Four hours, 3 friends, 4 co-workers and $100 dollars later....

violation · 07-21-2006, 08:04 PM

... and I have a new spare key.

All of this happened on Tuesday. And here is the story.

I have dinner plans with two old high school friends of mine. One of whom I'm very close to (Jen) and one of whom I have not seen in 10 years (Wilson). So I leave work a little earlier than normal (6:15pm) to pick up Jen before heading to the Block at Orange for dinner with Wilson. Should be a good time remininscing old times and fond memories. I'm looking forward to it.

I pack up my laptop and go downstairs to my car. I want to drop the top and put on my boot cover (the car looks so slick with it on) so I drop the top, open the trunk and take out the cover. I notice I had forgotten that I left my tool box in the trunk. So I move it over to fit my laptop next to it and shut the trunk.

Go around the side of the car. Hands in pocket to get key. It's gone.

Panic. Trunk release was disabled. Spare key is in San Francisco (I'm in Irvine - a 7 hr drive away). Wait. Maybe the key is just in the trunk keyhole. Turn and look. Nope. Out of luck. My apartment keys, car keys and laptop are all in there. My entire life, basically.

To make a really long story short(er), I used another friend's AAA card, took her, her boyfriend and jen to dinner for their trouble, and AAA shows up an hour later. Take a 2 hrs to make the spare key because my windows are down so popping out the door lock is difficult. They need the door lock for the key number or something. But finally, thank God, AAA makes the key. Sigh of relief.

During all that, my co-workers are filtering out of work and see all my drama in action. Quite embarrassing.

Jen now keeps my spare. One day, I'll walk out of my apartment and see her Corolla in place of my Miata. Ha!

Moral of the story: Keep a spare if you don't have trunk access. #-o

floats · 07-21-2006, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by violation @ Fri Jul 21, 2006 5:04 pm

... and I have a new spare key.

All of this happened on Tuesday. And here is the story.

I have dinner plans with two old high school friends of mine. One of whom I'm very close to (Jen) and one of whom I have not seen in 10 years (Wilson). So I leave work a little earlier than normal (6:15pm) to pick up Jen before heading to the Block at Orange for dinner with Wilson. Should be a good time remininscing old times and fond memories. I'm looking forward to it.

I pack up my laptop and go downstairs to my car. I want to drop the top and put on my boot cover (the car looks so slick with it on) so I drop the top, open the trunk and take out the cover. I notice I had forgotten that I left my tool box in the trunk. So I move it over to fit my laptop next to it and shut the trunk.

Go around the side of the car. Hands in pocket to get key. It's gone.

Panic. Trunk release was disabled. Spare key is in San Francisco (I'm in Irvine - a 7 hr drive away). Wait. Maybe the key is just in the trunk keyhole. Turn and look. Nope. Out of luck. My apartment keys, car keys and laptop are all in there. My entire life, basically.

To make a really long story short(er), I used another friend's AAA card, took her, her boyfriend and jen to dinner for their trouble, and AAA shows up an hour later. Take a 2 hrs to make the spare key because my windows are down so popping out the door lock is difficult. They need the door lock for the key number or something. But finally, thank God, AAA makes the key. Sigh of relief.

During all that, my co-workers are filtering out of work and see all my drama in action. Quite embarrassing.

Jen now keeps my spare. One day, I'll walk out of my apartment and see her Corolla in place of my Miata. Ha!

Moral of the story: Keep a spare if you don't have trunk access. #-o

Having locked my keys in my car when I was younger, I keep a flat, spare key in my wallet. Total cost? $1 at Ace Hardware. I also keep a spare house key in there, as well.

djsqiigles · 07-21-2006, 08:55 PM

why I always check my pockets before closing my trunk.

But then again I do have trunk Release button....

Mr.Woolery · 07-21-2006, 09:27 PM

Locked my keys in the trunk once #-o ...was able to reach back into the trunk from inside the car (through one of the parcel shelf tunnels) and JUST barely able to reach my keys.

phinz · 07-21-2006, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by floats @ Fri Jul 21, 2006 8:42 pm

I keep a flat, spare key in my wallet. Total cost? $1 at Ace Hardware. I also keep a spare house key in there, as well.

The only problem I see with that is that if your wallet is stolen they know where you live *and* they can get into your house, load your car up with stuff and leave.

One of those magnetic key safes would be a great idea. Put it up under the rear of the car on the support that used to have the tiedown hooks, on an NA at least.

toofarfromjune · 07-21-2006, 11:37 PM

lucky break!

i've locked my keys in the miata twice in the last month.

1. at a state park parking lot, 150mi. from home. the miata is all locked up and the keys are laying on the drivers seat. i considered breaking the triangle window and unlocking the door, but didnt want to.

so i looked around under the tree's and found a long twig, borrowed a mini bungie cord from a tourist in the parkign lot, pryed the window back about an inch and shoved my jacket in to hold it. shoved the stick and cord into the window and used the stick to move the cord around, dropped it like the claw arcade game at chuckie cheese and hooked on and pulled them up out of the window.

took all of 2 minutes and no injured miata.

2. as i rushed into work last week i shut the car off but locked it all up with the keys still in the ignition. of course i conveniently noticed about 2 seconds after shutting the door.

work just happens to be right next door to a harbor frieght tool store. at the end of the day i walked next door and bought a reel steel of fish line (not for fishing, but for running wires through walls etc). this time i pryed the window back on the passenger side, eye balled the angles, fed the fish wire through the window, made a couple more adjustments and boom 1 minute later i slid the keys out of the ignition and into my hands via the crack in the window.

although i almost always do the pocket key check before shutting, i do fear the trunk disaster...

but i do have all of the metal covers removed for my roll bar, so i think i will solve that problem with another stick and bungie cord when that day comes along... ;-)

phinz · 07-21-2006, 11:45 PM

If you have an NA with an original, or original type top, it's much easier to get in without having to pry side windows out. I won't talk about it on a public forum, but suffice it to say I've locked my keys in the car before and had no problem getting in to get them without having to even touch a side window, break a window or call AAA.

07-21-2006, 08:04 PM	#1 (permalink)
violation Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: LA, CA Posts: 1,611	Four hours, 3 friends, 4 co-workers and $100 dollars later.... ... and I have a new spare key. All of this happened on Tuesday. And here is the story. I have dinner plans with two old high school friends of mine. One of whom I'm very close to (Jen) and one of whom I have not seen in 10 years (Wilson). So I leave work a little earlier than normal (6:15pm) to pick up Jen before heading to the Block at Orange for dinner with Wilson. Should be a good time remininscing old times and fond memories. I'm looking forward to it. I pack up my laptop and go downstairs to my car. I want to drop the top and put on my boot cover (the car looks so slick with it on) so I drop the top, open the trunk and take out the cover. I notice I had forgotten that I left my tool box in the trunk. So I move it over to fit my laptop next to it and shut the trunk. Go around the side of the car. Hands in pocket to get key. It's gone. Panic. Trunk release was disabled. Spare key is in San Francisco (I'm in Irvine - a 7 hr drive away). Wait. Maybe the key is just in the trunk keyhole. Turn and look. Nope. Out of luck. My apartment keys, car keys and laptop are all in there. My entire life, basically. To make a really long story short(er), I used another friend's AAA card, took her, her boyfriend and jen to dinner for their trouble, and AAA shows up an hour later. Take a 2 hrs to make the spare key because my windows are down so popping out the door lock is difficult. They need the door lock for the key number or something. But finally, thank God, AAA makes the key. Sigh of relief. During all that, my co-workers are filtering out of work and see all my drama in action. Quite embarrassing. Jen now keeps my spare. One day, I'll walk out of my apartment and see her Corolla in place of my Miata. Ha! Moral of the story: Keep a spare if you don't have trunk access. #-o

07-21-2006, 09:27 PM	#4 (permalink)
Mr.Woolery The Vorlon Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Beyond the Rim Posts: 4,444	Re: Four hours, 3 friends, 4 co-workers and $100 dollars later.... Locked my keys in the trunk once #-o ...was able to reach back into the trunk from inside the car (through one of the parcel shelf tunnels) and JUST barely able to reach my keys.
	__________________ __________________________________________________ __________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60loeoblu0M

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07-21-2006, 08:55 PM	#3 (permalink)
djsqiigles Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: fountain Valley, CA Posts: 2,579	why I always check my pockets before closing my trunk. But then again I do have trunk Release button....

07-21-2006, 11:37 PM	#6 (permalink)
toofarfromjune Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: SF bay area Posts: 116	lucky break! i've locked my keys in the miata twice in the last month. 1. at a state park parking lot, 150mi. from home. the miata is all locked up and the keys are laying on the drivers seat. i considered breaking the triangle window and unlocking the door, but didnt want to. so i looked around under the tree's and found a long twig, borrowed a mini bungie cord from a tourist in the parkign lot, pryed the window back about an inch and shoved my jacket in to hold it. shoved the stick and cord into the window and used the stick to move the cord around, dropped it like the claw arcade game at chuckie cheese and hooked on and pulled them up out of the window. took all of 2 minutes and no injured miata. 2. as i rushed into work last week i shut the car off but locked it all up with the keys still in the ignition. of course i conveniently noticed about 2 seconds after shutting the door. work just happens to be right next door to a harbor frieght tool store. at the end of the day i walked next door and bought a reel steel of fish line (not for fishing, but for running wires through walls etc). this time i pryed the window back on the passenger side, eye balled the angles, fed the fish wire through the window, made a couple more adjustments and boom 1 minute later i slid the keys out of the ignition and into my hands via the crack in the window. although i almost always do the pocket key check before shutting, i do fear the trunk disaster... but i do have all of the metal covers removed for my roll bar, so i think i will solve that problem with another stick and bungie cord when that day comes along... ;-)

07-21-2006, 11:45 PM	#7 (permalink)
phinz Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Somewhere between the Port of Indecision and Margaritaville, Southeast of Disorder Posts: 1,016	If you have an NA with an original, or original type top, it's much easier to get in without having to pry side windows out. I won't talk about it on a public forum, but suffice it to say I've locked my keys in the car before and had no problem getting in to get them without having to even touch a side window, break a window or call AAA.