For me I was fortunate enough to pop the screen in my only open window and climb in. I am so glad my unit is on the ground floor. Otherwise...

How did you get back in?

[andi*pandi]

Similar. Neighbor was home with a screwdriver we jimmied the window screen. Now I keep a spare key hidden in the yard.

[mattyb]

Can't happen. All my locks need a key to lock them.

[Cap'n Tightpants]

I always kept a key hidden outside, now we have a biometric system (which is a huge PITA when it doesn't work).

[P]

Happened to me once in an old apartment. Knocked on the neighbor's door, borrowed their phone, called someone who could come and open the door. That's not possible where I live now, though.

[subego]

Not my home, but I had to get into a venue, and the owner was late. Back door opened outward. Crowbar in hand, popped the hinge pins.

Owner was mad, but I considered it a free security eval.

[Spheric Harlot]

Called up my ex-girlfriend and arranged to walk over to her apartment and pick up my spare key.

[mindwaves]

Go to neighbor's house, call brother, wait one hour for him to come and unlock door.

For me, I want to keep a spare key outside somewhere, but we have none. Not sure why as there are many good places to hide one.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants 

I always kept a key hidden outside, now we have a biometric system (which is a huge PITA when it doesn't work).

What happens when someone steals your eyeballs?

[Laminar]

When my sister was pregnant with her first, she left for a walk without her phone or keys, then her husband left the house and locked everything up on his way out. Luckily I only lived a couple blocks away back then so she stopped by and I ended up getting her front door open with a Delta Skymiles card.

[Laminar]

Most times I don't carry a key around, I use the garage door opener in a car or via the keypad to get in through the garage. If any of those batteries every die I'm totally screwed.

[Cap'n Tightpants]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

What happens when someone steals your eyeballs?

It's not a retina scanner, it's print and voice (2 stage). And yeah, if you're out of breath (like when you've been exercising or carrying something heavy) or have a cold, it often rejects the voice part. 3 rejections is bad.

[subego]

Lockout bad, or talking to cops bad?

[Cap'n Tightpants]

Complete lockdown (the foyer door that you opened to get to the main door locks, leaving you trapped), alarms, bright lights, armed security personnel, big dogs, off-site security company goes on alert, cops, notifications to various other people... it's a mess. The same stuff also happens if someone sets off other intrusion sensors, at windows and such.

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Luckily I only lived a couple blocks away back then so she stopped by and I ended up getting her front door open with a Delta Skymiles card.

I always thought that the ability to open doors with a credit card was a myth.

[subego]

A properly built door will have a jamb with a lip, which defeats that method, but not all doors are built properly.

[BadKosh]

I had to break into my townhouse. I could get into my outside shed, I found a screw driver (Small point flat) a hammer and nails and some heavy shoestring type twine. I hammered nails into the second floor sundeck supports and made loops of twine to hook over the nails so I could climb to the 2nd level. I wacked a small hole into the window so I could open the latch and climbed in. THEN I sealed the window holes with clear plastic and clear latex caulk. Hid a key outside after that.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

I always thought that the ability to open doors with a credit card was a myth.

Because the door opened to the inside and they did not lock the deadbolt, I was able to get in. You know how when you close a door, the latch automatically retracts into the door when it gets to the strikeplate on the frame, then extends into the strikeplate to hold the door closed? Shoving a credit card at the latch causes it to retract as if it's moving over the strikeplate and once it's fully retracted there's nothing holding the door closed.

Originally Posted by subego 

A properly built door will have a jamb with a lip, which defeats that method, but not all doors are built properly.

There was enough give because of the seal on the lip that the card was able to snake its way in there. The card was pretty wrecked afterwards, but I don't fly Delta so it didn't matter.

[subego]

Depending on the material, you can also chop out a piece of the jamb, as you can see scars here (I rebuilt it with putty).



After that, plastic card wasn't sliding the latch, so I used something more rigid. Instead of doing what I wanted, it carved a pair of divots into the latch, basically making it impossible for the trick to work. Whatever I would use would get caught in the divots I unwittingly created.



This is an interior door, so it doesn't quite fit the topic. I ended up waiting for Monday and getting a spare from my landlord.

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

...I ended up getting her front door open with a Delta Skymiles card.

Just now seeing this. You're starting to scare me a bit.

[Laminar]

Out of curiosity I wanted to see if I could jimmy open our own door at the time, but Wife wouldn't let me try. She said she'd rather not know. I just use the deadbolt.

[subego]

This thread rekindles my desire to get a bump key.

Mythbusters demonstrated if you hurl a Jaime at the door a few times, it'll rip the deadbolt out of the jamb.

[Cap'n Tightpants]

I've kicked in deadbolted doors before (don't know if I can now), it's much easier than jimmying the lock. Several years ago I got some lock-picking tools and learned how to use them, I recommend everyone get a set and learn, it's a valuable skill.

[subego]

The house we lived in when I was a kid had a basement door which if you didn't use the deadbolt, a swift kick would pop it open. Used that in emergencies a few times.

One time the deadbolt was locked. I almost took the whole door out before I gave up.

Me playing dumb about what happened to the door was an Oscar caliber performance.

[mindwaves]

One day, was getting the inside of our house repainted by some painters. One of them accidentally closed a locked interior door that I didn't even know locked. I had no key. I called my friend and he told me to jimmy the lock using 2 flathead screwdrivers. 1 minute later with absolutely no previous experience with locks, I was in!

[subego]

Like, jeweler's screwdrivers? What kind of lock was it. I assume not a Schlage.

[Cap'n Tightpants]

Flathead screwdriver and a hammer works too, for most standard locks. (You will destroy the lock, though.)

[subego]

I'm trying to imagine this in my head. Does hammering it in snap the pins, or give you enough leverage to snap them while rotating?

[Cap'n Tightpants]

Originally Posted by subego 

I'm trying to imagine this in my head. Does hammering it in snap the pins, or give you enough leverage to snap them while rotating?

Both. Hammer until you break the mechanism, wedging the blade of the driver inside, then twist.

[subego]

Good deal. Filed away for future use.