subject: What You Can Do If You Lock Your Keys In Your Vehicle [print this page] Maybe you have had that panic: half a second after your vehicle door clicks shut, you realize that the car is locked and your keys hang inside the vehicle. What to do? How are you going to get to where youre going? Do you remember if you have a back-up set of keys? All of this goes through your brain along with the ultimate thought: How will you be able to unlock the doors?
The cheapest solution is to figure out where you keep the duplicate key. Usually, at the time you first buy your car, it comes with two keys. One set of keys you usually keep on you, but the other is best squirreled away someplace safe. If you know someone who can fetch the spare set of keys and deliver it to your present location, then the most you have lost is a little time fretting, and a wee bit of pride.
However, its possible you dont have anybody able to run this errand, or maybe your replacement key is lost. Your second best option is to ask for help from your auto club, or any roadside assistance service. If your vehicle is still under factory or dealer warranty, then you most likely still have a 24-hour assistance plan. If not, but you or anyone in the car belongs to a club like AAA, then they can provide assistance.
Your potentially most expensive alternative for aid is to contact a locksmith. He will quickly come out and find a way to open your vehicle door without the key. But, a locksmith call could cost more dough than you are in a position to spend, and its worst after regular business hours.
Your most desparate option is to find a way to pop the lock on the spot. You will want to attempt this on an entryway that isnt in use as often, possibly the back passenger door, just in case something goes wrong. Youll need an unfolded wire hanger, or something like it, with a long, slim reaching implement and a rigid hook on one end. At night you will need a flashlight or other such light source. You also will most likely have use for something small but not vital, such as a ballpoint pen.
Push the rubber weather strip away from the window and pry the gap open by wedging the small, unimportant implement into the area. Look down through the gap you created into your vehicle door. You will see a metal rod that is attached to the locking mechanism. Carefully push the coat hanger hook-side first into the space in the door. Try to get the hook to grab the iron rod and shimmy the rod in the direction that you unlock it from the interior. When the door is unlocked, cautiously pull the clothes hanger and the other implement out of the door and open your vehicle.
To avoid this ever happening again, always carry one extra key in your billfold or handbag. Thats pretty much always on your person, even when youre not in the car!
