Retrieving Keys from a Locked Vehicle
If you are parked in a store parking lot and after you did your shopping you realize that your keys are locked inside your vehicle, you will need to do some quick thinking to get yourself inside your vehicle so you can get home. Here are a few tips you can try to get inside your vehicle so you can be on your way.
Assess the Situation
Before you start trying to break into your vehicle, take a look at your surroundings to make sure you feel comfortable out in the open where other people are watching your actions. If you are somewhere at night or if you are unfamiliar with your surroundings, go back inside the store and call a car locksmith to come to your aide. It is not worth taking the risk in looking vulnerable if you are anxious about the situation.
Check All Openings
Before panicking, check each door to make sure they are all locked. Sometimes you might lock the driver's side door and realize one of the others has been unlocked all along. Check the trunk next. If the trunk is unlocked, check the back wall to see if there is a release latch allowing the wall to fold inward. If this feature is available in your vehicle, you will be able to crawl through the opening to get inside your vehicle from the back.
Look for Openings
Walk around the perimeter of your vehicle and look at each window to see if any of them have a small gap between the glass and the rubber gasket at the top of the window frame. If you see a gap, this is the window you will be focusing on to try breaking into your vehicle.
Gather Some Materials
Go back into the store you were shopping inside and look for a few items to help you gain entry to your vehicle. If you were shopping at a larger department store, pick up a metal clothes hanger and a putty knife or a doorstop.
Try Getting Inside
Straighten the metal coat hanger and bend one end into a small loop. Wedge the putty knife or doorstop between the top of the glass and the rubber gasket in the window with the largest gap. You may be able to do this if the window appears completely shut as long as there is enough room for the tip of your wedge item. Push it into place and push the looped end of the metal hanger into the space so it dangles over the locking mechanisms on the door panel.
If you have an automatic locking vehicle, you will need to direct the loop over the lock button and push downward to release the latch. If you have a manual locking vehicle, you will need to position the loop around the knob and pull upward to release the latch.
Get Help from Others
If you are unable to get inside, you have a few people to call for help. If you have a friend who can pick you up and bring you to the auto dealer where you had purchased the vehicle, you will be able to have a new key made if you can prove your identity. You can also call a tow truck to bring your vehicle to your home if you have a spare set of keys there. The easiest way to deal with the situation is to have a professional car locksmith get you into your vehicle. You will then have the benefit of not needing to leave the vehicle to get keys cut.
