Once upon a time, there was a corral with an entrance to a private land. That land was sold, sliced into lots and a gated community was created on it. The corral was removed, a gate was constructed, and it was used by locals, workers, owners, visitors. It was a crappy gate, but it worked.
Then it was covered by barbed wire, so people started using the gap on the fence to enter the same property. Old ladies sliding in mud, people with bicycles climbing up a steep wall.
Then someone decided that this wasn't good. They constructed a metal fence and put a door on it. They put a combination lock on it. The cheapest piece of garbage that costs $7 at the local store.

They failed to inform the community of the code. Then started changing the code, claiming that people were sharing the code with their workers, maids, friends and cats, dogs, randoms.
Of course, they never shared the code and it became an issue. The lock then disappeared (no I didn't steal it)

Then the problems were exposed: people on motorbikes (and walking) use to enter the gate. OMG, your worker, building your house entered on a motorbike. Instead of taking a 15km round trip. OK, OK, I know, using sarcasm is not considered "non violent communication" so I stop. But how can I?

One morning there was a vertical bar welded into the gate "to make motorbikes more problematic to carry through the gate".
Guess what: a full sized mountain bike also became a pain in the butt to go through, because bars are 80cm wide with the bar blocking the gate at 38cm. You know what didn't become a pain to carry through? A motorbike with a 60cm wide bar. :) :( :O ... the surprise.

Fast-track to a nice, sunny Saturday morning, when I found a padlock on said gate.
No key, no message. Next entrance 1km up the mountain. OK, I am mountain biking, so I pedal up. The 70 year old neighbour did not exactly say this - while having to do a 2km+ roundtrip in mid-day tropical heat.

The reason: a motorbike entered again. OMG. The horror.
No one claimed responsibility. No one ever said sorry. Pretty crappy and sad - if you ask me. Someone just silently removed the padlock.

Fast-track a bit and found a giant rock blocking the entrance. What a nice neighbour. I removed it, no one ever claimed responsibility or said sorry. I am starting to see a pattern here. Someone has a problem with people using this gate, this gate, or bicycles/motorbikes. Or just mad at life?

So what are our problems? Just a recap:

• if it's a combination lock, people share the code, then others can enter
• if it's a cheap combnation lock, weather damages it and it can (??) change the code when locking it (??)
• if people know the combination, or there is no lock, they can enter with a motorbike

And .. the final solution. Praise the genius:

A combination lock-box for a key, placed high enough that a short person cannot reach it. Holding the key for a padlock that's locking the gate.

Why didn't I think of it? Because it's stupid. The only thing I was thinking of, that maybe that lock-box would be more resistant to the weather. Until today.

Then today the code either changed, or the thing died, but it did not work anymore. Funny enough, I discovered, that with the smallest force, you can just open the thing in either locked or closed position. ROFL. Aslo crying a bit.

So we didn't solve the code sharing problem. We didn't solve the cheap lock dying in weather problem, and since they figured the vertical bar didn't solve the motorbike issue, we are back to square one. A box you pry open to get to a key, open the padlock, open the gate, put the padlock, lock it, back into the broken box goes the key.

I think we could optimise this problem more.

• We should have a broken box with a tablet inside.
• the tablet connects to a server and has no backup power
• when you unlock the box (or pry it open, because the combination lock will die)
• you get a coordinate of a 2nd locked compartment.
• then you climb the door and locate it with a gps
• an underground tunnel system is constructed with exactly 13 endpoints, and an unreliable little robot would connect to the internet, send the location/code to a server, then take the key to the hatch and set the hatch code to a random number
• so you would get the tablet, climb the gate, go to the location, enter the code and get the key, then climb out, open the padlock, ask the tablet to give you a new location and code, and would carry it to the new location and leave it with the robot, which wouldn't wait there because it broke from the rain entering the tunnel.

Added bonus: the tablet could run out of battery and if there is no net no one can enter.

See? I have stupid ideas too.

Now. Let me unveil the secret technology: lever handles and door knobs. And roofs.

Am I really doing this? Am I really explaining that instead of a shackle (yes, I had to look that up) and padlock, we can just use a lever handle with an ordinary locking mechanism?

No. I am tired of it and it's just insane.

Use a normal locking mechanism. Call it whatever you want. You can get a combination lock for a normal door. You can open it on one side with a combination, key or an app. (no I don't want to carry a phone and use an app to open a stupid door, but some do, so whatever).
And you can open it from the other side with just a knob. Once you are in, you are in.

And the secret: a roof. Noun: the structure forming the upper covering of a building or vehicle.

WOW. We could have a roof over that door. Of course, we would build it in a way that anyone over 170cm would hit their head in it, but indeed, a roof would make a lock live longer. There could also be a mini-roof over the lock. You know what? There could be a mini-box/flap/protector around it.

Do I have to explain it to a group of adults, how you can just walk in through the kilometers and kilometers of fence with holes. I can drive a full sized truck into the property if I was to drive an other kilometer up the hill.

Anyway ... I am exhausted. I wish you a very nice day, in which, you have to exit your car, fold your mirrors, open a gate with a padlock, with a key you get from a disfunctional box. Drive through, fold your mirrors out, go back, lock the gate (through a hole that's so small your hands don't fit through), place the key into the box, and slam it open. Remember, it's broken because it's a country where it rains sideways.

Now before anyone tells me somehow, that "I am complaining". I sent a list of locks with prices. I also sent a complete shopping list, when I pointed out, how the camera/lights contraption could kill someone - due to breaking every single electric installation codes in every country in the world. Oh ... yeah .. that one. I will have to write one up too...

Again. I am sorry if your brain was hurt by this. I either cross or ride by that contraption every day. And oh boy, it's like an other instance of "we live in a South Park episode". Waiting to happen.

Here is something on weather-proof digital locks. I could probably just search Amazon, but I honestly gave up.

Add insult to injury: when I suggested a better lock (around $30), I was told that they had to evaluate the cost and approve it. :) ...