This is the fire escape leading up to my bedroom windows. Okay, it is one window; the other window has an air-conditioner stuck in it. Nonetheless, this is where I'll be if you ask, "Romeo, Romeo, where art thou?"In my last fire escape post, Alice from Arradon Daily Photo wondered how one doesn't get burglarized every week with such easy access to the apartments from the fire escapes. The answer is most fire escapes face the main streets or avenues so the neighbors and pedestrians can easily spot someone on the these stairs. If the person looks suspicious, the police will be called to investigate.
That said, I once locked myself out of my apartment so I went to my downstairs neighbor and asked if I could crawl out of her bedroom window and climb up the fire escape to my bedroom window which wasn't locked. She wasn't too pleased with the idea but she said okay. It's a good thing I was always nice and polite to her when I see her in the hallway or the lobby. Otherwise, I would have to call a locksmith to break the lock. I can't imagine how much that would cost.
Have you ever locked yourself out of your apartment or your car? What did you do?
26 comments:
I locked myself at the work. I'm working in the shop. I went to the toilet, so I locked a door for a while, and later I couldn't open it. It was my very first day, so I didn't know any neighbours and they didn't know me. The Internet was off, so I couldn't find anybody who could help me. So I was standing against the shop wondow and waveing to everybody who passed the shop. It had to look very funny. After few hours help came. Fortunately. ;)))
i locked myself out of my apartment and it costed so much to change the lock. I always keep my keys in my pocket before I leave the apartment since that day !!!
I had the locks in my new apartment set such that I have to lock it as I leave. That way, I will never forget to take my keys with me otherwise, I won't be able to lock the door.
Now, not losing the key while I'm out is another story.
I have forgotten to bring my office keys many times to work! I have to ask the 'housekeeping' of our workplace to get the spare key.
I have forgotten so many times that when I visit the lady at housekeeping she can guess what I am there for! how embarassing!
When I forget my keys for home, I call my sis! :-)
Hier ils ont passes sur le cable de la television française "west side story". cet "fire escape" me fait penser a ce film
Yesterday they have master keys on the cable of French television “west side story”. this “fire escape” makes me think of this film
Ehm... Sometime I'm sleepwalking. It's a fact especially if stressed at work. Well, a couple of years ago dreaming to go out of my apartment, I did it and in the exact moment I heard the click of the reinforced external door, I awaked. It was around 5:00am, in Winter and I was in underpants (and I need to go to the bathroom) :-(
I had to wait until 6:30am when fortunately someone of the family who lives the floor under mine went out and I "psst..." them with a shy smile telling what happened :-)
Hey Ming, nice pix !:) Would love to see this shot from the top down wowww..how many stairs are there ? :)
P/S: your mochi encounter with gula melaka sounds great, will keep that in mind next time I make some, thx :)
Fabrizio - that is a funny story!! Only because it had a happy ending though of course :oP
Ming - I'm SO going to be checking out every fire escape in NYC now. I know they were there last time, but I never actually noticed them.
I can't recall locking myself out of home/car, although my boyfriend's (yes - I still believe it was his fault :oP) done it when we first moved into our place , so we had to break a window to get in! It reall was the only way.
Oh Dear,we did locked ourself once in the middle of nite in WINTER and you can't imagine how deep we had to dig our pocket and got freezing outside before the key master came. Lucky you to have another way to get inside again as we don't have other way except call the Key Master :o(
This really looks like the New York you know and imagine, so typical and well captured!
one noght shortly after I moved to this city, my bibs and I were living at a hotel (we're not talking about the Plaza here) and somehow our key cards both got demagnetized...the hotel office was closed...so there was no one except the stripper/hookers that lived on the top floor roaming about.
we went back to our little comic store that we had just moved into and slept on the floor..
oh wait I left out....went to a bar, drank a lot, then went to sleep on the floor
My son (when he was a child) locked himself out of the house and the only way in was the basement window, which he forced open, the window has never worked properly since.
We locked ourselves out last year, thankfully it was AFTER and not BEFORE my daughter's Birthday party. Ming had taken the children to the park for some games after we cut the cake, and I was cleaning up. The doorbell rang, a parent had come to pick her child up and she was having problems opening the gate. Without thinking, I ran to her aid and then heard the door close behind me. Ming didn't have the keys with him either, good thing though, he had his cell. One after another the children were picked up. It was a Sunday and almost impossible to get a locksmith. Oh, I forgot to mention it was 38 C in summer and the girls were thirsty and tired from running about in the park. The locksmith finally arrived two and a half hours later, spent 10 minutes opening the door and charged us $120.
Great shot! It gives a good perspective looking up like that. Luckily, I've never locked myself out ...yet. The previous tenant in my apartment put a sliding bar-type thing over the window to my fire escape. I guess I feel a little safer!
When I first moved into my house I didn't have a key to the door knob only the dead bolt. My friend and I would walk the neighborhood together. She shut the door and right before she did she turned the door knob lock. I had to call a locksmith to come open the door for me. The very next time we went for a walk she did it again. I had to cal the locksmith. Then about a week later she did it AGAIN! I had thelocks re keyed that time. Now, I never lock the back slider door. I have 2 big dogs that live in the house/yard. So, if you can make it back there then come on in!
I haven't got myself locked in car or my house, yet. Mostly I lost my keys instead of locking myself in the car /house/ anything.
Oh how great. I always forget where I put my keys. I tend to have short-term memory. :p
Gosh, you must have been living dangerously to take this great photo!
Yes, I've locked myself out of my car several times, including dropping the keys down a grate. Not clever!
I love, love Fire Escape photos! This pic is special, because I see your place, Ming! Great perspective, too!
I locked myself in the inner part of my apartment with my two little childrens. In this time we live in another city, Campinas and my husband was in São Paulo for two days. Wow! It was a mess! The locksmith had to break three doors! I mean doors, not only the lock! Believe me, I was very calm and laugh a lot, for the astonishment of the locksmith!
I guess I've never been locked out.But I have been locked inside the toilet.Twice.The first time was when I was about 6,I was locked in the toilet of the kindicare/school I was going to and the second time was last month.I was locked inside the toilet again because my friend accidentally slammed the door very hard and because the doorknob wasn't working,we couldn't go out.Luckily I managed to get out in those two situations.
very funny story about lcking yourself out, yeah good thing you're a nice person :)
havent locked myself out yet
Great post Ming!
Love the perspective and judging by the response, your request for stories about being locked out obviously struck a chord!!!
My house is never locked except at night when we're in or when we're away on holidays. Otherwise, just go to the back door, it's always unlocked.
That's what it's like to live in a carefree country. I hope it never changes (no-one else in my neighbourhood does it, though!)
More times than I care to remember in answer to your question! I've broken into my own home, but for the car, I've had to call AAA. My partner and I keep keys to each other's cars just in case we're in a hurry! :-)
Hired a locksmith and had the lock drilled.
Hey, did you know there is a NYC Fire Escapes Group on Flickr??
I just joined it today myself and will post a couple photos to the group soon!
You should do the same!
Call AAA
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