Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Oooops II

So, yesterday I survived walking around wearing rent garments in public (I've ALWAYS wanted to say "rent garments"!)

This morning started off just fine. One of my pups, Tucker, was scheduled to get his rabies shot at 10:00 AM, so figuring he wouldn't want to run around a lot afterwards, I decided to sacrifice my "sleeping-in" and take Silver to school (with the dogs, at 6:45 AM (!)), then head over to the dog park to get a romp in before his appointment.

We arrived at the park at around 7:15 or so, and it was freezing! I don't get this weather. On Monday we almost hit 90, today the high was only 67, with winds topping 25mph. So trust me when I say, it was cold. I guess I was discombobulated by the wind, because normally I put the car keys in my pocket as I open the door, AFTER leaning over to unlock the passenger-side door (where I let the pups out, I have a two-door car). Well, this morning I tossed the keys into the bag on the passenger seat, got out of the car while locking the door, and the wind immediately slammed it shut while it slowly dawned on me that I had for once neglected to unlock the other door. Yup, keys and dogs inside, me outside.

*sigh*

Thank goodness I had automatically followed my normal, dog-park precaution of stuffing my cell phone in my jeans pocket before even leaving home, because I'd have been toast without it.

I called the non-emergency police number, 311 for those of you NOT in the know, and the lovely Metro dispatcher transferred me to "Pop-a-Lock", the 24/7 locksmith folks.

Even though I was rapidly turning into an icicle I was thankful for the cold, since my dogs were comfy in their fleece-lined crate. They just curled up and went to sleep while we waited, especially since I was leaning against the car where they could see me. If this had happened a few months from now, I definitely would have been frantic, because of the lethally high temperatures inside vehicles. As it was, Sir Pop-a-Lock, my knight in greasy armor, arrived promptly, and $49.95 later, within 45 minutes of my original call, the pups and I were happily doing our dog-park thing.

I have to mention I was seriously alarmed at how quickly and easily he popped open the car door. Scary! Of course, under the circumstance I was relieved, but still it was disturbing. Not like the movies at all, though. He used an inflatable cushion, which he slid between the door and the frame of the car, and which he pumped up using a bulb like that of a manual blood-pressure cuff, to create a space big enough to slide in the long tool for, well, popping the lock! 30 seconds, max.

Anyway, I just figured the day could only get better from there, and I was right!

The strangely amusing thing about all this is, I'm one of those anal-retentive people about my keys. I'm very paranoid about just this subject. I've never, even when I had three kids in car seats to wrangle, misplaced my car keys or locked them inside the car or trunk. NEVER. I even occasionally mock myself about it. Guess I'm not laughing now!

Oh, well. Lesson learned.

8 comments:

Mauser*Girl said...

Look at it this way: if you didn't have experiences like this, what would the rest of us snicker at?

On a serious note, I am also one of those people who are absolutely paranoid about their keys.

One place we lived while I was in high school had one of those locks where you can lock and unlock the door by putting the key in, both on the inside *and* the outside of the door. (Think European door.)

In the morning, I would get up, set my school bag by the door, put my keys into the door on the inside, and get ready for school. That way, I wouldn't forget anything.

One morning, I grabbed my bag, headed out, and slammed the door behind me. With the keys still in it. Which locked the door.

Duh.

Being in a rush, I did the only sensible thing I could - I put my shoulder in the door and ended up breaking the door frame out. Fortunately it was the kind that's simply nailed in, so once I had a hold of my keys, all I had to do was give it a couple of swift ... eh... kicks to put it back in place.

Never did have to explain that to my parents.... oO

Christina RN LMT said...

Wow. Breaking the door down, very impressive! Your parents never finding out...priceless! *lol*

I figured while I was freezing and waiting for the locksmith that at least the experience would make good blog fodder!

Blondefabulous said...

When my daughter was a baby, I was at a loss as to where my keys had gone one morning. I looked everywhere! I was late for work, the sitter, everything. I tore the house apart! Finally, I went out back of the house and started going through the trash. Yep, down in the bottom of the nastiest bag was my keys. My baby girl had thrown them out. She was so proud, I just couldn't be angry.

phlegmfatale said...

I'm relieved for you that it was cooler weather, even if you were uncomfortable for a while. And I'm glad they didn't have to tear your car up to get the wee beasties out!

Christina RN LMT said...

Blondfabulous - you were definitely deserving of hazardous duty pay, right there! Blech. Thanks for stopping by!

Phlegmmy - Ditto! If it had been really hot, I might have just busted a window out. Gotta take care of my "babies"!

Lin said...

You know, I really enjoy reading that I'm not the only one who pulls these stunts. I locked the door of my pick-up behind me by reflex, at dusk, in an alley in the near ghetto once. Great, all those big ol' rides cruising by, the type that weren't there to pull into one of the garages, at least legally. I even recognized some of them from my days there on the neighborhood watch patrol. My dog was waiting patiently and confidently on the seat. I had no cell phone. No one 'real' seemed to be around the 'hood. Luckily, I had left the window cranked down a mere half inch so I cruised the dumpsters and pavement until I found a 3 foot piece of Cadillac trim. Couldn't reach the ignition with the keys with it though! Then I remembered the spare key in my billfold in my purse on the floor. Talk about a hairy game of 'go fish'. I finally snagged the billfold out of the purse and was just barely able to drag it through the crack in the window and retrieve the spare key. By then, it was nearly dark - never felt so good to slip into that seat again beside my dog!

Christina RN LMT said...

Wow, Lin, that's pretty darn resourceful of you! Necessity is the mother of invention, and all that.
Glad everything worked out okay, whew!

Speedy Locksmith LLC said...

really a good article i appriciate it