# Leaving keys in the car... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 21, 2005, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-keys-in-the-car/300507 "2005-04-21T23:53:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-keys-in-the-car/300507/41 "2005-04-23T11:08:50Z")
Being the creature of habit that I am, it’s an all-or-nothing deal - either I lock and take keys all the time or risk forgetting them at the wrong time. So my car-exiting routine is to stand with the door open, push the master lock button, pat my assorted pockets to be sure the keys are in one of them, then shut the door. When my husband and I go out in his car, I usually ask if he locked - he’s got the remote locking thingy since his car is way newer than mine. Neither of our vehicles are on the most stolen lists, but we still secure our belongings. After all, my mug holder is no longer manufactured - what if someone pinched it?? ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-keys-in-the-car/300507/42 "2005-04-23T12:21:28Z")
I’m with you, FCM. I lock and take, but then I live in Baltimore. Maybe if we were way up in the county in some smaller place, I wouldn’t. When I was growing up, the only time anything was locked was when we weren’t going to be home for awhile - like a week or so. My parents don’t lock their house or vehicles, but Dad locks his garage/workshop (self-employed carpenter, all of his tools and whatnot in there). ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-keys-in-the-car/300507/43 "2005-04-23T12:39:08Z")
Lock and take. And _still_ pat pockets. Many, many years ago I locked my mom’s old Toyota with the engine running. Was able to break into it with a pair of sewing scissors. Don’t think I’ll be that lucky again. ---
**Author:** ![Burnt\_Sugar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@Burnt\_Sugar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burnt_Sugar)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-keys-in-the-car/300507/44 "2005-04-23T13:08:20Z")
In Queensland it is illegal to leave a car with the windows open, the keys in the ignition, or with the doors unlocked. [Linky](http://www.qld.liberal.org.au/default.cfm?action=media_d&ID=327). So, yeah, I always take my keys out and lock the doors. ---
**Author:** ![MaddyStrut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@MaddyStrut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddyStrut)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-keys-in-the-car/300507/45 "2005-04-23T13:55:16Z")
I always lock the doors. At this point, it’s a reflex. It’s \*hard \* not to. If I’m in a situation where I have to leave the keys in the car and the doors unlocked, it feels so weird. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-keys-in-the-car/300507/46 "2005-04-24T01:17:23Z")
Always take the key, almost always lock the door. If I’m at my mom’s house in a small town, I’ll leave the door unlocked in her driveway, but take the keys inside. I take the keys with me when pumping gas. It’s all about key management. Knock on wood, I haven’t locked my keys inside anything in at least a decade, and the last time it was 100% my fault, I was 16. My dad gave me very good advice. “Always lock the door with the key.” You can’t lock the key inside if it is in your hand. This goes for house doors as well. The 5 seconds it takes to lock or unlock is time well spent to prevent the possibility of a stolen car or locked in key. Since I do not deviate from this rule except under very unusual circumstances, I always have good key habits. ---
**Author:** ![pasunejen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@pasunejen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pasunejen)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-keys-in-the-car/300507/47 "2005-04-24T06:15:42Z")
The only time I _ever_ leave the keys in the car (running or not) is when it’s at home and I’m running in to get something before leaving again. Otherwise the keys always come with me when I get out. Locking is another matter. I never lock it when I’m parking at my parents’ house. I often forget when I’m driving various places around that area. But here in Chicago, the car is locked if I’m not in it. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-keys-in-the-car/300507/48 "2005-04-24T11:26:15Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > “Always lock the door with the key.” You can’t lock the key inside if it is in your hand. If you’ve got the little alarm clicker thingy on your keychain, it’s as good - you can’t set the alarm without the clicker, so you won’t be leaving your keys. ---
**Author:** ![SuperNelson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@SuperNelson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperNelson)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-keys-in-the-car/300507/49 "2005-04-24T13:18:25Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > Y’see, that’s why I carry a [Slim Jim](http://www.lockpickshop.com/page/LPS/PROD/AT/Slim-Jim) under the back seat. Just in case I lock the keys in the car. 😛 This is in the MG, right? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-keys-in-the-car/300507/50 "2005-04-24T13:19:44Z")
My little Honda Civic LX has a neat trick…the driver’s side door can ONLY be locked with the key. You can push the button to lock the other doors, but you can’t lock the driver’s side door if the door is open. It’s a bit of a pain, but at least I’ll never lock my keys in the car. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-keys-in-the-car/300507/51 "2005-04-24T13:37:56Z")
My Subaru has that thing going where the only way you can get the door to lock, other than using a key, is to hold the handle up while closing the door. I guess it makes it easier to not lock the keys in if you realize it before you have the door shut. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-keys-in-the-car/300507/52 "2005-04-24T19:15:03Z")
> [@SuperNelson](#): > > This is in the MG, right? No, the Cherokee. But now I have something _else_ to worry about. See, the MG doesn’t have a back seat _per se_; just the battery compartment. It rains a lot up here, and now you’ve reminded me that I have to worry about locking the keys in the car with the hood down. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-keys-in-the-car/300507.md?page=2)