# How many physical keys do you use in a day? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 8, 2025, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-physical-keys-do-you-use-in-a-day/1022849 "2025-09-08T14:35:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-physical-keys-do-you-use-in-a-day/1022849/61 "2025-09-09T14:07:18Z")
I have a fob for the car and use a key card for the office and another card for the parking garage. My bike uses a combo lock. So I only use one key regularly, for my house. ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-physical-keys-do-you-use-in-a-day/1022849/62 "2025-09-09T14:13:59Z")
3 or 4, depending on how many doors I need to open at work. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-physical-keys-do-you-use-in-a-day/1022849/63 "2025-09-09T14:20:49Z")
Since I retired, two (one for the house, one for the car). Before I retired, those two plus the one for my office door. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-physical-keys-do-you-use-in-a-day/1022849/64 "2025-09-09T14:33:06Z")
On a typical day, I use no keys. I have a fob for my car, and a badge to get into my office. I occasionally check the mail, but my husband usually does it. Lots of times he uses my key! But that doesn’t count, does it? To get in the house I usually use the car’s garage door opener. The front door has a push button combination lock if I’m coming in that way. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-physical-keys-do-you-use-in-a-day/1022849/65 "2025-09-09T14:43:13Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > However, I routinely carry a bunch of keys I already said I typically use zero keys on a given day, but I always have fifteen on me, plus four electronic fobs. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-physical-keys-do-you-use-in-a-day/1022849/66 "2025-09-09T14:55:18Z")
One for the house, and one for the motorcycle ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-physical-keys-do-you-use-in-a-day/1022849/67 "2025-09-09T15:10:53Z")
Three, usually: the apartment, the mailbox and the basement entry door (but only if I’ve come back from shopping or am getting something out of the storage locker). ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-physical-keys-do-you-use-in-a-day/1022849/68 "2025-09-09T15:43:08Z")
Four - I have two for work (though I am only using one or the other on a given day), my house, and my car. I carry nine keys on my keychain: - Car - Housekey #1 - Housekey #2 (our deadbolt is keyed differently than the doorknob. Kind of a pain, but not enough of a pain to have done something about it. I almost never use this key.) - Work key #1 - Work key #2 - Four keys that I don’t remember what they go to. I could probably remove them and throw them away. I am 100% sure I will never use any of them again. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-physical-keys-do-you-use-in-a-day/1022849/69 "2025-09-09T15:47:12Z")
D and Bm are best for my voice. Sometimes F 😀 ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-physical-keys-do-you-use-in-a-day/1022849/70 "2025-09-09T16:12:46Z")
Three. House key. Mailbox key. Gate key (I live in a gated complex). If I go in/out the driveway gate instead, I can use my remote. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-physical-keys-do-you-use-in-a-day/1022849/71 "2025-09-09T17:06:23Z")
Just one, for the house. I love my car key fobs, except that, at least once a week, I sit down with it in my pocket and it sets off the car alarm. mmm ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-physical-keys-do-you-use-in-a-day/1022849/72 "2025-09-09T19:31:49Z")
Not quite that often for me, but yup. Even worse is when it pops the trunk and I don’t know about it until my neighbor calls. Had some light stands and a sample wedding album stolen that way. Luckily, nothing too valuable that I needed to replace (except have plenty of light stands.) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-physical-keys-do-you-use-in-a-day/1022849/73 "2025-09-09T19:36:00Z")
At least some modern fobs require a double-press on the trunk button to trigger it. Whether that’s to prevent purse- / butt- dials or for some other reason I can’t say. But it would tend to reduce them. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-physical-keys-do-you-use-in-a-day/1022849/74 "2025-09-09T19:41:57Z")
Mine requires a “hold,” which, when sitting on it or having it pressed up against something, is easy to do. I thought I had read there are ways of disabling it on some cars, but I didn’t find anything for my 2014 Mazda 3. Or maybe that was just a way to disable the interior trunk open button. I was going to tape some weight to it so it wouldn’t be as obvious if it pops open, but clearly never got around to doing so. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-physical-keys-do-you-use-in-a-day/1022849/75 "2025-09-09T19:54:05Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Even worse is when it pops the trunk and I don’t know about it until my neighbor calls. On my car, the trunk unlocks, but doesn’t pop open, so there is no visual indication that anything is amiss if I have accidentally sat on the trunk button. I only find out about it when I start driving and the “door ajar” light comes on, which I have learned through experience also illuminates when the trunk is open. I guess a benefit to that is that it’s also not obvious to any potential thieves that the trunk is unlocked, not that I keep anything valuable in my trunk. ---
**Author:** ![Orville\_mogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/aeb1de/32.png) [@Orville\_mogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orville_mogul)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-physical-keys-do-you-use-in-a-day/1022849/76 "2025-09-09T20:07:40Z")
I am curious as my car fob is also a beast. Can you tell more? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-physical-keys-do-you-use-in-a-day/1022849/77 "2025-09-09T20:10:22Z")
> [@Orville\_mogul](#): > > I am curious as my car fob is also a beast. Yeah, and so are mine, and I have two. They are identical, other than the color-coded stripe I applied. mmm [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-physical-keys-do-you-use-in-a-day/1022849.md?page=3)