I’ve done some really odd things in the course of my locksmithing career and been in some strange places and situations. I’ve worked on locks in underground mines, worked on locks on explosive lockers, made keys for a 60s vintage VW van on top of a car carrier, and I’ve even made keys for a dinosaur. Yes, a dinosaur. More about that one later.

Workin’ in a Coal Mine

Generally speaking I don’t fear any situation that I get into. However, it is a little thought provoking the first time you go underground and move your tag over to the “in the mine” position. If something did happen, the people doing the rescue must know exactly how many people are in the mine.

I’ve been more than a half mile underground, and one thing you have to remember is to take whatever you possibly could need for the work you are about to do. You must also bring your own high-quality light—the sun isn’t going to shine down there. I’ve been in coal mines, limestone mines, and even an oil shale type of operation. You have to go where the locks are, especially if equipment lacking keys is immobilized underground.

Explosives, Anyone?

One job I did underground was to change the lock on an explosives locker. I have a great deal of respect for two things: high-voltage electricity and explosives.

I try to avoid jobs that bring me near either, but sometimes you just do what you have to do. It was uneventful, but I won’t make a bad pun and say it was a real blast. (I told you it was bad.)

Up on the Roof (of the Mall)

One job I remember that was really hard to do was on the roof of the Westminster Mall in the North Denver Metro area. The door to be rekeyed was to a huge air conditioning unit, and the air flow was such that the out-swinging door took a great deal of force to open and hold open.

Two hands on the door knob and a foot against the jamb allowed it to open, but I had nothing to prop it open. Sooo, I just put myself in the gap while I was removing the deadbolt. It wasn’t too uncomfortable, but I was also young and dumb at the time. It was one job that I was glad to have in the rearview mirror.

A Successful Operation

Many jobs have specific requirements for protective equipment. I often have to wear a hard hat, safety glasses and such, but in one situation I had to don full surgical garb to work in an operating room with an operation in progress.

Security Check at the Nuclear Plant

Probably one of the strangest feelings I’ve ever had was going through the security check to enter the Rocky Flats Nuclear Plant north of Golden, Colorado. Don’t get me wrong.

I’ve been in other places and situations with weapons present or even drawn, but the guards there were about as no-nonsense as they come. There were loaded M-16s everywhere, and entry involved a vehicle search and tool box search. I was happy to leave both times I had jobs there.

The Dinosaur and the Locksmith

Oh, you still want to know about the dinosaur, don’t you? Well, a bank in Grand Junction, Colorado, had a 4-foot dinosaur made for a promotion to collect money for a charity. The dinosaur had a small opening in which to drop coins and cash, as well as a locked compartment that they dropped into.

The bank managed to lose the keys and called me to make keys for their dinosaur. The lock on the money compartment was, well, let’s just say in the nether regions of the animal. Fortunately, the lock was simple, and key origination was easy. I got some very strange looks while doing that one, but if you’re going to be a locksmith, you have to get used to people looking at you like you have 3 heads. It’s just part of it. As for the job, just another day, another dinosaur job.

Help with Your Lock Problem, Unusual or Not

You don’t have to have an unusual situation to get me to do your job; you just need to have basic lock work done. (And these days, I limit my services to automotive and safe work and lockouts.) Give us a call at (618)466-9347, and yes, we’ll still do a dinosaur if you have one.