Sunday, March 4, 2012

Why you should leave your spare keys at home


7:30 a.m.  D is snoring.  I have been awake on and off for a while but am enjoying the extra time in bed this morning.  Until my cell phone rings.  The number comes up as “Restricted” but since I am away from home I feel I have to answer.  It is my house/dog-sitter (S) back in Texas where it is 6:30 a.m.

S:  Do you have an extra set of keys to your car?

Me:  I have a set in my purse, here with me, why?  Did you lock my keys in the car?

S:  Yes.  (I am sitting up now and D is awake and has taken his earplugs out.)

Me:  Is it running?

S:  Yes.  What if I put a potato in your tailpipe?

Me:  I don’t think you should do that.  (I am fully awake now.) Wait a minute…it is not supposed to be possible to lock the keys in my car.

S:  Really?  Let me recheck the doors.  Passenger side door, locked.  Driver side door, locked. Car, running.

Me:  I am telling you, the car is designed to prevent this, I have even tested it.  Did you use the key to get into the car or the clicker?

S:  I used the key to open the passenger side door then I reached across and put the keys in and started the car.  Then I accidentally locked the door when I got out.

Me:  So you found the only possible way to bypass the features designed to prevent this.

I didn’t ask why she would be starting the car from the passenger side of the street at 6:30 in the morning.  In my car, it is not possible to use the clicker to lock the door or manually push the lock down on the driver side if the key is in the ignition and the car is in Park. D says they have a saying in his industry that covers this:  You can try to idiot-proof something but then a better idiot will come along.  A couple of hours and a locksmith later and the situation is resolved.

Last time she took care of the dogs for us she managed to lock them in our master bedroom and lock herself out.  Luckily we had a key hidden and I remembered where it was.  The fact that we have a keyed lock on the master bedroom door is a story for another time.


No comments:

Post a Comment