Instructions on how to fix a locker jam!

“Oh no, my locker is jammed!”

High school has its ups and downs. My goal is to help you with one of the downsides and give you an advantage over the average Joe. One of the most frequently used objects in high school is the locker. Some people are blessed with wonderful fully functional lockers, while others, like me, for the past two years have been cursed with damaged and unforgiving lockers. If you happen to be cursed like me, or just get in a fix every once in a while, this guide will help you impress you fellow locker mates by teaching you how to quickly and efficiently open your jammed locker and avoid any undesired tardiness. I have drawn out for you three different techniques to try and to master, depending on the situation.

The first objective, after unsuccessfully opening your locker, is to spot the problem. Examine your locker closely. If you see a foreign object protruding out, a jammed locking mechanism, or the locker is just stuck, then follow these steps. Carefully and precisely enter you locker combination, making sure that every digit is exact. Once this is complete, tug upward as hard as you can on the black plastic unlocking unit underneath the combination dial. While still holding up, try and pull outward to swing your locker open. If this doesn’t work, either repeat with less pressure, or if you are willing to chance it, pull off this next stunt. Look around carefully for administrators, authoritative figures, or anyone that could get you in trouble. If none are spotted, make sure your combination is entered and the unlocking mechanism is raised. Then, using all your strength, quickly deliver a hard kick with the sole of your shoe while pulling out.

You may have to repeat the kicking process several times before the object or jam is displaced, thus releasing the locker door. Be careful not to pull out too hard, otherwise this could result in an unexpected head injury to a nearby neighbor. However, if you cannot release the locker yourself you may have to ask for assistance from a nearby friend. Instruct your friend to give a quick kick to the locker as you stand to the side holding the black piece up and pulling out. With this combined effort you should be able to resolve the issue.

Your second option may be the best if you have a damaged locker. It requires some important steps that need to be followed precisely for the best results. This method will allow you to temporarily jam your locker and open it without even entering your combo. Use this only if you must, because it will allow others access to your locker without a combination. It is first necessary to open your locker by any means; this may include the first method listed above or the next method that I will explain later. Once you get your locker open, swing the door open and hold it open while we prepare the materials needed. Take a wooden pencil that you don’t need and break it, making a half inch piece of wood. Hold onto the pencil piece and enter you combination on your locker. Once it is entered pull up on the black plastic under the dial. Hold it up and look around to the back inside part of your locker. You will see the main chamber that the dial is in. Look to the right of it and you will see a silver block of metal that slides up and down when you open your locker.

If you can’t identify it, then gently lower the black plastic without letting it lock and bring it back up, and you will see the metal sliding. Carefully look at the underside of this metal piece. There is a gap between it and the main chamber. Place the pencil piece that was broken earlier into this gap. Slowly release the black plastic and allow the metal slider to come down on the pencil. Make sure that the pencil stays in its hole and blocks the metal slider from lowering into a locking position. After this is completed successfully, the locker will be stuck in an open position. Now shut the locker, and whenever you need to open it just swing the door out without the trouble of having a jammed locker or the need to enter a combination. The only other problem with this method is that you will have to remove the pencil at the end of the school year for the courtesy of the next locker owner, and if you do not execute these steps correctly the pencil could be stuck forever.

The last option is best used when in desperate need of help or lacking the time for one of the above steps. Contact one of the janitors or the office personnel. The janitors have a master key to open all the lockers. If you are going to be late to class, hope that you can quickly spot a janitor passing by and have him or her open your locker. The disadvantage to this is you will not receive a pass if you end up being late. So, in the case when you are about to be late, quickly go to the office. Immediately tell the secretary that you need your locker un-jammed. Ask in a calm and clear tone while adding that you will need a pass to get into class. The secretary will give you a pass and call for a janitor to meet you at your locker. Be polite and thank them for their help. Remember, you can’t use this technique too often or your teachers may become suspicious, even if it is genuine.

Use this guide carefully and share it with your friends, especially when they are in awe after you have swiftly and successfully opened your deadbeat locker. As a reward, you will be able to grab your essential learning tools and head off to an enjoyable class, only to do it again an hour later. In the worst-case scenario, after having gone to the office several times for assistance, you may want to request a new locker. Indeed, that could be the best alternative to a never-ending locker problem.