safecracker at large

I first published the anecdote that appears here in the newsletter I write for my industry (Boxman). Hardly technical, it's something of a departure from my basic "Day In The Life" type yarn. It was unusual to say the least. This might be the greatest adventure I never had. Though it makes good telling, there are only a couple of facts that I know for certain to be true. Fact: I did get this phone call and I did have this conversation, the gist of which I’ll recount here. Fact: The treasure was/is real. The rest? If nothing else, a good safe-related yarn.   See what you think. One slow morning several years ago an earnest-sounding man called and introduced himself. He’d obtained my phone number from a locksmith outfit that routinely refers safe work to me. He said he was calling me based on their stellar character reference and the fact that they said I was good at opening safes. When total strangers call and open dialogues with flowery praise for

  Costco Mentality   No matter where you bought your safe, no matter who you bought it from, if you need to have it opened, you're going to need the services of a safe technician unless you do it yourself. People are often aghast at the prices they hear for such work . . . "$$$! That's more than I paid for it!"   Maybe it is, but why should I apologize?   The opening price rocked you, and probably because it's more money than you imagined it would be. But I'm not in charge of your imagination, am I? Where did you get your pricing ideas in the first place?   Also, what do think will have to be done in order to get your safe opened?   Blast or burn? C'mon, willya . . ? Do you seriously think that's how it gets done by legitimate technicians? I'll bet the only ideas you have about safe opening are what you've seen on TV and movies. Am I right? And do you think those types of media are dealing in reality or entertainm