Spare Car Keys

calsur · Post by **calsur** » Sun Jul 04, 2004 12:52 am

Just a suggestion.

A guy I work with "lost" his car keys during a camping trip in Yosemite earlier this year. Cost of the new key was $10.00. Cost of the delivery was $280.00. He found the keys about an hour after the new on was delivered. He found it while striking his tent. It ended up under his tent on top of the ground cloth. A spare key wired up under the car in an unobtrusive place has saved my buns several times. Stay away from zip ties. They dry and break or you do not have something to cut them with. I carry a little Swiss Army knife at all time, on my key ring. Cutting up a wire coat hanger and hand twisting it seems to work the best. If you put it on with your hands you can take it off with just your hands.

Hoping I save someone some misery.

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Sun Jul 04, 2004 1:02 am

Lydia Best to check times and dates -Ascension and Souls

rodent wrote:if this hasn't been a perfect example of the need for an "ignore user" mod, I don't know what is.

This poster has done nothing to elicit discussion, does nothing but make statements, created numberous/repetitive threads, and has not posted to any threads but his/her own.

and then I think of radical inclusion...

Kinetic II wrote:Please, just shut up.

Maybe that is simple enough to understand, it's not cryptic at all.
You keep posting thread after damn thread of this stuff and people are fast become tired of it. If your going to be a part of our online community, we respectfully ask that you refrain from creating numerous threads with minimal discussion value. We ask for replies in normal conversational speech. You don't have to respect those wishes...but when the flames start roaring your way and you find no one is reponding to you because they have implemented mental plonks...again we warned you.

I've cautioned you twice...I hope you understand and comply.

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic. ... /rofl2.gif[/img]

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Sun Jul 04, 2004 1:05 am

there's a really funny one around here somewhere.
I'll find the thread.....it has TP on it somewhere....she had something to say in relation to this thread......

Tancorix · Post by **Tancorix** » Sun Jul 04, 2004 9:07 am

DVD, I forgot writing that, and on top of it I'm wondering...how did you make the jump from Calsur talking about car keys (which is an excellent post, btw), to whatever it is you were referring to? I'm confused.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Sun Jul 04, 2004 9:08 am

Yeah, my dad has been wiring a spare under his vehicles for years, since he goes camping in the middle of nowhere and runs with the Hash House Harriers. I should probably start doing this. For years I carried a spare in my wallet, only recently I lost the spare somewhere.

I didn't really miss the spare until I locked my keys in the car while at a fast food restraunt. Fortunately, they were busy and the staff was able to help me break into my own car!

I still need to get a new spare made, but haven't been able to spare the money.

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Sun Jul 04, 2004 10:27 am

The suggestion here is a good one. As part of my packing list I make it a point to list 'extra car key.'

I've only locked my keys in the car maybe five times in my adult life. Three of those times have been on the playa at different times of the year.

Go figure.

Ron · Post by **Ron** » Sun Jul 04, 2004 1:18 pm

Spare keys are good! I take an RV so I can take one of the side door keys with me, hide the other one under the RV somewhere, and leave both ignition keys in the rig. I've yet to lose a key, but if I do, I'm prepared....

Ron

Icepack · Post by **Icepack** » Sun Jul 04, 2004 5:57 pm

I believe there are some locksmiths at Burning Man as well. In 2002 the Rangers had a guy who took care of lock outs all the time. I forget how it was handled last year.

calsur · Post by **calsur** » Mon Jul 05, 2004 12:26 am

Tancorix,

I could not make a connection myself. I just assumed he was practicing a little recreational pharmacology.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 8:40 am

There has been a Playa Lockout Team in the past, and they're a listed camp. Haven't needed their services yet, but nice to have 'em around. A number of the bargain-tool-warehouse places (that sell all the Chinese tools!) sell Slim Jims or even whole lockout kits, for a coupla bucks. Not helpful for me, unless I keep it outside of the car, but I've been able to open cars for others which is nice. (Check your local ordinances- it's a "burglary tool" and could be used to justify a search of your person and belongings under the right (wrong) circumstances....)
May a thousand flowers bloom over Honda for incorporating anti-lock-your-keys-in-the-car technology. I'd have locked myself out of my Element several times if it had let me!
Oh, and the concensus among my people is that those magnetic key boxes SUCK. One good bump or some train tracks and you're SOL. Eventually they'll smarten up and make 'em with rare-earth magnets.

Zephryus · Post by **Zephryus** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 9:52 am

Drift Warning:

If there are locksmiths on the playa, are there also people who can get U-locks off of bikes?

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 10:11 am

I guarantee it. Mostly they take the unlocked ones, but left unguarded and out of sight long enough I'll bet ANYTHING'd disappear. I try to remember to pop the seat off when I'm not riding for a while- MOST people prefer to ride 'em with the seats ON.....

Zephryus · Post by **Zephryus** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 10:38 am

Actually, I meant to ask if there are people out there who take U-locks of of bikes as a service - mine came with a couple attached and I don't have the keys or other means to remove them.

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 11:34 am

Actually, I meant to ask if there are people out there who take U-locks of of bikes as a service - mine came with a couple attached and I don't have the keys or other means to remove them.

Angle grinder. A few years back there was a guy who had one of these. I remeber him talking about a sudden rush of folks coming to his camp to have the U locks cut off because the grinder sliced through them like butter. He reomoved two or so but started having second thoughts because he was suspicious that the bikes were been ripped off at Center Camp so he stopped the service.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 4:48 pm

Oh, and the concensus among my people is that those magnetic key boxes SUCK. One good bump or some train tracks and you're SOL. Eventually they'll smarten up and make 'em with rare-earth magnets.

Yeah, coat-hanger-wire and duct tape is the best way to secure a spare key under a vehicle. (Side note, the duct tape is also a way to keep the key from corroding due to road salt, etc.)

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 5:16 pm

Magnetic key holders actually work reasonably well if you put them INSIDE a frame rail, directly on top of a metal surface and not 1/2" of caked on mud. Some cars have hollow bumpers or other crevices that would work well. I was rooting around under my 14 year old truck a while back and found one stuck in the frame. Judging by the amount of dirt built up on the box and the fact that it was a pristine origional key I'd guess it had been under there for many years.

Good point about possibly helping thieves. I'll have an angle grinder with me but likely won't go out of my way to advertise how easy it would be to remove a U lock

Chai Guy · Post by **Chai Guy** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 11:35 pm

Just an update here:

Last year (2005) the LLC decided that it would no longer provide comp tickets to the "Lock-Out" team of locksmiths. The locksmiths then decided that they would no longer provide comp locksmith services at the event (hey, seems fair to me).

At any rate, I had a friend who lost the only key to their car. It was a new car with a chip or something in it. Long story short, the whole thing ended up costing many hundreds of dollars and several days (yes DAYS) of aggravation, including leaving the event to call the rental car company in Gerlach, waiting at the gate for the Rental Car Agent to show up with the keys, etc. etc. etc.

Moral to the story?

Follow the advice above, have an extra key available, wire it to the car, give an extra key to a friend (who should also be at the event). etc.

Lassen Forge · Post by **Lassen Forge** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 9:01 am

I know - not one of the better decisions IMHO, as the service has a huge need. My brother (who had borrowed my lock-out kit) was running around a bunch last year doing lockouts... (Thank god, as I was too wiped to remember my name, let alone how to pop doors open!!) Some say there's a liability issue, but those who know how to do lockouts are generally aware of those issues and cover their butts...

So...

My advice is simple. Get a spare key made, put it on one of those mini-carabiners, and clip it (or better, sew it!!) to the inside of your tent BEFORE you head out to the playa. Sure, it means you have to set the tent up before you head out, but... since the tent will be there... a spare key for your wheels will, too.

Another thing - if you have a pickup, leave one of the windwings or the sliding back glass (if your truck has either) unlatched. Even if the thing gets locked, you can still get in.

bb

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 10:27 am

For the second year in a row I was camped with the only unofficial locksmith I know of in Black Rock City.

With 35+ thousand people there's bound to be a few folks who get locked out. However, I was astonished at the number of folks who found their way over to our camp because they locked their keys in their car and didn't have a spare set.

Though Mike did as many cars as he could it started to become an almost full-time job on the playa and there were times when he just had to say 'no.' The guy never asked for anything although people were constantly flashing money in front of his face because they were often pretty desperate. He did end up with a pretty impressive selection of liquor, beer by the end of the event. Most people just wanted to feed him which he had no problem with.

Spare Car Keys

Spare Car Keys

DVD Burner