Monday, November 21, 2005

How much to open a door?

When the phone rang at about 9ish last Friday night, I quickly jumped out of bed and changed out of my lose and drabby outfit to go pick babe. I must have been really excited because I quickly brushed my hair, put on presentable clothes, took my wallet, phone, carkeys and shut the bedroom door - all in under 5 minutes.

As I walked out to the main door, I fiddled in my pockets for the housekeys. Nope not there. I thought it must be hanging on one of my fingers seeing how I was carrying so many items in my hands. Nope no there either.

Shit.

Both the housemates weren't at home. I was stuck. No keys to get out of the house. No keys to go back into the room. Thank goodness the housemates were already on their way back when I called them. But the housemates did not have a spare key and she said we can't call the landlord cos we're supposed to duplicate our own keys.

What? But this IS an emergency!

The housemate told me she has a locksmith's number. I called and he said he'll come by in about 30 minutes, and the charge is RM 65. Friggin' sixty-five bucks to help me open my own door! Sigh.

So I went out to pick babe, left money with the housemates to pay the locksmith when he does get here. After an hour, I came back and the locksmith still hasn't got here! Fuming by now.

"Waaaaai! Lou sai, you ngor tang kei loi wor? Seng lap zhong chor laaaa!" (Helloo! Boss, how long you want me to wait? One hour already laaaa!")

That idiot man told me that he saw the the door to our apartment closed and so he left. Duh! There is something called the doorbell!

After a while he came with a small box of tools. Like one of those multi-purpose tiny screwdrivers thingie. After inserting a few types of tools into the keyhole, the lock still wouldn't click open. Locksmith man is starting to perspire. I can see the beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

I'm usually nice to service and repairmen. I'll usually pour them a glass of cold water while they're working. But this locksmith is stupid to not ring the bell, so I'm not offering him any water.

More poking around, but doorknob remains locked. He said he'll have to remove the knob. Go ahead! Do what you have to do! I just want to get back into my room!

Then he started hammering away...

*bang bang bang*

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*bang bang bang*

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*bang bang bang*

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*DING DOOOONG* (This is the doorbell)

The security guard was standing outside our apartment with a few angry neighbours in tow. Shucks. I apologized profusely for the sound, and told them it'd be over soon. Actually it wasn't THAT late! Around 10:30pm.. and it was on a Friday night!

More banging and in a couple of minutes, the doorknob was lose, and after some more poking, we heard the click!

Well, it's a damn expensive lesson for me! It's my first time engaging the services of a professional "door opener", but I've been told that the later in the night it is, the higher the charges. I've heard of people being charged RM 120 to open their car door when it was past midnight! Insane isn't it?

Oh well. Better go duplicate my keys this evening!

Posted by Doreen at 2:31 pm