Look, we’ve all been there. Personally, I have been there multiple times. The worst time for it to happen is when you’re in a big rush with places to be. We’re talking about when you accidentally lock your keys inside your car.
So, you did it, now what do you do? Being that this is one of the most peeving predicaments to plague mankind since the invention of the car key, people have come up with some pretty clever ways to unlock your car door when you’ve been locked out.
Hide-A-Key
Alright, folks, this is actually what you should be doing, but if you’re reading this article it’s almost certainly what you’re not doing. And we’re going to rub it in. If you’re not familiar, a hide-a-key is an ingenious little device probably invented by an ingenious little man. It is essentially just a box with a magnet on the outside. You can stick it anywhere on the outside of your car and store things in it. It’s primarily used to, you guessed, hide your key.
The hide-a-key has saved many, many motorists from missed appointments, frustrations, and overall embarrassment. If you don’t have one it’s recommended that you get one, like right away. You only get a pass if you are basically a total freak about security, in which case you probably aren’t the type of person to lock your keys in your car, so cheers to you.
The Coat Hanger
When the door to your car is locked and you’re looking in through the window at the keys sitting on the driver’s seat, they can seem so close but they are so far. It can be disheartening. The most popular solution to get the door open is what we like to call the coat hanger method.
The great thing about the coat hanger method is that coat hangers are ubiquitous; you can find them almost everywhere. Equally as important is that they are flexible so that you can easily bend them to your will. And you better have a strong will if you’re going to attempt this hack.
The theory behind this technique is simple. The execution, maybe not so much. Simply insert the coat hanger into the crack in between the window and the door and bend it in such a way that you can flip the lock from the inside. Good luck.
The Wedge
This trick is pretty straightforward and perhaps the least frustrating, but will require caution to ensure that you don’t end up causing some real damage. You’ll need a wedge and a flathead screwdriver. Simply use the screwdriver to pry open the door slightly and insert the wedge. Now grab a stick, a piece of wood, or whatever you can to finagle that locking mechanism open.
The Blood Pressure Cuff
If you don’t have a wedge laying around, but you happen to have a blood pressure cuff laying around (unlikely?) you can use the cuff as a sort of wedge. Just feed into the gap between the door and the frame, then inflate it. This will give you room to work to unlock the door with whatever long pokey thing you can find.
Tennis Ball Magic
Apparently, you can use a tennis ball to unlock your car (though we’ve never tried it). Here’s how it supposedly works:
- Get a tennis ball
- Cut a hole in the tennis ball roughly the size of the keyhole on your car door
- Place that hole over the keyhole
- Squish the tennis ball
Supposedly the air being forced into the lock can unlock it. Sounds a little far-fetched but hey, try it if you’re desperate.
Call A Towing Company
Now, this is the easiest and best solution (besides the hide-a-key). Next time you find you’ve locked your keys in your car, just call a professional. Sure, any of the above methods can work. But you risk causing damage to your vehicle, and worse, you risk looking like an absolute fool and wasting hours on the side of the road trying to get into it.
Do the sensible, grown-up thing, and call a towing company to request their lock out service. Call Jimmy’s Spokane Towing and we will be there in a jiffy to jimmy your door open for you. With the right tools and experience, we’ll have you on your way in no time (for a small fee, of course).
