# How did the storage lockers at bus depots etc. work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 1, 2018, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949 "2018-02-01T14:26:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2018, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949/21 "2018-02-01T21:08:01Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > I wonder why no one has developed simple debit card lockers. You have a reader for every stack of 30 or so lockers. You stick your stuff, press the latch button and it locks for 30 seconds to give you time to put your card in and enter your PIN. It might charge you a dollar for half an hour, accumulating. Your card is your key to open it, and they might not even need numbers on the door: you put your card in and it pops the door. The stacks are tall and narrow enough that you can stand in front of your locker while using the closest reader. Take a look at Post #6 above. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2018, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949/22 "2018-02-01T23:48:49Z")
They used to have them in Central Station in Montreal. Until one day one of them exploded and killed a tourist. Then they removed them all. A major annoyance if you had a few hours to kill between trains. Now you can check your bags at the station for a few hours, but they charge a small fortune for the service. As to why someone put a time bomb in the locker, that was never answered. But I think the authorities over-reacted. They were a great convenience when you wanted them. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949/23 "2018-02-02T01:09:31Z")
Most major train stations in Japan have [lockers in various sizes](https://www.jrpass.com/blogs/utilising-station-lockers). They accept cash or rechargeable martcards for up to 3 days. ---
**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949/24 "2018-02-02T01:56:53Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > I wonder why no one has developed simple debit card lockers. You have a reader for every stack of 30 or so lockers. You stick your stuff, press the latch button and it locks for 30 seconds to give you time to put your card in and enter your PIN. It might charge you a dollar for half an hour, accumulating. Your card is your key to open it, and they might not even need numbers on the door: you put your card in and it pops the door. The stacks are tall and narrow enough that you can stand in front of your locker while using the closest reader. I’ve used one recently (well 2016) in Universal Studios World, Singapore. There is a pay station mounted in each bank. You find an open locker, and key the number in to the pay station. I think it took cash or cards but can’t be sure. Pay your money and you can then lock the door by using your own PIN. When you want to get your stuff, you enter your PIN again and it unlocks. With the central control system like this, it’s easy for the system to know which ones have not been opened within the time paid for, and it probably can display or print a report of those ones. Of course, it can also open them so they can be cleared out if the time is up. I don’t remember the cost structure, but I think it had an hourly or two-hourly rate with blocks of time you could select. Not very complex, because you don’t want some doofus holding up the whole bank because they can’t figure out the instructions (Oops, that’s me!) Also, there was no overnight storage naturally enough as it was inside the theme park, and everyone left each day. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949/25 "2018-02-02T02:58:42Z")
They still have them in the airport in Lagos, Nigeria. I have $12-million in one, that I secured with a small deposit, but I haven’t gotten around to going over to get it yet. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949/26 "2018-02-02T03:41:25Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > I wonder why no one has developed simple debit card lockers. You have a reader for every stack of 30 or so lockers. You stick your stuff, press the latch button and it locks for 30 seconds to give you time to put your card in and enter your PIN. It might charge you a dollar for half an hour, accumulating. Your card is your key to open it, and they might not even need numbers on the door: you put your card in and it pops the door. The stacks are tall and narrow enough that you can stand in front of your locker while using the closest reader. Here in Beijing, one can pay for a storage locker fee using WeChat wallet, Alipay, QQ Pay, or other “scan to pay” services. The lockers are located at shopping malls, subway stations, and other places. In South Korea, you pay with cash or coin and your fingerprint is used instead of a PIN. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949/27 "2018-02-02T03:42:18Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > They still have them in the airport in Lagos, Nigeria. I have $12-million in one, that I secured with a small deposit, but I haven’t gotten around to going over to get it yet. You left out the part where all you need is money to send someone with the key… ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Zox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Mr\_Zox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Zox)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949/28 "2018-02-02T06:00:16Z")
Santa Barbara CA Greyhound station had them, around 40+ years ago. 25¢ for the small ones, 50¢ for the big ones. Supposedly they cleared 'em out about 2AM every day. You could pay normally, then go to the counter, show the key, and pay about 2 or 3 bucks to keep the locker untouched for 3 days. They weren’t supposed to let you repeat that, but they usually did if you were polite and slipped the guy at the counter a buck. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949/29 "2018-02-02T07:25:10Z")
Still relatively common in Australia. ---
**Author:** ![48Willys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/db5fbb/32.png) [@48Willys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/48Willys)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949/30 "2018-02-02T08:49:49Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I used them back in the 70s. > > First of all, the keys were quite distinct, with the metal outside the lock encased in orange plastic, making it more like the knob on a stove than a key. The number was on the plastic. > > There really weren’t a lot of repeat customers; I used it in Penn Station because I had several hours between trains and wanted to see some of NYC (and get dinner) and not carry my suitcase around. But I wasn’t going to use it again, certainly not enough for them to worry about losing me as a customer. > > OTOH, you’ve left your belongings behind. Pretty poor trade for a little key. > > **I would say that the money brought in by auctioning off abandoned items more than covered the cost of the new keys.** Bolding mine. Not if my experience in buying the contents is any indication. In the late 70s, I bought many lots of locker contents. They were cheap. I think that the most I ever paid for one was $1.25. That may have been enough to pay for the time to replace the lock, but I doubt it. I also did not make much money on the contents. It was more of an entertainment exercise than any hope of profit for me. I once bought 20 lots for 25 cents each. I was the only bidder that day. Since I only bought 20, the other 35 did not sell that day. IDK if they threw the stuff out, or if it sold the next month. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949/31 "2018-02-02T12:07:41Z")
> [@JpnDude](#): > > Most major train stations in Japan have [lockers in various sizes](https://www.jrpass.com/blogs/utilising-station-lockers). They accept cash or rechargeable martcards for up to 3 days. I used one in Kyoto train station a couple of years ago. They were in such high demand that we had to circle around waiting for someone to take their stuff out. The cloakroom in the Amsterdam naval museum used a centralized touchpad to operate all of its lockers which I thought was kind of neat. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949/32 "2018-02-02T12:29:33Z")
The other thing they had in bus stations back in the day were coin operated televisions. You put a quarter in and it worked for some period of time. Often those seats were the only ones available, but you weren’t allowed to sit there without using the tv. People put a quarter in and napped. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949/33 "2018-02-02T18:31:06Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > I wonder why no one has developed simple debit card lockers. You have a reader for every stack of 30 or so lockers. You stick your stuff, press the latch button and it locks for 30 seconds to give you time to put your card in and enter your PIN. It might charge you a dollar for half an hour, accumulating. Your card is your key to open it, and they might not even need numbers on the door: you put your card in and it pops the door. The stacks are tall and narrow enough that you can stand in front of your locker while using the closest reader. Amusement parks (the 6 flags chain) has them. Near enough to $20 for the day, but it’s nice to stash your swim kit so you can change out mid-day and use the waterpark with the little ones. PIN access for the entire day. I think as mentioned above, it’s a potential security issue in transportation hubs. Which is unfortunate, because in a long layover, it could be nice to drop the bags and explore the area. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2018, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949/34 "2018-02-02T19:43:07Z")
I have encountered them twice in the past year. Last April at Universal Studios, FLA. To ride certain roller coasters (The Hulk) it was mandatory to remove everything from your pockets and all glasses, hats, etc. They provided lockers of the pay once until unlocked variety… Last June at the pool at MGM Las Vegas you could rent lockers for a period of time, not just a one time lock/unlock cycle. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2018, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949/35 "2018-02-03T04:58:43Z")
Lockers are _everywhere_ in Japan. If all the lockers in the train station are taken, just go next door to the shopping mall, which will have its own lockers. The spread of stored-value IC cards (like Pasmo and Suica in the Tokyo region) has made Japanese lockers even easier to use. Not only do you not need to find three ¥100 coins, you don’t even need to remember your locker number. When you return, just waving your card over the touchpad will open your locker. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2018, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949/36 "2018-02-03T09:02:51Z")
I’m picturing a bunch of people who’ve forgotten which locker has their stuff, and are now just wandering at random waving their card around hopefully. (Kinda like folks _who are never me_ roaming the parking lot and pushing their key fob buttons high above their heads.) ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2018, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949/37 "2018-02-03T11:01:41Z")
I’m surprised to read the past tense in this thread so much. Here in Germany, these lockers are almost ubiquitous; every major rail station has them, and they’re very much in use. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2018, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949/38 "2018-02-03T19:15:49Z")
> **[Heirs of Howard Drummond](https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Heirs_of_Howard_Drummond)** > > Real Name: Unrevealed Case: Lost Heirs Location: Lansing, Michigan Date: January 28, 1989 Details: Howard Thomas Drummond was a frugal and unusual person. He was reclusive, eccentric, a man who spent his time dreaming up the most peculiar... I remember this episode of Unsolved Mysteries, because the event which inspired it took place while I was living in Lansing, Michigan I remember the story line in the _Lansing Journal_ and thought it so sad. Nobody gave a hoot about the guy(except for the post office clerk) until it turned out he had a lot of money. I always thought she should have got the cash. I never saw any followups on the show, so I don’t know if any storage lockers he may have used were ever found. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2018, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949/39 "2018-02-04T03:04:35Z")
> [@Mr\_Zox](#): > > Santa Barbara CA Greyhound station had them, around 40+ years ago. I remember a sketch on the _Jackie Gleason Show_ that showed a bank of lockers at a bus terminal. Up comes a midget who inserts the key on a large one, opens the door, and walks into the locker. About thirty seconds later, he opens the door from the inside, and steps out a moment in pajamas, putting out a cat and empty milk bottle before retreating into the locker again. ---
**Author:** ![abel29a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@abel29a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abel29a)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949/40 "2018-02-08T08:38:08Z")
I used to monitor such lockers back in the day - pre-digitalisation the customer would insert the number of coins required for one 24 hrs (i think) period, lock the locker, remove the key. If they opened the locker prior to the 24hrs had passed the money was lost. Each morning we’d go by the lockers with a list, making a note of all lockers in use. There was a counter on each locker counting up the number of times it had been used (this was a mechanical counter triggered by the action of turning the key), we’d write down the counter number on a list of all the lockers. If a locker was registered with the same counternumber two days in a row we would disable the lock (requiring us to go out there with a master key to open the locker). Any customer overstaying the 24hrs (or so) time line would have to talk with us, we would then check how many days the locker had been overdue and charge the amount before opening the locker with the master key. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-storage-lockers-at-bus-depots-etc-work/807949.md?page=3)