# Do you know what all the keys on your key chain are for? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 17, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577 "2010-06-17T17:28:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577/21 "2010-06-17T23:46:18Z")
Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577/22 "2010-06-17T23:46:48Z")
I have two key rings. One has three keys: house key, office key, car key and you better believe I can keep them apart. The other ring has a penknife and a lot of keys I rarely use. Including a second house key (I was surprised; until I looked I didn’t realize I had it), two more keys to other rooms at my department (one of which I happened to use today and the other is for a room that is rarely locked), a safe deposit key, and then four keys of which two are for the back door and the door from the garage and two are mysteries, but I don’t which of the four is for the back door or the garage door. On my desk are two handfuls of keys, all on the same blank as my office key and I cannot figure out what any of them is for. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577/23 "2010-06-18T00:06:43Z")
Of course I do! apartment car mailbox cabinet at office my father’s house iron padlock on a glyph-engraved chest in the vault under… Er, never mind that last one. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577/24 "2010-06-18T05:21:25Z")
Only 3 keys, so yes. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577/25 "2010-06-18T05:32:49Z")
If I have a key that is useless to me it goes off my key ring. At home and at work. And my work key ring has maybe 20 keys. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577/26 "2010-06-18T15:26:14Z")
My key chain only has what I need. My Mig will keep any key. ANY KEY HE FINDS. I really don’t understand this at all. He has a drawer full of completely useless keys and pens that no longer work. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577/27 "2010-06-18T16:06:52Z")
I have only four. Car, Home, Office, and unknown. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577/28 "2010-06-18T16:32:56Z")
My work ring has about 50, and I don’t know what maybe 35 of them are for… And I dont’ care. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577/29 "2010-06-18T16:37:30Z")
Yes, if I wasn’t using a key any longer I would take it off right away. I have two rings together. One for personal keys: apartment door, mailbox, building front door, building back door, laundry room door, BF’s apt., BF’s car. One for job keys: Job #1 door, Job #2 door, Job #2 cash drawer, Job #2 garage, Job #3 door. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577/30 "2010-06-18T16:45:32Z")
1. USB Thumb Drive 2. ??? 3. Garage Door 4. Work Key 5. Work Key 6. Mom’s House 7. My House 8. Exxon Pass 'N Go thingie 9. Borders Rewards Tag 10. Spec’s Rewards Tag 11. PetCo Rewards Tag Car keys on a separate ring and it’s the only key on that ring. ---
**Author:** ![Fiona\_Greenlee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e68b1a/32.png) [@Fiona\_Greenlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiona_Greenlee)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577/31 "2010-06-18T16:59:24Z")
Apartment key Master key - covers the garbage compactor/fitness center/pool at my apartment complex Mailbox key Car key Key to my parent’s house Key to my mother’s car Key to my husband’s guitar cases Keyfob to get into my workplace ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577/32 "2010-06-18T18:17:31Z")
Key ring - Penlight, car, car Club™, house door deadbolts, house door knoblocks, garage door, inside garage door, screen door, Best Buy reward tag, War Amps tag Key case - Car, War Amps tag, house door deadbolts, house door knoblocks, garage door, screen door, Safety deposit box, key to sister’s house, keys to Dad’s house that he sold last year, luggage keys. I guess I can get rid of the keys to Dad’s place now, and probably the luggage keys, as everything gets locked with TSA locks now. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577/33 "2010-06-18T19:21:09Z")
Years ago I went on a key reduction bender. I re-keyed all the locks in my house to a single key and a used a double cut Ford key to run both my cars. 2 keys to run my life. I also kept another 2 key set for airplane and hanger. Alas, things change. The keys started breeding and now I have house and car keys of other people living as squatters in my little 2-room key chain. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577/34 "2010-06-18T22:22:45Z")
Most days I carry one key – home. Work is an ID badge. If I drive, I carry a car key. My wife has a gigantic keyring with bangles and gewgaws. Among other things, she has a key to her parents’ house on there, and they live 1000 miles away. And when we go to visit, she leaves her keyring at home, since it’s so big, so she doesn’t use it anyway. It’s kind of a talisman, I figure. ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577/35 "2010-06-18T22:31:31Z")
Mostly… but I have two keys that need to be identified (or sorted.) One is to my parents’ house, the other is to the house next door to theirs, which I have sold. I need to figure out which is which, and give the extra next-door key to the owner. Or not, since that neighbor has just named me co-executor of her will, and I may need it someday. ---
**Author:** ![MsChilePepper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MsChilePepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsChilePepper)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577/36 "2010-06-19T02:09:42Z")
I have just four: house, safe, padlock on my storage unit, and one for a padlock I probably couldn’t readily find if I wanted to. Oh, wait, no, I do know where it is, but it isn’t locking up anything currently. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577/37 "2010-06-19T03:04:42Z")
I know them all and can pick the one I want by feel and its position on the ring. I am too damn organized for my own good. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577/38 "2010-06-19T03:16:15Z")
Gate key, 2 copies of the house key (one was cut a little off), mailbox key, storage room key and one that I know what it is but will decline to describe here. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577/39 "2010-06-19T04:03:57Z")
Handcuffs? ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577/40 "2010-06-19T04:11:00Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Handcuffs? No. That I would mention here. Though thanks for the reminder that I need to locate the cuff keys. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-all-the-keys-on-your-key-chain-are-for/543577.md?page=3)