ghollow said:

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Logos Stick said:

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ABATTBQ11 said:

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They fired the only locksmith because he started last March after years as a seasonal employee. He's probational. If you want to blame someone, blame the decision makers who said, "For all the probationary employees."

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The fact that they have only one locksmith in the first place is weapons grade idiocy.

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So if someone got locked in a bathroom at Mariposa Grove and someone else got locked in a bathroom at Toulumne Meadows at the same time then one of them would be waiting all day to get out of the bathroom. It's almost a full day drive from one to the other.

Spend $200 bucks on spare bathroom keys so every Ranger can have one

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Bathrooms should not be designed to be able to lock someone inside. There should be a knob on the inside that can be turned to open the bolt to get out - one way only - and a key on the outside to lock it. Did the government remove the inside knob? Would not be surprised.

Owlagdad said:

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Sounds like the locksmith's supervisor needs to be fired because he couldnt step in there to do it. Surely there was a plan of some bolt cutters somewhere. What did they do when this guy was sick or on vacation?
Sounds like hit piece that should not be directed at Trump, but at managers who sat on their ass.

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T.H.I.S.

MemphisAg1 said:

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The real issue here is who employs a full time locksmith in the real world?

Like, nobody. Most large orgs will have someone who is cross-trained and can do basic locksmith stuff, and you also have contractors that you call for the more complicated stuff. Your management is responsible for having contractual arrangements -- with secondary and tertiary backup -- for all kinds of functions that you're full-time people can't do.

This is a failure of basic management 101.

I empathize with anyone impacted by this on short notice, but the much bigger issue is federal government needs to be streamlined and made much more efficient. There will be pain from DOGE's efforts no doubt, but they are on the right track.

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While I understand what you're saying, logistically I don't think that works when talking about a place like Yosemite. While there are some towns in the area, I would be shocked if there was more than one locksmith. Even then, its an hour and a half drive each way from said town into Yosemite Valley, where I'd be willing to guess 80% of the locks in Yosemite are located.

It's probably less expensive to have someone on staff than it is to pay someone for 4-5 hours of time, every single day of the year. Especially if that private locksmith is charging rates that would allow him to be able to afford housing and living expenses in that gateway town. The average median housing in Maraposa is $635k.

Nearly all gateway towns around the big national parks have insane costs of living.

Gee...I hope they don't fire the guy with all of the institutional knowledge on how to open the bear proof trash cans.

Logos Stick said:

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ghollow said:

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Logos Stick said:

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ABATTBQ11 said:

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They fired the only locksmith because he started last March after years as a seasonal employee. He's probational. If you want to blame someone, blame the decision makers who said, "For all the probationary employees."

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The fact that they have only one locksmith in the first place is weapons grade idiocy.

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So if someone got locked in a bathroom at Mariposa Grove and someone else got locked in a bathroom at Toulumne Meadows at the same time then one of them would be waiting all day to get out of the bathroom. It's almost a full day drive from one to the other.

Spend $200 bucks on spare bathroom keys so every Ranger can have one

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Bathrooms should not be designed to be able to lock someone inside. There should be a knob on the inside that can be turned to open the bolt to get out - one way only - and a key on the outside to lock it. Did the government remove the inside knob? Would not be surprised.

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I could be mistaken but don't most cities, counties, states have laws requiring this in case of fire. I believe they are called emergency exit bars.

I think I've come up with a way fix this mess: make some new keys and then give them to more than one employee. https://t.co/iK65evgKH9

— David Harsanyi (@davidharsanyi) February 21, 2025

AgRyan04 said:

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MemphisAg1 said:

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The real issue here is who employs a full time locksmith in the real world?

Like, nobody. Most large orgs will have someone who is cross-trained and can do basic locksmith stuff, and you also have contractors that you call for the more complicated stuff. Your management is responsible for having contractual arrangements -- with secondary and tertiary backup -- for all kinds of functions that you're full-time people can't do.

This is a failure of basic management 101.

I empathize with anyone impacted by this on short notice, but the much bigger issue is federal government needs to be streamlined and made much more efficient. There will be pain from DOGE's efforts no doubt, but they are on the right track.

---

While I understand what you're saying, logistically I don't think that works when talking about a place like Yosemite. While there are some towns in the area, I would be shocked if there was more than one locksmith. Even then, its an hour and a half drive each way from said town into Yosemite Valley, where I'd be willing to guess 80% of the locks in Yosemite are located.

It's probably less expensive to have someone on staff than it is to pay someone for 4-5 hours of time, every single day of the year. Especially if that private locksmith is charging rates that would allow him to be able to afford housing and living expenses in that gateway town. The average median housing in Maraposa is $635k.

Nearly all gateway towns around the big national parks have insane costs of living.

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If you have a need for a locksmith every single day of the year, then you are doing it wrong. It that is the case, they need a handyman to fix a bunch of doors and or door handles, not a locksmith.

And Google shows at least 4 locksmiths in the general area.

It's Mariposa..

Ag87H2O said:

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Sounds to me like Trump needs to hire them back and then fire whoever at the top decided to let those specific personnel go.

Purposeful attempts to undermine your boss should result in a short path to the unemployment line.

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Exactly. Hire the gate workers back at the GC south entrance and fire their boss for incompetence in management.

In my current role, I am challenged daily as to whether I have the right person with the right skills looking after the right work ... sometimes this changes on a dime. I am constantly evaluating. And if I threw my hands up and said F- it we just can't do "this job" because we're missing a person; my ass would be toast. Have to have contingency plans and be able to adapt.

The guy wasn't a locksmith. He was the guy with the keys. Give them to someone else.

txags92 said:

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AgRyan04 said:

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MemphisAg1 said:

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The real issue here is who employs a full time locksmith in the real world?

Like, nobody. Most large orgs will have someone who is cross-trained and can do basic locksmith stuff, and you also have contractors that you call for the more complicated stuff. Your management is responsible for having contractual arrangements -- with secondary and tertiary backup -- for all kinds of functions that you're full-time people can't do.

This is a failure of basic management 101.

I empathize with anyone impacted by this on short notice, but the much bigger issue is federal government needs to be streamlined and made much more efficient. There will be pain from DOGE's efforts no doubt, but they are on the right track.

---

While I understand what you're saying, logistically I don't think that works when talking about a place like Yosemite. While there are some towns in the area, I would be shocked if there was more than one locksmith. Even then, its an hour and a half drive each way from said town into Yosemite Valley, where I'd be willing to guess 80% of the locks in Yosemite are located.

It's probably less expensive to have someone on staff than it is to pay someone for 4-5 hours of time, every single day of the year. Especially if that private locksmith is charging rates that would allow him to be able to afford housing and living expenses in that gateway town. The average median housing in Maraposa is $635k.

Nearly all gateway towns around the big national parks have insane costs of living.

---

If you have a need for a locksmith every single day of the year, then you are doing it wrong. It that is the case, they need a handyman to fix a bunch of doors and or door handles, not a locksmith.

And Google shows at least 4 locksmiths in the general area.

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I'm seeing KeyMe Locksmith in Oakhurst and all the others are in Fresno? Maybe the algorithm is screwing with me?

https://www.google.com/search?q=locksmiths+near+yosemite&sca_esv=e7c63961e4743ad0&sxsrf=AHTn8zrBBtp9XyaUdmgsteylAnwGOku0LQ:1740184513057&udm=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwii_vm9hNaLAxXG2QIHHbB7OUYQxMEEegQIHRAB&biw=412&bih=833&dpr=2.63#smwie=1

Irregardless, my point was just that due to circumstances unique to National Parks, things may not always be as cut & dry as they are in the rest of urban America

AgRyan04 said:

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txags92 said:

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AgRyan04 said:

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MemphisAg1 said:

---

The real issue here is who employs a full time locksmith in the real world?

Like, nobody. Most large orgs will have someone who is cross-trained and can do basic locksmith stuff, and you also have contractors that you call for the more complicated stuff. Your management is responsible for having contractual arrangements -- with secondary and tertiary backup -- for all kinds of functions that you're full-time people can't do.

This is a failure of basic management 101.

I empathize with anyone impacted by this on short notice, but the much bigger issue is federal government needs to be streamlined and made much more efficient. There will be pain from DOGE's efforts no doubt, but they are on the right track.

---

While I understand what you're saying, logistically I don't think that works when talking about a place like Yosemite. While there are some towns in the area, I would be shocked if there was more than one locksmith. Even then, its an hour and a half drive each way from said town into Yosemite Valley, where I'd be willing to guess 80% of the locks in Yosemite are located.

It's probably less expensive to have someone on staff than it is to pay someone for 4-5 hours of time, every single day of the year. Especially if that private locksmith is charging rates that would allow him to be able to afford housing and living expenses in that gateway town. The average median housing in Maraposa is $635k.

Nearly all gateway towns around the big national parks have insane costs of living.

---

If you have a need for a locksmith every single day of the year, then you are doing it wrong. It that is the case, they need a handyman to fix a bunch of doors and or door handles, not a locksmith.

And Google shows at least 4 locksmiths in the general area.

---

I'm seeing KeyMe Locksmith in Oakhurst and all the others are in Fresno? Maybe the algorithm is screwing with me?

https://www.google.com/search?q=locksmiths+near+yosemite&sca_esv=e7c63961e4743ad0&sxsrf=AHTn8zrBBtp9XyaUdmgsteylAnwGOku0LQ:1740184513057&udm=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwii_vm9hNaLAxXG2QIHHbB7OUYQxMEEegQIHRAB&biw=412&bih=833&dpr=2.63#smwie=1

Irregardless, my point was just that due to circumstances unique to National Parks, things may not always be as cut & dry as they are in the rest of urban America

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No, I get it. But it is also the nature of things that what you can contract for can often be done cheaper than what you pay a person to do full time, particularly if somebody already has a business setup to do what you are contracting for and you are essentially guaranteeing them a large amount of relative easy, low risk and steady work to supplement their current business.

Teach the government employees to use keys.
Simple solution.

Tergdor said:

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Whoever wrote the article is a genius for making it seem like there was just one Joe Bob that had keys to everything and unlocked all the doors in the morning. What a great way to bait people with no idea about facilities management into engaging with the article.

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Did he unlock the bathrooms before or after he let the animals out for the day?

Drill the locks, throw open the gates, we own it all.

richardag said:

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Logos Stick said:

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ghollow said:

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Logos Stick said:

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ABATTBQ11 said:

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They fired the only locksmith because he started last March after years as a seasonal employee. He's probational. If you want to blame someone, blame the decision makers who said, "For all the probationary employees."

---

The fact that they have only one locksmith in the first place is weapons grade idiocy.

---

So if someone got locked in a bathroom at Mariposa Grove and someone else got locked in a bathroom at Toulumne Meadows at the same time then one of them would be waiting all day to get out of the bathroom. It's almost a full day drive from one to the other.

Spend $200 bucks on spare bathroom keys so every Ranger can have one

---

Bathrooms should not be designed to be able to lock someone inside. There should be a knob on the inside that can be turned to open the bolt to get out - one way only - and a key on the outside to lock it. Did the government remove the inside knob? Would not be surprised.

---

I could be mistaken but don't most cities, counties, states have laws requiring this in case of fire. I believe they are called emergency exit bars.

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There's a ****ing regulation that every car has to have some kind of way to open the trunk of a car from the inside.



But, people can get stuck inside a ****ter in national park?

Seems like the FedGov needs to figure that out.

Years ago was getting a backcountry permit from a volunteer at Big Bend. Completed the paperwork and was handing my money to the volunteer when a full time ranger came in. Full time ranger said it's 4PM. We are closed you'll have to come back in the morning.

Poor volunteer was a shocked as me. Ranger was as uncooperative and uncaring as could be. Probably still has a job with the NPS. In the real world that person would be terminated.

This is called malicious compliance. There is always an exception process and it has been used to keep key critical positions of need filled (such as contracting officers) who were still on probation.

Holy smokes! Maybe this was already posted, but the simple solution seems to be to send someone to the former locksmiths house to retrieve all the keys, then get some freakin copies made.

Or just pay a professional locksmith to come in and change all the locks.

Right, but would paying someone to come in and replace all the locks be less expensive than having someone on staff?

Who cares? It should be a one time thing if they get enough sets of keys made.

The cheaper and more logical solution is to just get the keys back from the former employee.

Only one locksmith? PPoor management. Fire management.

This is ranger Smith. He worked at Jellystone National Park for 25 years and was the only ranger with the institutional knowledge of keeping the wise cracking bears at bay. Trump fired him today. So many picnic baskets will be lost now. Sad. We must stop Elon! pic.twitter.com/PRrO4pZrMC

— The Dank Knight 🦇 (@capeandcowell) February 21, 2025