Should I report this incident to building security?

TheGlossy

A girl who (supposedly) lives in the flatshare next door knocked at my door. She told me she got locked out and her flatmate isn’t coming back until 5pm.

Then she proceeded to ask me if she can use my apartment key to open her apartment door. I say no because my key isn’t going to work. Each apartment has its specific door lock and key. Then she says can I try your key anyways. I say no a second time and reiterate the reason. She insists a third time - I then take the key and show her myself (without handing the key to her) it’s not working which I knew 100%.

I’m hesitating to call the security office of the complex to report the incident. If I say no, it’s no. Besides, what kind of a person thinks one apartment’s key can open another apartment’s door? There’s so many safety concerns with what just happened.

Should I report this?

Dial Hard

I'm not exactly sure what "safety concerns" you have about this? She's clearly a bit thick and thought the keys might all be the same. What exactly would you be reporting here other than that???

Mrs OBumble

I'm impressed with your 100% confidence that it wouldn't work.

You may be surprised by how many times keys can open things other than what they're supposed to.

TheGlossy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121500127#Comment_121500127

The reason why I know this is because a new lock was installed before I moved in.

TheGlossy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121500106#Comment_121500106

I’ve never seen her before and someone insisting 3 times on getting your key after you say no is not normal. I don’t know her, why would I ever think of helping a stranger I’ve never seen open a door to another apartment?

I suggested she rings her landlord, flatmate or the building manager but she insisted on trying my key instead.

Stark

It could be a scam. Take your key, tell you "I'll be back in a while after I try it out", go get a copy of the key made, come back with your key. Then rob the place when you're away.

NickNickleby

Supposing the key HAD worked? You might have been allowing a complete stranger to access your neighbour's property (if I correctly understand your post).

On the other hand, get some play dough, and make two impressions (either side of the key) . Now you have the means to create a duplicate key. Did you frisk her for play dough?

All joking aside, those are the first two concerns that I would have.

If you see her again, entering or leaving the property, then it's most likely totally innocent.

Xander10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058327065/should-i-report-this-incident-to-building-security

What would you have done it the key worked?

A bit silly to try, to be honest

TheGlossy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121500163#Comment_121500163

I knew 100% it wouldn’t work. Like I said, the lock was changed when I moved in. Agree - I shouldn’t have tried in the first place but she was carrying small groceries, so I gave her the benefit of the doubt.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121500186#Comment_121500186

Unless it was a different type of lock and key, there's actually a chance it would have. Even though yours was changed, there are fewer masters than you might think.

TheGlossy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121500206#Comment_121500206

My apartment key isn’t master key. It’s a copy of a copy, hence my confidence in the fact it wouldn’t work.

The master key is with the LL.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058327065/should-i-report-this-incident-to-building-security

Yes you should report it immediately without hesitation. You have no idea of what the person's intentions were nor how your report may help management or the Garda get a better picture some on going issues they are already aware of.

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121500159#Comment_121500159

Who in god's name would hand their key over to a randomer and not accompany them the entire time???

meijin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121500378#Comment_121500378

easy to create a distraction, like dropping the groceries on the floor, then take an imprint, etc.

best to report it - it looks quite suspicious

Dav010

Or you could just knock on your neighbours door next week and ask the occupant if the girl lives there.

TheGlossy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121500662#Comment_121500662

I honestly don’t want to start getting into the business of confronting or investigating people myself.

It’s not my responsibility. People normally keep to themselves in this building.

It’s also for my own safety to report it given how insistant she was that I gave her my key even after I suggested she rings her landlord or flatmate.

Besides, if someone gets locked out in the middle of the day, they can just go into a coffee shop or back to their office/school until the flatmates come back to allow them in. Why insist on a random stranger to give you their key?

I got locked out once, rang security to see if they had a master key, was told to ring my LL which I did - problem solved in a few hours. It would have never occurred to me to hassle a neighbor to get their key.

There is a building security, I’ll let them handle.

Dav010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121500882#Comment_121500882

How is it getting into someone else’s business?

It takes less time than it took you to write your post, and you will satisfy yourself that some dangerous young gal isn’t stalking you with the intention of robbing or possibly murdering you while you sleep.

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121500229#Comment_121500229

Keys are not unique to locks. Every specific type of lock has a finite number of key variations (because there’s a finite number of pin configurations the lock barrel can have). If you have an apartment block or housing estate with 100 units, each using the same brand and model of lock, that finite number of variations will be distributed randomly through the 100 locks. Depending on the number of key variations, the number of units and how good the supplier is at randomising their distribution, theres a small but statistically significant chance that any one key will open more than one door in the development. Now hopefully the developers have chosen a lock model that has more than 100 key variants, which would reduce the chance of duplication even further. But your key definitely opens other doors out there in the world.

Sometimes on keys designed with lower security than a front door (say for filing cabinets, padlocks or car roof boxes), you’ll see a code number printed on the key. You can actually use that number to order more keys to open that lock, without having to get a key cut from the original one you have. In fact, sometimes the lock has the number on it (if you know where to look), and you can just go online and order the key that will open that lock (front door locks won’t be this unsecured).

TheGlossy

If it’s a copy of a copy, how can my key be the same brand as the resident next door?

Possibly my key opens other doors it the world, but it would be unlikely it opens my neighbors.

It’s also not the issue at stake really. Instead of ringing her flatmate who was due to come back 2h later or their landlord, this person thought it was a better idea to hassle me for 10 minutes to get me to give her my key.

If you’re locked in broad daylight and have a flatmate that is not away on vacation or something (as it was the case here), why not contact the flatmate or go back to your place of work/school or a coffee shop until the flatmate comes back at 5pm?

A neighbor can a) put their safety a stake with this nonsense b) engage their liability in case their let someone in into an apartment that’s not theirs.

I have since reported the issue to building security and they’ve spoken to my neighbors.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121508282#Comment_121508282

The locks in the doors in your complex are most probably all the same brand.

The same way that the electric showers, carpets, window frames etc are all the same brand, even if the colours are different.

SharkMX

Ive a mate who used to work in a locksmiths.

I had great fun with another paranoid friend who paid to get locks with special registered keys so noone else but them could get one cut. I bet him €100 that if i had his key i would have a spare by the morning. Took his key to the locksmith friend who got one done in the shop and it cost €30. I made €70 and the friend was totally shocked. Cant remember how much it cost him to get the lock and key registered but he wasted his money. He got a spare key for his €100 though.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121508282#Comment_121508282

If it’s a copy of a copy, how can my key be the same brand as the resident next door?

The brand of the key is irrelevant, only the brand of the lock matters. But you're correct, the chances of two modern locks in different apartments next door to each other being opened by a single key are pretty long.

Yer woman just sounds like an oddball, most people would have just gone for a coffee and a walk for two hours. Not sure it's a big deal though.