Puzzler Answer, 4/25/97: Theft Prevention with a Common Tool

Ray: This is sent to us via email by Steve Scudder.

Tom: Vee-a?

Ray: Vi-a...

Tom: I say vi-a.

Ray: What do you say...vee-a-duct? Why-a-duct. A soldier returns to his base to find his golf clubs had been removed from the trunk of his new 1960 something Ford. After complaining around the base, he learned that this crime had been repeatedly happening with Fords, and only Fords parked in the base parking lot while the car owners were on military duty. No damage had been reported to the cars, only thefts. So our solider deduced that someone must of had a set of master keys to let themselves into the cars parked on the lot. Got it?

Tom: Yeah.

Ray: What did he do to prevent this burglary from happening to him again? He didn't spend any money--only a few minutes with a common tool. Something you'd find in every workshop. He went to the hobby shop on the base..and he said "can I borrow a hacksaw?" And what he did, was he cut his T in half, not longitudinally, he cut it in half the other way,

Tom: Yeah,latitudinally..

Ray: Yeah, latitudinally..stuck the piece that you wouldn't grip with your fingers into the lock...now it requires his special half key to open it and no such skeleton key or master key could open this lock.

Tom: But any screwdriver would have done it.

Ray: They opened it with a cro-bar!

Tom: If it was a convertible it was a mistake because you know you never, ever lock a convertible.

Ray: Not unless you want your top slashed.

[ Car Talk Puzzler ]