Locked out

[Zim]

Park the pickup at the side of the convenience store, in front of the "15 MINUTE PARKING" and "NO LOITERING POLICE TAKE NOTICE" signs. Go in. Buy the two most important liquids in a family's household: Beer and Milk.

Beer for me, milk for the kids. Or is it the other way around? They are quite dear to the beer. *hic*

Pay. Go back to the tru... MOTHER FUCKER! Flash light into passenger window just to verify that the keys are in fact in the ignition, and the doors are locked.

The worst part: Hide-A-Key is sitting in the center console. Why? Because there was a lockout just a week ago, and it was used to save the day, but never replaced in the proper spot.

It mocked me. Laughed at me with a whatever-kind-of-metal tingly laugh.

Call to wife. Hey, I'm, uh, can you come get me? I've got beer and milk, and it's cold outside, and I'm locked out, and yes, I know you have to get three kids up out of bed and drive them 20 minutes away and...

I used up so many points on this one, I'm in the red.

Side note: The signs were broken. I was there 30 minutes and was not bothered by store management, and police did not notice.

Lately, with the motorcycle, I carry a spare key in my jacket at all times. I verify that the key is in fact pocketed, and ready should I screw up. Can't seem to get that right with the truck.

Had a dog. Not a fan of dogs, especially since this one liked to splat diarrhea 3 feet up walls, consume vast quantities of baby wipes only to leave piles of them in the back yard, and eat electrical plugs. Anyway, took shithead dog to Wal Mart, because that's what people do in New Hampshire, besides competitive nose picking. Stepped out of the truck for one stinking second, turned to open the door back up, and there's this dog, tongue hanging out, staring at me with his goofy fucking dog-grin, enjoying the heat from the running engine inside a locked truck. Bastard locked himself in. (Yes, I blame him. Makes me feel less guilty). Luckily he didn't bump the shifter into gear. But he did drool on everything.

There I am, trying to coax said dog into putting his paw onto the unlock side of the lock button, while the People of Wal Mart are giving me funny looks as I woo-woo and good-boy the brainless bastard. What does he do? Pops a boner and licks the window.

[Ames]

The Hot Wife of DOOM!(tm) and I are laughing quite loudly at the last bit with the dog.

[scumbag]

The dog story is great.

[Jonny]

What does he do? Pops a boner and licks the window.

Well, what would you suggest someone do? Sounds like a nice way to spend a lazy afternoon...

[Beemer Dan]

What does he do? Pops a boner and licks the window.

I'm totally doing that next time I lock my keys in the bike!

[Zim]

What does he do? Pops a boner and licks the window.

Well, what would you suggest someone do? Sounds like a nice way to spend a lazy afternoon...

I forgot to mention that it was night, and about 15 degrees. Outside of the truck, that is. And I wasn't dressed properly.

I would have considered his showing of dog penis as a sign of vindication, the dog equivalent of flipping me the bird, but the only thought this dog has is "food food food food food food".

[Sisyphus]

My wife used to have a Ford Exploder with the keypad on the door, the combination for which she never learned. One time she called me from the store after she locked herself out of her running vehicle.
My dad did that to my mom once, too. But he was carpooling with a friend and only realized he'd left his car running in the parking lot about half an hour from our house. He realized it only after he'd been on the road for about an hour.

I had a cat that I was trying to take to the vet once. He escaped his box while in the car and opened the back window and made a bid for freedom. I was able to use the power window to partially shut it on him, trapping him while hanging out the window at speed. Kept him there till I got back into the driveway.

[Beemer Dan]

How much is that kitty in the window?

[rolly]

I really like the Honda feature that the driver's side door has to be locked from the outside with the key. Of course, my cage also has the feature that it can be unlocked with any roughly key-sized object thanks to some wandering stereo enthusiasts, so even if I did somehow lock my keys in it wouldn't be much of a problem.

[piccini9]

I saw a guy walking down my street today wearing a Reflecto Vest, hard-hat, and carrying a pipe-wrench.I thought he might be a "Wandering Stereo Enthusiast".

The Volvo Battle Wagon has a NØnlØckinØØt Feature as well. Thank doG.

[DerGolgo]

Well, there's one you can tell your kids.
"I risked arrest and fines and was mocked by a horny dog in a dark cold parking lot, just so I could get your milk when you where little! Show some gratitude!!"

Is it me or has the occurence of locking oneself out of the car gone down since remote controlled central locking has become pretty much standard?

Just a feeling I have.

[Sisyphus]

That's a good question. It's certainly cut down on time I've wasted with OCD and keys.

[MATPOC]

Zim, made my day (eve) great story!

I have a Honda and it is possible to lock the key in it, all you have to lift the inside or outside door handle while pressing the lock. I have been carrying the cheap Home Despot key in my wallet for years, it can't start the car cause it lacks the fancy chip you have in nice factory keys with plastic head but it is slim so it fits on my wallet and unlocks the door whenever I lock the keys in.

Now I have to be more vigilant cause when Jr. gets in the car by himself first thing he does is lock the door so I can't extract him, he just turner 2 so it's nearly impossible to reason with him, he also know which key starts the car and has no problem starting it.

[Zer0]

Now I have to be more vigilant cause when Jr. gets in the car by himself first thing he does is lock the door so I can't extract him, he just turner 2 so it's nearly impossible to reason with him,

That's just the beginning MATPOC. My 5 yr-old does that too, but he does it to keep me locked out long enough so he can pull his pants down.

I really really really hope he doesn't start acting like Zim's hound. I won't be able to handle that.

[motorpsycho67]

wandering stereo enthusiasts

[Zim]

Thread regurgitation. Recycling and all.

I've noticed lately on a few other forums (yes, i'm not exclusive to you) that other people are having ride-stopping issues due to a lack of a spare key.

SPARE KEY PSA!

Keep one (or more) accessible. On your person, on the motorcycle, wherever. Just save yourself the hassle of having to wait, or having to get towed, or pushing, or getting a locksmith.

If you don't have a spare key (as I didn't for the Super Sherpa) GET SOME MADE! Right now! You've waited long enough! Cheap insurance.

Of course by making this post, I have doomed myself to yet another lockout.

[DerGolgo]

When I started reading this thread, I didn't realize it was ye olde.
But I did remember something else: In all my life, I think I ONCE encountered someone who had locked themselves out of their car. I heard many stories about it, especially from my mother who would often be approached by people thinking she looked like someone who knows how to break into a car.
That one time I was personally involved, the neighbors had asked my mother to jimmy open the Mk1 Ford Fiesta of a friend. My mother, barely knowing how to operate a lock, got my father and my visiting uncle, who used to work for the railroads before building powerlines in Australia and I found out about it when she went back inside to get them something to drink while they discussed strategy. Having watched much TV as a kid, I found a wire coat hanger and was surprised how easy that thing was to open, too like less than a minute for someone with zero experience. On the other hand, Mk1 Fiestas probably weren't popular for thieves even when they were new, so the lock was more there to keep the door from flapping open.

Anyway, that part of not encountering anyone locked out of their car included me - never done it. Not with the car, not with the bike, not with the apartment. I once thought I was locked out of the student's dorm and had to phone the janitor, only to find out I had spent about twenty minutes trying to open the front door with the wrong key - the right key was on my keyring right next to it. Highly embarrassing getting the janitor for that, especially at like 11:30 PM.
My rule is simple: Whenever I go anyplace, anywhere where I would risk locking myself out, the key goes with me. Back when I was still able to drive, I'd pull the ignition keys even if I only just got out to check how much room I had to back up, I'd pull my apartment keys out of the door and pocket them even when I only go check the fusebox in the stairwell. If I'm inside, the key is in the lock, always, in the car it'd be in the ignition, pretty much the same applies for the bike. Moment I go out the door, step out of the car or off of the bike, I pull the key. Trained myself to do it automatically, so eventually it feels very weird just getting close to leaving the keys behind. Pavlov and his dogs and his bell, me and me and my keys.

[Rabbit_Fighter]

I really like the Honda feature that the driver's side door has to be locked from the outside with the key. Of course, my cage also has the feature that it can be unlocked with any roughly key-sized object thanks to some wandering stereo enthusiasts, so even if I did somehow lock my keys in it wouldn't be much of a problem.

Years ago, I had a Honda with this feature, but you can get around it. If you hold the door release latch open, you can manually slide the lock while the door is open. Within a week of owning the car, it became automatic to lock the door with my pinky as I opened the door. If anything, I think I was more likely to lock the keys in that car than any other car I had.

I used to be really bad about locking keys in cars. The family truckster has a remote lock, which means the keys are in my hands whenever I lock the doors, so that has eliminated that problem.

[goose]

This whole fucking story made my day. And here, I thought I was the only one with substantial key issues.

Yes, I own two bikes that don't need keys anymore and that is a good thing.

Thanks for the wonderful story.

[Bigshankhank]

Both of my daughters are notorious key-losers, so mom and I have taken to replicating their keys several times over so we can always have a backup. I personally have locked my keys in my car twice, both times in college, both times in my '84 Buick Century. Both times I managed to work the power window down enough to get to the lock. Both times took about an hour of jimmying, what a PITA.

[DerGolgo]

This whole stuff reminds me of my buddy who, in about 2001, before the modern keyless systems started appearing on cars (you know, the ones where you don't even have to press the button to unlock it and really have no physical key to insert anywhere, just the little fob).
His plan was to install this in his VW van and apartment door and implant the chip in his hand.
Thing that kept him from pursuing it was that getting a copy of the industrial standards involved cost more than the chip and reader device.

I dunno, but I couldn't trust one of the modern keyless systems.
There's a little tray in the center console where you put the key fob with the RFID inside, so chances are you might forget it there when you get out of the car and, rather than blocking the car from anyone using it, you basically leave the key in the ignition.

[AZRider]

Next time I get to take a trip with Stiles, I am bringing a copy of HIS key.

Favorite way to stash a key on a bike: Cut the handle of the key so it's as narrow as the part that goes into the lock. Then tape it onto the wiring harness with nice, neat wraps of tape. Nobody will notice it.

[tucko]

O Fuck. What a great story. Having never locked my keys in the car, I've managed to do it 3 times in the last year or so.... Of course I have a spare, which sits on my dresser at home...My old 66 Chrysler 300 however, used to have the "door must be locked with key" feature, that saved me from being an idiot...

[Zer0]

Good, MC relevance.

I don't like having the weight of a huge keyring hanging out my ignition--so I just use the lone key, which is cool, since I have a spare for the Sporty on my actual key ring in my pocket, and one more in every jacket I have.

How Zer0 really has his shit togethjer, ye all collectively muse . . .
However the Airhead came with only one key, which I've never even attempted to duplicate since buying it, as the dance with the devil continues.

Great advice AZ! Obliged.