# (Not) picking a lock **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 1, 2024, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688 "2024-04-01T17:55:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688/81 "2024-04-07T21:32:26Z")
I can’t imagine how that locks any bike or motorcycle on its own. How can you thread that around a frame of a bike/motorcycle and then a post to lock to? There is a reason most U-locks are much longer. Which means you need some kind of chain/cable which then becomes the weak link (heh). ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688/82 "2024-04-07T21:32:43Z")
That ludicrous lock is missing that point that you should not leave your bicycle locked up outside and unattended. I’ll leave the bike locked up for a few minutes while I walk into the convenience store or cafe, but not all day while I am working or overnight, etc., I will bring it inside. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Which means you need some kind of chain/cable which then becomes the weak link (heh). I’ve seen ship’s chains with links I literally cannot lift, but how are you going to carry such a thing around with you? More likely you are going to try exotic ceramic composites… ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688/83 "2024-04-07T21:34:09Z")
I’m guessing such a lock is meant for motorcycles. It’s ridiculous as a bike lock. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688/84 "2024-04-07T21:36:21Z")
Here’s a video of them cutting it off a bicycle: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/1HvMPh6JBBI/maxresdefault.jpg "Is The Altor SAF Bike Lock Really Grinder-Proof? | Bicycling Magazine") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HvMPh6JBBI) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688/85 "2024-04-07T21:42:32Z")
Okay I get that the main point is to create an unattractive target, but if someone really wants your bike, isn’t the bike itself a weak point too? Just cut the shaft that’s locked and weld it back together later. You’re not stealing it to ride it I presume, what do you care if it’s safe or not? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688/86 "2024-04-07T21:43:23Z")
Huh…guess it works. Where I live bike thieves will take anything not nailed down though so you need to think about your wheels too (and seat). I expect over a weekend where I live you’d come back to find your frame locked to post and nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688/87 "2024-04-07T21:45:39Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Huh…guess it works. Yes . . . and no. It required a specialist, hand-made, tool but picked in under 90 seconds, > **[\[1088\] MASSIVE Altor SAF ("Strong as F\*\*\*”) Bike U-Lock Picked](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixPFDFp8Cfo%2Fa)** > > https://www.covertinstruments.com I’ll note that requiring a specialist, hand-made, tool effectively means it isn’t pickable . . . until enough lock makers are using that style lock and then the pick will easily purchasable on AliExpress. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688/88 "2024-04-07T22:56:47Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I doubt police could bash it down with that handheld bashing rod they use (I dunno…maybe they could…do not want to find out). I’ve seen them go through pretty substantial doors with them pretty quickly. Anything held with just a doorknob and a deadbolt deforms enough to open in a reasonable amount of time. > [@DCnDC](#): > > Just cut the shaft that’s locked and weld it back together later. Or just cut the thing it’s locked to, which is almost certainly less substantial than that lock. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688/89 "2024-04-07T23:55:17Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > I’ve seen them go through pretty substantial doors with them pretty quickly. Anything held with just a doorknob and a deadbolt deforms enough to open in a reasonable amount of time. High rise interior doors are typically 2-hour fire rated steel doors in steel jambs. The doorknobs and deadbolts and such are sometimes heavy duty mortise units but often plain old Home Depot Schlage. The lock comes apart real quickly when subjected to that force. The latch & boltways in the jamb are a bit more substantial, but not much. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2024, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688/90 "2024-04-08T00:16:59Z")
Yeah, if you really want to resist a ram, you’d mount the door to open outward, which is rare in residential exterior doors. Having to bash in the whole door frame in or fold the door up to fit through it changes that calculus a lot. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2024, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688/91 "2024-04-08T00:51:48Z")
Reminds me, for no particular reason, of the type of blast door [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/Blast_door_PA110374.jpg/450px-Blast_door_PA110374.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/Blast_door_PA110374.jpg/450px-Blast_door_PA110374.jpg) which is an outward-opening tapered plug, the whole thing set into reinforced concrete. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2024, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688/92 "2024-04-08T00:57:16Z")
Hehehe, I would say that would resist a ram pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2024, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688/93 "2024-04-08T19:20:06Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Yeah, if you really want to resist a ram, you’d mount the door to open outward, which is rare in residential exterior doors. Having to bash in the whole door frame in or fold the door up to fit through it changes that calculus a lot. which begs the question of why home-doors seem mostly to open inward? (whatever reason you state, if you go in through the door, you also need to go out through the door - so it should be a net-zero) - not smacking other people in a narrow hallway with lots of doors seems to be the only reason … ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2024, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688/94 "2024-04-08T19:23:52Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > which begs the question of why home-doors seem mostly to open inward? So the hinges are on the inside. Secure hinges exist, but of course are more expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2024, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688/95 "2024-04-08T20:16:07Z")
now, suddenly it makes perfect sense 🤦🏻‍♂️ ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2024, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688/96 "2024-04-08T20:35:29Z")
Also, remember that the _Mark 1, keyless, door lock_ looked a lot like this, [![](https://preview.redd.it/thanks-to-some-really-cool-person-who-stole-my-bike-i-got-v0-awv9v0ewvpob1.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=8ec849b918fd6b83f7673606c04ea81f67e6fed8) ](https://preview.redd.it/thanks-to-some-really-cool-person-who-stole-my-bike-i-got-v0-awv9v0ewvpob1.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=8ec849b918fd6b83f7673606c04ea81f67e6fed8) Ya can’t open it from the outside because the door is inset into the wall. Ya can’t open it in because (bad example in the pic) the supports you drop the ‘lock’ into are, effectively, part of the wall. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2024, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688/97 "2024-04-08T22:37:12Z")
Something that is happening in hurricane country is many exterior doors that used to open inwards for hinge protection are being retrofitted with doors that open outwards. Lots harder for a hurricane to push the door open inwards when that’s pushing the doot against 3 side of jamb, rather than held in place only by that ~1/2" latch plus maybe a similarly-sized deadbolt. For people who live in the warm part of the world, inward opening doors also facilitate having an outer screen door. For people who live in the ~~warm~~ cold part of the world, inward opening doors also facilitate having an outer ~~screen~~ storm door. In either case the real security boundary is the inner door. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2024, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688/98 "2024-04-10T08:28:22Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > why home-doors seem mostly to open inward? So that the person most likely operating the door can step aside. Imagine opening your door for someone and hitting them in the face with it. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2024, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688/99 "2024-04-10T09:22:49Z")
🤣 the title … jkes write themselves ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2024, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688/100 "2024-04-10T11:24:58Z")
> [@The\_Librarian](#): > > Imagine opening your door for someone and hitting them in the face with it. like opening a door in a public building (where due to fire-code doors NEED to open to the outside)??? I see that working pretty consistently on a daily basis [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-picking-a-lock/999688.md?page=6)