It’s been at least 12 years since I last locked my keys in a vehicle. This was a 2006 Dodge Ram truck, left running in back of a Whitehorse – Yukon, Canada, hotel. With it being September, several inches of snow had fallen overnight. I’d fired up the diesel engine beforehand to help defrost heavily encrusted ice on the windshield. Believing an extra set of keys was safely tucked in my pocket, and not finding them when needed, I quickly noticed they were in the back seat.
Having no “Slim Jim” with me, a tool used to open locks on older vehicles, I managed to get inside by using a thick, hotel-room clothes hanger. After straightening it, one end of the hanger was used to push the electronic unlock-button to a door. I can’t remember exactly which door as if that really matters.
Going back to the days of my first car, a 1961 Mercury Comet, I managed to lock the keys inside it several times. Eventually, a spare key was taped under the bumper. Over the years I incurred the same with numerous automobiles and pickups. I’ve done it with house keys as well. Credit cards always worked good back then on getting inside our little home. During one of those home occurrences, the garage door was unlocked so it was no problem.
In a hurry to leave, I decided to close the garage door by placing fingers of both hands between a hinged section and pulling down. Before realizing my mistake, eight fingers were quickly smashed flat. Thankfully, the heavy door didn’t lock and I was able to painfully raise it using a shoulder. Quickly sticking what now appeared to be flattened sausages under cold water for a lengthy time—the only physical damage was blackened fingernails and no broken bones. Mental flashbacks remain to this day.
When I was very young, like many people, I smashed tiny fingers in a car door. That mistake only happened once with blood squirting everywhere. As our children were in their early growing stages, I constantly reminded them to not do the same as their old man. Miraculously, they never incurred such pain. Years ago, I was in a Walmart parking lot and heard the high-pitched scream of a child incurring this torture. Thankfully, the kid’s mom was there to comfort him.
The last Chevrolet we owned had something called OnStar. We paid a monthly fee solely to use the internal cellphone. With OnStar, if keys are left inside, all a person has to do is dial their toll free number and an operator will remotely unlock doors. I thought of doing this just to see it work, but never did.
Just the other evening, I drove to Albertson’s grocery store, hopped out, while my wife elected to wait in the vehicle. The engine was left running because it was quite warm outside. Little did I know that I took the key fob with me. Detecting no fob in close proximity, some of these newer rigs will continue to run as long as dash controls aren’t messed with. When Joleen turned the AC down the engine quit running.
Returning several minutes later with groceries, my wife informed me she’d managed to get the passenger side window down before things timed out. The driver side wouldn’t open. It was getting hot in there and she was about to abandon ship for comfort of the store. Joleen understood firsthand through this unplanned experience, why dogs and cats should never be left unattended in vehicles with the engine and AC off. We’ve come across this a handful of times in Havasu.
It seems more and more devices are now keyless. A friend owns a home that strictly uses a keypad to open the lock. Lithium batteries keep it going. That might sound high-tech, but I’d imagine somewhere down the road problems will arise—they generally do!
I’m more prepared these days should I ever get locked out of car or home. My wallet is full of plastic “Slim Jim’s” or credit cards as they’re also known. For those believing I’ll use one to gain entry, you’re right, yet not in the same way we did years ago.
With these newer vehicle and house doorlocks almost impenetrable, I’ll simply pick up the phone and dial a locksmith or towing company, then ask this basic question, “Do you take Visa, Mastercard, or Discover?”
If I’m in an area where these services aren’t offered, like being out in the desert, or Timbuktu, it’ll be time to make like a caveman and use a sizeable rock or stone!
I like to write junk... 