I have a room in my basement and accidentally locked myself out of it - EDITED -
Last edited Fri May 8, 2026, 09:23 PM - Edit history (2)
The previous owner had it set up as a bedroom with a full bathroom attached. I use it as my home office. I have a desk, PC, printer, file cabinet and TV in there. I've lived here 17 years and never before shut the door to that room, so imagine my surprise and annoyance when I went to open the door and found it locked. I tried using a credit card, a screwdriver and a bobby pin to open it, all to no avail. The only thing left to do was to call a locksmith, which I didn't want to do because of the expense, but I finally got the number of the locksmith I'd used before from the HOA.
I watch a lot of true crime on TV and in one story, a father used a coat hanger to open his daughter's locked bedroom door. I figured, what do I have to lose? I put the bent top of the hanger in the little hole and voila! The door popped right open! What a relief! I guess when I tried using the bobby pin, I didn't push it far enough into the hole. The first thing I did was press the lock to keep it unlocked, but I found out that when the door is up against the wall, it pushes the button in so I put a paperweight between the door and the wall until I can get a door stopper.
That door was locked for a good amount of time. I am nothing if not a terrible procrastinator. I hated having to go to the library to print and of course, Holly hated having the door locked because she likes to sleep in her cat bed that's in that room. But all's well that ends well. And I didn't have to pay a locksmith!
Edited to add: I hated having to go to the library to pay to print out copies when I have a perfectly good printer at home. I LOVE the library. I go there all the time. It's important to me to clarify that.
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I had no idea. Being a true crime buff paid off big time for me!
It just goes to show you, you never know what tiny bit of knowledge will pay off somewhere down the road.
I shut the door to keep the cats out. I don't remember why I wanted to keep them out; they're allowed full run of the house. Senior moment, I guess.
You have a nice day too!
Just kidding, of course.
Thanks, Alpeduez21!
At least you didn't get locked inside the basement bedroom now turned into MacGyver's home office!
Good job figuring how how to door got locked and to prevent it from happening again.
Holly told me that she would like a few extra treats after that ordeal.
MIButterfly MacGyver does have a nice ring to it!
It happens to the best of us.