My apartment locked me out

This has been an afternoon with a difference.

My apartment took on a life of its own and locked me out.

We have a ground floor apartment. I went out through the back door, pulled it shut to keep the humidity out but when I tried to open it I couldn't. Somehow the door had locked itself.

The front door key was in the lock, on the inside. The back door key was in the lock, on the inside. The sliding windows were locked. All my keys were inside while I was on the outside.

I found the maintenance man. A master key was no good because with the keys in the locks from the inside the master won't work.

He and two of his colleagues had lengthy discussions, prodded at the lock, fiddled with the windows.

Finally a decision was made - they'd have to drill out the door lock.

Off he went to get his drill, leaving his offsider and his toolbox.

Out came the hammer and a chisel.

I'm a great believer in basic tools like that, a hammer being my favourite. Mine is the 'if in doubt, give it a clout' school of engineering.

A bit of banging and crashing and somehow he managed to dislodge a piece of metal from inside, between the door and the frame, and yanked the door open.

Ten minutes of repair to the damaged piece of metal and the door is, almost, back as it was.

How the door locked itself is a mystery. I'll have to be very careful in future.