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Friday, November 23, 2018

Locked in the bathroom! How do you get out?

Problem
I was locked in the bathroom of the rented property. I say bathroom but it was a shower room. I shouted for help but could not be heard.

Answer
Luckily I was not alone in the dwelling. Somebody in a nearby room heard the rattling of the bathroom door and realized I was stuck.

Lock Rescue
You should have a key to go with the hole on the outside of the door.

No luck. My helper tried to put a wire through the release hole the other side. No luck. It was jammed, broken.

The door was a flimsy, hollow type. In this situation, that was an advantage.

"Stand back!" shouted my rescuer.

I retorted, "Don't hurt yourself!"

To get me out, my knight with shining screwdriver had to put his shoulder against the door. I thought the door would shatter. It didn't. The lock fractured. Bits of sharp metal fell on the floor. The door was open.

I was out!

Then it was time to ring the landlord and say the lock was broken.

I got to thinking about what I should do If I were on my own.

I would not want to keep food in the bathroom because it attracts insects. Maybe a pot of mint?

You should not put phones in or near water. But I could take in a phone and hang it behind the door.

A friend of mine was stuck in a bathroom with a broken lock when he was alone. He eventually got out by shouting through the window. A neighbour heard.

The neighbour did not have a spare key but called the security guard. It was a big black of flats and houses. Some places keep the keys. Others would ring the landlord and have records of all the relevant numbers. Others have a roaming handyman on site who can do everything from opening doors and windows to dealing with other emergencies.

Maybe the vital things to do to prevent such an emergency are to keep your phone with you in the bathroom. Also put in the phone numbers of the landlord or security guard.

Stay safe!

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
Please share links to your favourite posts. More photos of the lock and keys in next posts.


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