Perhaps you have experienced that anxiety: a split second after your car door clicks shut, you realize that the vehicle is all secure and your keys hang inside the car. Now what? How are you going to make it to where you’re going? Do you even have a back-up set of keys? All of these thoughts speed through your brain aside from the most immediate question: How can you enter your vehicle?
The cheapest way to go about things is to locate your back-up car key. Usually, anytime you buy your car, you get two car keys. One set you carry on you, and the spare should be hidden away somewhere secure. If you have a friend who can retrieve the duplicate set of keys and get it to where you are, then all you have lost is a bit of time fretting, and a wee bit of pride.
However, maybe you do not have anyone able to run this errand, or possibly your duplicate key is long gone. Your second best solution is to inform your insurance, if you have road service, or any roadside assistance service. If your car is still within the timeframe of the factory or dealer warranty, then you probably already have a roadside assistance set up. If that doesn’t apply to you, but you or anyone in the car pays dues for a club like AAA, then they can provide assistance.
Your third choice for help is to hire a locksmith. He will quickly come to you and open your car door for a price. But, a locksmith call may cost more dollars than you are ready to spend, more so after common business hours.
Your most desparate choice is to find a way to pop the lock yourself. You probably want to attempt this on a car door that is not in use every day, possibly the back passenger door, just in case you don’t get it done right. You will need a straightened wire clothes hanger, or something that resembles it, with a long, slim rod and a powerful bend on the end. In a dark setting you will require a flashlight or any such light source. In addition, you’ll potentially need something handy but unimportant, for instance a ballpoint pen.
Hold the black gummy-like weather strip on the bottom of the window and pry the gap ajar by wedging the pen into the gap. Look down along the space you created into your vehicle door’s guts. You hopefully can see an iron rod that works the lock. Very deliberately wiggle the coat hanger hook-side first into the door. Use the hook to tuck under the iron rod and wiggle the rod in the same direction that the door unlocks from the inside. When the door unlocks, very deliberately slide the clothes hanger and the pen out of the door and open your vehicle.
To avoid this ever worrying you again, keep one duplicate key in your wallet or purse. That’s always on you, even when you’re out of the vehicle!
A professional author on matters baby, wedding and family, Criss White has authored lots of articles. To prevent getting locked out of your car, check out these wedding keychains from Bridal and Wedding Favors to keep all your keys together.
No comments:
Post a Comment