Pick Lock..... Can you use this to Lock a door?

[Margo]

If you can pick the lock with your tools, shouldn't you be able to lock the door also?  I was just walking around thinking about that.  Would probably help people with their skills a bit and make some sense.  

A burglue might not want you to detect him until well after he/she has left.  Leaving a locked door would be a good way to cover your tracks.

Is that already in the game?

[Samoa]

Though my understanding is rudimentary at best, you can't lock a door with a set of lockpicks because of what the process actually involves.
A locked door may look something like this:

=========
|  | |   | |  | |
=========

That's the 'lock', and the |'s are tumblers.  When you're picking a lock, you're trying to make it so that all the tumblers are pushed away, equal with each other and left on one side, like: (and forgive my ascii drawing, but, hey, it's 2d here, folks)

=========
\  \ \   \ \  \ \
=========

So.. you can't use your pick(s) to push them BACK into a locked state, because that would require a method of pulling and not pushing.  Or.. something close to that.

[creeper386]

Acctually, I think it'd be possible with a tumbler style lock, when picking it your lining up all the pins so that you can turn it, since the pins are spring loaded most the time, turning it far enough in another direction with let the pins go back, and then the tumble cant turn back, because the pins are in the way. I THINK. Not sure...

Oh well. Most likely... If your robbing a house right, you have everything planned out ahead of time... At least the persons normal schedule, and a set amount of time your going to be in and out thats WAY shorter then the time they are normally away, and I don't mean shadowing someone with a house untill they log out!!!  :evil: So, you should be in and out before they get back, and unless you robbed everything instead of just taking a few things that you can carry out without looking suspicious... They probably WON'T know that they've been robbed for sure, and are certainly less likely to raise a hubbed if they come to their door find it unlocked and only find a few common things that are gone.

Unless you have alot of people and it's VERY well planned out, not only are you only going to take small valuables... Unless you're involved in a larger group that takes the things for you, you aren't going to be taking very UNIQUE things. The common burglar won't go in and loot the furniture all the clothes and everything IRL, they take cash, jewelry, real silver ware, maybe electronics, but even those are risky because they can be traced. Rare or unique stuff, stuff thats REALLY REALLY expensive, would be like stealing the Mona Lisa and such.

Ooh... Hmm... This wasn't part of the discussion... Oh well, take me advice and it won't matter if they find their door unlocked.

Yes, with a tumbler lock you -should- be able to lock it with picks, but the more I think about it, the more I doubt that Zalanthas used tumbler locks.
Anyway, here's a good tumbler lock explanation.

http://home.howstuffworks.com/lock-picking.htm

[Margo]

Well I would think that if a thief wentthrough the trouble to "case" a place and break in.. If he were a causious man and value his neck.. He would consider locking the door as being caught mean a quick death in most cases.  

If nothing else, if he believes the people are away and he is just "renting" that space to lay low in for awhile.  I't be worth while.

[Bestatte]

You can't lock a door with a lockpick. Try it at home some time. It doesn't work.

-She who has tried this at home.

[Zharal]

Actually you can lock a door with picks, just not amatures, and only
in real life..... :?