I worked with a girl who had a penchant for locking her keys in her car. The first cycle she was hysterical. But the local PD provides a nice service. Then the second cycle, when I called their station, the guy on the phone started laughing and said "Paula again?" But in all fairness, she was a babe.

So along comes the 3rd time. Maybe 100 people at that site, and she'd done it 3 times. No one else was that scatter brained. So we had a meeting. My suggestion was she loan me her car key for about 15 minutes. So I could go down to the nearest key place and make a copy. I cheated and made 2. We put one of the copies in her desk drawer.

I guess the embarrassment was to much and she really tried for the next year. Then fate and scatterbrain collided and when she went to look for her spare key, it was gone. But I had the 2nd backup copy in my desk. I handed it to her when she came into my office crying. About half the office accused me of stealing her copy. But then she found it in her purse. No idea why she moved it or forgot she'd done it.

But remember, she was a babe. All is forgotten when a girl is pretty and has great legs.

I used to work as a locksmith, and some people acted like we were evil rip-off artists for charging $10 to get them into their vehicles. We barely made a profit because the tools were so expensive and became outdated quickly. The tools were proprietary and required different methods for different vehicles. I've noticed that these days many of them use a blood pressure cuff type gadget which slips between the door and the frame and works on pretty much everything. A wire coat hanger bent correctly will still get you into trucks with triangle wing windows.

It also used to be cheap and easy to keep a spare key hidden under your vehicle with a shower curtain ring, but now most keys are chipped and can't just be copied.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:

I cannot believe it. A little while ago, I backed into the garage, got out and locked my keys in the car!

Gonna cost me $50...

Be glad you didn't lock yourself out in the rain with the top down. It'd be a shame for that upholstery to be ruined.

I locked myself out once. Walked a couple of blocks to a tow truck garage. Drove me back and opened it for $25.

I've had AAA in the intervening years up to now but never needed the unlock feature myself. Couple of dead batteries, flat tires, and just plain dead engines, and no gas. But no lock outs.

My cars won’t allow you to. I’ve locked myself out of my apt a time or two though

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:

next purchase will be a locking compartment for the back storage area.

Good. Then you'll have a place to lock your keys.

quote:

Originally posted by brecaidra:
I used to work as a locksmith, and some people acted like we were evil rip-off artists for charging $10 to get them into their vehicles. We barely made a profit because the tools were so expensive and became outdated quickly. The tools were proprietary and required different methods for different vehicles. I've noticed that these days many of them use a blood pressure cuff type gadget which slips between the door and the frame and works on pretty much everything. A wire coat hanger bent correctly will still get you into trucks with triangle wing windows.

It also used to be cheap and easy to keep a spare key hidden under your vehicle with a shower curtain ring, but now most keys are chipped and can't just be copied.

The pop-a-lock guy used two of the blood pressure type bags you mentioned on the door to make room for his door unlocker gadget. Door looks fine and kept the rain out afterwards, so all is well.

Local cops used to do it for free. But for liability reasons and with complaints from local tow companies and locksmiths about them losing that business they dropped the service.

When I started commuting 100 miles a day I just got AAA and still keep it now. Used it once for lockout, two times for a break down and once for a wreck when i hit a deer.

I figure I have about broke even or slightly in the red for the cost vs services used but it sure is handy, especially with the phone app. You don't even have to tell them where you are, they know by the GPS.

quote:

Originally posted by brecaidra:
but now most keys are chipped and can't just be copied.

The cuts can be copied but not the chip. My cars will open with the key, but not start. They also trigger the alarm system. But all you really want is to get inside and take your keys off the seat or out of your ignition.

My 1990 chevy didn't require a chipped key. I found a place one time that offered you a credit card size key for your brand of car. It was a cheap plastic but worked. You just stored it in your billfold like another credit card. I gave it up when I traded the truck off.

When I was young and foolish, working at a title company at the recorder’s office, I parked downtown in a huge city lot. Ome day, I locked my keys in the car. #@.%$&. The county office was closed, pre cell phones, so I found a pay phone called my thrn wife to come bring a spare key.

The lot had to be cleared by a certain time, so I then went to the lot attendant to let him know. This hispanic kid went over to my car and had the door open in about 30 seconds.

I don’t know why we locked cars back then. This kid could get in to any of them any time he wanted, and so could his buddies.

Be thankful you didn't put the only key you had in the pocket of your swimsuit and it's now in the Atlantic Ocean. Also that you didn't have to rent a car and drive four hours across the state to fetch the spare key that you left at home thinking you've never lost a key in your life so it wasn't worth the time to go grab it because you were in a rush to get going. The drive back was five hours because of traffic and the torrential down pour. Fun times on my kids' Spring Break a few weeks ago.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Be thankful you didn't put the only key you had in the pocket of your swimsuit and it's now in the Atlantic Ocean. Also that you didn't have to rent a car and drive four hours across the state to fetch the spare key that you left at home thinking you've never lost a key in your life so it wasn't worth the time to go grab it because you were in a rush to get going. The drive back was five hours because of traffic and the torrential down pour. Fun times on my kids' Spring Break a few weeks ago.

Ouch ! That is a horrible story.

I locked my only key to my mercedes in the trunk once. Turns out that while it's pretty easy to get into the cabin area, the trunk is impossible without dealer software and even then they can't guarantee they can open it.

Cost me $150 to have a guy from the dealer meet me 30 min away. Took him about 20 seconds to open the cabin and about 15 minutes to get the trunk open with his computer. That $300 spare key didn't sound like such a bad idea after that.

Did that once, in a field in Lebanon, TN while camping. $350 from the only mobile locksmith I called that would come out on a Sunday later, I now have a key that has no fob or microchip, so I cant use it to start my car, but I can unlock my car with it should I, say, drop my key in the trunk of my locked car again. I keep it and a house key in a pocket of my wallet.

quote:

also used to be cheap and easy to keep a spare key hidden under your vehicle with a shower curtain ring, but now most keys are chipped and can't just be copied.

I still copy the chip key for under the car. The cheap copy Wont start the car but it opens the doors so i can get my keys back.


My worst one was going on our honeymoon cruise to Mexico. We got back to the Salt Lake airport and realized id left our keys on the cruise ship.... The toyota dealership cut us one for free from the VIN (my car didnt require a chip) but that was a disasterous learning experience.

This is why I love my push button start on my Tacoma; no key to lock in. The truck won't let me lock the fob in the truck, either.

Where are you guys getting keys copied? I tried a couple different places and they both said no.

I would ask a dealership where they recommend taking it. Most of the time they don't do that stuff in house, and have a good working relationship with at least one locksmith.

Failing that I'd look up locksmiths who specialize in automotive locks.

I have some old tie clips with a part that slides out and can be cut to match a car key. Pretty clever, but do men still wear tie clips? These are from the 50s.

I copy my car keys at Walmart. Bought the chip-key blanks from Ebay and cut them at Walmart. Havent gotten them programmed yet though.

quote:

Originally posted by brecaidra:
Where are you guys getting keys copied? I tried a couple different places and they both said no.

Most of the Ace Hardware stores around here do "smart keys."