I Locked Keys in my Car! How I Got Back In

October 31, 2019 by mikelocksmith October 31, 2019

An Important Reminder of the Need to Slow Down

My afternoon started with plans of going out on a first date with a lady that I recently took interest in. After work, I headed home to freshen up. Everything seemed seamless until I realized that I had gotten so excited for my date that locked keys in car. Perfect timing. I was frantic! I needed my car key to drive to dinner. Talk about making a bad first impression!

What to do from here?

In order to retrieve my key from my car, I had to think efficiently and quickly. I did not want my date to think that I was standing her up. I had just bought a new car, so I had always planned on driving to the event. Thinking swiftly on my feet, I realized that I had a few options to retrieve my car key. I could either call my date and cancel the entire evening or I could call a car locksmith for help. I was leaning towards the latter. I thought long and hard about making the call.

Trying to Make a Decision

At this point, the question that lingered in my head referred to the query of who out of those two options to call. Before I made the final decision to contact a locksmith, I decided to try and get to my keys on my own. I didn’t realize what I had just signed myself up for. I felt like I could get to my keys and unlock my car with ease. At the time, I desired to be my own hero. Lucky for me, I had a flashback of watching someone successfully retrieving their car keys from inside a locked car simply by using a clothes hanger. I felt as though it was a brilliant idea, so, I follow suit and gave it a try. If you are to find yourself in a similar situation, following these steps might lead to the desired solution.

Method One: Using a Metal Clothing Hanger to Retrieve Locked Keys in Car:

Obtain Metal Clothes Hanger
Untwist Metal Clothes Hanger
Form a hook at End of Metal Clothes Hanger
Slide Metal Clothes Hanger into the appropriate edge of car window
Feel for Door Handle
Give the Door Handle a hearty tug…and you’re IN

I quickly went to my closet in search of free clothes hanger to use for the procedure of unlocking my car door. I fully understood what I was getting myself into. Or so I thought. I knew that I would essentially be sacrificing a perfectly molded clothes hanger for the sake of unlocking my car door. I searched for a clothes hanger that was not being utilized by any articles of clothing. Once an empty metal clothes hanger was spotted, I quickly grabbed it and began to unravel the twisted metal. I then straightened the newly unfolded clothes hanger into a straight line. I then began to bend one end of the recently straightened metal into a hook. The metal rod now resembled a capital letter “J”.

Putting My Talent to the Test

I then located the exterior door handle and proceeded to place the metal rod between the rubber flap and the glass of the car window. After a few minutes of toggling the metal rod around until I was able to locate the latch of the door handle. Not only was I able to locate the latch for the door handle, but I was also able to locate the notch to unlock the door. In a perfect world, I would have been able to somewhat forcefully lift the manipulated hanger up to successfully unlock the door. This method may be successful for you, but it was not for me.

Maybe I’m Not So Talented Afterall

The previous method was not successful for me. In a bit of shock, I refused to call my date to cancel the previously scheduled dinner. I ground my teeth as precious seconds turned into minutes and I realized that I was still locked out of my car. My OWN car! I pulled myself together and came to the conclusion that I was pretty much left to try a second method. Please keep in mind my frustration at this point. Fortunately, I have always thought of myself as a natural-born leader. I proceeded to attempt a second method to unlock my car. At the time, calling a locksmith to aid in my growing dilemma was out of the question. I had a gut feeling that I would find a way to get my keys out of my locked car.

Method Two: Using a Slip Knot String to Retrieve Locked Keys in Car:

In order to do get my keys out of my locked car, I had to successfully accomplish the second method. I thought through the additional materials that would be needed. Instead of using a metal hanger, a rope was required. This rope was not just any simple rope. The rope needed to be both durable and long. The following steps will further explain the procedures required for this method.

Obtain a long durable string (in essence, a thin rope)
manipulate the rope into a slip knot formation
designate the appropriate car door to be unlocked
create a suitable amount of space at the hinge of car door
slip rope into space previously created
Align slip knot around bar of door lock
Tighten slip knot around bar
Strategically pull the rope to lift bar…and you’re IN!

I was successful in unlocking my car by utilizing the second method. I was extremely thankful that I was able to access my keys using the second method. I learned a valid lesson in regard to the importance of keeping an eye on my car keys prior to locking the vehicle. I was too eager to head to dinner and ended up sacrificing both my time and perfectly good clothes hanger. Thankfully, I was able to drive myself to the dinner on time. I wanted to focus on the conversation that I was having with my newfound friend, but couldn’t help but to mentally plan my immediate trip to the car locksmith.

BONUS Method for Keys Locked in Trunk

The feeling of getting your keys after you’ve locked them in your car is exhilarating. You might not be able to do so on the first try, but once you do get a hold of them, the feeling is similar to winning the lottery. Thankfully, I was able to retrieve my keys from the passenger seat without having to cancel my event.

As I made the attempt to regain my keys, I thought of the possible alternative situations that I could have found myself in. What if I were to have locked my keys inside my trunk?! More specifically, what if I WAS able to get into the driver’s seat of my car, but not the trunk?! In such a scenario, I would be left to follow the following steps:

manually lift key-operated flap found in the back seat
obtain flashlight
inspect open space found under the latch
push latch to the right
fold-down rear seat
use a flashlight to find the key

It might be probable for you, or myself, to accidentally lock car keys inside the trunk of a car. Such scenarios are likely if you are placing items into the trunk after a day of a grocery shopping. During this process, you might absentmindedly lock your keys in the trunk. If you are locked out of your car, by means of a locked pair of car keys in the trunk, the previous steps might be necessary.

Changing Gears and Finally Going to the local Locksmith

Even though I had to experience an evening full of unexpected car problems, I vowed to myself to make the best of the remaining time in the day. I started my day off at work with plans to drive myself to my scheduled dinner meet up. Once I realized that I locked my keys inside of my car, I thought that I needed to cancel everything. I knew that this would leave a bad first impression, so I was hesitant to do so. I also knew that it was necessary for me to make arrangements to have a car key replacement made. Who else would I go to other than the locksmith that I trusted most? After having dinner, I quickly thanked my new friend for the spectacular meal. I then entered into my car to drive to the locksmith.

Building Trust and Making New Plans

I was determined to end my night with a spare key. While in my car, I used a search engine on my phone to find the nearest locksmith location. Once the navigation started, I began the journey. I arrived at the location and spoke with the employee at the front desk. I was warmly greeted. It was almost as if the front desk clerk knew that I had been through a difficult day and needed nothing less than a warm welcome. We went over my options regarding making my duplicate key. I was given many options on how to better maintain access to my vehicle. I was sure that the scenario of being keyless would not repeat itself. Remaining in contact with a trusted locksmith in your home area might be a good idea. I made sure to save the contact information of my locksmith after I received my ordered car key replacement.

In Dire Need of a Spare Key… or Two

The process of getting new car keys can be very daunting. On numerous occasions, it requires a car owner to develop a sense of humility. Such a need was clearly apparent in my situation. If you find yourself in the need of a new car key, try your best to seek out the most efficient locksmith in your area. Once you are in their office, they may help to duplicate your car key. A duplicate car key might be beneficial if you find yourself in a similar situation as I did. A Locksmith works diligently to carefully duplicate keys. If you present them with your car key, they may be able to create your spare copy. Once you find a trustworthy locksmith, you might have a new reason to make spare car keys. An efficient locksmith might give you a sense of peace. Simply knowing that you might not find yourself locked outside of your own car is well worth the initiative in making a spare key to your adored vehicle.

Remembering an Eventful, Keyless Day

Thankfully I’ll be able to utilize the presented methods to unlock my car without the key. Though I sacrificed my time and a metal clothes hanger to do so, I have to say that it was all worth it. With tenacious perseverance, I was able to regain access to my car. I ended the night with my key in my hand as I visited my local locksmith shop. I was grateful to have been able to continue my day with a helpful locksmith. Without the locksmith, I would not have my extra car key. I am, however, thankful for the information that I received about ways to unlock my car without my key. If not for the discovered information, I might still be in the parking lot of my work location. Wow, what a day!