Originally Posted by stlpaul

This thread reminds me of a time about 10 years ago, I was away travelling for several weeks for my job. They put me in a furnished apartment, and the apartment faxed me the address and the code to open the combination lock which contained the keys for when I arrived.

After flying across the USA all day, I arrived at the apartment complex on Sunday night around midnight. It was cold (but above freezing) and raining. I did not have an umbrella. Taxi dropped me off in front of the gates. My first problem: Gates were locked, and being Sunday night the office was closed. I couldn't get in. Taxi driver said he has delivered another passenger here in the past and that guy had to climb over the fence... Luckily, just as he was telling me this, a resident drove up and opened the gate. I sneaked in behind their car.

The apartment complex was sprawling, hundreds of units. They were not numbered in any obvious way (at least at midnight, in the dark). I had to drag my luggage around (enough for 1 month) while walking up to each building and checking the range of numbers. Finally I found mine, on the top floor in the very back of the apartments.

I was tired, I was cold, I was wet, and I was ready to get in bed and fall asleep. One problem: the combination they faxed me did not work!

Of course, I didn't know if it was wrong, or if the lock was just extremely difficult to open. I was banging on it, kicking it. I was going to try to climb in a window, but the apartment was not on ground floor and I am not Spider-Man.

I did not own a cell phone at the time, and was afraid to leave the apartment gates because I may not be able to get back in. They were not in an urban area and there was nothing around for many miles.

Finally I resolved myself to the idea that the combination was wrong. It was a four-digit code. I'd have to try, at most, ten thousand combinations. What do I have to lose? I started with 0000 then 0001 and so on.

Finally at almost 3:00am I hit the correct number! I was able to go inside and the rest was history.

Originally Posted by stlpaul

This thread reminds me of a time about 10 years ago, I was away travelling for several weeks for my job. They put me in a furnished apartment, and the apartment faxed me the address and the code to open the combination lock which contained the keys for when I arrived.

After flying across the USA all day, I arrived at the apartment complex on Sunday night around midnight. It was cold (but above freezing) and raining. I did not have an umbrella. Taxi dropped me off in front of the gates. My first problem: Gates were locked, and being Sunday night the office was closed. I couldn't get in. Taxi driver said he has delivered another passenger here in the past and that guy had to climb over the fence... Luckily, just as he was telling me this, a resident drove up and opened the gate. I sneaked in behind their car.

The apartment complex was sprawling, hundreds of units. They were not numbered in any obvious way (at least at midnight, in the dark). I had to drag my luggage around (enough for 1 month) while walking up to each building and checking the range of numbers. Finally I found mine, on the top floor in the very back of the apartments.

I was tired, I was cold, I was wet, and I was ready to get in bed and fall asleep. One problem: the combination they faxed me did not work!

Of course, I didn't know if it was wrong, or if the lock was just extremely difficult to open. I was banging on it, kicking it. I was going to try to climb in a window, but the apartment was not on ground floor and I am not Spider-Man.

I did not own a cell phone at the time, and was afraid to leave the apartment gates because I may not be able to get back in. They were not in an urban area and there was nothing around for many miles.

Finally I resolved myself to the idea that the combination was wrong. It was a four-digit code. I'd have to try, at most, ten thousand combinations. What do I have to lose? I started with 0000 then 0001 and so on.

Finally at almost 3:00am I hit the correct number! I was able to go inside and the rest was history.

Originally Posted by Creamy Goodness

hahaha
cool story.
i remember cracking a 4-digit combo lock like that too, but can't remember on what. probably my dad's briefcase, he liked to hide the power cord for the computer when i was "bad". we have those on some doors here at work, i don't even know the code. i could get locked in the stairwell one day

Originally Posted by stlpaul

This thread reminds me of a time about........ hit the correct number! I was able to go inside and the rest was history.

Originally Posted by stlpaul

Finally at almost 3:00am I hit the correct number! I was able to go inside and the rest was history.