Opening Locked Doors

I spent the last two days driving up to Virginia and back to deal with court nonsense (that's another story).  It was just me and my Dad (no kids), so we did "grown up driving", pretty much flying up the highway at break-neck speed.  I have learned to simply not look at the speedometer when my Dad is driving.  I just think of it as "time travel", and am happy when we have arrived at our destination safely. 

Along the way, we did stop a few times at gas stations to fill up, get some snacks and take potty breaks.  The last stop we made on our way back to NC was at a little, local filling station.  There was a line for the bathrooms.  We stood there for a few minutes.  Waiting.  The woman next in line for the ladies' bathroom explained to my Dad, "I don't think there's anyone in there.  It's just locked." 

My Dad looked at her a little quizzically, then jiggled the handle.  Sure enough, it was locked.  He knocked, and no one answered.  The guy behind the counter shouted out to him, "It's locked!  Someone locked it!"  Ahh . . . so it wasn't a broken bathroom.  Someone had just gotten the idea to be funny, and lock the door, then close it.  (Who does that?!) 

"I've been trying to unlock it for hours!"  The man behind the counter continued.

And then, like a secret super hero, my Mommy Instincts kicked in. 

I looked at the doorknob.  I looked at the little indented slat in the doorknob.  I stuck my thumbnail in the slat and turned the knob.  Voila!  Door open.

The man behind the counter came running over beaming a huge smile.  "What?!  You got it?!  How did you do that?!  I've been working at this for hours!  I broke a credit card in the slot!  I tried using the metal bar!  I was getting ready to call a lock smith!  Thank you!  Thank you!"

I just looked at him and said with a shrug, "I have three small children.  I know how to open locked doors," and smiled. 

"Can I get a free drink?"

"Sure!" he said.  "Help yourself."

See.  Sometimes, Mommy Instincts pay off.