Here is a record of our restoration of a 1928 craftsman. We will be the second family to live in the home. Watch our progress when we prevail and our privation and pratfalls as we do not.
The phone rang last night about 9:00 PM. Lisa answered and said hello then said, "Oh no! Oh my God! Yes, he has stuff for that, I'll send him over!"
It turns that Ben, our neighbor behind us, had gone into the bathroom at their place (a rental) and shut the door. He went to leave, but found that the latch bolt in the lock was stuck and he couldn't get out. He managed to pull the hinge pins, but with the door in the jamb that doesn't really help. Amy, his wife, called Lisa.
I went over with my wonderbar (big flat pry bar) and my pussyfoot (smaller trim pry bar) to offer assistance. I asked Ben if there was a set screw on the door knob on his side of the door (There was) so I passed a butter knife under the door to take the set screw out. When we got the knob and spindle off, it was apparent the spring in the latch bolt had failed. I then pried off the stops on either side of the door (in hindsight I only needed to do the lock side) and with the stops off I could see the latch bolt. Ben slid the butter knife through and pushed and I went from the other side with a putty knife and we got the latch pushed back so Ben could open the door.
He was embarrassed and grateful, Amy was happy she hadn't been the one locked inside as she said she would have hyperventilated after about 10 minutes. Ben said from when he discovered he was stuck until we got him out was only an hour.
In talking to my colleages at work today the comment was made:
What would have happened if Ben had been alone or lived by himself?
The answer of course was that he wouldn't have bothered to shut the door.
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1 comment:
Thanks for the chuckle (and the reminder not to shut my bathroom door!). I've often though about what I'd do if I fell down my steps, but now I need to add another what if to my list :-)
Your story reminded me of when my parents & sister took a trip to Europe and stayed in a very old hotel. My 12 yr old sister got similarily caught in the bathroom...and much hilarity ensued as my non-Portuguese speaking parents tried to explain to hotel staff what had happened.
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