Today was one of those interesting days I could do without, for the most part. For most of the morning, after I drove my daughter to school, I was too tired to do anything but sleep. So I slept in. Finally, at the last minute I decided to try another seven-mile run around the neighborhood. By then the temperature had climbed to the mid-eighties outside, making the run somewhat grueling. But I completed it nonetheless and was quite self-congratulatory as I walked back up to my front door, keys in hand. Only I had the wrong set of keys; my house key was locked up inside the house. With nobody home inside this time of day, I had to spend the next twenty minutes creeping around the house trying to find a way to break in. Finally, just about when I had given up hope, I found a way. But then I thought this is a security problem. If I could get in this way, then an intruder could as well. So I fixed that breach, making the next time I lock myself out of my house an assured disaster!
I had just enough time to wash up and get ready for work. But right after I started my car, it instantly died on me, completely. Great, now I was going to be late for work and who knows what was wrong with the car. After getting on the phone with my auto repairman, he suggested that I tighten the battery connections. Sure enough, when I did that the power came back on and I was only a few minutes late for work.
Even after that, the day dragged on and I felt sluggish and weak. Usually after a good run I am pretty sharp, so I wondered why. And then it hit me: I hadn't had any coffee all day! At my first break at 4:30, I drank a big cup and everything improved from then on.
It's interesting how predicaments like locking oneself out of the house or having the car inexplicably shut down can seem so catastrophic while they are going on. But looking back from my perspective just a few hours later, it all now seems rather trivial, not to mention funny!
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«But then I thought this is a security problem. If I could get in this way, then an intruder could as well. So I fixed that breach»
ReplyDeleteGood for you! You'd make a good computer security geek. It's amazing to me how many people think that security holes are matters of convenience... at least until someone they don't want in gains access that way.
«making the next time I lock myself out of my house an assured disaster!»
The first thing I did when I moved into my house, 22 years ago, was to replace the outside (lockable) doorknobs with interior (unlockable) doorknobs. I must use the key to lock the deadbolt when I leave, so I cannot lock myself out by just closing the door.
[I can, of course, still misplace the key once I'm outside, but that's a different issue.]
Of course, it means that I have to manually lock the door after going outside, but that's a very easy habit to get into, and only takes a few days to be used to.
I like your idea of having doorknobs only lockable from the outside. That sounds like the way to go.
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