Power Kite Forum

New Rule: Don't put the car keys in the trunk!!

beachrights - 12-9-2013 at 04:37 PM

Tried to go flying tonight- Winds 20mph SOLID no lumps..nice.

Grabbed gear, alarmed car and lets go flying!

Anyways, went to unwind my lines and they somehow turned into Chevy Chases movie prop ball of never ending entanglement! Great...walked back to car, pushed fob and opened trunk to get another line set. Grab set, close trunk- and head back to kite....

if you were looking at me you would have seen a face of horror as I just realized that I had just locked my car keys in my trunk......my wife has the other set and she is at work......it's going to be dark in 30 minutes.......and my kids are at home and expect me back by dark......oh yeah.....my cell phone is in my wife's car...at work...

ACT II
Wait! I left my windows open a few inches! I swagger up to my car trying to look confident as I clearly try to break into it in front of other beach goers. Squeeze my arm in and open the back door lock...SWEET! Open the door and if you were paying attention [unlike me!] you would have remembered that I alarmed the car.

TWEET-TWEET-TWEET lights sound the whole works!! Now here's where you are now convinced one of these other beach goers are watching and now are dialing 911 on their phone.

I open the front door and push the trunk release.....nothing, Keep jamming it as I quickly realize it's a Saab and they plan for idiots like me. The trunk can only be opened once the key has been inserted into the Ignition since the alarm has been activated. TWEET-TWEET! What the hell do I do now?! Wait! My Ski Pass is open in the back seat! I'll just stick my hand through and grab my keys! Brilliant!

At the same time as my dopey [think about it!] game plan the alarm stops blaring but all the lights on the car still blink.......its just waiting for me to fart the wrong way, I can feel it!

I open the back door to execute my clearly not thought out plan....fart........TWEET_TWEET_TWEET! I jump in the back seat, jam my hand through the Ski Pass and start digging through an endless sea of Kites, Buggy parts, "OH look! There's that ball of tangled lines again!" I can't see in the trunk cause it's getting dark fast- I then wake up and realize that I can just push the seat release and my opening just got a whole lot bigger.

Push button seat drops grab keys and push fob, alarm turns off....as is well again...So let this rambling story be a lesson to you all:

DON'T PUT THE CAR KEYS IN THE TRUNK!!!!!:eekdrull:


Oh...never flew- got the hell out of there as fast as I could since I felt like such a Tool!

macboy - 12-9-2013 at 07:51 PM

:thumbup::thumbup:

Been there, done that. Only for me it was my beloved Vega in college. I used to keep a spare door key in my wallet so I could start the car and leave it run to warm up (pre-car starter days here). We were all out on a "field trip", got out to the car, started it up, locked it shut and then got to chit-chat. Eventually it was time to grab the spare key from the wallet and hit the road. Only no key.

Crap. And the previous chit-chat included accolades and applause when everyone learned of my brilliant idea of the spare key.

So, we can't 'hanger' our way in 'cuz I had installed those straight door lock things that you can't hook with a hanger. Tried finding the smallest arms in class and prying back the upper door frame - no dice. Final resort? Someone had a beefy flat head screwdriver wich I propmtly punched the hatch lock with. Twist, click, crawl through the car, open doors and eat grapes.

I left the door open as the laughter chatter chit chat went on. We reviewed the spare key story, I illustrated where it usually is kept...see...right here in my......oh man.......right.......there.......where.....it.....always.........is..........

It WAS there all along......

They still talk about it today, 20 years later.......

My loving wife bought me a Hitch Safe for Christmas a few years ago. Problems solved forevermore.

soliver - 12-9-2013 at 08:07 PM

Beachrights, I seem to remember another story about you LOSING your keys on the beach one time or am I wrong...

I work in facilities maintenance, so I ALWAYS have a gigantic wad of keys on a carabiner on my belt loop. If its not there, I feel kinda naked, like something is missing... When I go kiting, I clip the carabiner to a kite bag or some other piece of gear... Or my belt loop. So I'm constantly patting my hip to make sure my keys are there... It's almost and OCD kinda thing now.

Then there was that time I fell on my gigantic wad of keys and got a monster bruise on my backside. :moon:

Anyway,... Sorry to hear you didn't even get the kite up.

soliver - 12-9-2013 at 08:19 PM

On a related note,... One of the last times I went kiting, I went to a reasonably remote spot on a kinda crummy wind day. My friend was out and about with his family, so he said he would stop by and check it out... Once he showed up, the wind pretty much died. So I thought, let me at least get the kite off the ground and give them a little bit of a show....

So I REEEEEELED back on the kite at a very minute puff and proceeded to trip over my own feet and fall flat on my back to the sound of my friend and his wife and kids laughing hysterically at me.... Well at least only my pride is bruised.

Only, a few hours later on when wifey and I decide to run out with the kids and pick up some dinner, I realized that my wallet was missing,... Oh crap :no: it fell out of my back pocket when I hit the ground and thoroughly embarrassed myself!

So wifey & I proceed to load the kids in the car and drive back to the field where I combed the 3-5 acre area for my brown leather wallet,... Amazingly after about 20 to 30 minutes of methodical pacing, I found it and saved myself a whole heap of trouble...

Here's the Instagram shot...


indigo_wolf - 12-9-2013 at 10:09 PM

Could have been worse....

;)

Sorry you missed the wind.

ATB,
Sam

BigMikesKites - 13-9-2013 at 03:33 AM

Its times like these that you will cherish years from now. Unfortunately at the time, its one of the worst times you can imagine. Excellent story, you tell it well.

3shot - 13-9-2013 at 03:42 AM

I hate when that happens. I once locked my keys in my suburban on the Jamestown ferry. Loads of fun that was. took several boat rides that day while jamming up the deck every load and unload. It was a day I'll soon not forget.......

beachrights - 13-9-2013 at 04:15 AM

Thanks guys! Your stories make me feel better and made me laugh! I think 3shot wins the prize though for his Ferry deal! Did they charge you for each trip?! LOL!


And Soliver....I don't know what you are talking about!!:P:P:P:P:P Good memory!

bigkid - 13-9-2013 at 06:42 AM

I locked my keys in my truck at the end of WW this spring and with the use of bladerunners phanny spars I was able to open the truck and get them back.
I then went to eat with a couple Canadians and lost my room card. When I got back to the Shalimar I realized bladerunner and I were the only ones left in the entire place. With my phone in my room and the office closed I called and called before some old guy happen to stop by the office, I was able to get a room key made and get into my room. Lesson 1 not learned.
We needed to leave while at WSKIF this year I lost my keys to the truck and RV and many hours later they were found. Lesson 2 not learned.
Lost my complete set of house, truck, RV, work keys a few weeks ago and ended up at the locksmith getting a new complete set made up I was told the key and fob for my truck needed to be bought at Dodge. Lesson 3 LEARNED.
Key and fob for my truck will cost just shy of $500.00.:evil:
A trip to Ebay and 30 bucks later, I have an unchipped key to get into the truck safely tucked away on the truck to aid getting in if I need in without my keys in hand. Same with the house and RV.
$170.00 for a locksmith is hard to swallow for stupidity. $170.00 a second or third time is worthy of a trip to the wifes "I told you.........." school for stupid husbands. Death would be easier.

Glad to hear I am not the only dummy around, funny how kites are somehow connected each time.:embarrased: