# Keys go with the person not the vehicle. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 11, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311 "2010-11-11T15:16:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zulema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zulema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulema)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311/1 "2010-11-11T15:16:54Z")
My coworker is constantly having car key problems because, in her family, the keys go with the car. So, if she drives her husband’s usual vehicle, she takes his keys or the other way around. There’s work keys too so if they switch vehicles they have to remove work keys from the key chain and risk losing them (which she did) and wreck my sleeping in day by asking if she can borrow my key. I suggested last time this happened to her that they should each have keys to each vehicle and no matter what you drive you use your own keys. That almost totally eliminates the problem of one person driving off with both sets of keys or the problem of losing work keys. Simple, right? No excuse for the computer keys either, you can get one for 5 bucks on ebay and most owners manuals have directions for programming them yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311/2 "2010-11-11T15:26:52Z")
Nope. They go with the vehicle in my family. Of course we know where the spares are. ---
**Author:** ![Tamarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tamarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamarin)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311/3 "2010-11-11T15:27:20Z")
I know a couple who is like this. The Jeep is “his” car and the Kia is “her” car, but of course the reality is that they drive whatever car is convenient to what their errand is. They are always grabbing the wrong set of keys or accidentally taking both sets of keys. They are really weird about any suggestion to get copies made. It’s completely outrageous to them that she would have keys to his car on her key-chain and vice-versa. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311/4 "2010-11-11T15:41:43Z")
That’s what spares are for. Otherwise they just sit a drawer forever. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311/5 "2010-11-11T15:57:42Z")
My key ring has the keys to my car and my work keys. My wife’s key ring has her car key and her work keys. Our son’s key ring has both car keys and his school keys. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311/6 "2010-11-11T16:04:11Z")
I don’t loan vehicles to anyone as a general rule no matter how closely related they are to me so this doesn’t come up very often. However, I really don’t like people touching my keys and I have them with me all the time. I have some other important things on my key chain including a flash drive in an enclosure and work keys that I would get in big trouble for if they ever got lost because they are for secure rooms. The whole idea of sharing keys with anyone give me the heeby-jeebies and it reminds me of the list of things that other people do that I would never consider. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Woodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311/7 "2010-11-11T16:05:08Z")
We both have keys to the minivan, but only my husband has a key to his Buick. We purchased it used and it only came with one key. A spare is over $100 because it’s a computer chip key. It drives me crazy. I would dearly love a key to his car. I hate having to borrow his keys when I need his car. I also hate when he uses the van to run an errand that lasts longer than an hour (and he forgets to leave me his keys) because I dislike not having a vehicle I can use in case of an emergency. Yeah, I don’t get that concept either. The cars belong to both parties, right? Why shouldn’t both parties have keys? ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311/8 "2010-11-11T16:12:20Z")
Keys go with the car in our family. We each have our own set of keys, but the car keys aren’t attached. We rarely switch cars, though. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311/9 "2010-11-11T16:15:02Z")
Separate car keys and other keys. My wife and I have two cars, each drives a specific one most of the time, but if we need to switch (or one of us needs the other car) then we just grab the car keys from their normal place (hers - purse, mine - end-table by the door.) No risk of taking the other’s work/home keys, 'cos they’re not together. Of course, there are **also** spares to both cars, and we know where **those** are, as well. In the last 10 years or so I can’t thnk of a case we needed either spare. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311/10 "2010-11-11T16:17:19Z")
Both of us have a copy of each other’s keys. Why wouldn’t you? He almost never drives my car, but I drive his plenty. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311/11 "2010-11-11T16:23:18Z")
They have this technology now where you can get copies of any given key. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311/12 "2010-11-11T16:28:07Z")
> [@Beadalin](#): > > They have this technology now where you can get copies of any given key. Copies are $100 to $200 these days. If I take my wife’s car, I use her keys. If she takes my car (never happens) she would use my keys. The spares are hanging in the kitchen in case we misplace the primary set. ---
**Author:** ![Zulema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zulema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulema)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311/13 "2010-11-11T16:32:17Z")
We have spares also but they’re for when someone loses their keys or locks them in the car. Everyone with computer keys, as I said, you do not have to pay a lot to get a copy. Ebay sells them for less than 10 dollars. You take it to the regular key grinding place to get it cut then take it home and reprogram it with your car. My old chevy van required a weird sequence of turning the key on and off and opening, closing and locking the door. The directions are in the owners manual or online. It’s such a scam that dealers charge so much. You can also buy a cheap clicker this way. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311/14 "2010-11-11T16:40:06Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Copies are $100 to $200 these days. > > If I take my wife’s car, I use her keys. If she takes my car (never happens) she would use my keys. > > The spares are hanging in the kitchen in case we misplace the primary set. In the “each has a set of keys” scenario, the spares are with the other person. No need to spend $100 for a copy, and somewhat more useful too - if we take my car on a long trip, and I lose my keys when we are 400 miles from home , a spare in the kitchen doesn’t do me any good, while the spare on my husbands keychain does. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311/15 "2010-11-11T17:14:10Z")
I’m not sure I buy that you can actually grab any chip-key from eBay and program it yourself. There HAS to be more to it than that, or else what the hell is the point in having a chip key? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311/16 "2010-11-11T17:59:21Z")
Well, you do have to have an original of the chip key to do it. It’s not like the larcenous at heart can just boost your car without your key and program the key in their possession. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311/17 "2010-11-11T18:11:31Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I have some other important things on my key chain including a flash drive in an enclosure and work keys that I would get in big trouble for if they ever got lost because they are for secure rooms. I have three different keychains: one with the car keys, one with the house keys, one with the keys / security cards I need for work. For car keys, my wife and I each have both sets of keys on a keychain, except that she just bought a new car and the dealer says that a new copy of the key would be $300+. I am leery of the “get a copy made using a $10 thing you buy on eBay”. How well do those things work? There must be many different types. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311/18 "2010-11-11T19:15:08Z")
> [@Zulema](#): > > We have spares also but they’re for when someone loses their keys or locks them in the car. Everyone with computer keys, as I said, you do not have to pay a lot to get a copy. > > Ebay sells them for less than 10 dollars. You take it to the regular key grinding place to get it cut then take it home and reprogram it with your car. My old chevy van required a weird sequence of turning the key on and off and opening, closing and locking the door. The directions are in the owners manual or online. > > It’s such a scam that dealers charge so much. > > You can also buy a cheap clicker this way. This is not true of all cars. Some cars it’s easy to do and in the manual. Some cars it’s easy to do and you have to search the internets for clues. Some cars it’s tricky. And at least a few cars require that you have two separate working chipped keys in order to make a duplicate without using special equipment. This is to protect against a valet with a key-grinder making a spare. But if you buy a used car with only one key, yo’ure out of luck. ---
**Author:** ![Zulema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zulema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulema)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311/19 "2010-11-11T19:20:25Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I’m not sure I buy that you can actually grab any chip-key from eBay and program it yourself. > > There HAS to be more to it than that, or else what the hell is the point in having a chip key? The chip key you buy on ebay is blank. You need a key that goes to your car and the car to program it. The first step is to put your current key in the car, turn on the ignition then turn it off and remove the key, then within a short amount of time you put the new key in the ignition. Your car programs the key to itself after you verify that you already have the means to use the car. I have done this myself with a 1999 Chevy and a 2008 Toyota. You could look up your vehicle online first so you know how hard it is to do. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311/20 "2010-11-11T19:34:38Z")
I’m a bit like **Shagnasty**. Rarely do I loan my personal vehicle. When I take it to the shop or someplace with valet parking, I hand over a small ring with just the car key that I keep in my purse for that purpose. There are too many other things that I have keys for on my ring to let that out of my possession. I’ve also been with my BFF at times when she’s left her key ring with her son to use her car when we’ve gone somewhere in mine. It’s a royal PITA to have to call a locksmith at eleven o’clock on a Friday night to get into your own house because Junior stayed out later than he told Mom he would and has locked the house up. Then there are the keys to stuff at work. I wouldn’t be able to get my job done and not have some big issues with security without my keyring. Everybody should carry their own keys. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keys-go-with-the-person-not-the-vehicle/560311.md?page=2)