Locks and Doors

It is impossible to leave your door unlocked in Paris, unless you leave it open. The second you close it is locked. You need a key to open a door, as on apartments there are no doorknobs. Therefore, when one leaves their place, they need to be extra careful to have a key and it often occurs that people get locked out.

The extra annoying thing about my place is that I need to ensure I have my key even when I use my toilet, since the toilet is in the hallway. I am sure you see where this story is going… Last night I did indeed leave my key in my room and shut my door when I went to the toilet, realizing it when I arrived back at my locked door. Luckily my landlady (who lives 2 floors down) has a spare key, luckily it was only 11:15pm, and luckily my PJs are modest. I was lucky.

I have friends who have not been so lucky though. There are always stories floating around where people get stuck sleeping on their doorsteps. In one incident, my friend’s roommate lost his key, and borrowed hers. He then lost hers, so the two of them were locked out of their place for 3 days, since there was no one nearby with a spare. This story highlights the necessity of spare keys, multiple spares: one nearby, and one at a friends place who you feel comfortable waking up at 3am if need be.