I did this a few times when I was a student. A variant on this is to wedge a kitchen knife between the door frame and the door jamb. Sure some paint gets damage

I did this a few times when I was a student. A variant on this is to wedge a kitchen knife between the door frame and the door jamb. Sure some paint gets damaged but it gets you in... Another use for the coke-bottle strip is with padlocks - simply push inside and it opens using the method you describe on most of them. In fact there are so many ways to get round a lock that going to all of the trouble of picking it is rather quaint. Here are some common things that happen: Emergency services - they go straight for the 'Big Key' which is that battering ram we have all seen on TV. Bicycle thieves - no interest in the lock. Bolt croppers cost less than a good lock and they are far quicker at getting the job done reliably. Car thieves - break into the house and steal the keys. Regular folk locked out of homes/cars - call the locksmith or simply break some glass. If you need to gain entry surreptitiously (and not damage a lock) it can be far easier to use social engineering to temporarily obtain keys, e.g. from an employer, then get them cut in a matter of minutes at some place around the corner. Alternatively an impression can be made in 'plasticine' or a photo taken. A friendly locksmith can sell you the blank, and, with some time with a needle file, a key made. Although fun can be had picking locks, 'in the wild' it rarely happens because brute force or a bit of Coke can is usually far more effective.