Have you ever been locked out or locked in ?

I went to my employers home for a business meeting and after a little while, I asked if I could use their loo. I went in and locked the door and did what was necessary and then tried to leave. But the lock would not move. I tried calling, ever so politely, "hello?", but everyone was in the back of the house and couldn't hear me. After 20 minutes, I was hammering on the door, but still no one came. When I'd been in there for almost 45 minutes, my boss came looking for me. They tried shoulder barging the door, but that didn't work and they had to resort to taking it off its hinges. By the time I got out, it had taken almost 2 hours and their loo door was a wreck. So was the business meeting. Not the best way to impress your employer.

I was in a CWA restroom with a completely sealed cubicle. Suddenly the lights went of, complete darkness, couldn't see door, scary! Luckily the lights came back on fairly quickly and when I got out the staff explained that by turning off the power this could deactivate the door locks. This was done because one of the cubicles had been occupied for a very long time and they had had trouble with drug addicts passing out in the cubicles.
Well it turned out the cubicle was occupied by a young girl who had been dyeing her hair!!!

I was on a train in one of those extra large loos with buttons to close and then lock. This one didn't open when I tried to leave. There was an emergency button but i was scared I'd stop the train!
I had to press it eventually and a light shone and the guard came and talked me through turning a handle which let me out.
I was so relieved I thought I'd go to the buffet car and order a treat.
I walked the length of the train and the person serving asked me if I was the one who had been stuck in the loo!

We're currently staying in a flat belonging to our son (long story). The first evening we went out without the keys and the door slammed shut behind us - locked out .
The flat is in a small block and luckily one of the other owners was in and kindly called a locksmith. He came and all it took was a piece of plastic to open the solid Yale lock. Relief.
I daren't tell son as he's very security-conscious.

I was on a train once with one of the loos mentioned by Grammaretto. The large curved ones with. The first time I had used one and found the door lock mechanism a bit confusing. I settled on the loo and 'let go'. To my horror the door slid wide open and people were walking past! So embarrassing.

When I was younger I was always getting locked out of the house or cars. I remember one car I had when I’d somehow locked the doors and left the keys inside, but I was able to open the boot. I climbed through the boot and pushed down the back seat and was able to crawl through to the front.

It was very undignified but at least I was back in control.

Yes, a week ago. We did get in without calling a locksmith, but if I tell you how, I shall have to exterminate you all, as you will know all my secrets

Myself and my sis in law were both heavily pregnant when we got locked out of her house, we were stood just outside front door and a draft from slightly open patio window blew it shut. My young niece was inside. Only way to get to rear of house was over a six foot high fence! Luckily there were some builders working across the field beside her house so we were calling and waving to them - think they thought their luck was in until they saw our large bumps lol. Two of them came across and one climbed the fence and came through the house to let us back in.

I am now paranoid about getting locked out!
There was one occasion when all my spare key holders were away on holiday or wherever and Paw was in hospital in London.
I devised the most complicated hiding place for a back door key and then remembered that the only access is through the gate which is also locked.
Fortunately I never had to try it out!

First time I went out after being snowed in for 5 days I set the alarm, closed the door - no keys!! Fortunately my neighbour who has a spare key to my house was home so I was able to get back in. You may think this was just a one off - but it has happened a few times now despite my having a large note on the back of my door with the word "keys" written on it!!

More than once - but not in a loo, thank goodness!

Worst was after I'd been to visit my mother in her care home on her birthday. Brother was also there, and we took her out for tea, after borrowing the CH's Blue Badge.

Then forgot to give BB back straight away - brother retrieved it from my car to give back - and then drove to his home an hour's drive away - with my car and house keys in his pocket!! Did not realise till he been gone a good half hour. Had no mobile with me so couldn't ring him.

Had to get 2 buses home, then 'break into' my own house - had left a small upper window open thank goodness so just about managed it - retrieve spare car keys, go back and retrieve car!

Brother was very apologetic! Am now paranoid about keys - always have to have keys actually in my hand when leaving the house.

We were staying in an hotel in the south of France, each suite had it's own terrace and pool. DH went in to bring cold drinks and on emerging gave the patio doors a push with his elbow as he didn't want the insects to get in. Patio doors whooshed along the rail and clicked shut and locked with the room keys on the table inside. I was going nowhere in just a bathing costume, DH had swimming shorts on so had to go out the back of the hotel and round to reception and ask the manager to let him in to our room.
I always check now to see if doors are self locking before sitting out on balconies and terraces.

OH and I were moving a mattress outside for the council to take away when next door neighbour returned from a dog walk, no no no says he, let me help you he put his dog inside the house and then shut the door ?I don’t know how he thought we’d get back in. His big dog is free in my living room and we 3 stood outside, it’s freezing we had no coats and slippers on. OH had to sit in the neighbours house while the neighbour took me in his car to my daughters house to get the spare keys he was mortified but luckily the dog was well behaved and lying on the rug wondering what the heck happened? we had a good laugh about it .

I managed to lock myself out of my house a couple of years ago. Had to go across the road to neighbours who eventually found me a lock man - cost me.
Trust me to change trousers and not empty the pockets.....

But yesterday I was in Tesco's loo in Abingdon. After a couple of minutes the light went out and I was in complete black darkness. (Shows I'm older generation, I never even THOUGHT of my phone!!!) I managed and found the loo push, and that didn't work either. Opened the door and the light was on again.
Yes I complained. But why should that happen?
I'll be a bit wary of that loo again, too.

I went to pick something up outside the front door....the wind or one of my “helpful” toddlers shut the door. They were too short to reach the handle. It was before mobiles,of course. My battlaxe next door neighbour eventually agreed to phone my husband,who couldn’t get there for half an hour. Fortunately there was glass either side of the door so I could talk to the children. Still makes me feel sick and I am paranoid about Yale locks.

We have a key in a lock safe hidden in a nearby garden shed.

Some years ago my porch door lock went wrong and would not open. My sons were at home but I was at work. When I got there I had to be dragged through the front window - luckily no-one took a photo! My neighbour came and used his angle grinder to take the lock off.

Out on a walk with our two daughters aged 6 and 10 (then) they popped into the railway station to use the loo. We waited for them to come out but when they didn't I went in to find them.
They were both in same loo and lock on door was jammed! It was an an ordinary door not like some of them now where they could crawl out. I couldn't get it open, Dad went in to try and rescue them, then the man in the ticket office tried no luck! We even tried taking the handle off! The only window was above the railway lines so would need to stop trains! Eventually the railway man called the fire brigade but they couldn't get there for about half hour. At least the girls were in the right place if they needed a wee! By now I was passing them chocolate under the door but they were getting thirsty and upset. Dad gave the door another good shove and open says me! They were free! We apologised profusely to the railway man and made a swift exit before the fire brigade arrived leaving him to sort them out! After this the youngest daughter started giving toilets points out of ten-Harrods loos got an 11! And she got the nickname 'Jody-Loo'!!

My small job after retirement was cleaning loos. The lights were motion activated so if you were still for too long you were plunged into darkness.
But that's not my story.
When we moved here most of the room doors had keys in the locks. DGD was about two years old and visiting for the afternoon. We were upstairs looking at Granny's pretty things when DD and I stepped out of my bedroom on to the landing. DGD closed the door behind us and turned the key. She couldn't or wouldn't turn it back again and was locked in the bedroom. We didn't want to break the door down fearing we would injure DGD. Fortunately it was summer time, and I'd left the velux window open. We didn't have a ladder, neither did our neighbours. We had to call the fire brigade, who duly arrived, climbed in through the open window and released her. I apologised for having to call them, but they said it was good practice.
I removed the keys from all the doors, except the downstairs loo!

I'm getting paranoid reading your stories! And yes I've had to break a window.
When we were teenagers my sister came home very late after our curfew witlhout a key and, foolishly , rather than wake the household by ringing the doorbell, she broke a window waking and terrifying us all and the neighbours.

Indeed a great fear of mine,and yes I have locked myself out of my own home,and it was not a pleasing experience.
Knowing it was only early morning and my OH would not be home until almost dark I was in a right panic.
I prowled round and around our place looking,hoping for some outlet I could use to get back in.
I realised our upstairs patio window was slightly open as it mostly was during the summertime but the problem was confounded by my fear of heights and the fact this window was on the first floor.
Yes we had a balcony and I realised I really had to find a way to reach it.
Fortunately part of the frontage was of rough hewn stone and so if I was ultra careful I should be able to gain a few footholds.
Bearing in mind my fear it was a case of must and so slowly..............very slowly and methodically,praying as I went...........I reached the parapet and could climb over onto the balcony............and through the open patio window into
a comparitive sanctuary.
NEVER again was that patio left open when I was not at home, knowing if scared old me could scale "the heights".......... it would be easy peasy for a burglar!!
A case of live and learn for sure.
Plus I was ultra careful not to have a repeat performance of shutting myself out in the first place,my nerves could never take it!

Some years ago we had new neighbours move into a large house across the road. They spent huge amounts of money renovating it, no expense spared. One day there was a hammering on our door - the husband had gone to the bathroom and the super duper, highly expensive lock had jammed! After he had stopped laughing my DH had to get out his ladders, climb up to the roof, crawl across to the velux window and almost carry the terrified man back to ground level.

I was in Sicily with my husband and we went into a part of town with very few tourist. Went in to a local restaurant for a pizza and drank the local brew while we were waiting, a whole bottle. Went to the loo and found I couldn’t unlock the door. So there I was thinking how do I say help I am locked in in Italian! I banged and shouted, no one came, after nearly 30 mins and a lot of banging on the door my dear husband, the manager and few spectators came in. No English was spoken but my husband speaks very god Italian. Anyway after a lot of discussion my husband said in English pull your ‘nickers up and stand back he is going to kick the door in. They had all heard the banging but thought it was something going on outside and my husband thought I was drunk and needed time in the loo. Still everyone clapped when I came back into the restaurant.

Many years ago, whilst living in Malta, I was playing squash with a colleague when along came a security guard as part of his rounds. He had a friendly word with us, wished us a good evening and departed. Unfortunately, instead of using the handle to close the court door, he used the bolt and inadventently locked us in. It was not a pleasant or happy experience but, happily, I'm still here to tell the tale. I still remember it to this day.