Trapped in customers driveway!!

[SauberBear]

So, picture this: It’s 5:05 PM, the job is done, the gear is back in the van and I’m ready to roll to the last job of my day. I stroll confidently to the electronic gate, push the button… and nothing. No movement, no reassuring hum of mechanics, just cold, stubborn silence.

No big deal. I push it again. And again. And again. Still nothing!

I know the owners are out, but they’ve got a Ring doorbell, so I give that a go. No answer.

Time for the phone. Three calls to the lady of the house—straight to voicemail. Either she’s in a bunker or she’s seen my name pop up and thought, Not my problem!

Desperation kicks in. I start knocking on neighbors’ doors like a stranded hitchhiker. “Excuse me, do you have a magic key to the fortress next door?” No luck.

Finally, I get through to the owners, and that’s when I learn the punchline: The gate automatically locks after 5 PM. No code, no override—just a cold, mechanical you shall not pass. And the only way out? A fob. That is, of course, safely tucked away in the house. And the customers are in London for the night.

I never thought I’d be commuting from work by train as a window cleaner, but it appears there is a first time for everything!! Ha ha!

 

[ched999uk]

I'd have been inclined to get my tool kit out to see if I could 'escape'.

 

[Pjj]

So, picture this: It’s 5:05 PM, the job is done, the gear is back in the van and I’m ready to roll to the last job of my day. I stroll confidently to the electronic gate, push the button… and nothing. No movement, no reassuring hum of mechanics, just cold, stubborn silence.

No big deal. I push it again. And again. And again. Still nothing!

I know the owners are out, but they’ve got a Ring doorbell, so I give that a go. No answer.

Time for the phone. Three calls to the lady of the house—straight to voicemail. Either she’s in a bunker or she’s seen my name pop up and thought, Not my problem!

Desperation kicks in. I start knocking on neighbors’ doors like a stranded hitchhiker. “Excuse me, do you have a magic key to the fortress next door?” No luck.

Finally, I get through to the owners, and that’s when I learn the punchline: The gate automatically locks after 5 PM. No code, no override—just a cold, mechanical you shall not pass. And the only way out? A fob. That is, of course, safely tucked away in the house. And the customers are in London for the night.

I never thought I’d be commuting from work by train as a window cleaner, but it appears there is a first time for everything!! Ha ha!

Code will override it we have several like this , think the customer is being a pita

 

[Iron Giant]

Code will override it we have several like this , think the customer is being a pita

I agree, I have one where I have to phone the customer to get out pretty sure it must be a phone call or an app to open the gate, as with another job I just ring what appears to be a mobile number and the gate opens within seconds.

 

[Iron Giant]

So, picture this: It’s 5:05 PM, the job is done, the gear is back in the van and I’m ready to roll to the last job of my day. I stroll confidently to the electronic gate, push the button… and nothing. No movement, no reassuring hum of mechanics, just cold, stubborn silence.

No big deal. I push it again. And again. And again. Still nothing!

I know the owners are out, but they’ve got a Ring doorbell, so I give that a go. No answer.

Time for the phone. Three calls to the lady of the house—straight to voicemail. Either she’s in a bunker or she’s seen my name pop up and thought, Not my problem!

Desperation kicks in. I start knocking on neighbors’ doors like a stranded hitchhiker. “Excuse me, do you have a magic key to the fortress next door?” No luck.

Finally, I get through to the owners, and that’s when I learn the punchline: The gate automatically locks after 5 PM. No code, no override—just a cold, mechanical you shall not pass. And the only way out? A fob. That is, of course, safely tucked away in the house. And the customers are in London for the night.

I never thought I’d be commuting from work by train as a window cleaner, but it appears there is a first time for everything!! Ha ha!

If it automatically mechanically locks then how does it disengage it's set up electronically and can be overridden either the customer is as thick as mince or taking the pee.

 

[SauberBear]

There is a box which is accessed via a key to the side which houses the timer for the gate. They did say if I can open it somehow I’m welcome to tinker with it, but I decided not to. There’s no code for entry, just a big green button.

I don’t want to paint a picture of them being unkind or difficult because they really aren’t. They are long term customers who have always been lovely & were very apologetic over the phone and even offered to pick me up this morning.

Just thought it was an amusing anecdote worth sharing.

 

[Skxawng]

Same thing happened to me once, except the box had malfunctioned and wasn't working on the way out. I had the code but it just wouldn't open.
After calling their office they got the groundsman to call me back.
It turns out on most most electric gates there is usually a manual override screw which you turn and then you can push them open. Sometimes it's on a box, sometimes it's under a cover plate.
He talked me through the process. On this one you lift the cover plate where the gate goes into the ground (near the hinge) there is a fairly large screw underneath which you can turn and it releases the mechanism.