YouTube Lock Picking Channel Accidentally Teaches Burglary to 2 Million Subscribers

Popular YouTube channel Pick Every Lock has reached two million subscribers, a milestone its creator, who goes by the handle 'The Tumbler,' has celebrated despite growing concern from law enforcement that his videos constitute what one detective called 'a free correspondence course in breaking and entering.'

The channel, which launched three years ago with a video titled 'How to Open a Master Lock #3 With a Paperclip (It's Embarrassingly Easy),' now features over 400 tutorials covering residential deadbolts, commercial padlocks, automotive ignitions, and what The Tumbler calls 'high-security picks for the discerning enthusiast.'

'This is locksport,' The Tumbler said in a recent video addressing the controversy. 'It's a legitimate hobby practiced by thousands of responsible adults. We have a code of ethics: never pick a lock you don't own, never pick a lock that's in use. The community is very clear about this.'

The comment section beneath the video suggests the community may be less clear than The Tumbler believes. Recent comments include: 'Hypothetically, if my neighbor's deadbolt is a Kwikset 980, which video should I watch?' and 'Do you do house calls?' and a reply chain debating the ethics of 'practicing on locks that happen to be attached to other people's doors.'

The Tumbler has declined to moderate the comments, saying that 'free speech is as important as free picking.'

Local police have taken a diplomatic approach. 'We can't stop someone from posting educational content,' said Sergeant Paula Deadbolt of the suburban crime prevention unit. 'But we have noticed a correlation between his upload schedule and our call volume. His Kwikset video went up on a Thursday. We had six lockout-related incidents that weekend. Coincidence? Statistically improbable.'

The Tumbler's next video, reportedly titled 'Your Apartment Lock Is a Joke and Here's Why,' is scheduled for release Friday.