History Main / HairpinLockpick

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''WebVideo/LockPickingLawyer'': The titular lockpicking lawyer has an array of tools to use for picking apart difficult locks. However, a common SelfImposedChallenge is to pick a lock with an improvised tool, often a twig, broken piece of plastic, or yes, even a hairpin. This is al

* At the start of one episode of ''SAeries/ScarecrowAndMrsKing'', Lee is teaching Amanda [[ChekhovsSkill how to open handcuffs when your hands are cuffed behind your back]]. At the end of the episode, she has to do exactly that, using Lee's stickpin as a picklock.

[[quoteright:300:[[Film/ConAir https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lockpick_3.png]]]]

[[quoteright:300:[[Film/ConAir https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lockpick_9195.jpg]]]]

* In ''A Study in Murder'' by Robert Ryan, a FemmeFataleSpy is being smuggled out of the country under guard for a PrisonerExchange. She's disguised as a nurse to hide the fact that she's being ShippedInShackles, so asks for something to pin her hair up. Later when the spy escapes, her escort kicks herself for not counting the hairpins to make sure they had all been returned. [[spoiler:Though it turns out someone else released her.]]

* ''Series/{{Castle}}''

* There's a subversion in ''[[Film/ShanghaiNoon Shanghai Knights]]'' where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is attempting to do this but Chon Wang gets impatient and shatters the door window with a lock, reaches in, and unlocks the door.

* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'': In "[[Recap/TotalDramaOceansEightOrNine Ocean's Eight - Or Nine]]", Heather attempts to unlock a bank vault as part of a challenge. When Harold questions why she's using a bobby pin, she snaps, "It worked on my sister's diaries!"

* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'': In "[[Recap/TotalDramaOceansEightOrNine Ocean's Eight - Or Nine]]", Heather attempts to unlock a bank vault as part of a challenge. When Harold questions why she's using a hairpin, she snaps, "It worked on my sister's diaries!"

* In the ''Series/Forever2014'' episode "The Pugilist's Break," on finding the door to the rec center locked, Jo tells Henry, "I got this," reaches up into her hair, and pulls out a hairpin, which she then uses to pick the lock. She tells him she learned how from her criminal father.

* ''VideoGame/LoveAndPies'': Esme uses her decorative her pins to pick a lock on a treasure chest.

* ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay''. Sarah Conner uses unfolded paper clips to pick the locks on the straps holding her and the lock on the door of her room. Bonus points because Creator/LindaHamilton actually managed to do it for real.
* In ''Film/TerminatorGenisys'', when Reese is handcuffed to a hospital bed, he uses forceps to pick the lock. He succeeds within seconds.

* Michelle Pfeiffer uses a hairpin to pick Jack Nicholson's handcuffs in ''Film/{{Wolf}}''.

-->-- '''Fiona Glenanne''', "[[Recap/BurnNoticeS1E10FalseFlag False Flag]]", ''Series/BurnNotice''

* ''Film/MajorGromPlagueDoctor''. After Grom is framed for being the Plague Doctor, [[IntrepidReporter Yulia poses as his lawyer to get an exclusive]], but Grom just wants her to help him escape. She walks out on him instead, but Grom slips the paper clip from her file and goes to pick the lock on the cell, only for his partner to open it from the other side, give him a police uniform and lead him to wear Yulia is waiting with a getaway car.

* ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'': Hannibal unlocks his handcuffs with a pen clip.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheProudFamily'' episode "[[Recap/TheProudFamilyS2E22ThelmaAndLuis Thelma and Luis]]" has Papi being sent to a nursing home that turns out to be a front for an illegal okra plantation where the residents are enslaved. Suga Mama is the only one who believes the kids when they discover the truth, and when she, Penny, [=LaCienega=], Dijonay, Zoey and Sticky infiltrate the nursing home to rescue Papi, Dijonay tries using this to open his cell, but it fails, so Suga Mama employs, of all things, her ''toenail''.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheProudFamily'' episode "[[Recap/TheProudFamilyS2E22ThelmaAndLuis Thelma and Luis]]" has Papi being sent to a nursing home that turns out to be a front for an illegal okra plantation where the residents are enslaved. Suga Mama is the only one who believes the kids when they discover the truth, and when she, Penny, [=LaCienaga=], Dijonay, Zoey and Sticky infiltrate the nursing home to rescue Papi, Dijonay tries using this to open his cell, but it fails, so Suga Mama employs, of all things, her ''toenail''.