Who Would Be a Locksmith at an Airport?

A locksmith traveling through an airport must see many of the familiar items the rest of us take for granted - door locks! Being some of the most security conscious places but employing hundreds of people, locks are everywhere. Simple locks on lockers, complex locking systems in the bonded areas, security locks on airport shops not to mention the locks on luggage, check in desks and all the other places that need to be secured.

I would imagine that many locksmiths have had to visit airports to use their skills to open locks that nobody could locate the keys for but, nowadays, with all the security that is necessary, a locksmith can't simply go to the airport, do his job and quietly leave. Instead, he has to submit himself and his tools to rigorous safety checks and perform his skills under the eye of a closed circuit TV camera as like as not.

When it comes to being accepted to work in an airport, it is no longer enough to be a good locksmith. With the potential for mischief that anybody able to roam an airport has, they will need to be able to satisfy routine security investigation. Because many of the tenants of an airport are very high profile customers, they will also have to demonstrate a high degree of discretion as well as a very high level of professional competence. For the larger airports they may even need to have security passes, be bonded and able to make recommendations at all levels in security matters.

Airports are really small cities and a locksmith that is enabled to work in one will need to have as wide a range of experience and skills as possible. Not only will he need to be able to cut keys, open locked doors, replace locks and service the general mechanical security systems, he must also be able to deal with a very wide range of individuals in various emotional situations. Everything always seems so urgent at an airport and people tend to be less patient and understanding when having to wait for a professional to do his work. He almost needs to be a diplomat, at times.

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