Keys?

[Kay/NC]

The fugitive still being at large has made us more cognizant of locking things up when we leave...more to keep from walking back into a bad situation than for any other reason. Some sort of structural issue is messing with the coded entry deadbolt that we have been using for a couple of years, making it a problem to open that most- convenient entrance without a key, too.

It took a couple of months for Mike to have the sort of frustrating encounter with it that has been frustrating me all summer. Last time we got back from Jenna's. he had to hunt down a hidden key, with me standing with bags at the doorway, not very happy, since I had been telling him the door was a problem.

Today, he decided to try keys in locks...the house has five, the office four. This doesn't count outbuildings or farm buildings, some of which have locking doorsets, some which do not. If not for one labelled master set on hooks in one storage cabinet, we would have been totally in the blind. Evidently, some changes have been made since that system was set up.

After listening to him trying to figure out which was which fot about a half-hour this afternoon, I have concluded that the simplest thing to do is move.

Do you know where your house keys are?

[Sundae1964]

I do not know where keys are at this very moment, but would need to look in a few places to find them and then test it to make sure it was the right key.  With garage door opener that is the way we lock and get into the house when we leave.

S.

[Husker-J]

I always left the keys in the old 'beater' pickup (a 1980's rattletrap) with about a quarter tank in it, at all times.

I figured if I wasn't home, and a friend had a breakdown nearby, and no one was home, they knew they could take the truck, and it would get them to help.  If some no-goodnik came in the yard, they'd see the keys were in a viechle parked on the far end of the yard from the house, with enough gas for them to get good and away, hoping they'd just drive it off, and not bother looking towards the house.  Most I'd be out would be a couple hundred bucks, and a quarter tank of gas, even if I never saw the truck again.

[wt510151]

Can't argue with that. Most criminals don't want to deal with people, just get some stuff, a vehicle and go. It's better to leave them a cheap temptation like that than to allow them a chance to get in the house and your family. We leave our vehicle key in our old beaten truck too, just for that reason.

[Ruby Lou]

A fugitive was at large in southern Iowa a few weeks ago.  Guess he came into a farm house and woke up the folks that lived there and held them 'hostage" for a few hours.  Tore the phone cord out of the wall.  Somehow the male got ahold of a shotgun and shot the fugitive in the kitchen!  Dead on the floor.   Then they were able to call the sheriff on their cellphones in the middle of the night!   Keep your gun handy Kay!

[Suey73]

Keys!!!  One night we/I was worried about the neighbors having a big party.  So,  we took the keys out of all the vehicles  and locked the doors for the night.  Sunday morning when we came back from church we found all the doors still locked.  (Yes,  we got out okay)

Husband got in by going through the  coal/wood door into the basement.  

[Kay/NC]

I have concluded that we need to replace a couple of door's locksets, and key them all alike...to the same keys we use at Jenna's house. Mike finally took the time to get all the doors there re-set to the same key.

Kwikset makes these Smartkeys, and that is what we used there, when we changed the locks. I could inexpensively switch two here, key them to that key, and get in the houses with only one key between them, which makes sense to me. We already se the same code for the vehicles that have coded entries and the deadbolts in both places.

I need to simplify!

[manureseller]

Speaking of keys....my BIL had his truck stolen this past weekend (Sunday morning) while at breakfast.  Todd was telling me about it and I asked where his keys were and was told on the floor of the pickup and the drivers side door can't be locked.  My first response was it's his own fault and insurance won't cover it.  My opinion really went down when I was told he didn't have insurance...I blew a gasket over that one.  Then Todd said that we may have to borrow him a vehicle to which I replied only if he has insurance...I was told to quit being so mean by my MIL.  I just shook my head and mentally walked away thanking the Good Lord I wasn't there in person, this was all said to me over the phone since they were all at the lake and I was at home.  The police did recover his truck and no or little damage so that's a good thing but what an idiot.

[linda/IL]

Reminds me of our high school principal who left his keys in his new truck. Kids stole it & dumped it in the family pond down the road-totaled it. Insurance wouldn't pay because were left in it.

[Kay/NC]

What is worse is that if any of those kids had been hurt, he would have been liable, for creating an attractive nuisance.