Last weekend I went to StL to visit the familia, and on my way back to kc Sunday, i locked my keys in the car while at a gas station outside of Columbia. While getting out of the car i was indecided about whether to wait in the car or out while filling the gas tank. My usual practice is to grab my keys & wallet, lock the door & once the gas tank is full just head inside & pay....but this time it was very cold outside, and i didnt feel like putting my coat on....so in between steps 4 & 5 of my normal gas station routine (1.keys, 2. wallet, 3. open door, 4. lock it, 5. get out, 6. close door, 7. fill tank, 8.pay for it, 9. leave) i decided i was getting back in the car while i waited for it to fill up. i threw my keys on the seat, got out, and started to do all the normal fill your tank up routine things...in the middle of this i realized i was letting all the heat out of the car & closed the door.
guess what? the door was locked.
guess what else? the keys were still on the seat.
D'OH!!
The girl behind the counter of course didnt have a hanger but said i was welcome to see if i could find anything around the store that might work. Who am I? McGyver? Seriously, I do not have the skills to do anything other than maybe take apart the newspaper stand to use the wire. I doubted she would let me do that, but just as i was getting ready to ask anyway, a state trooper walked in the door. Of course, they dont carry lockout kits anymore...so he called dispatch & had them call me a locksmith. I spose it couldve been worse...maybe stuck at a self-serve gas station with nobody in sight. I wouldve had to use some chuck norris moves to break into my car!!
So the locksmith, aka Paul Bunyan man, (he looked like he was wearing this getup) shows up to get me into the car. He seriously looked like paul bunyan, minus babe the blue ox....huge bushy beard, crazy hair, flannel coat, big boots...for real! Anyways, we walk out to my car & he gets a phone call for someone else needing to be let in their car. So he's talking on the phone, trying to write my info down, trying to write this person's info down, and one-handedly use a slim-jim to unlock my car....and i'm standing in like 10 degree wind chill about to lose the battle against hypothermia. It's not like i couldve said much...i am after all the schmuck who locked her keys in her car...who am i to tell him how things need to be done? Still....i was FREEZING and here's this man all toasty & warm behind his massively huge beard & flannel coat chatting on the phone. After about 10 to 15 min of this the lumberjack, er, i mean, locksmith, finally let me in to my car. $35 poorer, i got back on the road & continued the journey back to kc...
Moral of the story, never call Paul Bunyan to unlock your car unless you have time to spare and it's warmer than 30 degrees. Or, just make sure your keys are in your hand before you close the door to the car.
3 comments:
I can't recommend AAA highly enough! You pay an amazingly cheap price ($40?) every year and they will always come (for FREE) when you (or someone else you know) lock your keys in the car, have a break down, need a tow, etc. Even if none of those things ever happen to you, it's worth the cost for the peace of mind knowing you won't be left stranded somewhere.
i forgot to mention...i already pay sprint for the roadside assistance...but i left my phone in the car as well. i know! i'm a dope. :)
I was also going to recommend AAA. I know we have certainly gotten our money's worth from them over the years. In fact, they towed Andy five times last year! He did have to pay $35 for the fifth time, becasue they have a limit of four tows per year.
I'm sorry you had such a bad and freezing experience.
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