The Bike Lock That Ignored His Fingerprint
A free A2-level English story for language learners, readable online in 7 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Quincy's smart bike lock refuses his fingerprint on every rainy morning until a classmate points out the sensor is just wet.
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Quincy rides his bike to school every day. He locks it with a smart bike lock that reads his fingerprint. Most mornings, the lock opens right away.
On rainy days, something strange happens. Quincy presses his finger on the lock, but it does not open. He tries again and again, but nothing changes.
One rainy Tuesday, Quincy stands outside school, frustrated. His classmate Opal walks by and sees him struggling with the lock.
"Is your lock broken?" Opal asks. "I think so," Quincy says. "It never works when it rains."
"Let me see it," Opal says. She looks closely at the small sensor on the lock. "It's just wet," she says. "Try drying it with your sleeve."
Quincy wipes the sensor with his sleeve and dries it well. He presses his finger on the lock again. This time, it clicks open immediately.
"It worked!" Quincy says, surprised. "The lock isn't broken at all. It just needs a dry sensor."
"My umbrella lock does the same thing," Opal says. "Wet sensors are tricky."
From that day, Quincy keeps a small cloth in his bag. Every rainy morning, he wipes the sensor before he presses his finger.
