“Catch the Safe!” — A Classic Pridgen Lock & Safe Tale

Back in the early days, the team at Pridgen Lock & Safe handled more than just keys and deadbolts—they moved safes. Big ones. One particular day, Ed and Ron set out to deliver a massive safe using a brand-new, big green work van—a Dodge Maxi Van, to be exact. The safe had been loaded into the van from a large truck with some effort (and probably a few grunts, bruises, and creative language), and now it sat precariously inside the back, ready for its journey across town.

Now, this van was brand new, but not exactly luxurious. The passenger seat? A milk crate—because, as Ed reasoned, it was cheaper to buy the van without one. And really, who needed a passenger seat anyway? The engine was awkwardly located between the driver and passenger, covered by a plastic cowling. But hey—it ran great.

With Ed behind the wheel and Ron perched on his milk crate, cigarette in hand, they took off down Baseline Road like they had somewhere to be—and fast. Things were going smoothly until a traffic light changed suddenly.

Screeeeech!

Ed slammed the brakes. Ron spun around just in time to see the massive safe sliding forward, picking up momentum.

“CATCH THE SAFE!” someone shouted.

Without missing a beat, Ron dove backward—one hand reaching for the safe, the other grabbing the van door. The van was still rolling. The safe was barreling forward. And then—bam—the heavy metal beast slammed into the cowling, shattering it into pieces and sending plastic flying. Somehow, the van coasted—dented, clattering, and now smoking—into a nearby gas station parking lot.

Ed, needing to get to another job, made a quick call to the office for backup and took off, leaving Ron to hold down the fort. Ron lit another cigarette, leaned against the now-curbed van, and calmly watched the safe hanging half out the back like it was no big deal.

Back at the office, they sent in reinforcements: a young Mark Garland, only a few weeks into the job. They didn’t give him many details—just that Ron needed help at a gas station and to bring a few tools. Mark grabbed a couple of screwdrivers and headed out, blissfully unaware he was about to walk into a full-blown safe recovery operation.

When he arrived, he found Ron, cool as ever, standing by the lopsided van with a cigarette in his mouth and the safe still hanging halfway out the back like it was trying to make a run for it.

Mark asked, “What happened?”

Ron shrugged. “It fell.”

With nothing more than a floor jack, a 2x4, and sheer determination, the two of them muscled the safe back into the van and patched up what they could of the busted cowling. Then, with a few more milk crates and a lot of grit, they managed to get the safe to its final destination.

It’s a story that still gets laughs around the shop—because at Pridgen Lock & Safe, even a runaway safe couldn’t stop the job from getting done.