To be fair, the context in which they invoked the case assumed we’d all remember those details already.

Beeps don’t usually come from a speaker, no. You might find this old ELI5 about electronic sound interesting.

There’s a lot of wisdom here. OP may appreciate it even more after they’ve dug themselves out, because this mindset will allow them to keep from letting it get so bad again…if they can teach it to their mom.

It sounds like a way of raising the price while incentivizing cash payment (because maybe just maybe they aren’t claiming all their cash sales)

There are still many companies in many industries that remain business formal all the way to the tippy top. I’m sure this is changing in some sectors, even highly visible ones (like tech and finance) that may lead business fashion in that direction over time. But it isn’t universal.

When you buy keyed doorknobs and deadbolts, there’s sometimes (always?—not sure, but def sometimes) a sticker on each package with a code. This lets you look through the available inventory to find and buy additional locks with the same code so that if you need multiple locks for the same house, they can all use the same key.

So no, as others have said, mass produced locks aren’t unique, but sometimes that’s a benefit.

Edit to add: it’s okay that locks aren’t unique, because the lock itself isn’t really what keeps people from entering locked doors. Mostly it’s the social contract. Your house key might unlock several houses in your neighborhood, but you’re not gonna try it, because how would you explain yourself if you got caught? And if you weren’t worried about that, then you’d probably be okay with just smashing the window…which means that for someone who would violate it, the lock is moot.