Just about everyone has done it at least once, locked themselves out of their car or home.
After several times of locking myself out of my vehicle and having to pay a locksmith to provide entry years ago, I decided it was time to create a backup plan.
If you are considering the same thing, keep in mind there are certain dangers with keeping a key on the exterior of your car and home. Typically motorists can just buy a magnetic key holder, while keys for the home are hidden in fake rock or under the doormat. The problem with these methods is that potential burglars and car thieves know these tactics for storing spare keys.
Magnetic key holders for the car can be put anywhere on the vehicle, but people tend to put them in easily discovered locations. If the key holder is visible, it will take only a matter of minutes for it to be found. Additionally, a large pothole could dislodge the key holder.
The same principal applies to your home. Those fake rocks are noticeable, and provide a easy access to your home without the need to break a window.
So, how do you provide an alternative method of entry for those embarrassing moments when you’ve locked yourself out?
Here are a couple of ideas that can be modified to suit your needs.
If you always have your wallet or purse on you, spare keys can be stored there. Problems obviously arise when you’ve locked your purse, wallet and keys in the home or car. Such an occurrence would certainly make for a bad day.
Another idea would be to enlist the help of a neighbor to keep a spare key in their home. The only hurdle here is to find a neighbor who is home more often than not.
The point is, spare keys can be a lifesaver, but if used and stored carelessly, they can create even more headaches.