Has THIS Ever Happened to you?

My brother in-law and his new gal came for a quickie visit last night. He's great with cars and likes our old Sebring which we no longer need since we bought the CRV. So they came down to take it off our hands. After morning coffee, I began cleaning out the trunk. I set the keys down inside and made quick work of getting all the junk out. It went faster than anticipated.

I was pleased. I smiled. I wiped my hands in the classic "that's that" manner. I shut the trunk.

I freaked. Because as you have, no doubt, already guessed...the keys -- the ONLY set of keys -- were still inside. And the car itself was still locked.

Please tell me this has happened to you too? I could have chalked it up to be being fifty-something. But I was pulling this same trick when I was twenty-something, thirty-something, forty-something. And I'll probably be pulling it in my sixty, seventy and eighty-somethings too. If I make it that far.

It was horrible, having to shuffle inside the house and say to Fred "Honey? Please tell me that there's another set of keys to the car" and knowing full well that there wasn't. I offered to call a locksmith but the guys decided to give it a go.

The next half hour I hovered helplessly beside the menfolk as they wrangled with a coat hanger. When that failed, I offered again to call a locksmith. No. They simply needed something straight and stronger, I was told. So I looked about the back of the house and found a sturdy metal plant stake from our garden. I sheepishly offered it to Fred, who proceeded to successfully unlock the driver's side door. Hallaleujah! It worked!!!! (And it succeeded in making me feel a little less helpless. The guys would never have selected that particular tool.)

More mayhem ensued once the car was unlocked. The battery was dead so the "Open Trunk" gizmo inside the car didn't work. I brought the Volvo alongside the Sebring so the menfolk could jump it. The Sebring's car alarm began blaring, shattering the previously peaceful Sunday morning. It was surmised that the "Open Trunk" gizmo inside the car wouldn't open anything unless the key was in the ignition. Skunked again.

"Locksmith?" I ventured. Uh-uh. I offered up a silent apology to all of our neighbors for the ear-splitting car alarm.

Then somehow, a miracle happened. I tried to lift the trunk...and it OPENED! It actually -- easily -- clicked right open when it didn't before. None of us knew what happened. But there were the keys...and life was good again!!!

Now I could say "Well THAT's an hour of my life I'll never get back." But realistically, I gained some valuable info for the next time I lock my keys in the car/trunk. Go for the plant stake and forget the coat hanger!!!



At least Fred is smiling. :)