Did something today I've never done. I thought by this age, I'd made all the dumb mistakes. But today I had left my client, drove for about 90 minutes, stopped for gas. I had the driver door open, my purse and coat on the passenger seat, the car off and the keys in the ignition. It was very windy.
I finished the gas, then went to take some trash out of the car and just as I did a wind blew the door closed. Yes, locked the car keys in the car. That horrible feeling that you can't undo it. This gas station was part of a convenience store so I went in, told the clerk what had happened. She waved it off and said "that happens all the time" and she asked if she should call the police and ask them to come open the door. I said sure; she did and I waited.
For 45 minutes.
I couldn't even buy a soda or snack as my purse was in the car. At that point, I asked her if she would call again. She really didn't want to, and I don't blame her, but she did. This time they claimed they were on their way, and sure enough two minutes later the cop car pulls up and I went outside.
I introduced myself by saying "I'm the big dummy." He gave me a form to fill out which was a permission release that I had the right to ask him to unlock the door, my name, address, that it was legally my car, etc.
He had the door open in under a minute, using some sort of long white plastic -- oh hell, I don't know what it was, but it had something on the end. And I loved when the door popped.
I asked him if he needed anything from me, and he wanted my license which he called in -- "should come back to Patricia Loo-bek" he spoke into the mike on his shoulder. Hey, I have no outstanding warrants. He handed me back my license and I stood there. I said, "May I leave?" and he looked at me slightly disgusted/bemused like "What is wrong with you?" So I thanked him sincerely and he said "Have a safe trip" and that was it.
A few minutes later, a client phoned me and I told him what had happened. As a non-car owner or rather a car non-owner, I said, "Do you take your keys out when you gas up?" And he said, "No, but I will now." So I don't know if I learned the lesson or even if there is a lesson to learn. The good part is that all this cost me was 45 minutes of time. I was imagining a big bill from a locksmith or broken into window. So thanks to my man in blue in Ohio who protected and served ME.
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5 comments:
There are two reasons this particular problem won't happen to me - one, my car keys don't go in the ignition, they just have to be in the car, so I never take them out of my purse and the car won't lock with the key in it. Two, a couple of years ago we had a spate of robberies at gas stations, where the thief would open the passenger door while you're pumping gas and grab anything on the seat, so the police said we should have our purses with us while pumping gas. A little awkward at first, but I did feel better.
This really is a true accident though - I'm sorry you had to sweat it out. The difference between your experience and a close call is so small - if the seat belt had fallen partly out the door, this wouldn't have happened, if the wind weren't quite as strong..if..if
All's wee that ends well!!!!Stephanie
All's well that ends well!!!!!! I was afraid to do a preview as that is when my message disappears, so I didn't check...so there!
Hey... I can top that .. I once locked my car with my keys in the ignition... And the car running!!!! So doesn't that make you feel better???
Oh Melissa, I did that, too! I had to get a ladder from the side of the house and climb up to an open window on the second floor, wiggle through, get my spare keys and open the door! (made Bear put the ladder inside after that--a little too convenient for the thief!). I remember being so thankful that I was still in my own driveway, but furious because it made me late for work. Now I always take the keys and lock the car when I fuel up (we have issues with people grabbing stuff out of unlocked cars while their owners are refueling, too).
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