How To Avoid Getting Locked Out… And Ruining Dinner By Locksmith Santa Monica
No matter how careful, no matter how organized, sooner or later everyone suffers the misfortune of getting locked out. In our increasingly busy lives with so much vying for our attention, it’s all too easy to get distracted and either forget to pick up your keys or to misplace them altogether when you’re rushing from pillar to post. Likewise, the exterior door you left open for a minute while you went to the mailbox or to take out the trash can slam shut in an instant, leaving you stranded and late for work or worse, facing the prospect of a night in the spider-infested garden shed (providing, that is, you have the key to unlock it).
You may think you wouldn’t be so foolish as to allow that to happen but imagine this scenario: you step outside for a mere moment to water your precious begonias when a gust of wind blows the front door shut behind you. You ring the doorbell and bang on the door hoping someone will hear you above the stereo blasting from your son’s bedroom, your daughter’s hairdryer and your youngest’s computer game but no, your husband’s in the shower murdering REO Speedwagon and blissfully unaware of the sitcom unfolding downstairs. The dog tilts his head and shoots you a quizzical look through the living room window as you gesticulate wildly in the direction of upstairs, hoping his inner Lassie will come to the rescue.
Fifteen minutes later, having checked the side gate (locked), the downstairs windows (also locked, of course, you locked them) and the garage, you’re still outside, rapidly losing patience and all too aware that your Bolognaise sauce is starting to boil dry on the stove. Eventually your youngest comes downstairs to investigate the strange smell and, finding you nowhere in sight, begins to yell, “Mom? Mom?? Where are you??? Scott’s mom said I could eat over at his house… our dinner looks kinda… ruined.” Suddenly he flings open the front door, “Mom??” the shock almost causes you fall off the makeshift tower of sun chairs and cushions on which you were about to clamber up to the porch and from there to the bedroom window above.
For now, limbs intact and crisis averted but what could you have done to prevent this domestic drama in the first place? And worse still, what if no-one had been home? The answer is to be prepared.
- When doing yardwork, even if you’re only going outside for a few minutes, pin a set of keys to your clothing. That way you can come and go as you please and you won’t be relying on others to let you back in.
- Always keep a spare set of keys with a friend, family member or neighbor and if you’ve recently moved house, make sure you get acquainted with your neighbors as quickly as possible.Alternatively, keep a set at your place of work.
- Invest in an artificial “key keeper” rock which can be used to conceal a set of keys and then hidden in the garden. Be sure to select one that looks real because experienced burglars know what to look for. (http://www.artificialrockoutlet.com)
- Consider installing a wireless keypad on the outside of your garage and keep a spare set of keys hidden in there. Be aware, however, that in the event of a power failure, the keypad may not work.
- If your electrical panel is easily accessible, tape a spare key inside the panel and lock it from the outside using a combination padlock. Be sure to choose a combination you’re likely to remember!
And don’t be tempted to:
- Hide a spare key under the doormat, a planter, in the mailbox, taped to the underside of a windowsill or in guttering – these are the first places an experienced burglar or opportunist thief will look.
- Break a window or jimmy open a door using brute force. The inconvenience and cost of repairs will likely be more than calling in a locksmith who has the tools and skill to get you in with minimal fuss and damage.
- Leave a window open “just in case”. This is a gift to burglars and will almost certainly invalidate your home insurance leading to costlier premiums in the future.
- Risk serious injury to self and others by climbing up to an open window unless you are physical able and properly equipped for the task e.g. are using a ladder and have someone to assist you.
- Keep a key in the lock itself.
Locksmith Santa Monica (310) 409-2554