Most agricultural plant had a "Lucas key" [1] which meant you could use any key to start any machine.
I used to have one on my house keys long after I actually needed it, kind of an agricultural/industrial shibboleth. It's also how many many years ago I came to be drink-driving an eight tonne excavator through streets of Glasgow at 3am, with some rather grateful Strathclyde Police traffic cops keeping my way clear, but that's a whole 'nother story.
I used to have a keyring with the dozen or so different keys we have for network and equipment cabinets. One day I left it at home, and when I got to site realised that the cabinet was almost certainly one of the ones I didn't have a key for anyway.
I pulled the thin stainless strip out of an old wiper blade I'd thrown into the boot of my car to put in the bin later (and six months later, still had not), chopped two lengths of it, bent one into an L-shape and filed the little notch at the end of the other a little deeper and rounder. At some point muuuuch later I welded a little stainless washer to the ends of them both to put it on a keyring.
Yes, it was quicker and easier to just rake the wafer locks in the rack than find the right key.
Apparently Taxis in New York used to all be ex-cop cars, and cop cars all had the same key, so one key would get you any taxi.
Most agricultural plant had a "Lucas key" [1] which meant you could use any key to start any machine.
I used to have one on my house keys long after I actually needed it, kind of an agricultural/industrial shibboleth. It's also how many many years ago I came to be drink-driving an eight tonne excavator through streets of Glasgow at 3am, with some rather grateful Strathclyde Police traffic cops keeping my way clear, but that's a whole 'nother story.
I have a ring somewhere with all the “common keys” such as elevator overrides, construction equipment, etc.
I used to have a keyring with the dozen or so different keys we have for network and equipment cabinets. One day I left it at home, and when I got to site realised that the cabinet was almost certainly one of the ones I didn't have a key for anyway.
I pulled the thin stainless strip out of an old wiper blade I'd thrown into the boot of my car to put in the bin later (and six months later, still had not), chopped two lengths of it, bent one into an L-shape and filed the little notch at the end of the other a little deeper and rounder. At some point muuuuch later I welded a little stainless washer to the ends of them both to put it on a keyring.
Yes, it was quicker and easier to just rake the wafer locks in the rack than find the right key.
I did buy a new key for my ex-cop car on eBay, but there isn't just one, I had to buy all 7 possibilities (for $8 total).