Locksmiths Pissed Off At Geeks For Letting Out The Secret: Lockpicking Is Easy
from the without-the-internet,-we'd-all-be-safe dept
As I've mentioned before, back in high school, I had an art teacher who taught me both how to pick locks and how to make lockpicks (it was a fun class). Since then I've always been fascinated by the whole process of picking locks, though I haven't kept up with the field or even picked a lock in years. However, there is a huge community of folks online -- many coming from the tech/hacker community -- who spend a lot of time exploring lockpicking, and talking about it in great detail online. And, as Gizmodo notes, this is pissing off some locksmiths. What's not stated overtly is the obvious reason, and it's the same for any professional system that requires "certification." It's rarely about making sure people are good enough, but has everything to do with limiting the competition to keep fees high. The locksmiths aren't really so worried about criminals learning how to pick locks online (even though some claim that). They're worried that people won't need to call locksmiths anymore when they get locked out of their homes. On top of that, the lock companies hate to admit that their locks are pickable (they are), and so they hit back at those who prove it, just as software companies hate to admit that their software has vulnerabilities. Over time, perhaps locksmiths and lock companies will recognize that an enthusiastic hobby community that helps make sure locks are more secure can only be a good thing.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Filed Under: geeks, hacking, lockpicking, locksmiths
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Word!
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What secret?
All you need is the right tools. And look there you dont even have to make them your self - right here on this page Ads by Google have conveniently pointed out where to buy them!
Reading the article "Google co-founder Sergey Brin recently gave the pastime a further boost, confessing that he has been a picking enthusiast since he was a student."
It all becomes clear: It's a conspiracy!
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Re: What secret?
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Re: Re: Re: What secret?
How many days will a non-two-bit thief have to watch you for the ONE DAY you lock yourself out and go for tie hide-a-key? lol. C'mon. Or hide one in your car.
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Re: What secret?
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Re: What secret?
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The sixties just called, they want their texfiles back..
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Response to: Third on Jul 18th, 2008 @ 1:41am
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Re:
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fail
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Response to: Third on Jul 18th, 2008 @ 1:41am
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But yeah, it's not something that takes years and years of training to get. It may take years and years of practice to do *really well* (there are competitions for lockpickers where they open locks as fast as possible, some of them are actually pretty scary to watch), but no need to waste $100 on a locksmith callout if you lock your door behind you.
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interesting but they were not really pissed
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Knowledge is Dangerous
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Re: Knowledge is Dangerous
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As you say, the right tools
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Lockpicking
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Just Like the Garage Door Install / Repair Industry
Don't fear the garage door...I lived to tell about it
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Re: Just Like the Garage Door Install / Repair Industry
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Re: Re: Just Like the Garage Door Install / Repair Industry
My dad owned a diesel repair shop that I worked at when I was younger and I can teach you how to change your brake pads but I can't teach you to diagnose; that only seems to come from years of experience. I can diagnose a ton of cars simply by the noise they make or a combination of other symptoms, without opening the hood usually: spun bearing, rod knocking, valve chatter, burning oil, rich fuel mixture, blown head gasket, etc. all came from years of experience, not reading about it online or in a book.
I'm not saying that you can't do that yourself but there's a reason you pay a mechanic and they only laugh if you get in the middle of a repair job and then have to take it to them to fix everything you broke trying to fix it. Really, they do.
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Re: Re: Re: Just Like the Garage Door Install / Repair Industry
Last I saw, a locksmith's job included, but not limited to, picking locks. That is just a small part of their job. When it comes to building locks or determining what kind of lock is best to secure special places, I'd pay an expert. Picking locks is just a small part, just like replacing break pads or shoes.
When it comes to break pads, it's kinda easy to tell that you only have 3mm of pad left and they need replaced. If I broke a piston rod or cracked the engine block, I'd call a mechanic.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Just Like the Garage Door Install / Repair Industry
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Just Like the Garage Door Install / Repair Industry
Thank you Wiley. The geek community is meant to be made up of intelligent people, obviously correct spelling and grammar take a back seat to telling everyone how much we think we know about a topic.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Just Like the Garage Door Install / Repair Industry
Hahaha.
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Re: Just Like the Garage Door Install / Repair Industry
Bit like my mate who ended up paying £90 for a plumber to tighten a leaky valve. He sure felt like an idiot when it took a wrench and 30 seconds.
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Re: Re: Just Like the Garage Door Install / Repair Industry
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Re: Re: Just Like the Garage Door Install / Repair Industry
I'm not a plumber, but I'm not a moron either. I could have a leaky valve, but it might take me hours to diaganose which valve is leaky, and then take the proper steps resarching to know whether it just needs tightening, or whether it needs replacing. It may just be a simple leak, but you call in the people with experience because you want it done quick, and you want it done right.
I'm not a mechanic, but I can replace break pads myself. However, I still usually have a mechanic do it, as if there is an error in installation, I have an avenue of recourse, rather than just blaming myself for trying to take the cheap way.
Finally i'm not a locksmith, so if I get locked out of my house or car, I'll call one, rather than look up how to pick a lock on my web enabled cell phone.
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Re: Just Like the Garage Door Install / Repair Industry
PS - here's a hint, instead of the screw drivers try a couple of 3/8 inch by 2 foot steel rods and walk the tension off the spring one notch at a time. The rods should be snug in the whole and make sure that you sink them in completely before trying to move spring.
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Re: Just Like the Garage Door Install / Repair Industry
But oh my god, there are stupid people out there. And no one wants to be liable because some idiot couldn't be safe while working with large, powerful springs and a metal garage door/gate that wants to fall back down.
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Re: Just Like the Garage Door Install / Repair Industry
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Doesn't Follow
By that logic, we should welcome virus writers, data thieves, and malicious hackers as a "good thing" because they help make operating systems more secure.
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Re: Doesn't Follow
Uh, no. We should welcome security enthusiasts who probe systems, find vulnerabilities and publish their results, not virus writers, etc. You're lumping people with no malicious intent (lockpicking enthusiasts) in with people who are malicious. Your analogy is wrong.
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Re: Doesn't Follow
Symantec is the quickset of the anti-virus world and most people don't realize anything but them and McAfee exist. If we had more anti-virus companies perhaps symantec and McAfee would work more on making computers secure and less on features that slow it down with no improvement in real security.
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Re: Re: Doesn't Follow
No, we would have more companies writing virus' to justify their existence. /tin foil hat
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Re: Doesn't Follow
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Re: Re: Doesn't Follow
Getting paid is a good indicator that you provide a valuable service.
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Re: Doesn't Follow
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Re: Doesn't Follow
We do. HOBBY virus writers don't wreck chaos, they write a virus and send it to the av companies. HOBBY hackers are actually called security consultants.
but obviously you'd so much like to argue with mike that you cant see the difference between responsible hobbies and malicious hobbies.
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Re: Doesn't Follow
"By that logic, we should welcome virus writers, data thieves, and malicious hackers as a "good thing" because they help make operating systems more secure."
How very wrong you are virtuadept. He said that "an enthusiastic hobby community" made things better - he didn't say that the breakers and enterers did. People who write viruses to expose vulnerabilities and then inform people about it ARE helping - because there's someone else out there who will write it and NOT TELL ANYBODY so that it ends up costing millions of dollars. The people who know how to pick locks don't want you to know how easy it is either - they want you to think you are safe while they break in to your house. The people who are telling us how easy it is are trying to help - exposing a flaw for all to see so that they know how to fix it.
Shut up. Please.
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Re: Doesn't Follow...again.
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Re: Doesn't Follow
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Re: Doesn't Follow
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Re: Doesn't Follow
They make our systems safer against those who hack with malicious intent.
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Re: Doesn't Follow
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Re: Doesn't Follow
Your analogy describes that the people learning the lock-picking and sharing it are actually criminals breaking into houses everywhere forcing better security.
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Re: Doesn't Follow
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Re: Doesn't Follow
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Re: Doesn't Follow
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Re: Doesn't Follow
Security by obscurity has never proven to be really safe.
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Re: Doesn't Follow
Without virus writers and hackers finding the holes, the holes would go unnoticed. By exploiting them, they become apparent and get fixed.
The main difference is intent - some kid learning how to pick his own locks is different than a kid learning how to pick *your* lock. For hackers, this would be the difference between 'white hat' and 'black hat' - one is finding the holes just to find the holes, just like these hobby locksmiths.
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Re: Doesn't Follow
By your logic, we should get angry and swear at people who prove us wrong.
People learn and improve faster when they have someone to compete against.
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Welcome to the debate
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Re: Doesn't Follow
It's geeks picking their own locks we're talking about.
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Re: Doesn't Follow
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Re: Doesn't Follow
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Depends on the lock
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Re: Depends on the lock
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i've always said
Back your truck into and then drive off after the back the truck is loaded. Then drive off.
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Re: locks/certification
but to prove you do have a specified level of knowledge
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DumbA$$
The reason Locksmiths don't want dumbasses like you publishing how to pick a lock is, locks are there for a reason. To keep dumbasses like you out of other peoples stuff.
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Re: DumbA$$
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Re: DumbA$$
Yes. And for security holes in electronic door locks too.
Hotel Lock Company Wants Hotels To Pay For Fixing Their Hackable Product
The reason Locksmiths don't want dumbasses like you publishing how to pick a lock is, locks are there for a reason. To keep dumbasses like you out of other peoples stuff.
Wouldn't a more secure lock do better job of that?
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Re: Re: DumbA$$
I just realized I responded to a really old comment here.
How does a four year old article get to the top of the top 10 list all of a sudden and start getting comments? Weird.
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Re: Re: Re: DumbA$$
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Re: Re: Re: DumbA$$
Reddit just discovered this article. We have no idea why they just found it now.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: DumbA$$
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New Lock version 2.0
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Re: New Lock version 2.0
Being a Locksmith in Birmingham isn't easy - every day there's lock pickings and lock bumping to deal with... but if geeks want to pick a few locks and earn us a few extra jobs, we won't complain!
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Re: New Lock version 2.0
Interestingly, new locks weren't fitted with the disc already instead, but you could order it and have it fitted to your lock. The reason? Cost! Manufacturers make crap locks because they're cheap.
In the mid 1800s competitions were held between lock companies and pickers so improvements in lock design and manufacture could be advanced to market. After a while lock companies stopped doing this because they just wanted people to but barely serviceable locks so that they could make maximum profit for minimum effort.
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Before the Internet...
Books like In The Steal Of The Night which is about
auto repossession and lock picking.
Some people thought this was dangerous and fussed
about it. Others worried that it would harm their
guild. It did neither and I suspect the internet will
have much the same effect, very little. I realize
that the internet is easier than going to a library.
So the impact may be marginally greater.
Even so most people who enjoy lock picking as a hobby
have no interest in committing a crime. I've never
liked crossword or jigsaw puzzles but mechanisms
fascinate me. Locks are generally small and not too
difficult to solve, so I like locks.
Very often, and criminals know this, the door jams are
a weaker point than even a lousy lock. They'll just
pry between the door and jam then the door pops open,
knock the door off the hinges, or use a big slip joint
pliers on the lockset.
I can't recall hearing of a burglary or home invasion
where the lock was picked. It's something I'd expect
coupled with surveillance activities. So the "criminals"
who are most likely to pick the lock already have acess
to the information.
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Strange noones mentioned it..
Obviously, this doesn't work with deadbolts, but its ridiculously easy to open most doors that aren't deadbolted.
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Re: Strange noones mentioned it..
That is a good trick, not as useful these
days. Modern entry sets have a little pin
at the front of the latch that prevents
it from being depressed if it is pushed
in first (a deadlocking plunger.)
But there are still a lot of old locks in
use.
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It's all about the know how.
The specialist arrived and went to work, while the Captain and the ship mechanics watched and waited in anticipation. He removed what appeared to be a stethoscope from his bag and started placing it on the engine and listening as he rapped on the side with his knuckle. After about 10 minutes of this, he said, "Ahh Ha", removed a ballpeen hammer from his bag and tapped the engine twice quickly in the spot he had marked with his knuckle. The engines, which had been on, but not turning or doing anything, immediately sprang back to life and started running.
The Captain was ecstatic, until the specialist demanded his payment of $50,000. The Captain said I can't justify paying you $50,000 for 20 minutes of work without an itemized billing, besides all you did was tap the engine with a hammer, anyone could have done that.
The specialist presented his bill and received his full payment:
Cruise Ship Engine Repair:
$10.00 - Tapping Engine with Hammer
$49990.00 - Knowing where to Tap the Engine
Knowledge is valuable, and some people feel that restricting knowledge increases it's value, when in reality it only increases an individuals ability to monetize that specific knowledge. As the above 'story' illustrates, if everyone shared the same knowledge pool, there would be no need for a specialist, just as if everyone knew how to pick locks, there would be little need for locksmiths (there will always be some need, I know how to change the oil in my car, but I'd still rather pay $20 and have someone at 'Jiffy Lube' do it for me).
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Why are you paying a professional
Like poster #45 illustrated with his story, professionals are the ones who know how to diagnose AND repair the item.
In the case of fixing your brakes: such you could it yourself, but maybe a mechanic will find that your brakes lines need replacing and you need more brake fluid.
By changing the brakes yourself, you might save a little money, but by not adding brake fluid, you could be risking your life.
The bottom line is what these locksmiths are complaining about: yes, people can pick their own locks, get over it. Instead, they need to market themselves as "release experts" or something similar.
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Re: Why are you paying a professional
I thought Asian massage parlor workers already co opted that title.
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Re: Re: Why are you paying a professional
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Lock Picking
i have been asked if i could sell pick sets and I turn them down because I'm not in the tool selling business but I do point them to Google search.
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Is all this so?
In case anyone here didn't know, there have been books about 'lock picking' available for MANY years in the back of magazines. These books taught all there was to know about 'lock picking' at the time. Heck, most of this information is still good.
The lock companies are just as slow as the government about updating their wares.
THEN, when they DO, They charge an arm and a leg for the new tech.
I wonder why people still bother to 'pick a lock'....
Hmmm....
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Emergency call
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oh well
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You are your own worst enemy
Because of your joy in finding holes in security and then telling criminals how to take advantage of those holes the security business is booming. And you have to pay more for your firewalls and your virus protection and your locks.
Spadina Security now recommends you have a Mul-T-Lock Hercular Deadbolt on all your exterior doors. A few years ago we only recommended you install a good quality deadbolt.
The price difference is double.
And if you don't buy the better deadbolt lock? Well do you really trust the person sitting beside you in that lock picking group? Go ahead give them your address and tell them about the new Iphone you just bought.
Locksmiths don't hate geeks. We hate taking advantage of people. We want to install value. We don't want to break your budget.
Bottom line: Our secrets keep you secure and save you money.
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Lock & Key Picking
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From a locksmith's perspective...
He doesn't care if you want to pick your own locks or jimmy your own cars. He doesn't even do residential work any more because there's no money in it (he mostly does commercial/industrial/government and works primarily on large master keying and safe installation/openings).
However, he strongly supports certifications (and has proctored and graded certification exams), not because "locksmiths want to keep fees up", but because FAKE "locksmiths" will try to quote you one price on the phone, come out to your house, DRILL your lock when it doesn't need drilling, then re-quote you a price of about a couple hundred dollars to install a new lock that they bought from Home Depot for 15 bucks.
The locksmiths who make their bread and butter on commercial work ARE struggling, and some of them have raised prices to compensate. But the certifications are not there to raise prices, they're there to keep give scammers who work out of their trunk and use bait-and-switch pricing from screwing customers over.
If you can pick your own locks or open your own cars, that's admirable and most locksmiths don't have a problem with that at all.
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Easy
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I just finished a new crime thriller called Boxman (old slang term for safe cracker) and I have already gotten some sour comments from people complaining that the scenes are too well described! Oh well...the information is already out there...I just put it to fiction!
http://the-boxman.com/2012/08/19/the-boxman/
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Not everyone is going to fix their own car engine, just not going to happen.
Not everyone is going to pick their own lock if it needs it, or replace them if they need that.
I'll fix my engine and replace a lock, but if I need it picked - I'm calling someone, lol. Gotta know your limitations; and I just don't have time for everything.
So - whine more, everyone's a techophobe now-a-days; on something...
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Amatures!!
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lockpicking being easy
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Easiest method for finding a good locksmith
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Locksmiths
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The Last Word
“