Public Service Announcement: Locked out of car at barn?

[Adamantane]

Twice now I have finished riding to discover that my keys were locked inside the car. (I am certain that at least one of the two times I did not inadvertently do it, because I remember making the decision to leave the door unlocked this morning. Maybe one of the helpful kids at the barn noticed and decided to help me out.:confused:)

Anyway, if you have a car with windows of the type in the one I drove today (Mustang GT convertible) -- i.e., where the windows press up against a rubber seal rather than being encased by metal all around, you can easily recover from the hassle in five minutes or less.

Go find a metal shedding blade, the type that has two plasticized handles which are held together by a clip. Unclip the handles and extend the long metal piece flat. It will have some metal memory curve to it.

Use your fingers to gently pull back the upper corner of the window furthest away from the hinged side of the door.

With the curve in the metal bending the handle back toward you, slide the blade through the space toward the front of the window by continuing to hold your fingers in the gap in the upper corner while moving the blade. (I'm sorry, this reads a little like a "marriage manual".:winkgrin:)

Then wiggle the handle of the blade to prod the "Lock/Unlock" toggle button along the top of the window armrest.

Bump the button, the door unlocks and you are home free.:lol:

Five minutes, no AAA, no waiting, no explaining to Bubba in the tow truck that you aren't an idiot even though the evidence might seem to suggest that you must be.

Do not forget to return the shedding blade, reclipped, to the tack tote from which you borrowed it if you didn't have one of your own handy.

Any who find this hint saves them the hassle of a AAA call can reward me with a free lesson someday.;)


And that's not all! (Bonus barn hint in memory of the late Billy Mays) You can use a metal sweat scraper as a very handy back scratcher if rubbing your back against a barn post isn't your style.:yes:

[Bayou Roux]

I'll just add to this PSA the discovery that my auto-lock booper spazzes out when the batteries are low, and will decide to LOCK... UNLOCK... LOCK... UNLOCK as it's winding down.

That's how I twice locked my keys in the car during lessons...I didn't lock them in; they locked themselves in....the first time, I called hubby to come get me, then went back inside to the warm office. The second time, later that spring, it was warm enough to sit outside & wait, where I witnessed the car locking and unlocking itself...

[CallMeGrace]

I'll just add to this PSA the discovery that my auto-lock booper spazzes out when the batteries are low, and will decide to LOCK... UNLOCK... LOCK... UNLOCK as it's winding down.

That's how I twice locked my keys in the car during lessons...I didn't lock them in; they locked themselves in....the first time, I called hubby to come get me, then went back inside to the warm office. The second time, later that spring, it was warm enough to sit outside & wait, where I witnessed the car locking and unlocking itself...

My son's trainer's car was doing that the other day - I was thinking Outer Limits - the car is locking itself! Will have to tell him to check the booper (I think you said) batteries! :lol:

[shakeytails]

My truck used to lock itself, too. The batteries have been dead on the remote for well over a year but I'm still paranoid about it and always leave the window down if I leave the keys in it.

[WorthTheWait95]

My keys got locked in when the barn cat jumped into my car. I'm not sure HOW he did it since there was only a tiny crack a few inches wide at the top of each window to let some air circulate (compressed skull/ribs like a rat?!) and helpfully locked the doors.

Luckily I had left my powerade in the car otherwise he could have easily died that day since it was 100 degrees plus. I used a metal coat hanger since it was a little longer and more bendy then my other options.

Now I just leave all windows down and deal with the insane fly population that accumulates during the day.

[Long Spot]

Or you could just do what I do and drive a POS car, who's back window jiggles down as I drive it a few inches. Every time I park it, I have to get the nubby gloves out of my car, open that door, put a hand on either side and pull up.

The good news is, I can get it back down the same way.

Not that I've had to do that, or anything. :lol:

[Luckydonkey]

Or keep an extra car key in your tack trunk in case you lock your self out....:D although i like the shedding blade idea!

[Bluey]

I have an extra set of keys with me all the time, that I ignore, except for that time I forgot my "real" keys and locked them, or my dog locked them in there.

Those few times, I was glad I always have the spare keys with me.:cool: :cool: :cool:
Never leave without them.:D

The silliest I have felt is when, going to a cutting with a friend, she locked her keys in her pickup and had to ask the show manager to call a locksmith and while waiting for it discovered the back small sliding window in the cab was wide open.:winkgrin:

[Huntertwo]

My truck used to lock itself, too. The batteries have been dead on the remote for well over a year but I'm still paranoid about it and always leave the window down if I leave the keys in it.

Same here - If I leave my keys in the truck, I always leave the window open.

Or if at the barn, I leave my keys on the shelves we have on the stalls.

[drmgncolor]

Hey OP! Thanks for teaching me how to easily break into a Mustang. :)

[Lori B]

Aaaargh. I did that once 2 summers ago. Was riding on a Sunday evening in July, not another soul at the barn, boyfriend out of town, had to pay the locksmith the "you are so screwed" rate to get them to come out and help me break into my car. I will never leave keys in car again, no matter what. Will keep keys in tack box, on a nail next to stall, anything. That was so annoying, expensive, and pointless.

[Rebe]

It's much less expensive if you have a handy dandy 2 year old child who decides to lock herself into the car (not my kid, my trainer's). Especially if she does it on THE coldest day of the year, with wind chills in the minus 30s or so.

Because then you get to call 911 and have the fun guys in the bright red truck with the sirens come out and rescue said child for free.

Of course, all the horses weren't so thrilled about the big red truck, and even less so, the sirens. But I'll say, those guys got there FAST, and then they raced working on jimmying all 4 windows to see who could break in first...

[cloudyandcallie]

A 2nd set of keys and/or a slim jim. Ask a wrecker service to tell you where they buy their slim jims.

[5]

I have a spare key duct taped to the chassis for just this.

[ChocoMare]

OR have a farm manager that saves everything.... including 2 sizes of Slim Jim :D

Got lucky the one day I did the same thing, except I was temporarily borrowing my church's 12-passenger van. :o

Walked up to the manager's shop, spied the SJ's hanging on the wall (I think they'd been there since 1970 since I noticed the outline of it in lighter paint on the wall :D)....grabbed the big one and went off to Gir-R-Done.... Slide, hook, POP! :D

I was quite proud of myself, thank you very much. :winkgrin: :lol:

[Jeannette, formerly ponygyrl]

slim jim = shedding blade wo/ handle at one end. That is useful info to store away!

[Bluey]

My pickup has a combination number pad, that I think opens it.
I am afraid to try it, because if it doesn't open, the alarm is so loud, I will jump out of my shoes if it goes off with me standing right by it.:eek:

Anyone has any experiences with those touch combination pads?

[Blacklabs]

Anyone has any experiences with those touch combination pads?


Yes, love them and if you are locked out and can't remember the code the car dealership has it.Just hope the cell phone isn't in the locked car. ;)

[billiebob]

Or you could own a Geo tracker (yes, it was my first car) and just take the removable windows off from the outside. I can't believe I used to park that thing down on Temple University's main campus and never once was it broken into.

Ever since I got rid of that car I have been beyond paranoid about locking my keys in my car because the windows don't unzip! :lol:

[saultgirl]

I have a spare car key at my house and a spare car key in my tack box, plus my parents have a key and would come out and help if needed!

That didn't help me when I went to the beach and lost the key completely, though :)

[MunchkinsMom]

I have a spare key duct taped to the chassis for just this.

Ditto (or at least I used to - haven't put one on the truck, but then again I don't drive to the barn since my horses are at home now).

The most embarassing was locking my keys in the car while on vaction, AAA came and unlocked the car and as they were driving away then I remembered the hidden key.

What prompted me to do the hidden key was that I had locked my keys in the car at the barn - twice! And both times I could see the keys on the seat. In that car, the door lock button was not in a spot to be easily pushed to open the door, so I did what the OP did but used a coat hanger, and hooked the keys off the seat and got them out through the space in the door (my friends where holding the space open with screwdrivers while I fished).

The funniest part was that as my friends and I were fishing, the AAA guy was fiddling with the slim jim on the other door, and we beat him.

[BasqueMom]

We keep a spare key in a magnetic keybox, usually in the gas cap area. It will only
unlock the doors. We keep a spare key with the computer chip thingie that will actually
start the car stashed inside the vehicle. Saved our butts more than once....

[Seal Harbor]

Pre OnStar extra set of keys to all vehicles in tack trunk, now I have OnStar and even out at the barn on a borrowed cell phone (mine was locked in the truck) they could unlock it!! YAY!!! I love OnStar.

[FalseImpression]

We have had a few episodes of locking keys in the cars. The funniest one belongs to my son. In the dead of an Ontario winter, he decided to try (don't ask why) to go down a road cleared marked "No winter maintenance". He got hung up on a snow drift and could not move forward or backward. He tried rocking the car. No luck. He decided to put the car into gear and try pushing it. He forgot that when said car was running and in gear, the doors locked automatically. So, there he is stuck in the middle of nowhere, with a car running, in gear, but stuck and his cell phone is in the car. He had to walk to a nearby farm and was lucky that the mennonites living there had a phone!

Of course, instead of calling CAA, he called his dad... who had to wait for me to get home with the 4 x 4 to go and pull him out! Believe me... he has not lived that one down yet!!

My husband also got caught by the wind blowing the door shut while the truck was running. Luckily, it was in his office parking lot and he was not stuck outside in the cold weather.

[OnyxThePony]

Ha! I just bought a Mustang GT and you can be DAMN sure if I leave the keys locked in it, I'll be using that FREE Roadside assistance thing and not risk mangeling the pretty litl red thing that it is!!!! :lol: :lol:

[ReSomething]

I had a car with a self opening window too! But I never locked myself out of that one.

No, leave it to me to have a spare key in my purse and leave the purse and the keys in the car, press that convenient little "lock all" button and then shut.the.door and have time slooow down as I realize what I have just done. Noooooooo . . . .

Curse power door locks, they make it too easy to mess up.

[Adamantane]

Of course the ideal solution is to have a keyless remote entry pad on the door. Assuming you know the combination.

But the vehicles that are the most fun to drive often don't.:sadsmile:

[Quin]

I still miss my first car - a 1974 Maverick. With all the windows fully closed I could break in with a wire coat hanger in less than 5 minutes. Practice makes perfect ;)

The problem with taking your keys in with you at the barn is what you do with them. Last winter I used to do that. And set them in my brush box. When I was getting ready to leave I put everything back in my tack locker, locked the padlock.........yep, both the key to the car and to the tack locker were on the key ring now locked in the locker. Had to go up to the BO's house and get her husband to come down to the barn with a hacksaw and saw through the padlock on the tack locker.

[Quin]

Of course the ideal solution is to have a keyless remote entry pad on the door. Assuming you know the combination.

But the vehicles that are the most fun to drive often don't.:sadsmile:


No, the ideal solution is my DH's Prius. If the key is close to the car, the car unlocks itself. So if the key is in the car, you can't lock yourself out.

[mypaintwattie]

The problem with taking your keys in with you at the barn is what you do with them. Last winter I used to do that. And set them in my brush box. When I was getting ready to leave I put everything back in my tack locker, locked the padlock.........yep, both the key to the car and to the tack locker were on the key ring now locked in the locker. Had to go up to the BO's house and get her husband to come down to the barn with a hacksaw and saw through the padlock on the tack locker.

this is the very reason why I only use combination locks- I am to paranoid that I would lock the key inside or forget to bring it with me! I usually keep my keys in my tack locker inside my stall, locked up when I am out riding, but when I am there the door is typically open. One day my dear sweet mare decided it would be fun to go into my locker, picked up my keys and cell phone in her mouth, and proceed to drop them in her water bucket. The keys missed the bucket- the cell phone was not as lucky:sadsmile:

[vacation1]

My car has a conniption fit if I even try to unlock the doors with the key instead of using the remote, so I'd be terrified to try to coax it open manually. Hard to forget the key when you can only lock the car with them from outside.

Or you could own a Geo tracker (yes, it was my first car) and just take the removable windows off from the outside. I can't believe I used to park that thing down on Temple University's main campus and never once was it broken into.

My first car was a Geo too, and while I loved that car, I never had a moment's worry parking it in north Philly either:lol: I could never decide if potential thieves wrote it off as a bad risk because clearly someone poor enough and tasteless enough to drive such an abomination would possess nothing worth stealing, or if they simply felt too much pity for the fool who owned that car.

[Acertainsmile]

OY, we "accidently" locked the doors to our new truck while it was still running, unloading horses at midnight in the boonies of Virginia...couldnt get a tow truck, or a police officer out to help us. Hubby used a crowbar and a block of wood to pry the door open enough to get a coat hanger in to hit the window power button. I had my back turned and my eyes closed waiting for the sound of shattering glass. It worked though, and didnt leave a mark on the truck!

A few weeks ago my 3 yr old son locked himself in a 69 Corvette that my dad is restoring... dad panicked as he didnt have a key for the doors. We tried to tell our boy to roll down the window...he just didnt understand the concept, if it had been a power button he would have been out in a matter of seconds...he finally found the door handle (little teeny thing) and let himself out...what a stressed out grandpa he had!

[Foxtrot's]

OP - very clever of you. My dog has locked herself in the car when I stopped at the corner store for a mo. Luckily my husband had a mis-spent youth and served time as a tow truck driver for a while - got it open in a flash.

[nikki3]

The problem with taking your keys in with you at the barn is what you do with them. Last winter I used to do that. And set them in my brush box. When I was getting ready to leave I put everything back in my tack locker, locked the padlock.........yep, both the key to the car and to the tack locker were on the key ring now locked in the locker. Had to go up to the BO's house and get her husband to come down to the barn with a hacksaw and saw through the padlock on the tack locker.

I stash my keys under the gas cap, started doing this while running and it's so convenient, I do it all the time now.

[Sarabeth]

Despite the goofy commercials, that's why I LOVE GM's OnStar :cool:

All it takes is a cell phone, and a in a minute your doors are open.

[Adamantane]

Despite the goofy commercials, that's why I LOVE GM's OnStar :cool:

All it takes is a cell phone, and a in a minute your doors are open.

Yes, I can see the advantages.

But I don't like any eye in the sky having the capability to track/record/report where I go and when, how fast I am driving or any of that. :no:

Even before the federal government owned 80% of GM's shares.

[Ibex]

Until recently I had a Jeep Wrangler that I locked myself out of regularly. It was entertaining watching friends panic until I just unzipped the windows and crawled in... :lol:

[SGray]

I still miss my first car - a 1974 Maverick. .....


awwww - mine was used '72 Comet - 2 door, 8 cyl. - it could GO

[hunter1985]

Ah I've locked myself out at the barn several times as well. So embarassing when your halfway shutting that door and you see your keys sitting in the seat. Time seems to slow down as you watch yourself lock yourself out... grrr