Emergency?.... Might As Well Call Ghostbusters

[pattayadingo]

We went to bed after a night out and closed the bedroom door. After some time asleep I woke up with a need to go to the bathroom - as you do after a few beers. I went to open the bedroom door and it would not open. I turned the handle left and right and pulled yet it still would not open. I decided I might have had a few too many beers and turned on the light to see what I was doing. That made no difference.

I pushed and pulled and turned the doorknob in my more desperate need to get to the toilet. The door still would not open. I looked in vain for something to force the door. Nothing. But I did find a carrier bag and relieved my now aching to burst bladder.

Feeling relieved I tried again to open the door. It still would not open. We are trapped. Bars on the window so no way out.

Okay, Phone the landlady see if she has a spare set of keys to go to the house to get the door open. She has no spare keys and hangs up the phone and refuses to answer again.

The g/f phones the police on 191. No answer. Tourist police. No answer. Tried several times with the same result.

I examined the door knob mechanism more closely. The bolt going into the door jamb was not sliding back. I decided the mechanism must be broken. The door opens inward so I cannot kick it open. I again search the room for something to use on the bolt. I find a piece of plastic, insert it and try to slide the bolt back. That fails.

By now I am beginning to get a bit desperate and obviously frustrated, as is the g/f. There are still no answers to phone calls.

Searching wardrobes and drawers all I find is an iron used for ironing clothes. I try hitting the door with the pointed end but only scratched the surface. Next I smash the iron and try to use the metal base to jam it alongside the door knob. The end of the plate breaks off. I see it is some cast metal. the door knob is also getting in the way of my efforts. I break that off. Now I can see inside and try to slide the bolt out. It refuses to budge.

My only recourse was to hammer the base plate of the iron into the gap between the door and door jamb, using wood from a set of drawers instead of my hand while I hammer. Eventually the bolt bent and the gap between the door and jamb opened enough to force the door open.

2 hours it took to escape that bedroom!!

Emergency? Ha !! Might as well call Ghostbusters for all the good the police were at answering the phone. It could have been a lot more serious. A heart attack, a fire or something equally as dire.

I've updated my phone to include direct numbers for the police and fire services now as it seems the 191 etc are useless.

Maybe it was a fluke that the doorknob would not release the bolt. Lucky too it was not an emergency.

On reflection we can laugh about it now but .....

Do you have your local police and fire services direct numbers handy? If not, get them, you might need them one day....... 999 or your equivalent may be OK back home, but not here.

[Payboy]

You may have accidentally stumbled on the real reason why people jump from balconies here.

[Dancealot]

Good you didn't have to do #2.... Nice story

[Will2011]

You might need to stay away from alcoholic beverages.

[Rimmer]

Same thing happened to me once but in the bathroom, remembered a youtube vid where the guy opens the door using a zip tie, so called to the wife through the window to bring me one. What you do is put the zip tie down behind the barrel of the stuck latch then grab the other end and make it into a loop, then pull hard at the same time twisting the knob, the latch springs back and you are out, it really works so keep a zip tie in the bathroom.

It can only work on inward opening doors BTW

[krisb]

Keep in mind all your door locks are the same age and therefore....

[Will2011]

Have you, guys, ever heard of locksmiths? It's a profession that will help you opening doors.

[Dancealot]

Have you, guys, ever heard of locksmiths? It's a profession that will help you opening doors.

[Sheryl]

If it had been me I would simply have gone back to sleep and called landlady in the daytime when likely she'd have been more accommodating.

But your point re 191 is quite valid.

Good idea to give a trusted neighbor or friend a full set of keys to your place.