Door locks

[cindysphynx]

Mary Ann wrote (about the kids getting locked in):

>As I said, the 
> kids had no inkling that something was wrong, but I aged a few 
years that 
> morning.

Oh, boy.  I know that feeling.

Some years ago, we lived in a house that had a door leading to the 
basement that locked behind you.  I had a one-year old with me.  I 
figured I'd go down and toss a load of laundry in, and I heard that 
dreaded "click" behind me.  I was locked in the basement, and the 
kid was roaming the house unattended.

I managed to get out of the basement, but getting into the house 
proved nearly impossible.  Breaking into a house looks so *easy* in 
the movies, but I failed miserably.  I found a snow shovel and I 
figured I could use it to break the window in the kitchen door.  I 
swung it with all my might and it just bounced off.  Throwing my 
shoulder into the basement door was useless.  I ran around the 
neighborhood looking for help, but no one was home, and there was no 
phone to use.  

Finally, I flagged down a utility truck, and he used his tools to 
pry the basement door open.  Let's just say the landlord kept a bit 
of our security deposit.

Cindy (observing that the "My kid is locked in" feeling is right up 
there with the "I've lost my kid" feeling)