When I leave the apartment without taking the car, I always carry three essential items: a) my apartment keys, which are in a small key wallet that also holds a USB stick and a few coins; b) my smartphone, and c) my regular wallet with my ID, bank cards, and other necessities. Today, for the first time, I forgot to take my apartment keys.
It happened like this. We had just come back from a Bio supermarket here in Chemnitz. Before unloading the groceries into the fridge (including a watermelon), I quickly set the keys on the kitchen table. That small act turned out to be a mistake. Normally, I put them right back in my pocket, but this time, we were in a rush to head to REWE for a few more things. In our hurry, we stormed out of the apartment without the keys. The second I saw Dipty closing the door, I shouted, “Waaaaaaait!” But it was too late.
She didn’t know I wasn’t carrying the keys, and in fairness, I almost always have them on me when we go out together. That’s why she never brings her copy. Standing in front of our closed apartment door, I had one of those crystal-clear, slightly comedic realizations. I’m getting older, my eyesight’s not what it used to be, I’ve got more white hair, a belly, and apparently, my reaction time isn’t as sharp as I imagine it to be. Maybe in my next life, I’ll be cracking jokes and training with Shaolin monks instead.
Fortunately, I still had my smartphone. I called the Hausverwaltung, hoping someone could bring us a spare key. No luck. Just a robotic message saying they’re only available a few times at specific hours per week. It was around 1 PM on a weekday, and I tried twice. Still nothing. At that point, we remembered something useful. As an ADAC Premium member (thanks to my car), I’m entitled to free help with locked apartment doors. So I called them. About an hour and a half later, a young guy from ADAC arrived.
He looked slightly uncertain when he noticed our door opens outward, which is an unusual design in Germany and typically found only in older buildings. I tried to reassure him. “Come on, you guys at ADAC must have experience with this.” He gave it a go, but after about 20 minutes of effort, he admitted defeat. He said he only encounters cases like this three or four times a month and doesn’t have the full set of tools needed for these older-style doors. I told him it was okay and that I’d call a professional locksmith myself. He seemed relieved. I smiled and told him, “It’s okay. If I only did something three or four times a month, I wouldn’t be an expert either.” We said goodbye. He left with a sense of unfinished business, and I was a bit disappointed I couldn’t make full use of my ADAC membership.
Still locked out after nearly two hours, I turned to Google and found a local locksmith company in Chemnitz: Schlüsseldienst Rückert. The owner answered my call and said he’d be at the apartment in 30 minutes. True to his word, he arrived on time. After examining our door, he said it might be a bit tricky due to the outward-opening design, but that he’d do his best. I assumed this meant another 20-minute struggle like with the ADAC guy. I was wrong. One to two minutes later, the door was open.
I was genuinely impressed. I paid 107 euros in cash. He explained that around 28 to 30 euros of that was for travel, and the rest for the unlocking service. At that point, I didn’t care. I was just happy to be back inside.
So, what did I learn from this little misadventure? First, you really can’t rely on the Hausverwaltung in urgent situations like being locked out. Second, while companies like ADAC offer valuable services, they may not be prepared for less common cases. And most importantly, calling a dedicated professional locksmith saves you time, worry, and frustration.
And if I’d had a drone with a magnet on it, I could’ve flown it through the open balcony door and retrieved the keys myself. But really, who takes a drone to the supermarket? Maybe someone should start offering that as a service. Locksmiths with drones. Now there’s an idea for Germany, where simple services are expensive.
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