It’s very exciting to go travelling, especially if you’re jetting off to a faraway place.

But with such a fantastic experience comes a certain level of nervousness, especially when it comes to safety.

A certain security device became popular recently after many travellers and flight attendants created videos recommending this Portable Door Lock for hotel rooms.

Chloe, an Aussie on a holiday in Thailand, documented her stressful three-hour ordeal in a series of videos as she got stuck in her hotel room for a few hours because of the ‘travel hack’.

An Aussie tourist was trapped in her room for three hours because of a popular travel safety device. Image source: Amazon Australia (left), TikTok/@i_want_waffle_fries_sir (right).

'I bought the viral door lock and I can't get out, it's jammed in my door and I'm panicking', she said while capturing the contraption stuck in her door.

Other social media users commented on Chloe’s post, with some saying she had not followed the instructions properly.

'I think you put it in the wrong end. I have a few of those, and it looks like it's backwards.'

While another said: 'If the smaller end didn't fit, then it doesn't fit this particular door, and you aren't supposed to use it.'

She explained that she had used the travel lock correctly, as per the instructions, but it unfortunately still jammed up in her door.

'I'm re-reading the instructions, I've put it in the right way. I didn't put it the wrong way around,' Chloe asserted.

You can watch Chloe’s video below:

Source: TikTok/@i_want_waffle_fries_sir.

It turns out, Chloe wasn’t the only one who fell victim to this particular lock—upon looking up the product on Amazon, reviews from other users revealed that many shared similar experiences of being stuck in their hotel rooms.

'We tried it and had to use tools to get out of the bedroom. It literally locked me up from inside, door was jammed. Won’t recommend,' one said.

Concerned users tried to advise Chloe on how to unlock her door with one saying: 'I don't know if this is a bad idea, but try bending it to the side then opening it so maybe it’ll create space you can wedge it out.'

'Use the butter knife to create space, don't bend the piece that’s stuck,' a second said.

Luckily for Chloe, she eventually gained her freedom after resorting to climbing out of her hotel window and reaching out to hotel staff for help. Maintenance then forcibly removed the device from the outside using a screwdriver.

Though the traveller eventually made it out of her room, the incident still mortified her.

'There's nothing more embarrassing than this happening,' she said.

Key Takeaways

• An Aussie tourist named Chloe was trapped in her hotel room in Thailand for three hours due to a failed popular door lock hack.
• Amazon’s Portable Door Lock, which had gone viral due to travel safety videos, got jammed in Chloe's door, which led to her three-hour ordeal.
• Despite other viewers suggesting she used the lock incorrectly, Chloe asserted she had used it correctly. One viewer found online reviews about other people trapped by this lock.
• After failing to unlock the door by following online advice, she climbed out via her balcony and requested the help of hotel staff, who removed the device from the outside.

Members, what are your thoughts on this story? Do you have any tips on how to stay safe when travelling? Share them with us in the comments below!

 

[Tervueren]

Poor child! But it did make me laugh! I usually read customer reviews before purchasing anything and I start at the one-star reviews and read up to the five-star reviews. That way, I know the bad things first and the good things last and can weigh up the pros and cons before I spend my hard-earned pennies.