Actually not the worst idea. If it is YOUR lawyer, he or she will tell you how to proceed from there. Lawyers need to know exactly how much trouble you got yourself in to tell you how to make the best of your situation. Unless you are a orange baffoon trying to get your lawyers to commit crimes FOR you, showing evidence to your lawyer before it is shown to a court is a good idea. There are good reasons why correspondence with your legal council is heavily protected.
Why tho, yes its not brilliant what he has done, but not for that reason. Like a random lawyer won't get anything out of snitching on you. Doing a fellony is still to be avoided, but lawyers ain't working directly for the government, so they wouldn't persue you. For that you would have to send to a police officer or somebody similar.
@@christophedlauer1443lol I find it funny how people manage to bring trump into everything, and every conversation, please can you tell me how many times a day lol do u blame trump for any problems your having, how many times a day do u mention trump, or manage to blame trump for something, are you able to go 1 day without mentioning trump or blaming him for something.
I got to legally pick one of thse. My boss owns a storage unit that he rents out. He hadn't gotten the notice of payment from one of his employees in finance, so he locked up the persons unit. Well he managed to lose the keys and was super sorry to his customer. So he called me and I was able to get it open for him. He gave the customer a full refund for the month as well as one month free. I was just happy to get to use lockpicking in a way that made both the lock owner, and the person effected by the lock happy.
@@lv.99mastermind45 Benefits of small business. I've worked for both big businesses and small businesses. In general a small business will take an L to keep a customer, because for them the customer relationship is ciritcal to staying alive. It's a more human way of doing business since it encourages working together, and empathy over profit. That being said, I've learned that the world is what you make it. if you look for poop, you'll probably find a sewer, yet if you dig for gold, you'll at the very least find adventure, and at the most, find gold.
@@meirin5316 it's like the opposite of a knife that is meant for good but can be used for bad. while the other is meant to do bad but can be used forgood
He specifically argued the legality of bypassing that lock after it has been used to seal off a unpaid locker. Just the lock by itself, which you can propably just buy somewhere, has no legal repercussions to being picked at all.
@@theduckmenace I'm not really sure. I'm no lawyer by any means, but that seems like a bit of a stretch. For starters, I think he was operating under the assumption that the lock was stolen and was not told explicitly. Furthermore, LPL pledged to send the lock back the following day, a perfectly reasonable decision. I also doubt tampering is appropriate as the definition of tampering something is to interfere with it in order to damage or make alterations to it. LPL is an experienced professional, obviously, so no damage is done to the lock.
I can only assume we'll see that classic drug PSA play out in the courtroom at some point. "You've broken into ten houses in a week! Who taught you to pick so many locks?!" "YOU! I learned it from watching you!"
@@RealMTBAddict In the US it's considered breaking and entering if you remove that lock yourself and the owner of the rental place can have you charged and arrested if you're caught or admit to doing it not saying this person is from the US just what the law in the US is I should know one of my friends was arrested for doing it.
It doesn’t take a genius to know you shouldn’t steal the manager lock from a storage unit, never mind confess to the crime to an actual lawyer, but it’s still nice to hear him call out the behavior. A lot of people apparently need the reminder.
@@truthandreality4650 good and bad are relative in this situation. For example if you support capitalism then obviously what John did was bad and evil because he cheated a corporation out of getting money. If you don't agree with capitalism then John is morally in the clear and you might say sticking it to the big evil corporation. The only thing that's absolute here is that it's illegal but it's important to remember that legality doesn't define whether something is good or bad, it justifies that it's been outlawed as a punishable offense, something that lawmakers have become quite overzealous about in recent times.
@@thisiseiuaiA story that outrageous would definitely attract attention, though, which would give the sender a motive. It might have been enough to make LPL record a video of it specifically
@@thisiseiuaibut he wouldn't be lying to make himself look bad. If the criminal is hypothetical, there's no one to look bad, if the criminal isn't real.
@@woodzyfox4735 Except he's not guilty. He didn't knowingly receive stolen goods. They were mailed to him, he then identified them as stolen, and is returning them. You have to prove intent for a charge regarding receipt of stolen goods to stick, and he definitely did not intentionally receive stolen goods.
@@woodzyfox4735 : Guilt requires wanting to own the stolen property. LPL clearly states he's sending it back, i.e. that he is refusing the stolen property.
Because of this channel, I learned to lockpick. It took me a few weeks to get comfortable with the various common locks used today but, after a little practice, I got good enough to pick most locks within a minute or so. My wife was confused why I'd "waste my time" learning this skill. In the past few years, I've helped a couple of people get into their cars, helped numerous people with their padlocks they'd lost keys for, and helped several people get into their homes. I think the day I picked our own front door when we got locked out was when she finally admitted it's a useful skill to have.
"I've helped a couple of people get into their cars, helped numerous people with their padlocks they'd lost keys for, and helped several people get into their homes". yeah you probably helped at least 1 criminal steal something lmao.
In that case, may I suggest legal eagle instead for lock picking advice? Edit: Because some people can’t seem to figure it out, this is a joke, we come to a lock picking TH-cam and get legal advice, therefore we go to a legal channel for lock picking advice.
Yeah, a corporate lawyer. Not a criminal one. He's not qualified here, which is why he made the idiotic statement of "at least 4 felonies" and pretending like it meant anything. This matter would never go above civil. But I'm not surprised that a corpo lawyer would omit facts to make themselves seem more competent and successful. You dipshits seem to think he's a magical unicorn that shits rainbows, when he's just a failed corpo lawyer with a hobby on TH-cam now
@karlwithak. definitely not a lawyer. It's actually illegal to portrary yourself one with the intent of offering legal advice like this. A legitimate lawyer would be well aware that this situation depends 100% on jurisdiction. source: married to a lawyer so I get unlimited free legal questions
I picked one of these red locks on my storage units and moved all my stuff out and put the lock right back on and when they went to auction all my stuff 90 days later... SURPRISE SURPRISE SURPRISE. LMAO
I was a storage facility manager for 5 years, it started my fascination with locks & led me to your channel. I had been waiting for this video for a while, funnily enough it came soon after I switched industries and no longer work in self storage I cut so many locks for people who lost their keys. I always wanted to start picking but was concerned how it might look to customers if a manager could easily pick his was into their unit. The sparks of an angle grinder really give the impression of security!
I had a similar situation. I worked in a gym where we would cut locks if a person left their items in a locker for over 24hrs. I always wanted to pick their locks but realized if anything went missing they could blame me if anyone knew I was studying lockpicking.
That really is a problem with this hobby. You want to share it with other people, but when something goes missing you don't want to be 'the guy that can pick locks'
@user-zm7qz5fq2dat work we used the master 175 so to get around people knowing I can bypass them I just taught everyone I could how to bypass them so I wouldn't be the only one even made a cut away so they could see what's happening
@@DJ_Locksmy ladies dad was unaware of my hobby until they locked the key inside their safe box. I could hear him stammering over the phone when she called me to ask if I could come down and open it up 😂
My favorite locks to pick are my neighbors deadbolts when they get locked out. Over the years I've had a small handful of neighbors get locked out of their homes in such a way that I was made aware of it. In every instance the reactions were the same. From "There's no way you can do that!" to "Holy S**t he just did that!" And then the follow up of "You're not going to do that when I'm not home, right?" And I have to remind them, that we are neighbors, and I could have done this at any time. I choose to be on the right side of the law. Possessing a skill that can be used to break the law isn't much different than possessing a gun, or car, or hammer.... It's always the choice made by the individual. As my grandfather used to say: A lock only keeps honest people honest.
It''s not specifically wrong, but you might wanna consider not freaking out your neighbors too much, considering, you know, you'll keep living close and such (better be a lil humble than go with a "I could've done this a loooong time ago..." stuff, might set their paranoia off)
Agreed! I've even helped the gas station attendant who asked if I had a really good set of bolt cutters because she locked herself out of the office 😂 she was so happy when I got into the office in a few seconds and disappointed in how the lock was so easily bypassed. This skill should be used for good.
@@mtacrdipo7870 That paranoia is very necessary. Considering these tools are readily available and the knowledge is free online. These people need to understand how truly easy an average door lock is and how extremely vulnerable they are. If anything, this neighbor giving them access to their own home should be a wakeup call to tighten their security.
@@pjemje The last thing people need is more paranoia. Tired of this mass hysteria that there is a boogie man around every corner, that the world is teeming with people who are going to break into your home and harm you.
"A lock only keeps honest people honest." Hm. Something to think about. I'd add "lazy" people to the list, but the deterrent value of a lock varies from opportunist to opportunist.
@@smackerlacker8708On behalf of their *clients*. That's part of the reason you'll often see the disclaimer "this is not legal advice", alongside "this does not form a client-attorney relationship". If you admit to anything prior to their accepting you as a client (especially if they decide not to take you on subsequent to that), then there is no confidentiality on that information.
It's a made up story by LPL for the sake of providing a narrative, which drives engagement. Nobody actually maliciously sent him a lock, in fact anybody can just buy these locks. You people should have enough media competence to understand that the story provided is fictious and only provided for entertainment.
He could have picked the lock, emptied his locker, and replaced the lock before leaving. But no, he had to complete the crime by keeping the lock and sending it to a lawyer with a very popular TH-cam account. Majestic!
I'm sure the public storage would have video footage or some other record of the person accessing the premises. They'd have to make sure to get in and out by tailing someone else, for starters and then avoid all cameras.
from what my friend experienced, the storage places don't actually care. Some random guy followed someone in, and didn't even use a lockpick. Just brute forced it with a huge set of bolt cutters. Took a bunch of his things, and left. The storage facility security was on duty at the time, the cameras caught it all, and they refused compensation, and told him to F off. They don't care about anyone, they just want their monthly rent money@@carlosf.8056
@@FederalBurroOfInvestigationYup, that's the point. He might have gotten away with opening the lock and getting his stuff and leaving, but he went the extra mile flaunting it, which is crazy. It's like the guy who posts on facebook that he stole a soda from the 7-11 without anybody noticing.
@@kmfdmww3 I don't think you get the point of this... It's basically a "I'm doing this so you don't have to" scenario. He's showing us it's fairly easy, like any lock if you put in the time to learn the skill, but more importantly he's cautioning viewers about the legality of the hobby.
I was at a storage unit with my mom when the manager mentioned these locks and said they’re harder to cut. I said “well how thick is the door, couldn’t you just cut around it?” He said, “don’t get smart,” and after a pause he smirked and admitted, “the easiest way is with a crowbar.”
Probably a private boot then. Any police department worth their salt put GPS trackers in their boots even in the 90s and early 2000s. Edit: after reading this, I realized that 15 years ago was 2009. Damn.
You blink and 25yrs blew by you. Hitting me at 58. Broke my back at 32 and damn. Comp hasnt settled yet but at least I got disability. ---- after 16yrs. Insane world of shite I fell into. Man ! Blows by....lockpickn lawyer only lawyer I've gotten good results from. Enjoy watchn.❤😎👍
Ah I've gotten one of these locks. They mistakenly put this lock on my locker when I was renting a storage unit. Not only did they put the lock on my unit, but they also took pictures of everything in my unit so they could auction it off. It was 2 days away from auction. I checked my locker monthly. Turns out, the guy next to me was the actual unit that hadn't paid their bills. From my understanding, if they sold my stuff, they'd say "Oops. That sucks for you." Never renting a storage locker ever again.
If they sold your stuff, you could make up anything having been in there, and sue them for it. I would say there was a baseball card collection valued at $5 million. Then I'd sue for treble damages.
Oh sweet, very nice addition to the covert companion.. I have one from a couple years back and don't have the removable folding pick set... will have to get one someday!
Or infuriating... or depressing... or exhilarating once it opens. The rush I got when I picked my first proper high security lock (the one featured in Bosnian Bill's episode 378) was wild. But MAN did I yell at that thing for a couple of days...
@@austinbevis4266 I see you're a more patient man than I. Every "grabby" keyway annoys the fuck out of me and I will pick it on a fuel mixture of 50% coffee and 50% hate to show it I ain't bitch made :P
LPL: please do not do this, you have committed 4 felonies. McNally: you are dealing with a red lock of shame. We will be picking it with a Ryobi hammer drill.
Alternative: This is a red lock of shame. We will be opening it with this red lock of shame that I stole from my former landlord's nightstand while I was pouring the kerosine.
@@graydi66y change the sharpie to a pen and that seems more likely due to the spring being metal he could use it to prop the pins while the aquarium tubing puts tension and the string attaches it to his thumb so he can apply pressure.
"This lock was stolen, which I do not approve of. None of you should ever break the law... Which is why, to make sure you *DO NOT* ever try this, I'm gonna show you how to open the lock." I love Lockpicking Lawyer.
It should be noted that sometimes a lock doesn't have to be secure. The renter of a storage unit obviously relies on reliable security to keep their items safe on a daily basis, but the lock out padlock for not paying your bill exists primarily as a "legal" lock. As noted, John committed at least 3 felonies ignoring the theft of the lock. The storage rental likely has him on camera, and they have his name, address, phone number, and probably more. The "security" of this lock are the laws preventing legal entry, not the lock itself.
Most of the places around where I live require a code to enter the property, one that is unique to the renter. And even if they tailgated someone else to get in, there are still cameras watching.
I agree with this, many of self storage places in my area do security in layers, I work in IT and can say what LPL does is the same for IT security. Relying on one lock and one lock only can be at times flimsy.
@@JMcMillenEven so, John is the only one that should have a red lock, that doesn't have a red lock. The management definitely knows what happened by now, probably before the lock was even mailed.
I'm pretty sure it was a LPL video a few years ago that I read a comment along the lines of "a lock's job isn't to keep criminals out, because no lock is unpickable. Rather, a lock's job is to keep an honest person honest."
Yeah, we've got a law in Germany that puts "circumventing an effective protection" as illegal. (About protection of copyright material like DVD and BD Video) The computer scientist's logic is, "when it can be cracked, it wasn't effective". But it looks like lawyers see it differently.
@@petera.schneider2140There is no single set solution for any problem the law presents. Everything related to any law anywhere carries with it some amount of nuance. A given lock, has a given solution.
Many years ago, I got written up for not locking my desk. I went to the Security Manager (I also did projects for him) and said 'this is a joke'. These locks barely slow me down and proceeded to use my DESK KEY to bounce the lock pins of his: desk, file cabinet and storage cabinet... in less than 2 minutes. He was shocked that I did not need any tools. (I was also requested to not make this generally known at work)
At the last office I worked in, there were serrated letter openers on every other desk. They were effective for raking the locks for filing cabinets and cubicle storage.
1) 2 minutes is better than 0 minutes. 2) I think it's generally a good idea that locking up is enforced. It makes it clear that, unless you have the key, you are not supposed to look. 3) It would be unreasonable to pay expensive locks, so it's either cheap locks or no locks.
The main goal is to show that the location is intended to be secured. If you leave a desk drawer unlocked in a communal area, there is no criminal case if someone goes into the drawer and can claim "I was just looking for a pencil". Even if the lock is trivial, there could be security footage of someone picking the lock.
@@sandrorass890 Depends on the kind of office. Two minutes is enough to reasonably prevent the theft of office supplies at the workplace of the average paper pusher. However at say a law firm or a financial institution, or fortune 500 less than two minutes for three locks with no tools is more that enough to facilitate severe corporate espionage.
you also established to the Security Manager that YOU know how to get past the locks,so you become the first suspect if something goes missing from somebody's desk,or elsewhere.
Things that only happen on the internet: stealing a lock to send it to a lawyer that picks locks in his spare time for an audience of hundreds of thousands of people Edit: to people saying his audience is millions I know he has 4 million something subs I just went off of average views lol. Thanks for the likes though one of my top comments ever🙏
Getting this lock from a viewer must be like the equivalent of a cat dropping a dead mouse at your feet. With all the ick included. That is a trophy gift in honor of your tutelage XD
That’s what was on my storage unit after mine and 50 other locks were cut off with an angle grinder in a multi unit break in. I paid monthly for the insurance for 6 years! Filed a claim and SecurCare’s insurance company WOULD NOT COVER THE LOSS! Because lack of physical break in damage, and a missing lock (that they took with them) DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A BREAK IN! Buying the insurance is a waste of time! 🖕Securcare storage and ANYTIME I can call this out will keep other suckers for buying their insurance.
John's powermove wasnt unlocking the door and taking his stuff back. It was taking his stuff back AND filling back the entire unit with packing peanuts.
I straight up told a previous employer that I owned a set of lockpicks from a previous job where I was authorized to carry red team tools, and that I had some beginner-level skills in using them... then proceeded to give my boss and his boss a demonstration. While I was with that company, I was allowed to carry my lockpicks on the truck with me during my shifts and use them to support company operations as directed, because it was cheaper to pay me $50 to pick a lock that I needed open anyway than it was to send a locksmith. It was actually kinda cool to be in the legal clear to pick a lock or three that I didn't buy specifically for the purpose of practicing... it was also pretty nice to have immediate recourse if some warehouse type did me dirty and left a gladhand lock on an empty trailer that I was gonna have to take after hours
You were nice enough to unlock the glad lock? Our customer never seemed to figure out the uselessness of locking the trailer (because they’d either freeze up, they’d lose the key [so they’d break it off] or they’d forget it’s on there [and we’d break it off]. Especially because they were already hooked to our trucks (really hard to steal a trailer when it’s stuck between the dock and our truck).
@jaysmith1408 I wouldn't say I was nice for picking open that gladhand lock... more like I was tired and already pissed off because a load I was supposed to be picking up turned out to be vaporware, and I most definitely wasn't gonna bobtail all the way back to the yard to end my shift... so I raked that sucker open because I knew I could do that faster than I could break it off, and got the fuck out with my freshly liberated trailer behind me
Could someone translate the lingo in these comments? I'm so interested in whats going on but can't figure it out. What us a gladhand? vaporware? bobtail? and what industry/business is this? Shipping/trucking?
@@tehrater480 gladhand, the connection between air hoses, used on trucks and railways. Gets the name from appearing as two left hands shaking hands. Bobtail, running a tractor trailer without a trailer, just the tractor.
Because of the 'possession of burglary tools' laws, I checked with my local PD before ordering a pick kit years ago. Cop was surprised cuz he hadn't had someone ask before, but thought it was cool I checked. Basically said unless I was doing something that would net me charges in the first place, there was no problem with having them or carrying them.
There are a lot of laws like that. Like wearing body armor during the commission of a violent felony. There's absolutely no incentive to follow that law if you are already going to be commiting a violent crime. But if you do it, they'll add that charge and get you even more time.
IIRC, here in Canada, the law says something in the vein of "non-locksmiths aren't allowed to have picking tools in their possession outside their homes".
My understanding has always been that lock picks, and Jimmy bars and so forth are considered burglary tools in the context of committing a crime or in the context of being under suspicion or as the basis of suspecting you of a crime. In other words, you can't be arrested for having them, but it raises suspicions and offers police a basis to search you or investigate further, etc.
@@mikew3194yeah, I feel like that is part of the overall strategy behind those kinds of laws. It strongly encourages people to take a plea deal when they're suddenly hit with a literal mountain of obscure charges. People still get convicted for the essentials, but you've wasted far less money on litigating it. Plus, as someone else said, it works for giving the police valid reasons to search you and investigate deeper without needing warrants. (Not arguing for - or against - the morality of this, just sharing an observation.)
Just for the benefit of the doubt, there are a lot of slimy storage places out there doing things they shouldn't and then hold your property ransom.... I've had to deal with one like this.
I rented a storage unit before a move. Showed up with a rented truck packed to the brim, with one of these locks installed. Had to sit around and wait a few hours for the manager to show up, who then proceeded to interrogate me before just looking at the records and seeing their fk up. I just rented the unit a few days prior, didn’t even have enough time to get behind on payment. Last time I used a rental unit. Horrible experience.
Best thing I have been told is "Locks are there to keep the honest person honest, if a criminal wants in they are getting in... the lock is the least of their concerns"
That sounds clever, but it's not true at all. Locks are there to make a target less attractive. If the difficulty of getting in outweighs the expected profits, the criminal will find another target.
@@SocratesAthI actually disagree with that, the more secure something looks can also be an indication of the value if there was a cardboard box or a safe on a shelf you think they are going for the box first?
@@sccsuk Depends how well-prepared they are, but look at it this way: opening the cardboard box will take two seconds, might as well do it before you get to work on the safe.
@@SocratesAth a better example for attracting attention would be a pair of cabinets: one with the pre-installed cheap wafer lock, and another that has a bolted on padlock. You're going to need to break through a lock anyways, why not go for the one that was deemed important enough to put extra security on? Security is a balance between difficulty and perceived value, ideally you want your stuff to look like it's not worth the difficulty to access
I got one of these locks on my storage by mistake. (It was suppose to be on a different unit) I just went to the front desk, got it sorted out, they apologized and came out with me to unlock it.
Glad that you explain this to the general public, because people like myself that are a locksmith and use these tools for a professional business and know what we’re doing with that tool come in the fact that you are explaining to the public that using these tools for a LAW thing Can wind up with them in jail. Thanks so much for the video. Look forward to more of them.
I worked in access control/security for 15 years, and one of our major suppliers hosts an annual industry convention, immediately preceding which would be 2 days of training classes. One year, I took the lockpicking course, and the instructor stressed HEAVILY that if one was not a licensed locksmith, then one was in possession of burglary tools and could be prosecuted as such. So, my lockpick set and my vehicle unlock set remain hidden in my storage shed unless/until I need them to help someone.
Yeah do like I would when I was doing penetration tests on a business and call legitimate business to do jobs that would get you arrested. I call from the lobby and posed as a manager and got a shed unlocked while the business was running as part of a capture the flag with physical assets. There is a saying in legal about there being up to 3 felonies committed daily by the avg citizen. So even if you are well behaving you may not always be under protections you are confident about. I knew a guy that stopped doing anything but sheriff work for that reason. He only installs Intoxalock and does the eviction lock changes when it is ordered. He messed up opening stuff for a guy that was stealing and claimed to be doing property assessments on abandoned properties and foreclosures.
My husband works on mail machines. They have locks obviously. Many times the machine owners have misplaced the key, or stripped the hole. My husband bought a set of your professional picks and keeps them in his tool box. They have been extremely helpful.
I can’t wait for that day! My kids are very young and I worry they won’t get into “good” sorts of trouble like we used to. I ollie’d 12 stairs on my skateboard when I was 13 and I remember the look on my dads face when he was punishing me for risking such a serious injury. Priceless!
"Son, you shouldn't have fought back against the bully, you should have brought it up to me and your teacher. But also, I'm going to teach you how to throw a proper punch." Energy
Couple months ago, I locked myself out of my apartment. It was after hours so it would have been $20 for maintenance to come let me in. Luckily, I had my work truck key and that's where my lockpick set was! 😁 Watching LPL was about to save me $20! ....nope, tried for 20 minutes and then gave up and called. I need to practice more lmao
Mine said they were going to charge me 150 because they have a old dead bolt on my door that automatically locks if a tiny switch is flipped nope up the fire excape I go to get in the windo
True story. About a decade ago I had a unit and paid just after midnight on the due date. I came in that evening at 10 PM to find the staff had not removed the overlock. I immediately told them I was going to break it to which the clerk said “I’ll call 9-1-1”. Seeing the bill was paid, THEY were in the wrong. Suddenly, it was “I’ll call the manager” and within 10 minutes, it was removed. This is the issue with overlocks. Most people don’t actively check if they have removed them or not. Be diligent! If they overlock you, make sure they remove it the minute the facility is open!
Several years ago I got locked out of my apartment. No keys phone or wallet. Couldn’t call the landlord or a locksmith. A cop advised going to the fire station (close by) and they graciously said they’d help. Unfortunately they had to pry my door open, breaking the door frame in the process. “That’ll cost me some $ I thought.” Well it turns out local code requires apts to have “fire-proof” doors which meant extensive repairs (not just the door frame) Cost me $1500. 2 positives came out of that exp. (1) I finally started learning lock picking and (2) at least I got to ride in a fire truck. (Although it probably wasn’t worth $1500). Thanks to Lock Picking lawyer, Bosnian Bill and Locknoob I now have the skill to get into my home if forget or lose my keys!
@@wolphin732 Not sure where you live, but in most US states, mere possession of the tools is not illegal - there must be a criminal intent to do burglary with the tool or instrument.
@@kindabluejazz That's how it is in Canada. You can own the tools, but if you're caught carrying them around, you had best have a good story prepared or you're going to be hit with possession of burglary tools. In my case, I work in security, so I get a reasonable pass.
This is why I face my locks backwards on my units. I can just barely get the key in them with the clearance they have so picking would be extremely difficult.
As a part owner of a storage facility, thank you. We don't overlock, by the way. We work with customers who are behind and as a last resort clean them out. I've never understood overlocking, anyway. It encourages abandonment and sets a tone of noncooperation. Unfortunately, we get taken for a months-long ride sometimes, too. It's hard to be nice to some people!
I don't know if I'm using the correct lingo, actually. By overlocking I meant the act of putting a second lock on a customer's storage unit to lock the customer out. Frankly, if a customer isn't going to pay, I would prefer they move as much of their stuff out as possible. It makes less for me to haul off now and less cause for argument later.@@tsm688
Most storage unit latches have places for two locks, the customer's lock goes on one, and if they fail to pay, the manager puts their lock on it to deny customer entry until paid, that's overlocking, because the manager is putting their lock over the customer's lock. @@tsm688
When I worked at big storage chain, the standard policy when behind for a certain time period was cutting off their lock and putting a dinky blue lock there instead. This was after a big spiel about security and trying to upsell locks. Those up sold locks were way overpriced too. Makes no sense to incur extra cost to the people who least could bear it :(
It was good to hear you quote Bosnianbill. Sure do miss him on here. Not seeing the Lock Lab has been sad recently. Thanks for reminding us to obey the laws and be legal in our actions.
@@DivineCerinian His friend and the friend’s wife both passed due to COVID. Bill took their kids in and decided that his attention needed to be with them 100 percent. He said he may return to making videos when they are older but for now he’s doing what’s best for them.
He did retire from TH-cam. A family friend passed on from covid and he started to help the family with the kids and he found purpose in helping them. He is missed here on TH-cam, and will always be the man I first started watching when it came to lockpicking.
@narnian19 Started with him as well. Realized a few weeks ago that I hadn't seen any of his videos in quite some time and didn't see any comments that said what happened. Glad to know he's okay and has simply moved on.
My storage company wouldn't allow me to pay online. And since I was technically set up for auto pay I didn't get sent bills only late notices. After it started going south with management and they started leaving locks on my unit not because I hadn't paid but because they didn't like me. I ended up filing a lawsuit and getting several months of free rent. But that lock only stopped me once, I liked leaving the cut up one on the floor as evidence for them.
This channel saved the day for me, we had a "cheap" combination lock at work that nobody knew the code for... A little tension on the shackle and going through the combinations I got it unlocked 😂 boss bought lunch for me that day
@@willies545 Funny you say that, i met a girlfriend that way. She had forgotten her code, i offered to open the cheap masterlock combination padlocks the university uses and, like you, it took me the best part of 10 seconds to pop it open. She was both impressed and a little freaked out that someone could open a lock like this!
I still miss Bill, especially when you guys would team up. Hope he's doing well. Every time you pull out the "pick that Bosnian Bill and I made," it's like a visit from an old friend.
I also went Into the comments to see if somebody had somethingto say about Bill, he got me back into de hobby of lockpicking and make the choice of lockpicks that I needed to buy.
Well the lock wasn't broken and I'm assuming they didn't send lpl a lock they themselves were able to pick. So the remaining possibility is they busted the hardware the lock was attached to. Otherwise I'd agree with you
I am a storage manager. We use these locks as well to indicate payment due.When you go late your gate code wont work. Pick our locks tho and an audible alarm screams into the air as soon as you open the storage door. The exit gates are disabled ,then the alarm software notifies the alarm company who calls us as we get ready to check the unit 24/7. We let them know if we need further armed assistance while we watch them in our living room on camera . We then have all the cameras recording as we go confront the person. We have never been lock picked but we have had attempted robberies,prostitutes,and morons with lock cutters. We toss these people to the police like one would a piece of meat to dogs.Our honest customers value the extra mile we go to.Bottom line: not all storage is equal.
Perhaps, but the fact he (Assumedly) picked the lock to gain unauthorised access to an area he no longer had permission to access were the statute crimes he likely committed in this case. In addition, I wouldn't be surprised if John was canned/referred to the Police after the missing lock prompted somebody to check the CCTV. I don't know what U.S. law would say about this, but UK law would probably hold that: * Picking the lock was unlawful, even if no damage was done. There are specific statutes against lockpicking, but on a technicality one could also be charged under the _Computer Misuse Act_ for „compromising a logical system intended to control access to an area“. * Accessing the storage unit for any purpose was _„Breaking and Entering“_ for the fact John no longer had consent to access the unit, as indicated by the presence of the lock. * Inserting or removing items from the unit might be held as „Littering“ or „Taking without consent“ as appropriate to the act(s) committed. N.B: IANAL, and (To accord with British nomenclature too) IANAS either. 😇
I'm convinced that the purpose of many locks is not to keep people out, but to be 'exhibit A' when they get in, and that this explains why bad locks are so common. Most people would rather lose a lock than a door to a determined entrant.
That doesn't explain locks that are easy to pick, because picking a lock usually leaves no evidence of breaking and entering, unlike breaking doors! That's the benefit of lock picking: you can't prove it afterwards! The reason why bad locks are common is because your typical burglars don't profit from that benefit, because the stuff they steal and the mess they make while searching for stuff worth stealing creates more than enough evidence of the burglary anyway, so why bother keeping the lock and door intact? Lockpicking is only worth it for criminals looking to secretly steal information, but most people don't have secret information at home that anyone would break into their house for.
Now I really want to watch a 30+ minute long lecture from LPL about the laws and issues surrounding lockpicking. Would be a great opportunity for him to show off some skills we don't normally see in his videos.
Rule 1. Only pick locks YOU own. Rule 2. Only pick locks you don’t plan to use to lock things up. Rule 3. IF you must pick a lock in use verify the lock works with key BEFORE securing the item.
Pretty much guaranteed he will never do a deep dive into it, since it varies so much by jurisdiction and he don't want anyone to take it as legal advice.
"Jon broke the law, but since this lock is here I might as well show you how easy it is to bypass it" Pick your locks responsibly, folks! 10/10, love it, will watch again
@@Zinozad an honest person wouldn't go snoop around into someone's home, there's nothing wrong with door to door, and you have yet to state these "many other things" honest people do. Respectfully this is the dumbest shit i've seen
@@dthatmac You're treating the word "honest" as if every honest person was intelligent and respectful. That's not what it means. Yes, an honest person would go snoop around your house it if was open, because some people's curiosity is like that. It doesn't mean they're not honest, if you caught them doing it they'd be like "oh, sorry, it was open, my curiosity took the better of me". That's a thing honest people do, and that's why you have locks, so this stupid stuff doesn't happen. Honest isn't the same thing as intelligent and respectful, man.
@user-zm7qz5fq2d Bosnian Bill , He's also a very talented locksmith. An older military guy. If I am not mistaken he was kind of the one that got LPL into locksmithing or learning how to when he first started up. He has his own TH-cam channel but retired from posting anymore videos. He is really funny I think and talented as well. LPL and him also made a lockpicking tool together as well.
You hit the nail on the head mostly locks are there to make you a felon if you open them. Any lock that can be opened honestly can be opened dishonestly.
In the words of a really wise hero's uncle, "With great power comes great responsibility". Teaching cybersecurity, I show how to break into systems as part of penetration testing. I am the uncle and re-iterate those wise words often. To emphasize the responsibility, I also demonstrate the proper "perp walk" should they find themselves in front of the cameras as they are escorted to and from court/jail.
Aside from the logistics of picking the lock, the stories behind them are always entertaining. I was unaware of the existence of the scarlet letter of locks, but you learn something new every day.
Been on the receiving end of one, back when I was young and broke (but somehow dumb enough to get a storage unit). I did briefly consider picking it, but instead opted to go the legal route and just pay my bill.
I remember in college, my friend Jim proceeding along a corridor full of lockers, busily picking locks and switching them to the next locker. I didn't think that was too smart so I followed on behind, picking the locks and switching them back.
Plot twist: someone saw you moving the locks to the previous locker and thought you were the one switching them, so they followed behind you and switched them back.
I'm a volunteer fire fighter and would love to learn this skillset for when we are required to perform a forced entry. Obviously, in a fire, we would just use, say, a Halligan Tool, but when we are asked to assist Paramedics or Police, this skill could be great as it would mean no damage to property. And those CI tools look like a must have bit of kit for the turnout gear!
I'm volunteering for an organization that helps people who are stuck (dead car battery, locked out the car...), just got the tools and want to learn so I can help in more cases.
@@benvincent24 I could see it in a hotel or a school, where you want to be able to open a hundred doors easily to clear the building, but if you have only one or two doors, and the building is in mega flames? Break glass in case of emergency.
@colonblue we don't just use forced entry for fires. Sometimes, we may be assisting Police or ambulance for various reasons. Busting a door down could make a situation worse in some cases. But of course, the first trick is to try the door handle because sometimes you get lucky and find it's not locked. LOL
Have you seen those drill accessory wood splitter bits that are shaped like a threaded framing plumb? I just had to try it out because it looked so stupidly impossible, and was right because that drill would sooner rip my arms off before it split anything but kindling hahaha. Now are you feeling the thought crreeeeeeping in yet? Creeping in between the door and frame by the deadbolt? It's just a tad wider than a deadbolt bolt. I call it my key to the city because I think the bank vault is the only door in the entire town that thing would have trouble opening. They could remarket that for first responders, lot less damage than hulk smashing it, faster than picking. Just saying, could maybe make a good option.
Bosnian Bill is, and will always be, the OG of legitimising locksport. Former FBI agent, avid Master Lock hater, the epitome of wholesomeness and a gift to the community for the time we had him.
@JustSomeWeirdo Bosnian Bill is, and will always be, the OG of legitimising locksport. Former FBI agent, avid Master Lock hater, the epitome of wholesomeness and a gift to the community for the time we had him.
I'm wondering whether the "manager" seized the renter's property legally. There have been many cases of people putting locks on people's property (both legally and illegally), and then extorting money to get the lock removed.
Considering lpl received a letter accompanying the lock and is an actual lawyer who does this as a hobby I'm certain that the evidence in the confession letter well surpassed the prosecution threshold
Worst part is even if he did it illegally appeal to authority is very strong, so people are more likely to side with the "manager" even if he did not do it legally.
This just happened to my mom, well kind of. She had her shit in a storage unit, the storage company changed hands and the new owners threw EVERYTHING away without contacting anyone. Moms got some stuff going on with the court, but either way all her shit is just gone.
It is perfectly possible that this was the manager of the storage facility that sent you the red lock of shame. Perhaps just to see how effective it actually was.
@@Ristaak Well yeah, possibly I guess. If we're going by "could be" however, we can make up pretty much _anything_ to explain how or why the lock got there.
On my first day working at a bank the manager showed me a place where they stored extra cash. I almost blurted out that those locks are super easy to pick, but that little voice in the back of my head was able to shut me up just in time 😂 Later on, after mutual trust had been established, I did mention just how unsecure those locks were.
@@teeanahera8949 Why is it that the antithesis of secure is "insecure" rather than unsecure? Just curious if there is a reason why it is different than the normal opposite of words like (orthodox/unorthodox, friendly/unfriendly, - not sure if there is a blanket word for types of words that have an opposite meaning)
Ive been watching lpl for years. I learned lockpicking from this channel. I dont have to do it very often, but in my line of work i have had to pick a couple of locks, but i make sure everything is legal and consented to by all parties before hand. Use your powers for good, not evil.
One thing to add to the warning, check your local and state laws as well. Some states consider merely owning lock pick tools a crime unless you are a licensed professional locksmith. I believe Ohio is one of those states. After watching Bosnian Bill a few years ago I decided to try my hand at lock picking. I don’t spend nearly enough time practicing but I did spend time researching. My home state doesn’t care, but Ohio does.
Ohio, Mississippi, Nevada and Virginia are the states that do this. There are other specific exceptions in each, but they are thin on the ground. That said, it's messier than a simple illegal to own situation.
The Ohio law is a joke and unenforceable. There are plenty of lock picking clubs here and I've never heard of anyone being bothered. We also have an ignorant law that any tools in your vehicle can be considered burglary tools and you can be charged with a felony. Even if you are a construction worker or in another trade where you travel with tools A federal judge from the sixth circuit which ohio is in declared the lockpicking tools law unconstitutional decades ago but our corrupt criminal governor who wants to be king or god or something won't allow it to be taken off the books.
I used to lock my keys in my car all the time, and one of the local police stations would come pop your door for you. I joked once that I was just going to get a set of lockpicks so I didn't have to keep calling them out... That's how I found out that Ohio considers owning them a crime
@@GTFBITK A lockpick isn't often used to hurt or kill anyone., never mind it being it's purpose. And don't "good guy with a gun" me. The good guy with a gun pretty much only exists in fiction. Cough cough, mass shootings, cough cough, children killing people, cough cough, accidental manslaughter, cough cough, matricide, cough cough
My experience with a storage unit was the opposite about 11 years ago. I had stuff in storage when I was contacted by the facility. They had a break in. The criminals broke almost every lock in area mine was in. Two units after mine (the last row of units) they stopped. Every customer affected was called in to check their belongings. The manager said they had to have been looking for something specific but didn't know the exact unit because no one who had come in up to the point I arrived had lost anything but there was something taken from the last unit they broke into. There was nothing missing from mine, just a few items had been moved. I don't know if the criminals were ever caught. The storage company did replace the lock so I got a free lock out of it. I still have it. I keep my tool box locked with it.
@@JohnnyShagbot What would you have them do? It is difficult and time-consuming to conceal the presence of a break-in unless you have the tools to avoid breaking-in in the first place. These people didn't, and were clearly after exactly one thing. Chances are, that thing was illegal to own in the first place (or it was gold, but who stores something that valuable in a storage locker if you own it legally). They know it's at the place, but they can't discern which storage unit the person uses (probably they could have done this, but in any event, I understand why they might not have been able to do so reliably). Video evidence of men dressed in all-black, probably using either a stolen car or a car that will get torched (or the plates changed, or any number of things to conceal the identity of the car) and wearing gloves is not a particularly dangerous thing for a career criminal, especially if all you're doing is stealing stuff from other criminals.
Agreed completely I actually seen someone before with your video for reference on their screen when trying to pick a bike lock! I'd just bin that lock sending it back with your prints on and a letter of recommendation won't go well my friend
In many states $20+ still constitutes a felony. Corporate prices are crazy, wouldn't surprise me if this was itemized closer to $100. Then they moved stolen property across state lines. Then breaking and entry. Guessing the last one is for using the postal service to transfer stolen property but IDK really. @@EllaKarhu
@@EllaKarhu It's not just stealing the lock, but everything else in the unit (which is now legally being held as collateral by the storage facility). There's breaking and entering as well, and transporting stolen goods across state lines (by mailing it to LPL). Since the seizure of goods was under contract and the unit renter picked the lock to get in and take his stuff out, there's likely to be some kind of fraud charge tacked on as well.
Because of your videos, I learned how to pick locks. While I'm certainly not the most skilled, I've still managed to help myself and people I've known get into their cars when they've locked their keys in. Also, when getting home from an out of town trip, I realized that my only door key had gone missing. But, I was able to get my family in that night because I had my set of starter picks from your website! Thank you for all that you do to educate and encourage responsible use.
I just got one of these locks recently, but it wasn't red. But it did say something like "do not remove under penalty of law" or something like that. I needed to get into my storage unit on a Friday night and my surprise turned to anger when I saw I was locked out. So I just picked the lock, did my thing and put the lock back on but didn't latch it. On Sunday night when I was done, I locked it back up and contacted the manager in the morning. He wasn't the wiser. Who would expect a 65 year old lady to pick locks? LMAO! How right you are when you said it's a great skill to have. 👍😉 And if anyone was wondering, my unit was paid utd. The lock was put on my unit by mistake. Also, there is no onsite manager or person tending the units....ever! So you're just left to your own accord 24/7. If you have a problem, you call them in the morning. Thank you LPL! You have been most helpful!
I suspect that the red manager lock (aka, an overlock) that LPL showed us is not the actual lock that was sent in by the viewer. These can be purchased quite easily from online retailers or brick-and-mortar stores.
![[1177] Australian High Security: BiLock Version 2 Picked and Gutted](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/f5uk6C1iDkQ/mqdefault.jpg)
![[1177] Australian High Security: BiLock Version 2 Picked and Gutted](/img/tr.png)
![[593] Gallium vs. Titalium - Abus Padlock Meets a Gruesome End](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/jeghGhVdt9s/mqdefault.jpg)
Sending a written signed confession along with the physical evidence to a lawyer just for kicks might not be the most brilliant idea...
Actually not the worst idea. If it is YOUR lawyer, he or she will tell you how to proceed from there. Lawyers need to know exactly how much trouble you got yourself in to tell you how to make the best of your situation.
Unless you are a orange baffoon trying to get your lawyers to commit crimes FOR you, showing evidence to your lawyer before it is shown to a court is a good idea. There are good reasons why correspondence with your legal council is heavily protected.
@@christophedlauer1443I GUARANTEE LPL isn’t “John Doe’s” lawyer.
Why tho, yes its not brilliant what he has done, but not for that reason.
Like a random lawyer won't get anything out of snitching on you.
Doing a fellony is still to be avoided, but lawyers ain't working directly for the government, so they wouldn't persue you. For that you would have to send to a police officer or somebody similar.
@@christophedlauer1443 Oh look a partisan. Lovely weather today.
@@christophedlauer1443lol I find it funny how people manage to bring trump into everything, and every conversation, please can you tell me how many times a day lol do u blame trump for any problems your having, how many times a day do u mention trump, or manage to blame trump for something, are you able to go 1 day without mentioning trump or blaming him for something.
I choose to charitably interpret this as “John is the manager, and wants to see how good his locks are.”
I would not be the least bit surprised if LPL asked the manager of his local storage place to borrow a red lock. No key necessary.
@@JamieStuff I would be extremely surprised, he's not exactly known for making up elaborate stories just to explain why he has a particular lock.
@@OtakuUnitedStudio Unless its April 1st
@@JamieStuff You think he faked it?
Wholesome!
This locks security is 100% in the extra laws you break circumventing it.
Like a LOTO lock. Not hard to crack, but you’re in a SERIOUS amount of trouble if you aren’t the person meant to be opening it
So like most locks you don't own?
@@yoloswaggins1579 No, most locks should offer at least an obstacle.
This one is more like a tamper seal.
@@christopherg2347 If you're a regular on this channel you know just how much obstacle most locks offer.
@@yoloswaggins1579You aren't getting a felony for just picking someones lock and taking it lmao
I got to legally pick one of thse. My boss owns a storage unit that he rents out. He hadn't gotten the notice of payment from one of his employees in finance, so he locked up the persons unit. Well he managed to lose the keys and was super sorry to his customer. So he called me and I was able to get it open for him. He gave the customer a full refund for the month as well as one month free. I was just happy to get to use lockpicking in a way that made both the lock owner, and the person effected by the lock happy.
Just like there are black hat and white hat hackers, lockpicking can serve either direction
@@JohnPeacekeeper yeah its neat how you can use things in a positive way even tho it has a negative stigma
Honestly, what a wholesome resolution
@@lv.99mastermind45 Benefits of small business. I've worked for both big businesses and small businesses. In general a small business will take an L to keep a customer, because for them the customer relationship is ciritcal to staying alive. It's a more human way of doing business since it encourages working together, and empathy over profit.
That being said, I've learned that the world is what you make it. if you look for poop, you'll probably find a sewer, yet if you dig for gold, you'll at the very least find adventure, and at the most, find gold.
@@meirin5316 it's like the opposite of a knife that is meant for good but can be used for bad. while the other is meant to do bad but can be used forgood
LPL: *argues legality of bypassing a specific lock*
Also LPL: Anyway since we already have it here...
He specifically argued the legality of bypassing that lock after it has been used to seal off a unpaid locker.
Just the lock by itself, which you can propably just buy somewhere, has no legal repercussions to being picked at all.
@@Cracks094I mean, he WAS a lawyer, after all. I’m sure he’s got his legal bases covered
don't shoot the messanger
@@theduckmenace I'm not really sure. I'm no lawyer by any means, but that seems like a bit of a stretch. For starters, I think he was operating under the assumption that the lock was stolen and was not told explicitly. Furthermore, LPL pledged to send the lock back the following day, a perfectly reasonable decision. I also doubt tampering is appropriate as the definition of tampering something is to interfere with it in order to damage or make alterations to it. LPL is an experienced professional, obviously, so no damage is done to the lock.
I can only assume we'll see that classic drug PSA play out in the courtroom at some point. "You've broken into ten houses in a week! Who taught you to pick so many locks?!" "YOU! I learned it from watching you!"
He committed at least four felonies……but before he goes to jail let’s see what it takes to get this open!!!!!😊
No he didn't
@RealMTBAddict True the known lawyer has no idea what he is talking about.
Next week on Lock Picking Lawyer we’ll see what it takes to pick a jail cell lock using only a toothbrush.
@@RealMTBAddict In the US it's considered breaking and entering if you remove that lock yourself and the owner of the rental place can have you charged and arrested if you're caught or admit to doing it not saying this person is from the US just what the law in the US is I should know one of my friends was arrested for doing it.
@@coltonkoepp655Yup. What LPL said is very true in the US. There are multiple potential charges at that point including breaking and entering.
Every time we get to hear LPL actually *be a lawyer* is a good day indeed.
An Honest Lawyer!!!
Good on ya, John! Parking boot next! 😈
It doesn’t take a genius to know you shouldn’t steal the manager lock from a storage unit, never mind confess to the crime to an actual lawyer, but it’s still nice to hear him call out the behavior. A lot of people apparently need the reminder.
@@randybobandy9208lol 884 is the parking boot.
@@fighteer1For all we know the story could be made up.
I’d make sure my fingerprints aren’t on that lock when I send it back for sure!!
So many good stories could begin with "John however chose a different route that involved At Least 4 felonies"
Yes. It's a cracker line, isn't it? I laughed.
Not sure how 'good' the stories would be but they, certainly, would be entertaining.
@@truthandreality4650 good and bad are relative in this situation. For example if you support capitalism then obviously what John did was bad and evil because he cheated a corporation out of getting money. If you don't agree with capitalism then John is morally in the clear and you might say sticking it to the big evil corporation.
The only thing that's absolute here is that it's illegal but it's important to remember that legality doesn't define whether something is good or bad, it justifies that it's been outlawed as a punishable offense, something that lawmakers have become quite overzealous about in recent times.
@@truthandreality4650 Good stories often involve bad behavior.
or, "...so that's how I lost my medical license."
Plot twist: John is actually a manager of a self storage place and wanted to see how easy or hard his locks are to pick
that was my thought too!
This is definitely the case lol
I mean, I feel like he could've just said that instead of lying to make himself look bad, but sure
@@thisiseiuaiA story that outrageous would definitely attract attention, though, which would give the sender a motive. It might have been enough to make LPL record a video of it specifically
@@thisiseiuaibut he wouldn't be lying to make himself look bad. If the criminal is hypothetical, there's no one to look bad, if the criminal isn't real.
Come on guys, he's the Lock-Picking LAWYER. Don't implicate him in a crime.
I don’t think any moron is going to claim LPL did anything wrong.
Hes already got the stolen lock. Hes an accessory also guilty of receiving stolen goods.
@@woodzyfox4735 Except he's not guilty. He didn't knowingly receive stolen goods. They were mailed to him, he then identified them as stolen, and is returning them. You have to prove intent for a charge regarding receipt of stolen goods to stick, and he definitely did not intentionally receive stolen goods.
@@woodzyfox4735 : Guilt requires wanting to own the stolen property. LPL clearly states he's sending it back, i.e. that he is refusing the stolen property.
by incentivizing crimes indirectly, he secures his customer base 🤣🤣🤣
Because of this channel, I learned to lockpick. It took me a few weeks to get comfortable with the various common locks used today but, after a little practice, I got good enough to pick most locks within a minute or so. My wife was confused why I'd "waste my time" learning this skill. In the past few years, I've helped a couple of people get into their cars, helped numerous people with their padlocks they'd lost keys for, and helped several people get into their homes. I think the day I picked our own front door when we got locked out was when she finally admitted it's a useful skill to have.
Once I learnt how to "break into a car" on the fly because my friend locked his keys inside. Luckily it was an old car with those window lock pulls
"I've helped a couple of people get into their cars, helped numerous people with their padlocks they'd lost keys for, and helped several people get into their homes". yeah you probably helped at least 1 criminal steal something lmao.
@@polocatfan The best part is forgetting his keys but remembering the lockpicks.....
@@Tank16365 you can only open a few things with a key. But you can open a lot of stuffs with lock picking set.
@@polocatfanlol
John didn't come here for lockpicking, he came here for legal advice 😂😂
(holding a decapitated head) "Hey lawyer guy, what do I do with this?"
In that case, may I suggest legal eagle instead for lock picking advice?
Edit: Because some people can’t seem to figure it out, this is a joke, we come to a lock picking TH-cam and get legal advice, therefore we go to a legal channel for lock picking advice.
@@stegleshes a lock picking LAWYER
@@NeatNit You should return it to it's owner, but since we have it here tonight, let's see what it takes to get it open!
D'oh!
I sometimes forget lpl isn't just a name but because he's an actual qualified lawer
@karlwithak. what are you even talking about lol. stop pretending to be a lawyer.
@karlwithak. You're just repeating memes about "nowadays". Are you one of those perpetually online types?
Yeah, a corporate lawyer. Not a criminal one. He's not qualified here, which is why he made the idiotic statement of "at least 4 felonies" and pretending like it meant anything. This matter would never go above civil. But I'm not surprised that a corpo lawyer would omit facts to make themselves seem more competent and successful. You dipshits seem to think he's a magical unicorn that shits rainbows, when he's just a failed corpo lawyer with a hobby on TH-cam now
@karlwithak. definitely not a lawyer. It's actually illegal to portrary yourself one with the intent of offering legal advice like this. A legitimate lawyer would be well aware that this situation depends 100% on jurisdiction.
source: married to a lawyer so I get unlimited free legal questions
Gotta love how once he gets called out on faking being a lawyer he stops responding lmao
Thanks for the title. Was just about to break the law before I saw it
❤😂
What if just watching this video is breaking the law?
Same.
@@miked0602 it's not though
@@hayleyxyzor is it
I picked one of these red locks on my storage units and moved all my stuff out and put the lock right back on and when they went to auction all my stuff 90 days later... SURPRISE SURPRISE SURPRISE. LMAO
Based. Don’t let people make businesses of stealing your shit 🔥🔥 just don’t comment this anywhere with your full legal name
yo comment this somewhere with your full legal name it'd be so funny
@satgurs My name is Vick Ligina.
@satgurs LMFAO
Brilliant. That's awesome lol
I was a storage facility manager for 5 years, it started my fascination with locks & led me to your channel. I had been waiting for this video for a while, funnily enough it came soon after I switched industries and no longer work in self storage
I cut so many locks for people who lost their keys. I always wanted to start picking but was concerned how it might look to customers if a manager could easily pick his was into their unit. The sparks of an angle grinder really give the impression of security!
I had a similar situation. I worked in a gym where we would cut locks if a person left their items in a locker for over 24hrs. I always wanted to pick their locks but realized if anything went missing they could blame me if anyone knew I was studying lockpicking.
That really is a problem with this hobby. You want to share it with other people, but when something goes missing you don't want to be 'the guy that can pick locks'
@user-zm7qz5fq2dat work we used the master 175 so to get around people knowing I can bypass them I just taught everyone I could how to bypass them so I wouldn't be the only one even made a cut away so they could see what's happening
@@DJ_Locksmy ladies dad was unaware of my hobby until they locked the key inside their safe box. I could hear him stammering over the phone when she called me to ask if I could come down and open it up 😂
Also the reason why many locksmiths drill out locks as a default. They dont want customers to know how easy their locks are to pick
My favorite locks to pick are my neighbors deadbolts when they get locked out. Over the years I've had a small handful of neighbors get locked out of their homes in such a way that I was made aware of it. In every instance the reactions were the same. From "There's no way you can do that!" to "Holy S**t he just did that!" And then the follow up of "You're not going to do that when I'm not home, right?" And I have to remind them, that we are neighbors, and I could have done this at any time. I choose to be on the right side of the law. Possessing a skill that can be used to break the law isn't much different than possessing a gun, or car, or hammer.... It's always the choice made by the individual.
As my grandfather used to say: A lock only keeps honest people honest.
It''s not specifically wrong, but you might wanna consider not freaking out your neighbors too much, considering, you know, you'll keep living close and such (better be a lil humble than go with a "I could've done this a loooong time ago..." stuff, might set their paranoia off)
Agreed! I've even helped the gas station attendant who asked if I had a really good set of bolt cutters because she locked herself out of the office 😂 she was so happy when I got into the office in a few seconds and disappointed in how the lock was so easily bypassed. This skill should be used for good.
@@mtacrdipo7870 That paranoia is very necessary. Considering these tools are readily available and the knowledge is free online. These people need to understand how truly easy an average door lock is and how extremely vulnerable they are. If anything, this neighbor giving them access to their own home should be a wakeup call to tighten their security.
@@pjemje The last thing people need is more paranoia. Tired of this mass hysteria that there is a boogie man around every corner, that the world is teeming with people who are going to break into your home and harm you.
"A lock only keeps honest people honest." Hm. Something to think about. I'd add "lazy" people to the list, but the deterrent value of a lock varies from opportunist to opportunist.
I'm curious who thought sending stolen goods and admitting a crime to a Lawyer was a good idea. 😅
And then LPL telling us not to pick storage unit locks while showing us how to pick a storage unit lock lol
Lawyers aren't cops. They have a legal obligation to maintain confidentiality.
@@smackerlacker8708 That's only with clients but still if there is no indictment there is no reason to share information.
@@smackerlacker8708On behalf of their *clients*. That's part of the reason you'll often see the disclaimer "this is not legal advice", alongside "this does not form a client-attorney relationship". If you admit to anything prior to their accepting you as a client (especially if they decide not to take you on subsequent to that), then there is no confidentiality on that information.
It's a made up story by LPL for the sake of providing a narrative, which drives engagement. Nobody actually maliciously sent him a lock, in fact anybody can just buy these locks. You people should have enough media competence to understand that the story provided is fictious and only provided for entertainment.
He should have enclosed a dollar as fee to retain him and keep his mouth shut: if he accepted the mission haha!
He could have picked the lock, emptied his locker, and replaced the lock before leaving. But no, he had to complete the crime by keeping the lock and sending it to a lawyer with a very popular TH-cam account. Majestic!
"Have you heard about the guy who committed the perfect crime?"
"No?"
"That's the point."
I'm sure the public storage would have video footage or some other record of the person accessing the premises. They'd have to make sure to get in and out by tailing someone else, for starters and then avoid all cameras.
from what my friend experienced, the storage places don't actually care. Some random guy followed someone in, and didn't even use a lockpick. Just brute forced it with a huge set of bolt cutters. Took a bunch of his things, and left. The storage facility security was on duty at the time, the cameras caught it all, and they refused compensation, and told him to F off. They don't care about anyone, they just want their monthly rent money@@carlosf.8056
Even if he put it back, he'd still be breaking in...
@@FederalBurroOfInvestigationYup, that's the point. He might have gotten away with opening the lock and getting his stuff and leaving, but he went the extra mile flaunting it, which is crazy. It's like the guy who posts on facebook that he stole a soda from the 7-11 without anybody noticing.
I love how even when lecturing someone about breaking the law and how they should not have sent in the lock... he still can't resist picking it.
Hypocrisy if you ask me
@@BD90.. Yeah I agree. He should've refused to pick this one, basically gave the person that sent it in what they wanted anyway.
Yep the dude is a straight up joke. Lost a lot of respect for him.
How much do you want to bet that "John Doe" used lock picks he got from Covert Companion to open it lol.
@@kmfdmww3 I don't think you get the point of this... It's basically a "I'm doing this so you don't have to" scenario. He's showing us it's fairly easy, like any lock if you put in the time to learn the skill, but more importantly he's cautioning viewers about the legality of the hobby.
LPL: "don't break the law"
McnallyOfficial: "starts hitting red lock with a hammer"
Or an Axe. Or with another Lock. xD
nah he'd use his triangle, or another lock
Absolutely not. He would throw his tactical speed square at it like a civilized adult.
LPL:: "Maybe don't pick this lock."
"Nah, I'mma do my own thing."
You have a red lock of shame. It can be opened with a red lock of shame.
I miss ol Bill I hope he is doing well.
I was at a storage unit with my mom when the manager mentioned these locks and said they’re harder to cut. I said “well how thick is the door, couldn’t you just cut around it?” He said, “don’t get smart,” and after a pause he smirked and admitted, “the easiest way is with a crowbar.”
Actually picking for LPL
I was thinking about cutting around the lock too, lol
Too much work. The body on those locks are just sheet metal. I can cut the lock in half and have it off in under 10 seconds.
the easiest way through any lock is a cordless angle grinder. No skill necessary.
@@Abandoned_Braneyea even an angle grinder would take a minute or 2 but fs
A kid at my college picked the lock on a boot that was put on his car and kept the boot. This was over 15 years ago.
Probably a private boot then. Any police department worth their salt put GPS trackers in their boots even in the 90s and early 2000s.
Edit: after reading this, I realized that 15 years ago was 2009. Damn.
Lol
@@RipRLeeErmeyI know right?!
Unbelievable
@@RipRLeeErmey time is passing by way too fast my dude it's crazy
You blink and 25yrs blew by you. Hitting me at 58. Broke my back at 32 and damn. Comp hasnt settled yet but at least I got disability. ---- after 16yrs. Insane world of shite I fell into. Man ! Blows by....lockpickn lawyer only lawyer I've gotten good results from. Enjoy watchn.❤😎👍
Ah I've gotten one of these locks. They mistakenly put this lock on my locker when I was renting a storage unit. Not only did they put the lock on my unit, but they also took pictures of everything in my unit so they could auction it off. It was 2 days away from auction. I checked my locker monthly. Turns out, the guy next to me was the actual unit that hadn't paid their bills. From my understanding, if they sold my stuff, they'd say "Oops. That sucks for you." Never renting a storage locker ever again.
Wow, such safety
If they sold your stuff, you could make up anything having been in there, and sue them for it.
I would say there was a baseball card collection valued at $5 million.
Then I'd sue for treble damages.
@@rievaulxlucienne1176 unless the contract you signed limits their liability which it most certainly does.
@@ssl3546 That would not apply if they breach their own contract.
@@rievaulxlucienne1176 No! Sue them for *Bass* damages!!!
Oh sweet, very nice addition to the covert companion.. I have one from a couple years back and don't have the removable folding pick set... will have to get one someday!
For a law abiding picker, a lock is essentially just a fun puzzle
Or infuriating... or depressing... or exhilarating once it opens. The rush I got when I picked my first proper high security lock (the one featured in Bosnian Bill's episode 378) was wild. But MAN did I yell at that thing for a couple of days...
@@andersjjensen the only negative emotion I’ve ever felt while picking was as a result of my lockpick getting stuck in the lock and broken inside
@@austinbevis4266 I see you're a more patient man than I. Every "grabby" keyway annoys the fuck out of me and I will pick it on a fuel mixture of 50% coffee and 50% hate to show it I ain't bitch made :P
Broke into my truck tonight because I locked it with the keys in the ignition and the engine running like an idiot.
and the reward is whatever it's guarding
LPL: please do not do this, you have committed 4 felonies.
McNally: you are dealing with a red lock of shame. We will be picking it with a Ryobi hammer drill.
Alternative: This is a red lock of shame. We will be opening it with this red lock of shame that I stole from my former landlord's nightstand while I was pouring the kerosine.
Dude could pick it with a piece of string, a sharpie, and a 6 inch section of aquarium tubing.
@@graydi66y change the sharpie to a pen and that seems more likely due to the spring being metal he could use it to prop the pins while the aquarium tubing puts tension and the string attaches it to his thumb so he can apply pressure.
@@graydi66y 4.3 inch
genuinly curious. is this really a law you break by getting your own items from a storage unit? isn't more of a civil case?
"This lock was stolen, which I do not approve of. None of you should ever break the law... Which is why, to make sure you *DO NOT* ever try this, I'm gonna show you how to open the lock."
I love Lockpicking Lawyer.
Couldn’t resist lol
How is this any different from picking any other lock?
@@BeachMum Yeah, looks like the same ones they sell for moving with PODs.
Hey, guy picks locks. You put a lock in front of him, dude's gonna pick it.
@aoitamashii nice profile picture! Did you draw it?
Thank you. I have to pick locks for work ( not a locksmith or a criminal ) . You’ve been a great help
It should be noted that sometimes a lock doesn't have to be secure.
The renter of a storage unit obviously relies on reliable security to keep their items safe on a daily basis, but the lock out padlock for not paying your bill exists primarily as a "legal" lock. As noted, John committed at least 3 felonies ignoring the theft of the lock. The storage rental likely has him on camera, and they have his name, address, phone number, and probably more.
The "security" of this lock are the laws preventing legal entry, not the lock itself.
That is the security of most locks. Why so many are so easily picked.
Most of the places around where I live require a code to enter the property, one that is unique to the renter. And even if they tailgated someone else to get in, there are still cameras watching.
I agree with this, many of self storage places in my area do security in layers, I work in IT and can say what LPL does is the same for IT security. Relying on one lock and one lock only can be at times flimsy.
Heck, they could have used a serial numbered zip-tie type seal and John Doe would have put himself in the same legally dubious position.
@@JMcMillenEven so, John is the only one that should have a red lock, that doesn't have a red lock. The management definitely knows what happened by now, probably before the lock was even mailed.
This is a great example of the intent of the lock being more important than the function of it
Excellent point
It's like the lock version of aposematism.
I'm pretty sure it was a LPL video a few years ago that I read a comment along the lines of "a lock's job isn't to keep criminals out, because no lock is unpickable. Rather, a lock's job is to keep an honest person honest."
Yeah, we've got a law in Germany that puts "circumventing an effective protection" as illegal. (About protection of copyright material like DVD and BD Video)
The computer scientist's logic is, "when it can be cracked, it wasn't effective". But it looks like lawyers see it differently.
3 minutes of free legal advice and a lock picked as well. Such good value!
If anybody ever puts LPL in jail, the jail house locks aren't gonna do much to keep him there
@@julianbrelsford LPL Video title: "How I got out of a SuperMax!" video length 8.5 minutes
lucky he is a lawyer because the watch time isnt bringing much in lol
Of course the legal advice takes longer than actually opening the lock. The law is like a lock, just harder to open.
@@petera.schneider2140There is no single set solution for any problem the law presents. Everything related to any law anywhere carries with it some amount of nuance. A given lock, has a given solution.
thanks LpL for all your videos over the years helping me learn how to be a master thief. they have really come in handy!
Many years ago, I got written up for not locking my desk. I went to the Security Manager (I also did projects for him) and said 'this is a joke'. These locks barely slow me down and proceeded to use my DESK KEY to bounce the lock pins of his: desk, file cabinet and storage cabinet... in less than 2 minutes. He was shocked that I did not need any tools. (I was also requested to not make this generally known at work)
At the last office I worked in, there were serrated letter openers on every other desk. They were effective for raking the locks for filing cabinets and cubicle storage.
1) 2 minutes is better than 0 minutes. 2) I think it's generally a good idea that locking up is enforced. It makes it clear that, unless you have the key, you are not supposed to look. 3) It would be unreasonable to pay expensive locks, so it's either cheap locks or no locks.
The main goal is to show that the location is intended to be secured. If you leave a desk drawer unlocked in a communal area, there is no criminal case if someone goes into the drawer and can claim "I was just looking for a pencil". Even if the lock is trivial, there could be security footage of someone picking the lock.
@@sandrorass890 Depends on the kind of office. Two minutes is enough to reasonably prevent the theft of office supplies at the workplace of the average paper pusher. However at say a law firm or a financial institution, or fortune 500 less than two minutes for three locks with no tools is more that enough to facilitate severe corporate espionage.
you also established to the Security Manager that YOU know how to get past the locks,so you become the first suspect if something goes missing from somebody's desk,or elsewhere.
Things that only happen on the internet: stealing a lock to send it to a lawyer that picks locks in his spare time for an audience of hundreds of thousands of people
Edit: to people saying his audience is millions I know he has 4 million something subs I just went off of average views lol. Thanks for the likes though one of my top comments ever🙏
Did you hear a name?
That's the good side of the internet. And then there are the flat Earthers.
@@therealzilchwhat do you have against them? they have friends all aROUND the world.
Millions.
@@therealzilch . . . . and beyond the horizon there be monsters, do not sail there least you be eater alive!
Getting this lock from a viewer must be like the equivalent of a cat dropping a dead mouse at your feet. With all the ick included.
That is a trophy gift in honor of your tutelage XD
With the added (time+money) cost of having to send it back. Thanks, but no thanks!
The average lock feels like that. Getting this lock moreso feels like the cat left a dead pet guinea pig at your door
Lmaoooo
🤣🤣🤣
That’s what was on my storage unit after mine and 50 other locks were cut off with an angle grinder in a multi unit break in. I paid monthly for the insurance for 6 years! Filed a claim and SecurCare’s insurance company WOULD NOT COVER THE LOSS! Because lack of physical break in damage, and a missing lock (that they took with them) DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A BREAK IN! Buying the insurance is a waste of time! 🖕Securcare storage and ANYTIME I can call this out will keep other suckers for buying their insurance.
Bosnian Bill deserves a lot of credit.
Nice
Nice video
nice
Great 👍
If hes not gonna come out of retirement has he not heard of semi-retirement 😂
John's powermove wasnt unlocking the door and taking his stuff back. It was taking his stuff back AND filling back the entire unit with packing peanuts.
Or... he could pay his bills?
@@jasonh.8754Nah that's lame
Or self expanding foam.
@@jasonh.8754 why dont homeless people just buy a house?
@@RealLenny because they're lazy
I straight up told a previous employer that I owned a set of lockpicks from a previous job where I was authorized to carry red team tools, and that I had some beginner-level skills in using them... then proceeded to give my boss and his boss a demonstration. While I was with that company, I was allowed to carry my lockpicks on the truck with me during my shifts and use them to support company operations as directed, because it was cheaper to pay me $50 to pick a lock that I needed open anyway than it was to send a locksmith. It was actually kinda cool to be in the legal clear to pick a lock or three that I didn't buy specifically for the purpose of practicing... it was also pretty nice to have immediate recourse if some warehouse type did me dirty and left a gladhand lock on an empty trailer that I was gonna have to take after hours
YWN.
You were nice enough to unlock the glad lock?
Our customer never seemed to figure out the uselessness of locking the trailer (because they’d either freeze up, they’d lose the key [so they’d break it off] or they’d forget it’s on there [and we’d break it off]. Especially because they were already hooked to our trucks (really hard to steal a trailer when it’s stuck between the dock and our truck).
@jaysmith1408 I wouldn't say I was nice for picking open that gladhand lock... more like I was tired and already pissed off because a load I was supposed to be picking up turned out to be vaporware, and I most definitely wasn't gonna bobtail all the way back to the yard to end my shift... so I raked that sucker open because I knew I could do that faster than I could break it off, and got the fuck out with my freshly liberated trailer behind me
Could someone translate the lingo in these comments? I'm so interested in whats going on but can't figure it out. What us a gladhand? vaporware? bobtail? and what industry/business is this? Shipping/trucking?
@@tehrater480 gladhand, the connection between air hoses, used on trucks and railways. Gets the name from appearing as two left hands shaking hands.
Bobtail, running a tractor trailer without a trailer, just the tractor.
Nice to hear the name Bosnian Bill again, I hope he is happy and well
Because of the 'possession of burglary tools' laws, I checked with my local PD before ordering a pick kit years ago. Cop was surprised cuz he hadn't had someone ask before, but thought it was cool I checked. Basically said unless I was doing something that would net me charges in the first place, there was no problem with having them or carrying them.
There are a lot of laws like that. Like wearing body armor during the commission of a violent felony. There's absolutely no incentive to follow that law if you are already going to be commiting a violent crime. But if you do it, they'll add that charge and get you even more time.
IIRC, here in Canada, the law says something in the vein of "non-locksmiths aren't allowed to have picking tools in their possession outside their homes".
My understanding has always been that lock picks, and Jimmy bars and so forth are considered burglary tools in the context of committing a crime or in the context of being under suspicion or as the basis of suspecting you of a crime.
In other words, you can't be arrested for having them, but it raises suspicions and offers police a basis to search you or investigate further, etc.
@@moblinmajorgeneral And then more than likely drop those extra charges in the plea deal.
@@mikew3194yeah, I feel like that is part of the overall strategy behind those kinds of laws. It strongly encourages people to take a plea deal when they're suddenly hit with a literal mountain of obscure charges. People still get convicted for the essentials, but you've wasted far less money on litigating it.
Plus, as someone else said, it works for giving the police valid reasons to search you and investigate deeper without needing warrants.
(Not arguing for - or against - the morality of this, just sharing an observation.)
Just for the benefit of the doubt, there are a lot of slimy storage places out there doing things they shouldn't and then hold your property ransom.... I've had to deal with one like this.
True. I rented a truck at a storage place and cleaned it before returning it. Their lot flunky lied and said it was dirty.
I rented a storage unit before a move. Showed up with a rented truck packed to the brim, with one of these locks installed.
Had to sit around and wait a few hours for the manager to show up, who then proceeded to interrogate me before just looking at the records and seeing their fk up. I just rented the unit a few days prior, didn’t even have enough time to get behind on payment.
Last time I used a rental unit. Horrible experience.
Best thing I have been told is "Locks are there to keep the honest person honest, if a criminal wants in they are getting in... the lock is the least of their concerns"
That sounds clever, but it's not true at all. Locks are there to make a target less attractive. If the difficulty of getting in outweighs the expected profits, the criminal will find another target.
@@SocratesAthI actually disagree with that, the more secure something looks can also be an indication of the value if there was a cardboard box or a safe on a shelf you think they are going for the box first?
@@sccsuk Depends how well-prepared they are, but look at it this way: opening the cardboard box will take two seconds, might as well do it before you get to work on the safe.
@@sccsukI'd take the box, cause the safe would be heavier, harder to access, and it's more suspicious to carry around.
@@SocratesAth a better example for attracting attention would be a pair of cabinets: one with the pre-installed cheap wafer lock, and another that has a bolted on padlock. You're going to need to break through a lock anyways, why not go for the one that was deemed important enough to put extra security on?
Security is a balance between difficulty and perceived value, ideally you want your stuff to look like it's not worth the difficulty to access
"you should not take off this lock... so here's how you unlock it" absolutely love these videos
😂😂😂
Those locks are used to steal peoples stuff so it's only fair everyone should know how to get through them.
I got one of these locks on my storage by mistake. (It was suppose to be on a different unit) I just went to the front desk, got it sorted out, they apologized and came out with me to unlock it.
@@joeycampbell940 Um, no. You signed the papers, it's not stealing.
@@EliBlackTV🤓
Glad that you explain this to the general public, because people like myself that are a locksmith and use these tools for a professional business and know what we’re doing with that tool come in the fact that you are explaining to the public that using these tools for a LAW thing Can wind up with them in jail. Thanks so much for the video. Look forward to more of them.
I worked in access control/security for 15 years, and one of our major suppliers hosts an annual industry convention, immediately preceding which would be 2 days of training classes. One year, I took the lockpicking course, and the instructor stressed HEAVILY that if one was not a licensed locksmith, then one was in possession of burglary tools and could be prosecuted as such. So, my lockpick set and my vehicle unlock set remain hidden in my storage shed unless/until I need them to help someone.
Yeah do like I would when I was doing penetration tests on a business and call legitimate business to do jobs that would get you arrested. I call from the lobby and posed as a manager and got a shed unlocked while the business was running as part of a capture the flag with physical assets.
There is a saying in legal about there being up to 3 felonies committed daily by the avg citizen. So even if you are well behaving you may not always be under protections you are confident about. I knew a guy that stopped doing anything but sheriff work for that reason. He only installs Intoxalock and does the eviction lock changes when it is ordered. He messed up opening stuff for a guy that was stealing and claimed to be doing property assessments on abandoned properties and foreclosures.
Oh no! I could be in jail? Getting raped by homosexuals? I sure am glad I got killed instead when *insert random criminal* put this on my car.
My husband works on mail machines. They have locks obviously. Many times the machine owners have misplaced the key, or stripped the hole. My husband bought a set of your professional picks and keeps them in his tool box. They have been extremely helpful.
this is like when a father is secretly proud of his son for doing something cool (but stupid) but still has to save face by scolding him XD
"I'm not mad I'm just concerned"
I can’t wait for that day! My kids are very young and I worry they won’t get into “good” sorts of trouble like we used to. I ollie’d 12 stairs on my skateboard when I was 13 and I remember the look on my dads face when he was punishing me for risking such a serious injury. Priceless!
"Son, you shouldn't have fought back against the bully, you should have brought it up to me and your teacher. But also, I'm going to teach you how to throw a proper punch." Energy
🤣🤣🤣 exact energy
Couple months ago, I locked myself out of my apartment. It was after hours so it would have been $20 for maintenance to come let me in. Luckily, I had my work truck key and that's where my lockpick set was! 😁 Watching LPL was about to save me $20! ....nope, tried for 20 minutes and then gave up and called. I need to practice more lmao
THE TWIST LMAOO
Mine said they were going to charge me 150 because they have a old dead bolt on my door that automatically locks if a tiny switch is flipped nope up the fire excape I go to get in the windo
Should have driven to your storage unit!
@@RoySATX what storage unit?
Buy good picks too, can easily bend the shit out of an Amazon set on a sized pin
Great time to quote Bosnian Bill. I hope he is doing good and you two still stay in touch!
True story. About a decade ago I had a unit and paid just after midnight on the due date. I came in that evening at 10 PM to find the staff had not removed the overlock. I immediately told them I was going to break it to which the clerk said “I’ll call 9-1-1”. Seeing the bill was paid, THEY were in the wrong. Suddenly, it was “I’ll call the manager” and within 10 minutes, it was removed.
This is the issue with overlocks. Most people don’t actively check if they have removed them or not. Be diligent! If they overlock you, make sure they remove it the minute the facility is open!
Several years ago I got locked out of my apartment. No keys phone or wallet. Couldn’t call the landlord or a locksmith. A cop advised going to the fire station (close by) and they graciously said they’d help. Unfortunately they had to pry my door open, breaking the door frame in the process. “That’ll cost me some $ I thought.” Well it turns out local code requires apts to have “fire-proof” doors which meant extensive repairs (not just the door frame) Cost me $1500. 2 positives came out of that exp. (1) I finally started learning lock picking and (2) at least I got to ride in a fire truck. (Although it probably wasn’t worth $1500).
Thanks to Lock Picking lawyer, Bosnian Bill and Locknoob I now have the skill to get into my home if forget or lose my keys!
At least you got to ride in the fire truck🎉 was it fun?
@ It was!
And don’t put your lock picks on your key ring, lol 😂
@ Or leave them in the car!
I love a man who literally sells a 'Covert Companion' warning us that lockpicking might have legal thresholds.
Like in my area... not being a licensed locksmith, it is illegal to own.
@@wolphin732 Not sure where you live, but in most US states, mere possession of the tools is not illegal - there must be a criminal intent to do burglary with the tool or instrument.
There are legitimate reasons to want to open a lock in the field. But this absolutely is not one of them.
@@kindabluejazz That's how it is in Canada. You can own the tools, but if you're caught carrying them around, you had best have a good story prepared or you're going to be hit with possession of burglary tools.
In my case, I work in security, so I get a reasonable pass.
Fun fact: the world has many countries that aren't the United States!
I hope Bill is enjoying his retirement, I miss hearing “Stay Safe, Stay Legal”
I miss hearing "the pick BosnianBill and I made"
Same!
Hope he comes back one day 😢
He quit TH-cam?
@@jsmith5443 Yeah, family issues. I think he took in the kid of a late friend.
This is why I face my locks backwards on my units. I can just barely get the key in them with the clearance they have so picking would be extremely difficult.
As a part owner of a storage facility, thank you. We don't overlock, by the way. We work with customers who are behind and as a last resort clean them out. I've never understood overlocking, anyway. It encourages abandonment and sets a tone of noncooperation.
Unfortunately, we get taken for a months-long ride sometimes, too. It's hard to be nice to some people!
google tells me that overlocking is a kind of sewing machine stitch. what does it mean in the storage industry
I don't know if I'm using the correct lingo, actually. By overlocking I meant the act of putting a second lock on a customer's storage unit to lock the customer out.
Frankly, if a customer isn't going to pay, I would prefer they move as much of their stuff out as possible. It makes less for me to haul off now and less cause for argument later.@@tsm688
@@tsm688 Since the unit probably has the renter's lock on it, putting the red lock on as well. They can take their own lock.
Most storage unit latches have places for two locks, the customer's lock goes on one, and if they fail to pay, the manager puts their lock on it to deny customer entry until paid, that's overlocking, because the manager is putting their lock over the customer's lock. @@tsm688
When I worked at big storage chain, the standard policy when behind for a certain time period was cutting off their lock and putting a dinky blue lock there instead. This was after a big spiel about security and trying to upsell locks.
Those up sold locks were way overpriced too. Makes no sense to incur extra cost to the people who least could bear it :(
It was good to hear you quote Bosnianbill. Sure do miss him on here. Not seeing the Lock Lab has been sad recently. Thanks for reminding us to obey the laws and be legal in our actions.
What happened to Bosnian Bill?
@@DivineCerinian His friend and the friend’s wife both passed due to COVID. Bill took their kids in and decided that his attention needed to be with them 100 percent. He said he may return to making videos when they are older but for now he’s doing what’s best for them.
As far as I know he simply retired his channel.
He did retire from TH-cam. A family friend passed on from covid and he started to help the family with the kids and he found purpose in helping them. He is missed here on TH-cam, and will always be the man I first started watching when it came to lockpicking.
@narnian19 Started with him as well. Realized a few weeks ago that I hadn't seen any of his videos in quite some time and didn't see any comments that said what happened. Glad to know he's okay and has simply moved on.
My storage company wouldn't allow me to pay online. And since I was technically set up for auto pay I didn't get sent bills only late notices. After it started going south with management and they started leaving locks on my unit not because I hadn't paid but because they didn't like me. I ended up filing a lawsuit and getting several months of free rent. But that lock only stopped me once, I liked leaving the cut up one on the floor as evidence for them.
This right here is the way.
Storage companies are bottom feeders and should always be treated as such.
As someone working in security I really appreciate your videos. Great work.
This channel saved the day for me, we had a "cheap" combination lock at work that nobody knew the code for... A little tension on the shackle and going through the combinations I got it unlocked 😂 boss bought lunch for me that day
Nicely done!
how long did it take you?
@@nonimus6269 the combination lock? uhm... like 5-10 seconds 😅
@@willies545 Funny you say that, i met a girlfriend that way. She had forgotten her code, i offered to open the cheap masterlock combination padlocks the university uses and, like you, it took me the best part of 10 seconds to pop it open. She was both impressed and a little freaked out that someone could open a lock like this!
I still miss Bill, especially when you guys would team up.
Hope he's doing well.
Every time you pull out the "pick that Bosnian Bill and I made," it's like a visit from an old friend.
I miss Bill too.
Its been too long. Time for a lock that needs that pick.
I hope that he is well..
I also went Into the comments to see if somebody had somethingto say about Bill, he got me back into de hobby of lockpicking and make the choice of lockpicks that I needed to buy.
The smart thing to do would be for John to take what he needed and lock the unit back up with the red lock
Indeed. They wouldn't have documentation for that shit, and you could dispute that documentation.
Well the lock wasn't broken and I'm assuming they didn't send lpl a lock they themselves were able to pick. So the remaining possibility is they busted the hardware the lock was attached to.
Otherwise I'd agree with you
I am a storage manager. We use these locks as well to indicate payment due.When you go late your gate code wont work. Pick our locks tho and an audible alarm screams into the air as soon as you open the storage door. The exit gates are disabled ,then the alarm software notifies the alarm company who calls us as we get ready to check the unit 24/7. We let them know if we need further armed assistance while we watch them in our living room on camera . We then have all the cameras recording as we go confront the person. We have never been lock picked but we have had attempted robberies,prostitutes,and morons with lock cutters. We toss these people to the police like one would a piece of meat to dogs.Our honest customers value the extra mile we go to.Bottom line: not all storage is equal.
Perhaps, but the fact he (Assumedly) picked the lock to gain unauthorised access to an area he no longer had permission to access were the statute crimes he likely committed in this case. In addition, I wouldn't be surprised if John was canned/referred to the Police after the missing lock prompted somebody to check the CCTV.
I don't know what U.S. law would say about this, but UK law would probably hold that:
* Picking the lock was unlawful, even if no damage was done. There are specific statutes against lockpicking, but on a technicality one could also be charged under the _Computer Misuse Act_ for „compromising a logical system intended to control access to an area“.
* Accessing the storage unit for any purpose was _„Breaking and Entering“_ for the fact John no longer had consent to access the unit, as indicated by the presence of the lock.
* Inserting or removing items from the unit might be held as „Littering“ or „Taking without consent“ as appropriate to the act(s) committed.
N.B: IANAL, and (To accord with British nomenclature too) IANAS either. 😇
The smart thing for John to do would be to pay his bill and not breach the agreement he'd signed up for when renting a storage unit.
Haha. I’ve always called those the lock of shame. I’ve had them on my unit a few times as well 😅
I'm convinced that the purpose of many locks is not to keep people out, but to be 'exhibit A' when they get in, and that this explains why bad locks are so common. Most people would rather lose a lock than a door to a determined entrant.
That doesn't explain locks that are easy to pick, because picking a lock usually leaves no evidence of breaking and entering, unlike breaking doors!
That's the benefit of lock picking: you can't prove it afterwards!
The reason why bad locks are common is because your typical burglars don't profit from that benefit, because the stuff they steal and the mess they make while searching for stuff worth stealing creates more than enough evidence of the burglary anyway, so why bother keeping the lock and door intact?
Lockpicking is only worth it for criminals looking to secretly steal information, but most people don't have secret information at home that anyone would break into their house for.
@@LRM12o8 You can, to a certain extent, prove it afterwards. Deviant Ollam has done a couple of videos on lock forensics that are worth a look.
All most locks do is either slow a good thief down, or keep partly honest people, MORE HONEST.
@@LRM12o8a good forensic investigator can absolutely tell that a lock has been picked
Well not every thief can pick locks the way LPL can either. Helps to remember that.
Now I really want to watch a 30+ minute long lecture from LPL about the laws and issues surrounding lockpicking. Would be a great opportunity for him to show off some skills we don't normally see in his videos.
Rule 1. Only pick locks YOU own.
Rule 2. Only pick locks you don’t plan to use to lock things up.
Rule 3. IF you must pick a lock in use verify the lock works with key BEFORE securing the item.
Pretty much guaranteed he will never do a deep dive into it, since it varies so much by jurisdiction and he don't want anyone to take it as legal advice.
An 'ethics of lockpicking' TED talk would be phenomenal.
There is a video of him doing just that. :D have fun finding it, I will say it was a joy to watch.
@@richardbias9041TOOOL says it as:
1) Never pick a lock you don't own.
2) Never pick a lock that needs to work.
"Jon broke the law, but since this lock is here I might as well show you how easy it is to bypass it"
Pick your locks responsibly, folks!
10/10, love it, will watch again
Locks aren't made to keep a thief out, they're made to keep an honest man honest
if everyone was honest locks wouldn't be a thing on a front door
@@dthatmac Yes it would, it prevents unwanted curiosity, invasive people, unsolicited door-to-door, and many other things honest people do.
@@Zinozad an honest person wouldn't go snoop around into someone's home, there's nothing wrong with door to door, and you have yet to state these "many other things" honest people do. Respectfully this is the dumbest shit i've seen
@@dthatmac You're treating the word "honest" as if every honest person was intelligent and respectful. That's not what it means. Yes, an honest person would go snoop around your house it if was open, because some people's curiosity is like that. It doesn't mean they're not honest, if you caught them doing it they'd be like "oh, sorry, it was open, my curiosity took the better of me". That's a thing honest people do, and that's why you have locks, so this stupid stuff doesn't happen. Honest isn't the same thing as intelligent and respectful, man.
That's what a sign reading "Private" is for. Locks are simply a deterrent. It's easier to steal a bike that doesn't have two locks on.
Love how you have rose to so much fame now and still reference Bosnian Bill. He will forever be a legend in my books. Thanks for video LPL.
@user-zm7qz5fq2d Bosnian Bill
@user-zm7qz5fq2d Bosnian Bill , He's also a very talented locksmith. An older military guy. If I am not mistaken he was kind of the one that got LPL into locksmithing or learning how to when he first started up. He has his own TH-cam channel but retired from posting anymore videos. He is really funny I think and talented as well. LPL and him also made a lockpicking tool together as well.
You hit the nail on the head mostly locks are there to make you a felon if you open them. Any lock that can be opened honestly can be opened dishonestly.
In the words of a really wise hero's uncle, "With great power comes great responsibility". Teaching cybersecurity, I show how to break into systems as part of penetration testing. I am the uncle and re-iterate those wise words often. To emphasize the responsibility, I also demonstrate the proper "perp walk" should they find themselves in front of the cameras as they are escorted to and from court/jail.
I'm actually a lock picking expert myself on Skyrim and this was very impressive
Aside from the logistics of picking the lock, the stories behind them are always entertaining. I was unaware of the existence of the scarlet letter of locks, but you learn something new every day.
Being a law abiding citizen makes you miss out on a lot in life, including toilet wine.
Been on the receiving end of one, back when I was young and broke (but somehow dumb enough to get a storage unit). I did briefly consider picking it, but instead opted to go the legal route and just pay my bill.
@@NotGarbageLoops toilet w...what?
@@namelessbread- Pruno, my dude. Pruno. Alcohol made in prison. They don't exactly have a distillery and brew tanks.
I remember in college, my friend Jim proceeding along a corridor full of lockers, busily picking locks and switching them to the next locker. I didn't think that was too smart so I followed on behind, picking the locks and switching them back.
Love the Chaotic Good energy going on here. 👍
Plot twist: someone saw you moving the locks to the previous locker and thought you were the one switching them, so they followed behind you and switched them back.
@@uzlonewolf Unlikely since it was lunchtime and we were the only people in the building.
I'm a volunteer fire fighter and would love to learn this skillset for when we are required to perform a forced entry. Obviously, in a fire, we would just use, say, a Halligan Tool, but when we are asked to assist Paramedics or Police, this skill could be great as it would mean no damage to property.
And those CI tools look like a must have bit of kit for the turnout gear!
I'm volunteering for an organization that helps people who are stuck (dead car battery, locked out the car...), just got the tools and want to learn so I can help in more cases.
@@benvincent24 I could see it in a hotel or a school, where you want to be able to open a hundred doors easily to clear the building, but if you have only one or two doors, and the building is in mega flames? Break glass in case of emergency.
@colonblue we don't just use forced entry for fires. Sometimes, we may be assisting Police or ambulance for various reasons. Busting a door down could make a situation worse in some cases.
But of course, the first trick is to try the door handle because sometimes you get lucky and find it's not locked. LOL
Have you seen those drill accessory wood splitter bits that are shaped like a threaded framing plumb? I just had to try it out because it looked so stupidly impossible, and was right because that drill would sooner rip my arms off before it split anything but kindling hahaha. Now are you feeling the thought crreeeeeeping in yet? Creeping in between the door and frame by the deadbolt? It's just a tad wider than a deadbolt bolt. I call it my key to the city because I think the bank vault is the only door in the entire town that thing would have trouble opening. They could remarket that for first responders, lot less damage than hulk smashing it, faster than picking. Just saying, could maybe make a good option.
"I am the Emergency Lockpicking Hologram. Please state the nature of the security emergency." 😉
"Lawyer" side really shining thru with this one
Hi LPL, thanks for encouraging legal, non-destructive bypass. Your channel has taught me a lot about lockpicking and has helped me a number of times.
Bosnian Bill deserves a lot of credit. We miss his regular content.
Bosnian Bill is, and will always be, the OG of legitimising locksport. Former FBI agent, avid Master Lock hater, the epitome of wholesomeness and a gift to the community for the time we had him.
@@andersjjensenwhat happened to em?
@@Nikofoxrealwanted to spend more time with the family
Who is that?
@JustSomeWeirdo Bosnian Bill is, and will always be, the OG of legitimising locksport. Former FBI agent, avid Master Lock hater, the epitome of wholesomeness and a gift to the community for the time we had him.
Nice one,these locks were popular in Australia for a while.
That outro... I hope Bill is doing well wherever he is.
Yeah, that made me very nostalgic for a bit
Two more years and he will be back in the streets. Or so I've heard. Edit: yes, it was a joke following the spirit of this video.
what have you heard exactly? last i heard he just retired from TH-cam to be with his family more.
@@SpyroTheEternalNight Believe that was just a joke that Bill went to jail for not staying legal.
@@SpyroTheEternalNightit's a joke
I'm wondering whether the "manager" seized the renter's property legally. There have been many cases of people putting locks on people's property (both legally and illegally), and then extorting money to get the lock removed.
yep, better to wait until the case has been settled before making the claim that someone is guilty of something.
Considering lpl received a letter accompanying the lock and is an actual lawyer who does this as a hobby I'm certain that the evidence in the confession letter well surpassed the prosecution threshold
Worst part is even if he did it illegally appeal to authority is very strong, so people are more likely to side with the "manager" even if he did not do it legally.
This just happened to my mom, well kind of. She had her shit in a storage unit, the storage company changed hands and the new owners threw EVERYTHING away without contacting anyone. Moms got some stuff going on with the court, but either way all her shit is just gone.
@@Lilith-Rose Even if the tenant broke laws, that does not mean that the manager didn't also break laws. LPL was CYA more than anything, IMO.
The "Covert Companion" brings to mind Bart Simpson's "Li'l Bastard's General Mischief Kit".
Thanks for the video LPL, always enjoyable.
Yes, I try my best to remain legal, I consult BOTH my attorney AND the LPL before any "shenanigans"....😂
It is perfectly possible that this was the manager of the storage facility that sent you the red lock of shame. Perhaps just to see how effective it actually was.
Uhh...Yeah! Yeah that's it!
@@wildcard9724
Hey if I'm putting a lock on something I want to know if it's a Master Lock first.
Yeah, but... They sent him a letter saying otherwise...
@@sauercrowder Sure but that could just be the manager role playing to make the experience more authentic for the Lockpicking Lawyer. Totally.
@@Ristaak
Well yeah, possibly I guess.
If we're going by "could be" however, we can make up pretty much _anything_ to explain how or why the lock got there.
Guys...don't confess to a felony to a lawyer.
Better a lawyer than a police officer!
Clarification... Only confess to your lawyer. Also don't commit felonies.
unless you've already paid him a retainer
Only after retention.
unless of course you hire them. :)
On my first day working at a bank the manager showed me a place where they stored extra cash. I almost blurted out that those locks are super easy to pick, but that little voice in the back of my head was able to shut me up just in time 😂
Later on, after mutual trust had been established, I did mention just how unsecure those locks were.
Close one!
*insecure
@@teeanahera8949 Why is it that the antithesis of secure is "insecure" rather than unsecure? Just curious if there is a reason why it is different than the normal opposite of words like (orthodox/unorthodox, friendly/unfriendly, - not sure if there is a blanket word for types of words that have an opposite meaning)
@@brunomcleod "secure" has a Latin root, just like "flammable"
I too worked at a major big name bank, the large vault safes were notorious for flying open if someone just shaked on them the right way
Ive been watching lpl for years. I learned lockpicking from this channel. I dont have to do it very often, but in my line of work i have had to pick a couple of locks, but i make sure everything is legal and consented to by all parties before hand.
Use your powers for good, not evil.
One thing to add to the warning, check your local and state laws as well. Some states consider merely owning lock pick tools a crime unless you are a licensed professional locksmith. I believe Ohio is one of those states. After watching Bosnian Bill a few years ago I decided to try my hand at lock picking. I don’t spend nearly enough time practicing but I did spend time researching. My home state doesn’t care, but Ohio does.
Ohio, Mississippi, Nevada and Virginia are the states that do this. There are other specific exceptions in each, but they are thin on the ground. That said, it's messier than a simple illegal to own situation.
Blame the tool, not the person. Same logic used for guns.
The Ohio law is a joke and unenforceable. There are plenty of lock picking clubs here and I've never heard of anyone being bothered. We also have an ignorant law that any tools in your vehicle can be considered burglary tools and you can be charged with a felony. Even if you are a construction worker or in another trade where you travel with tools A federal judge from the sixth circuit which ohio is in declared the lockpicking tools law unconstitutional decades ago but our corrupt criminal governor who wants to be king or god or something won't allow it to be taken off the books.
I used to lock my keys in my car all the time, and one of the local police stations would come pop your door for you. I joked once that I was just going to get a set of lockpicks so I didn't have to keep calling them out... That's how I found out that Ohio considers owning them a crime
@@GTFBITK A lockpick isn't often used to hurt or kill anyone., never mind it being it's purpose.
And don't "good guy with a gun" me. The good guy with a gun pretty much only exists in fiction. Cough cough, mass shootings, cough cough, children killing people, cough cough, accidental manslaughter, cough cough, matricide, cough cough
I miss Bill, hope he is doing well.
My experience with a storage unit was the opposite about 11 years ago. I had stuff in storage when I was contacted by the facility. They had a break in. The criminals broke almost every lock in area mine was in. Two units after mine (the last row of units) they stopped. Every customer affected was called in to check their belongings. The manager said they had to have been looking for something specific but didn't know the exact unit because no one who had come in up to the point I arrived had lost anything but there was something taken from the last unit they broke into. There was nothing missing from mine, just a few items had been moved. I don't know if the criminals were ever caught. The storage company did replace the lock so I got a free lock out of it. I still have it. I keep my tool box locked with it.
Huh, at least they were somewhat honest in their thievery, leaving everyone else's stuff alone like that.
Sounds like they found the 5 kilos that were in one of the storage lockers in row D. LOL
@@draeath Probably professional criminals looking for a specific shipment of drugs/weapons/elephant tusks/etc.
@@thelight3112 Not very professional if they left so much evidence of their presence AND had no idea where to look for w/e they were after...
@@JohnnyShagbot What would you have them do? It is difficult and time-consuming to conceal the presence of a break-in unless you have the tools to avoid breaking-in in the first place. These people didn't, and were clearly after exactly one thing. Chances are, that thing was illegal to own in the first place (or it was gold, but who stores something that valuable in a storage locker if you own it legally). They know it's at the place, but they can't discern which storage unit the person uses (probably they could have done this, but in any event, I understand why they might not have been able to do so reliably). Video evidence of men dressed in all-black, probably using either a stolen car or a car that will get torched (or the plates changed, or any number of things to conceal the identity of the car) and wearing gloves is not a particularly dangerous thing for a career criminal, especially if all you're doing is stealing stuff from other criminals.
Agreed completely I actually seen someone before with your video for reference on their screen when trying to pick a bike lock! I'd just bin that lock sending it back with your prints on and a letter of recommendation won't go well my friend
4 felonies? Better wipe your prints off the lock😂
I thought that exactly.🤣
Too late, next episode, how to pick the jail cell with a toothpick.
@@EllaKarhu I don't think it's the stealing of the lock, more about breaking and entering the storage facility
In many states $20+ still constitutes a felony. Corporate prices are crazy, wouldn't surprise me if this was itemized closer to $100. Then they moved stolen property across state lines. Then breaking and entry. Guessing the last one is for using the postal service to transfer stolen property but IDK really. @@EllaKarhu
@@EllaKarhu It's not just stealing the lock, but everything else in the unit (which is now legally being held as collateral by the storage facility). There's breaking and entering as well, and transporting stolen goods across state lines (by mailing it to LPL). Since the seizure of goods was under contract and the unit renter picked the lock to get in and take his stuff out, there's likely to be some kind of fraud charge tacked on as well.
Because of your videos, I learned how to pick locks. While I'm certainly not the most skilled, I've still managed to help myself and people I've known get into their cars when they've locked their keys in. Also, when getting home from an out of town trip, I realized that my only door key had gone missing. But, I was able to get my family in that night because I had my set of starter picks from your website! Thank you for all that you do to educate and encourage responsible use.
"Every lock thief must be held accountable. Now watch this drive."
I just got one of these locks recently, but it wasn't red. But it did say something like "do not remove under penalty of law" or something like that. I needed to get into my storage unit on a Friday night and my surprise turned to anger when I saw I was locked out. So I just picked the lock, did my thing and put the lock back on but didn't latch it. On Sunday night when I was done, I locked it back up and contacted the manager in the morning. He wasn't the wiser. Who would expect a 65 year old lady to pick locks? LMAO! How right you are when you said it's a great skill to have. 👍😉
And if anyone was wondering, my unit was paid utd. The lock was put on my unit by mistake. Also, there is no onsite manager or person tending the units....ever! So you're just left to your own accord 24/7. If you have a problem, you call them in the morning.
Thank you LPL! You have been most helpful!
I suspect that the red manager lock (aka, an overlock) that LPL showed us is not the actual lock that was sent in by the viewer. These can be purchased quite easily from online retailers or brick-and-mortar stores.