Valet Key

I had one of those "Oh s**t!" incidents happen to me a few days ago, but I was able to undo the problem very quickly.

I had phoned my wife from my car after arriving at my barber shop, and I inadvertently put the car keys on my lap while I talked with her on the cell phone.  When I got out of the car and locked it, I didn't give a second's thought to my keys; out of sight, out of mind, you know.

When my haircut was finished and paid for, I headed for the car only to discover that I didn't have my keys in my pocket.  This is summertime, so I didn't have but two pockets to search for the keys, and they definitely weren't there. 

I looked in the car windows, thinking that maybe I had left the keys in the ignition. But no, they weren't there either.  So I retraced my steps to the barbershop with no joy there, and even went inside to inquire whether they had found them on the floor.  Nope, those keys had probably fallen off my lap onto the floor between the seat and the door.

At this point most of us would be either phoning Triple-A for road service, or calling home to have the wife come to the rescue with her keys - if she has a set.  Without AAA membership, and failing the spouse option, you're looking at a locksmith service call and a hefty bill.

Well, thanks to a tip I was given by a buddy of mine who is a locksmith, I had a quick and ready solution to the problem.  You see, I keep a valet key, one that will only open doors but is unusable in the ignition, in a hidden niche that is accessible with a coin. It is under my rear license plate, and all I have to do to get to it is use a coin to loosen the screw holding the plate (and the key) to the trunk lid.

It took me less than a minute to get the key, open the driver-side door and locate the keys right where I suspected them to be, on the floor between the door and the driver seat.

I wrote this column in the hope that you will take action (if you haven't already taken measures) to find a place similar to mine to secure a valet key.  Of course, if you have one of those keyless ignitions like the one I had on my recent rental car, you don't have to concern yourself about locking keys in the car; your key fob stays in your pocket or purse anyway. Lucky you!