I walked faster as the clouds in the sky were becoming darker. I thought I wouldn’t make it, and regretted my lack of attention.
A few meters away, I saw it: the TYS office.
I opened the door, stepped in and heard the beginning of the heaviest rain in the entire year I’ve been here.
-Well, at least I’m not soaking wet- I said to myself.
I took a number only to be called right away, since the office was strangely empty that day.
-How can I help you?- asked the nice guy with the pretty smile.
I took a deep breath and spoke louder than usual, so he (and the rest of the people working) could hear me over the rain: I forgot my key inside the apartment…..
What to do?
If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, here’s a short list of the things you could do:
1. Don’t Panic! Call your flatmate.
This is the easiest exit. If you live in a shared apartment, and your flatmate is in town, just call and ask him/her to save you.
2. Hopefully, the TYS office will be open.
If you happen to forget your key inside the apartment during decent hours on a weekday, then the TYS office most probably will be open. You will only have to show an ID (for security purposes) and they will give you a key.
The best part is that this service is for free!! plus, you have an entire week to return the extra key. Yay!
3. Call door opening service.
If you’re not lucky enough, and forget your key outside TYS opening hours, you will need to call door opening service. The number for the service in all TYS’s housing locations, except for Iltakajo and Auringonnousu is 02 284 6998 (normal phone call rates apply) and in Iltakajo and Auringonnousun 0500 523 759 (normal phone call rates apply). The bad news is that the service is subject to a charge.
You can find more information at the TYS web page https://tys.fi/en/keys. Hopefully, you won’t forget or lose your key, but if you do, I truly hope you have a nice flatmate in town, or a good friend you can spend the night with, in case you’re left out of your apartment in the middle of the night.
How did my adventure go?
The nice guy with the pretty smile gave me a new key in approximately five seconds, so I sat down and waited for the rain to stop for the longest 20 minutes of my life. Luckily, my dear friend with a broken arm, showed up with two rain coats, handed one to me and walked me to his apartment, only a couple minutes away from TYS. (He even gave me a pair of dry socks and offered me coffee!).
Even in a rainy day without keys and umbrella, I’m still the luckiest girl in town.
