In the late 70's my mother and I were spending the night in Houston, Tx for a visit the next day to MD Anderson for my mother.

We stay at a motel that had drive up parking. The door had a chain which I used. This was back in the day of keys on the plastic motel advertising with room number.

Just inside the door was a counter top where you placed all your items.

Went to sleep and was awakened about 3am to someone opening the door and rattling the chain trying to reach in and grab anything they could reach on the counter top. I awoke with gun in hand screaming I'll shoot your ass and to get the F*%K out of here now.

This sure rattled my 19 year old, West Tx, country boy ass. Figured out right quick some of the ways of the city. They were after the room or anything they could crab and go with. Most ladies would drop their purse on that counter top.

At least nowadays most motel/hotels have the electronic door keys that are changed each time the room changes hands. Unlike the old actual key that gets used over and over again.

Actually, most hotels re-use the room keys. It's part of the reason that the keys fail so often...that thing where you get to the room and your key doesn't work. You may bring the key back to the desk and they'll give you a fresh one...but it's very often recycled, and has had someone else's information on the key.

Many hotels use the room key in a slot inside the door as the master switch that allows power to everything in the room. Put the key in the slot, and then you can turn on the lights, etc. Some are proprietary, but in many cases, you can use a key from a different hotel.

I never turn in my keys. They get used at home as scrapers, for mixing epoxy, and all kinds of things. I never turn them in, and never discard them.

It used to be that a lot of your information was encoded on that key. Today, not so much, but for that reason, I never turn the key card back in. Encoding personal information on key cards in the US isn't typical, but it is done abroad, especially in Europe. There are various cards in use, from magnetic strip to smart cards to RFID; some contain more information than others, and in the case of RFID cards and smart cards, the hotels usually insist on the return. Magnetic strip cards are cheaper, and hotels usually don't care so much. magnetic strip cards are found at motels and less expensive hotels.

RFID cards can be cloned, quickly. If you order extra key cards, which is usually a good idea with magnetic strip cards (because often the first one doesn't work), they all look alike, and someone can switch your key card without you noticing, by replacing it with another. When the replacement doesn't work, the user typically goes back to the front desk and they issue a new one, and no one is the wiser . Meantime, the thief has unrestricted access to the hotel room. Hacking a RFID card can be done with a cell phone.

I travel a bit for work, and have a door jamb lock in my travel kit. One piece goes into the hole in the strike plate, the other piece wedges against the door.
The door can't be opened without ripping out the strike plate, even with the door latch retracted.

It doesn't work in some hotels due to the design of the strike plate, or the gap in the door to fame fit is tooo tight... But that's the rarity.

quote:

Originally posted by Gibb:
I travel a bit for work, and have a door jamb lock in my travel kit. One piece goes into the hole in the strike plate, the other piece wedges against the door.
The door can't be opened without ripping out the strike plate, even with the door latch retracted.

It doesn't work in some hotels due to the design of the strike plate, or the gap in the door to fame fit is tooo tight... But that's the rarity.

can you post a link or pic to that?

Brother worked for Dept of energy (higher up). 2 trips to China both times there were subtle tells that things had been done through. Computer slightly moved, cloths not in the same location etc etc. Fortunately he'd been briefed on that very thing and had nothing of substance or work related.

All of the above plus I stay closer to the stairwell and usually travel in and out that way but am causcious no one is lurking in them. Some would also say not to stay above the sixth floor as most ladder trucks can only reach that high if a fire were to occur. I don't subscribe to that as I like a view but it's a thought.

This thread reads like a horror novel. Shame what the reality of this world is. None the less, all good info here; some of it will change the way I travel. Thanks for posting.

quote:

Originally posted by golddot:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Gibb:
...

can you post a link or pic to that?

This is the newer version with multiple sizes, mine is slightly different.

I wouldn't trust this against a brute force attack, but it'll stop the errant door openings, and slow down a forced entry.
Amazon link

Lots of good info in this thread.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
I gave rubber door stops to all my kids teachers....

When I was a cop I trained new cops, part of that teaching was taking new rookies to an abandoned house and having them learn how to kick a door for an emergency entrance if needed. BTW a “mule kick” (turning around facing away from the door and rear kicking the door) was the most effective method.

if a simple rubber door stop was placed under the door, it can’t be forced. You would be better off going through a window. I showed this to the SWAT guys who started training their guys(or offering refresher training) and they came to the same conclusions....the rubber door stop work. Even when using the door knocker they carried.

Very good to know. Thanks Mike.

thanks !