier. The registration has a persons name, tag #, and drivers license number, and matches their drivers license.  It’s a little more cut and dry. But being in the trade so long I have been in situations that test my morals. An example of this is, both names are on the registration and one of the parties, is trying to gain possession of the vehicle. If the persons name is on the registration you would think that is all there is to it. Here is the example, Man is sitting in the car and refusing the wife to take the vehicle. Police have been called before I arrived. There was nothing no one could do because they both owned the vehicle legally. Both names are on the registration. The man had every right to sit in his vehicle. There was nothing the police could do. And they really didn’t want to. I stayed around to learn from the situation. I only would have acted if the police would have told me to. I would have helped them out.

The most recent call was to a house where a drunk son of an Aunt was locked in a house. The niece had legal papers introducing her as the executor of the estate. Again police were called. The police had me open the premisses while they went in and secured the house. They confronted the drunk son. They let the executor come in and get the things she needed. No arrest was made. The son had every legal right to be drunk in his premmisses. He was not threatenning nor had any weapons present. The police locked the door behind them. The aunt got what she needed and the son had a hang over. Everyone communicated in this situation and it was resolved with out any one getting hurt. I did what was needed to help. The police did not want to break down the door, nor did they have any cause to.

The stories go on and on. The first thing to do when I get a call is to listen. I ask pertennant questions and listen. Letting the people talk. Sometimes they say to much and the truth comes out. I don’t try to be difficult, but I am careful. I want to protect the people who acutally own the car, the safe, the home, or even a business. I don’t just let everyone in. This is our moral code, this is what we are suppose to do. It is our judgement call a lot of times. But that’s where experience comes in. So many locksmiths don’t understand this and really gouge their customers. Arrests have been recently made of locksmiths. And it’s about time. These guys don’t care about morals and just want the money and they gouge the customer. Finally laws are going into effect in Maryland that will help us and the consumer. It is only a beggining, but they are going to be in affect. I say it’s only a beginning becuse, the state after many years has finally accepted the fact that this is going on. The bills that have been written are only the basics. It will take many years to get all the things we need to be put in the licensing. But it is a start. Locksmiths have to be made accountable and the licensing is a step in the right direction. This will help the consumer from faudulent charges and the hopes of hiring a truly experienced locksmith who will do the work outlined in a proffessional manor that has the customer in mind.