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Gym locker popped open when I dropped my keys last Saturday | Truth in Locks - Rigidtalk

Gym locker popped open when I dropped my keys last Saturday

I was at Planet Fitness in Springfield, finishing up my workout, and I dropped my keys on the floor near my locker. The lock was just a standard combination lock I bought at Walmart for like 6 bucks. When the keys hit the ground, the lock actually popped open on its own. I stood there for a second not believing it. I picked up the lock and closed it again, then gave the body a decent tap with my knuckle. It popped right open again. That little brass lock was so cheap the internal mechanism barely held. I walked over to the front desk and showed the guy working, and he just shrugged. Now I use a Master Lock with a disk tumbler and I test every new lock I buy before I trust it with anything. Anyone else have a lock just fail from a basic drop or knock?

2 comments

2 Comments

wyattmitchell4mo ago

My cheap combo lock from CVS did the exact same thing at a YMCA in Portland last year. Dropped it on the tile floor and it just SPRANG open like it was embarrassed to be seen with me. I actually tested it later by giving it a gentle tap with a water bottle and it popped open every single time. Now I buy the biggest ugly Master Lock I can find because my trust in budget locks is completely GONE.

juliagonzalez4mo ago

@wyattmitchell hit the nail on the head about those cheap locks being basically decorative. I had a similar thing happen with a Walmart lock at a Gold's Gym in Austin, but mine popped open when I accidentally bumped the locker with my elbow while tying my shoe. The worst part is that the employee at the front desk just laughed and told me "that's why we have security cameras." Now I only use those big Master Lock padlocks with the long shackle, and I always test them by smacking them against the floor before I trust them. A buddy of mine actually had his locker cleaned out at a community pool because his combo lock opened from someone dropping a dumbbell nearby. Cheap locks are a false sense of security, and once you see how easily they fail, you can't unsee it.