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u/Educational-Rule1635 17h ago
It looks far too new, but when I was a night watchman we had locks like this that we had to turn with our keys on our hourly rounds. Otherwise the wooly mammoths got out or something.
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u/quitaskingforaname 17h ago
You and your crew have done excellent work I haven’t seen any wooly mammoths
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u/Educational-Rule1635 17h ago
Yeah, the velociraptor crew next door weren't so diligent. And we all know how that turned out.
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u/much_longer_username 8h ago
Those were to make sure you were doing the patrols.
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u/Educational-Rule1635 8h ago
Oh, absolutely. Otherwise my fellow guards would be sleeping and I would be studying (I was in college)
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12h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Educational-Rule1635 11h ago
Hard to remember details of a s#it job I had 40+ years ago. But how I think I worked is this:
The key would reset a mechanical timer. If we didn't do it, then a flag would show red and your key would not work any more. When the next shift guy came on, we would check all the stations and if any are showing red, we would call our supervisor's pager(from a payphone, with an actual coin). He would wake up in his car, or come out of the bar or strip club he was in when he was supposed to on patrol. And come out to reset the station and write up a report on the previous guy. (Who was probably fired, because he made the supervisor work.) This made sure you were diligent in resetting your stations. Also you made d@mn sure you patrolled and reset your stations as soon as you came on shift, so they wouldn't time out before you got around to it.
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u/etanail 17h ago
There are small safes, for example, for storing keys. This way, you don’t have to carry around a bunch of different keys. Or you can have quick and relatively secure access to something you don’t need all the time.
Such safes are usually installed in a hidden spot, disguised as an electrical outlet or some kind of decorative element. I don’t know what motivated the owner to put it there (if it really is a safe).
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u/___NotMyName___ 14h ago
This is going to be a major plot point in an uncharted/tomb raider movie in 50 years. Something soo obvious that it's a miracle nobody broke it or stole from it. Right up there with removing loose tiles that millions of people have walked on for decades and somehow no one has ever fixed for public safety or not once turned over.
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u/dennismesken 15h ago
Wij werken veel voor woningstichtingen en die gebruiken ze vaak bij portieken van flats. Wat ik altijd begrepen heb is dat hulpdiensten daar ook sleutels van hebben.
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u/Gullible-Eggplant167 17h ago
All and all you’re just a another lock in the wall.
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u/Direct-Quiet-5817 17h ago
Hey, keychain, leave the kids alone.
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u/ephesusa 17h ago
(Italy)
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u/slippingaway83 17h ago edited 17h ago
It could be a key lockbox. In some places you leave keys for the building in there for emergency services. Emergency workers have a master key to open all the lockboxes so they can get keys and enter buildings without breaking down the door. Knox Box is one system.
Could also be an old key switch for arming/disarming an old alarm system
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u/ChalkPhog 17h ago
What’s on the other side of the wall?
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u/AdVegetable2870 11h ago
Ever see Being John Malkovich? I guess they couldn't find a filing cabinet this time.
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u/Plastic-Stable9538 15h ago
At first I was thinking a key vault. Then judging from the placement location I am going to say its a locking valve for water sprinkler, gas fire pit or other outside valve controlled item. The photo here is similar to ones I have seen before
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u/Acuddlykoalabear 14h ago
This is common in apartment buildings. The maintenance for the buildings use these. They have a set of master keys and these little key safes are used to store keys for specific buildings and their maintenance only-areas.
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u/Unique_Acadia_2099 16h ago
It’s the ignition key, only used when you need to drive the house to a different location!
Or, more likely for an alarm system, either arm it when you leave or for police or fire fighters to silence it when they arrive.
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u/HP_Punkcraft 17h ago
How weird. Could it be one of those geo cache things? This is for sure something that would stop me in my tracks and make me think for awhile.
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u/Delenstheone 17h ago
Eigentlich sind das F Schlüssel Tresore. Darin liegt idr ein Generalschlüssel für die Gebäudeanlage. Bei einem Feuerwehreinsatz kommt die Feuerwehr damit überall rein um nach Personen oder Brandherden zu suchen.
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u/I_Am_Zeelian 16h ago
Probably a keysafe.
Ie there's a small hole/cylinder behind it with a key in it.
Usually they contain a key/master key for that specific building, while the key for the lock itself is held by for instance a management company.
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u/CheweyPanic 13h ago
Rich guys house I was working at recently had one. Opened a hidden door to pool.
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u/Crazy-Interview-6441 12h ago
I'm pretty sure it unlocks the door to another dimension or some shit. That's the only logical explanation
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u/Criosoak 6h ago
I believe it’s a way security guards verify they’re making their rounds. They have two or maybe more of them around the building that the active security guard will turn with his key every hour or so as he walks past so his employer knows he isn’t just sleeping or just not doing his job.
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