Trying to Break In After Being Locked Out? Why You Should Not DIY
November 3, 2021
Being locked out of your car or home is a stressful situation — so much so that the advantages of kicking down a door or breaking a window appear to outweigh the resulting damage. While these seem like favorable alternatives to waiting around for help, especially if you’re in a hurry or stuck in an unsafe location, it’s almost never worth it. Read on to see why DIY’ing your entry in a lockout situation puts you at risk for injury, burglary, and even unsavory run-ins with the law.
When squaring-up your door or car window, thinking only of getting inside, it’s easy to overlook the costs. Forcing open a door or breaking glass inevitably results in damage to your property — the repair costs from which are almost always more expensive than calling a locksmith. Depending on how much force you use and the quality of the locking mechanism, these costs can be brutally high. Now add to this the costs of rekeying. Additionally, with breaking in, you risk harming yourself on door debris or broken glass. Imagine now dealing with a medical emergency on top of losing your keys on top of repair expenses. It’s a triple-whammy anyone would want to avoid.
Breaking open a door or window leaves your property vulnerable to theft, no matter how quickly you’re able to mend the problem. If you break down your door, it’s likely that it won’t be able to shut properly once you’re inside. It’s even less likely that the locks will work. Broken windows, on the other hand, allow for easy entry, in addition to tipping-off any passersby to the fact that. If you’re unable to fix this damage right away, your home or car becomes a greater target each day you leave it sitting unfixed. Once again, in any of these cases, calling a locksmith will be easier than replacing property or dealing with the trauma of a home invasion.
Imagine for a moment you’re a kindly passerby. You notice someone reaching through a shattered car window, straining to grab the keys left in the ignition. Or, alternatively, you spot your neighbor’s door slightly ajar, one of the hinges broken. As a good Samaritan, you alert law enforcement of these break-ins immediately. However, stepping out of this perspective, both cases happened to be instances of home or car owners trying to gain access to their own property. If law enforcement arrives on the scene, they would immediately profile the perpetrator of the break-in as a thief and arrest them, even if they’re the rightful owners of the home or car. There typically isn’t enough time to produce the proper documentation if you’re interrupted while breaking in. If you’re caught, you’d have a lot of explaining to do, and could even wind up in some legal trouble.
If you’re in a safe location and locked out of your home or automobile, your first course of action should be giving Brothers Locksmith a ring (number). While we trust you’re strong enough to break down a door or window, our 24/7 locksmith services and roadside assistance will get you back inside just as quickly — minus the damage.
Call Us Any Time!
Key stuck, hard to turn, or car won't start? Learn the signs of a failing ignition cylinder, what causes it, and what to do before you get stranded.
Restricted key systems stop unauthorized copies. Learn how restricted keyways, patents, and authorization work, and if your business needs one.
A key control policy shows who holds keys, who can copy them, and what happens when one is lost. Learn what to include and who should own it.
Door locks buzzing, slow, or working on only some doors? Learn the signs of a failing car door lock actuator, what causes it, and what to do next.
Car door unlocks but won't open? Learn the common causes, from child locks to broken latches and handle cables, plus what to try before calling a pro.
Waiting for a lock to fail costs more than checking it early. Here's how often to inspect commercial locks, and what events should trigger a check sooner.
Installed access control but still not getting the benefits? Here are the most common mistakes small businesses make, and how to avoid them.
An employee's departure leaves behind keys, codes, and credentials. Here's a step-by-step checklist to close every access gap before it becomes a risk.