According to the club's president, two sacred rules govern the Longhorn Lockpicking Club.
"Only pick locks that you have, and only pick locks that aren't in use," Michael Boyle said.
So, if you think you can learn how to break into something at the club meetings, think again.
"If they even discuss anything like that at the club, they're going to be kicked out," Boyle said.
The Longhorn Lockpickers say they're problem solvers, not criminals. To them, each lock is a puzzle.
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Longhorn Lockpicking Club
News 8's Heidi Zhou receives a lesson on lock picking.
 
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"It's relaxing," Boyle said. "And, whenever you're having a bad day, you can pick a lock you know, your fallback lock. Pick that open, feel confident, and move on to something you haven't been able to open up yet."
Boyle has been lock picking for three years. He can pick open a padlock in about five seconds. But, with the power of this unique skill comes greater responsibility.
That's why the club leaders screen every new member.
"We meet them personally. We get some form of official identification so they can prove their identity to us," club officer John Gordon said.
Every new member must take the club vow never to use lock picking to commit a crime before the lesson begins.
"I hope what we're doing here is show that there are responsible outlets for this hobby and that there are responsible people that practice it," Gordon said.
That's the key for the club members, no pun intended. You have to stay honest to unlock this new hobby.
Texas law allows people to do lock picking as a hobby. Using the skill to commit a crime is a separate crime in itself.
