Cheap best way to cut a cheap lock?
 

Friend of mine has been bike commuting around campus. I told her to get a good U lock instead of a cheap cable lock. She decided to use both. She called to ask for help because the cable lock is siezed up. What should I bring to get it off?

Another post about how to cut bike locks . . . hmmm . . . cyclist in need or bike thief in training? ;) Try some WD40 on the seized lock. Spray it in the lock and on the key then wiggle the key a bit in the lock to see if it will un-seize. If you have to cut a cheap lock or cable any decent bolt cutter will do. Make sure you notify the campus cops and carry some ID or you could end up in the back of a cop car answering a lot of questions.

There is a bike co-op in the same town where my daughter used to go to college. I was bringing three used bikes for donation but swung through campus to drop my daughter off on the way. As I left campus I got pulled over by the campus PD (real cops as the campus PD is a division of the municipal PD, not rent-a-cops). I sat there a long time explaining why I had three bikes that weren't mine in my possession and waiting for them to run my license.

Call the campus cops or maintenance people, explain the situation, and there's a good chance they can cut it off for you- I think it's pretty common for cheap bikes to be abandoned at semester's end, so they have the grinders or whatever it takes to whack through them. I know a regular hacksaw blade doesn't do anything but scratch the paint on the lock!

Oddly, campus police reports that they do not have any tool to remove the lock.

I cut one of my own off in our bike room once, at night. It sure looked suspicious, lol.

Angle grinder + extension cord. Take extra care if there are fire alarm devices around.