[SquareWheel]

Locks are a relatively simple a fun mechanism to play with. Lock picking can be explained similarly. It's essentially simulating that key by popping the pins up to the shear line (the horizontal plane) and applying tension via your tension/torsion tool so the pin doesn't fall down. Then move onto the next one. If you get all pins to the shear line, the lock opens.

It's also a pretty cheap hobby to get into. Though the legality varies by country/state so do check into that first if interested.

[Joeboy]

A few years ago I went and bought myself the cheapest Yale type lock I could find in order to teach myself to pick it. After repeatedly failing I took it apart and discovered some of the pins had recesses that were designed to defeat this kind of attack (I think they're called "spool pins"). I never managed to put it back together again, and that was the end of my lock picking career.

[TurplePurtle]

Here's a video with more info about these anti-picking mechanisms and how to defeat them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQVsI4qyl3g

[tonybaroneee]

I got caught up with this guy's videos and watched all of them because they are so cool. Thanks for the share!

[Cushman]

It also comes in handy more often than you'd think. Picking real-world residential locks is usually a Bad Idea even if you're allowed to, but with a little practice anyone can learn to open cheap wafer locks (like you find on desk drawers) or padlocks in seconds with nothing more than a couple of bobby pins.

Like when I cleverly managed to mail my apartment keys to myself, including my only mailbox key...

[epochwolf]

> Like when I cleverly managed to mail my apartment keys to myself, including my only mailbox key...

If my mailbox key was locked inside my mailbox, I would just wait for the postal person to show up. They have keys that open the entire wall of mailboxes. Just wait in the distance until they open the wall and then go get the mail out of your box. Just act like you don't see anything wrong with grabbing your mail and they probably won't question you.[1] As a backup, have a photo id with your address on it. :)

1: I've done this myself because it was easier than using my key. The postal guy saw me and we exchanged a few pleasantries.

[Cushman]

That did occur to me, but I realized I have no idea when our mailman actually shows up at our building, since our schedules have never crossed. I decided I would feel too silly staking out our building all day :P

Although now I realize that I could have done a binary search over the course of the week by checking if mail was there or not...

[saranagati]

kinda hard to check if the mail is there if you don't have a key to check if they mail is there.

[cryowaffle]

This is bad practice from the mailman. The lock is there so that only the owner of the box can authenticate and retrieve the mail. If he allows people to walk up and select mail from the box then he is allowing a circumvention of the authentication protocol.

[epochwolf]

It's not up to the mailman to prevent theft of mail. Most mailboxes outside of apartments and businesses don't have any security other than the threat of federal charges for mail theft.

[Cushman]

It may be worth reiterating that I (or anyone) can open my (or anyone's) mailbox with a pair of bobby pins. This "authentication protocol" may not be worth making too much hay over.

[john_fushi]

Depending on where you live the mailman can even be fired or sued.

[JoshTriplett]

Depends on the type of mailbox; some styles have a drop-slot for delivery that doesn't allow retrieval.

[gavanwoolery]

When I was in college, I wanted to learn how to pick locks (just because I thought it would be an interesting "party trick" -- I would never steal, having been a victim of theft several times myself). I ordered a set of lock picks and practiced on a knob lock from Home Depot...to my surprise I was able to open the lock within minutes.

[philip1209]

I ordered lock picks on Thursday. I can't wait for them to arrive!

[samstave]

reddit.com/r/lockpicking is also a great resource.