A very specific set of skills
November 19, 2019 10:17 AM Subscribe
The Lock-Picking Lawyer has created almost 1000 YouTube videos of his hands picking locks or reviewing them, disassembling them, sawing through them, and shooting them. He is a practicing attorney from the Washington, D.C. area. He also has a remarkably soothing voice.
The Lock-Picking Lawyer has been invaluable the past few years in making my already existing distrust of locks and "high security" products even more pronounced. I now spend an even more ridiculous fraction of the value of my bicycle in security products to lock it up for five minutes.
posted by BrotherCaine at 10:37 AM on November 19, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by BrotherCaine at 10:37 AM on November 19, 2019 [3 favorites]
"No man should ever get between his wife and her ice cream."
posted by J.K. Seazer at 10:39 AM on November 19, 2019 [9 favorites]
posted by J.K. Seazer at 10:39 AM on November 19, 2019 [9 favorites]
Locks only keep out honest people.
posted by Etrigan at 10:42 AM on November 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 10:42 AM on November 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
Instead of counting sheep when I am trying to fall asleep I just have his voice in my head
"Nothing on one. Little click on two. Nothing on three. Nice click out of four. Five is binding tightly. Back to the start. Still nothing on one. Two is set. Click on three..."
posted by robotmachine at 10:43 AM on November 19, 2019 [15 favorites]
"Nothing on one. Little click on two. Nothing on three. Nice click out of four. Five is binding tightly. Back to the start. Still nothing on one. Two is set. Click on three..."
posted by robotmachine at 10:43 AM on November 19, 2019 [15 favorites]
Also works against lazy people, tho.
posted by thelonius at 10:43 AM on November 19, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by thelonius at 10:43 AM on November 19, 2019 [5 favorites]
Inspired by many LPL videos, I picked up my own set of lockpicks and a bunch of padlocks. Just defeated my first spool pin yesterday!
It's a fun little pastime, but be sure to check the legality of lockpicks in your jurisdiction.
posted by Turbo-B at 10:43 AM on November 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
It's a fun little pastime, but be sure to check the legality of lockpicks in your jurisdiction.
posted by Turbo-B at 10:43 AM on November 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
These are classics:
Manipulating My Tiny Coq.
Getting Into My Wife’s Beaver.
posted by Pendragon at 10:49 AM on November 19, 2019 [6 favorites]
Manipulating My Tiny Coq.
Getting Into My Wife’s Beaver.
posted by Pendragon at 10:49 AM on November 19, 2019 [6 favorites]
Locks only keep out honest people.
this is like saying "walls only keep out honest people" by showing a video clip of an Olympic pole-vaulter.
Locks & walls keep out lots of people, including dishonest ones. Just not 100%.
posted by GuyZero at 10:56 AM on November 19, 2019 [11 favorites]
this is like saying "walls only keep out honest people" by showing a video clip of an Olympic pole-vaulter.
Locks & walls keep out lots of people, including dishonest ones. Just not 100%.
posted by GuyZero at 10:56 AM on November 19, 2019 [11 favorites]
LPL is an internet gem
posted by lalochezia at 10:59 AM on November 19, 2019
posted by lalochezia at 10:59 AM on November 19, 2019
Great channel! Another good one for lock-picking is Bosnianbill.
I've enjoyed a lot of Bill's videos but haven't quite made the jump over to the Lock-Picking Lawyer for whatever reason. One thing I've gathered from their collaborations is that, within the world of people single-pin picking locks, their approaches are quite different. Bill tends to use very light tension on the lock and adjust it pin-by-pin, whereas I think LPL puts as much tension as he can and really force the pins into states where the anti-picking mechanisms can be easier to overcome. When you're really, really skilled like they both are, either approach works, but it's funny to see one of them send the other a lock that had befuddled them for weeks and watch it get picked in 5-10 minutes by the opposite approach.
posted by Copronymus at 11:03 AM on November 19, 2019 [7 favorites]
I've enjoyed a lot of Bill's videos but haven't quite made the jump over to the Lock-Picking Lawyer for whatever reason. One thing I've gathered from their collaborations is that, within the world of people single-pin picking locks, their approaches are quite different. Bill tends to use very light tension on the lock and adjust it pin-by-pin, whereas I think LPL puts as much tension as he can and really force the pins into states where the anti-picking mechanisms can be easier to overcome. When you're really, really skilled like they both are, either approach works, but it's funny to see one of them send the other a lock that had befuddled them for weeks and watch it get picked in 5-10 minutes by the opposite approach.
posted by Copronymus at 11:03 AM on November 19, 2019 [7 favorites]
These are great. Who knew locks didn't?
posted by hilberseimer at 11:12 AM on November 19, 2019
posted by hilberseimer at 11:12 AM on November 19, 2019
“Who are you, and how did you get in here?”
“I’m a lawyer, and I’m a locksmith.”
posted by trillian at 11:20 AM on November 19, 2019 [19 favorites]
“I’m a lawyer, and I’m a locksmith.”
posted by trillian at 11:20 AM on November 19, 2019 [19 favorites]
The Ottolock video and its followup are particular classics.
posted by Gymnopedist at 11:55 AM on November 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Gymnopedist at 11:55 AM on November 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
In a similar vein, Deviant Ollam is really good with physical pen testing, including all sorts of interesting info about elevators and how they can act as an easy way to get into any part of a building..
posted by jenkinsEar at 11:57 AM on November 19, 2019 [6 favorites]
posted by jenkinsEar at 11:57 AM on November 19, 2019 [6 favorites]
Locks only keep out honest people.
In fraud prevention classes, they'll tell you that you can divide a population into 3: 10% are fundamentally honest and would never steal. 10% are fundamentally dishonest, and will look for ways to steal. The remaining 80% are likely to steal in the confluence in some combination of opportunity and motive.
Locks do a lot to reduce opportunity. There are plenty of people who aren't motivated enough to bring an angle grinder, but might take an unsecured bike for a joy ride. As such, I think there's hugely diminishing returns on locks.
Anyone serious about stealing a bike probably has an orange vest and an angle grinder and can pull the "I'm pretending to be a municipal worker" act, so just get enough to keep your average thief at bay.
posted by explosion at 12:10 PM on November 19, 2019 [7 favorites]
In fraud prevention classes, they'll tell you that you can divide a population into 3: 10% are fundamentally honest and would never steal. 10% are fundamentally dishonest, and will look for ways to steal. The remaining 80% are likely to steal in the confluence in some combination of opportunity and motive.
Locks do a lot to reduce opportunity. There are plenty of people who aren't motivated enough to bring an angle grinder, but might take an unsecured bike for a joy ride. As such, I think there's hugely diminishing returns on locks.
Anyone serious about stealing a bike probably has an orange vest and an angle grinder and can pull the "I'm pretending to be a municipal worker" act, so just get enough to keep your average thief at bay.
posted by explosion at 12:10 PM on November 19, 2019 [7 favorites]
"No man should ever get between his wife and her ice cream.
Brilliant ending there.
posted by RolandOfEld at 12:20 PM on November 19, 2019
Brilliant ending there.
posted by RolandOfEld at 12:20 PM on November 19, 2019
No man should ever get between his wife and her ice cream.
"I've always wanted to get mrs LockPickingLawyer interested in non-destructive entry methods", implying that her entry methods are exclusively destructive.
posted by Pyrogenesis at 1:37 PM on November 19, 2019 [5 favorites]
"I've always wanted to get mrs LockPickingLawyer interested in non-destructive entry methods", implying that her entry methods are exclusively destructive.
posted by Pyrogenesis at 1:37 PM on November 19, 2019 [5 favorites]
Locks work well against the kind of person who breaks into houses by trying a series of doors to see if they've been left unlocked. The only break-in we ever had was of that variety, and it's a type that is pretty common in our neighborhood. The other common type is when people throw their bodies hard against your door to see if they can spring it open, while hoping that no one is home. We had someone try that one night. Kind of unnerving when you're sitting right next to the door.
I'm fascinated that his wife keeps showing up with garments that still have the inventory control tags attached. He doesn't seem to find it unusual.
posted by Peach at 1:39 PM on November 19, 2019 [4 favorites]
I'm fascinated that his wife keeps showing up with garments that still have the inventory control tags attached. He doesn't seem to find it unusual.
posted by Peach at 1:39 PM on November 19, 2019 [4 favorites]
I found this channel about the same time I found the entertaining Legal Eagle channel. I guess youtube decided that I really like lawyers. It couldn't be more wrong about my interests but it was right about me liking the channels.
posted by Edgewise at 4:16 PM on November 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Edgewise at 4:16 PM on November 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Pick of the web!
posted by Devonian at 4:22 PM on November 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Devonian at 4:22 PM on November 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
In fraud prevention classes, they'll tell you that you can divide a population into 3: 10% are fundamentally honest and would never steal. 10% are fundamentally dishonest, and will look for ways to steal. The remaining 80% are likely to steal in the confluence in some combination of opportunity and motive.
A bit more charitable version of that saying is that "locks help honest people stay honest" which is referring to the 80%.
I've done quite a bit of small scale physical security (Vending Machines, Coin operated laundry, that sort of thing) and it is totally amazing to me how much effort some people will go to to score a free soda.
posted by Mitheral at 8:07 PM on November 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
A bit more charitable version of that saying is that "locks help honest people stay honest" which is referring to the 80%.
I've done quite a bit of small scale physical security (Vending Machines, Coin operated laundry, that sort of thing) and it is totally amazing to me how much effort some people will go to to score a free soda.
posted by Mitheral at 8:07 PM on November 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
it is totally amazing to me how much effort some people will go to to score a free soda.
Yes, it is an unfortunately common response to being cheated out of a buck by the machine, which is sadly a fairly common event.
posted by wierdo at 10:08 PM on November 19, 2019
Yes, it is an unfortunately common response to being cheated out of a buck by the machine, which is sadly a fairly common event.
posted by wierdo at 10:08 PM on November 19, 2019
it is totally amazing to me how much effort some people will go to to score a free soda.
Everyone needs a hobby, some people choose poorly
posted by GuyZero at 6:41 AM on November 21, 2019
Everyone needs a hobby, some people choose poorly
posted by GuyZero at 6:41 AM on November 21, 2019
all of this makes me wanna learn how to pick locks. if only to impress people.
posted by numaner at 12:19 PM on November 21, 2019
posted by numaner at 12:19 PM on November 21, 2019
It turns out that it's really, really easy to "pick" the lock boxes realtors sometimes fail to remove from houses after they have been sold/leased/whatever. A pair of scissors and some blow molded plastic packaging, an aluminum can, or even thin card stock in a pinch, will get the box off your door handle within a few minutes. No actual picking is involved, though, just feeling, so it lacks the satisfying feedback of pins popping into place.
I've seen several that are so poorly constructed that even a very basic understanding of how dial locks work and a flashlight will get the job done since the bits that make them work are visible externally.
posted by wierdo at 1:19 PM on November 21, 2019
I've seen several that are so poorly constructed that even a very basic understanding of how dial locks work and a flashlight will get the job done since the bits that make them work are visible externally.
posted by wierdo at 1:19 PM on November 21, 2019
surprisingly, amazon do not have lockpick kits. I was kind of expecting an "amazon basics" lockpick kit of the same quality as the "amazon basics" lock that was in the video.
posted by numaner at 4:10 PM on November 21, 2019
posted by numaner at 4:10 PM on November 21, 2019
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posted by slkinsey at 10:33 AM on November 19, 2019 [2 favorites]