• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

How often do you lock your keys in your car?

Page 3 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Never in 20 years. Always lock the doors with the remote, and never, ever set the keys down in the trunk.
 
Locking your keys in the car will be all but impossible once the proximity keys trickle down to every level of car over the next, oh, 20 years or so.

MotionMan
 
I've never locked them in the car. I have locked them in my house a few times but I have a spare car key in the wallet and a spare house key at my parents so I just have waste 30mins getting it.
 
Often enough that I carry a spare key in my wallet.
Because I know me. I'll get pissed in 2 seconds and break out a window.
 
Keys? Never. I'm far brighter that that!

Once I did lock myself in the car. What a terrible ordeal THAT was!
You can't just hit a button to unlock it?

If only I'd thought of that! 😱

I spent three days marooned in that car, until a passing band of Camp Fire Girls came upon the scene. They just happened to have the jaws of life with them. I forgot to ask why. Did you know it's a tradition of the Camp Fire Girls to have sex with anyone they rescue? Neither did I.

Was the battery dead?

No, no, it was just resting. Pining for the fjords, in point of fact.

Was it a newer car or older car?

It was a newer older car, by which I mean it was an older newer car.

If older, were the locks broken?

No, they were working fine. In fact, during my distressing three day ordeal I repeatedly cycled them through the locking/unlocking sequence and they responded just fine, always fully locking the car again with my last button push.

The one good saving grace about my ordeal was that all the windows were fully open, so I did have plenty of fresh air.
 
I've been driving since 1975, and I've done it twice. Both times were not a big deal as I simply had someone bring me my spare key.

A more interesting story was many years ago, I was walking through the parking lot of a local hospital after visiting a patient, and noticed two girls struggling to unlock their car with a wire coat hanger. They were nurses who worked at the hospital, but they had locked the keys in the car. As I walked by I asked if they needed any help and they asked if I could try to unlock the car.

I took the coat hanger, changed a couple of bends that they had started with, stuck it in the slightly open window and yanked up the door lock in under 5 seconds. I was astonished, as were the two nurses.

I simply looked at them and said "I had to work my way through University some how!" and walked away (they were too old for me to want to pursue any "reward").
 
It's definitely more difficult with modern cars that have "keyless entry" and remotes that lock/unlock.

Back in the day, all you had to do was push down the button...and the door would lock. EASY to lock your keys in the car. Nowadays, you need your key in hand to lock the car...not so easy to do.

When I said I'd done this twice, but once wasn't my fault...I forgot one. Last year, I unlocked the car, opened the passenger door to put some stuff inside, set my keys on the seat, and closed the door. That's when I found out that the Jetta's system automatically re-locks the doors unless it's the driver's door that's opened...open any of the other three, and the doors re-lock in one minute...I had to call my wife to bring the spare key. 😳
 
Haven't locked my keys in the car but when I was a kid I lost my car keys running around at work (stupid work uniform pants). Surprised I didn't hear them fall out but I spent an hour retracing my steps in the dark with a flashlight before I gave up and called my mom to bring my spare.

Now I have a car with keyless entry/start so unless I drive something else it shouldn't happen. Cant lock doors or close my trunk if the fob is in the car.
 
I actually have a habit of ALWAYS checking for my keys before I close the trunk. Now that I have a "smart key" car it's getting weird to have to remember to grab the keys because it's push button start. I frequently am leaving them in the car.
 
30+ years of driving, once, 7/2006, new truck. I must have been giddy with the "new car smell". Wife had a field day.

She, on the other hand, 3 times in one day. Blamed it on the baby.😕 He wasn't driving, AFIK.
 
I used to do it alot, atleast a few times a year. About 10 years ago I disabled the dinger on the truck when you would have the doors open and the keys in the ignition. Thats why I would hide a key on the outside of the truck. I recently hooked up the dinger back as I got tired of having to get jumped at work. Dinger also goes off if you kept the lights on and opened the door. Nothing worse than after a long day at work, getting to your vehicle, and nothing.
 
...Nothing worse than after a long day at work, getting to your vehicle, and nothing.
Flew back into the airport after a week away with my brother. Went to his truck and the battery was dead. Pushed his truck over next to a big rig, pulled the battery cover on the rig and jumped the truck. Replaced battery cover and drove home.
 
A buddy of mine told me a neat idea that I've never followed. He has his spare key well hidden and taped up under the chassis for retrieval if need be.
 
Back
Top