# What's worse than not being able to find your keys in the morning? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 19, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241 "2013-09-19T16:41:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241/1 "2013-09-19T16:41:03Z")
Not being able to find your car. Seriously, who boosts a five year old Subaru Wagon? Lesbians? Someone who wants to blend in during a Colorado crime spree? Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241/2 "2013-09-19T16:50:33Z")
Granola bandits? Sorry about your car. Recently my 1993 Saturn was broken into (yes, that’s a 20-year-old car whose manufacturer is out of business). Apparently it gave someone the impression I might have money. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241/3 "2013-09-19T16:51:42Z")
Not being able to find your glasses? ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241/4 "2013-09-19T16:54:14Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Not being able to find your glasses? You’re right, **Ranger Jeff**. That’s much worse than having your car stolen. Could the city have moved it for some reason? That happens in Chicago a lot. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241/5 "2013-09-19T17:01:16Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Not being able to find your glasses? I keep old pairs of glasses strategically placed all over my apartment, so if my glasses aren’t on the night stand for whatever reason, I have plans B, C, D plus E, my contact lenses which remain in my bathroom cabinet. I have spent entirely too much time being trapped in a fog to not have developed backup plans. But anyway, sorry about your car, yancey. I once had car my radio stolen (they left the rest of the vehicle) and I was sent into a blind rage. If someone stole my car, I’m pretty sure I’d be ready to kill. Maybe it was towed? ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241/6 "2013-09-19T17:02:53Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > You’re right, **Ranger Jeff**. That’s much worse than having your car stolen. > > Could the city have moved it for some reason? That happens in Chicago a lot. Nope. It was in my driveway. First call was to the non emergency police line, to see about impounds for an old ticket, (Mrs. LeBeef has a very cavalier attitude towards parking laws) something like that. Nada. Besides, it’s a stick shift. I didn’t think those got stolen much. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241/7 "2013-09-19T17:04:08Z")
Where was the last place you saw it? Did you maybe accidentally park in your jeans pocket? Check the laundry hamper. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241/8 "2013-09-19T17:11:04Z")
Could your daughter have borrowed it? One day they’ll be sitting in the driver’s seat barely able to reach the pedals and then _Boom_, all of a sudden she’s grown and headed to college. You did save for her tuition, right? ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241/9 "2013-09-19T17:17:15Z")
My 2007 Kia was stolen about 3 years ago. They managed to pry open the locker at the YMCA while I was exercising. They got my keys, cellphone, and wallet with $300, credit and debit cards, IDs, government CAC card, and a list of passwords. They then took the car which also had my very nice Giant carbon fiber bicycle in it. It took the cops over an hour to arrive. Too bad as once I got home I was able to track down my cell phone as it had a tracking app on it. Unfortunately the phone was already sold to a used cell phone place whose attendant wasn’t much help and video camera was ‘broken’. About 3 days later they found the car in a ‘bad’ part of the county. I got off lucky as only the money and keys were gone. Bike was still there. They tried to steal the stereo, but weren’t bright enough. Mostly they just took a joy ride and didn’t tear things up. Of course I’d cancelled the debit and credit cards by then. As they still had the keys, I had to spend about $700 to get the locks replaced. I was out the $300 cash. I also had to change a bunch of passwords as they were for government computers plus get a new CAC card. OH! Speaking of keys, I had a USB thumb drive on my key chain. Of course it had sensitive info on it. Fortunately I’d made a backup recently and almost all the sensitive info stored in an encrypted volume protected by FreeOTFEExplorer software. They caught one of the SOBs. He’s was a juvenile and probably just got a slap on the wrist. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241/10 "2013-09-19T17:51:18Z")
Consider moving to Des Moines. > [@](#): > > DES MOINES, Iowa —Back in April, the Iowa State Patrol set up two bait cars designed to catch car thieves. In five months, no one has tried to steal them. The bait cars unveiled by the Iowa State Patrol and Nationwide Insurance are designed to track and record the incident, and then, police would quickly arrest the thieves. > > Sgt. Scott Bright of the Iowa State Patrol says, “We’re very surprised. We put these vehicles in four different locations throughout the metro and we have not had any takers on them.” > > That’s right. Nobody has tried to steal them. Maybe they should have used Subarus. Aren’t cars with manual transmissions easier to steal? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241/11 "2013-09-19T17:52:56Z")
A few years ago someone broke into my house in the middle of the night (without disturbing us) and took my wife’s handbag and my work bag. I think they wanted the keys to my car, but they only managed to get the key’s to my wife’s ancient Renault Clio. They didn’t steal it, but in case they came back for it until we could change the locks I removed a wheel and jacked it up. (I couldn’t disconnect the battery as there was no way to open the engine compartment without a key). Pain in the arse that was, for the sake of the £10 or so they got away with. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241/12 "2013-09-19T18:26:02Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Aren’t cars with manual transmissions easier to steal? Given that relatively few folks are able to drive them, they’re generally thought to be less attractive. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241/13 "2013-09-19T18:37:35Z")
**What’s worse than not being able to find your keys in the morning?** A Stage IV glioblastoma ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241/14 "2013-09-19T19:35:38Z")
What’s worse than not being able to find your keys in the morning? As they say, forgetting what your keys are. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241/15 "2013-09-19T19:45:08Z")
> [@yanceylebeef](#): > > Not being able to find your car. That’s one answer, and I’ve had it happen. Wandered out to the driveway one morning and actually walked in a circle before I realized our Chrysler minivan was gone. SUCH a weird feeling. The other answer is “figuring out your wife took both sets of car keys to Boston with her, leaving you totally stranded for the day.” The '68 Mustang I mentioned in another thread was stolen twice. In one month. Got it back both times, first time partially stripped (wheels/tires) and second time they tried to steal… the lace on steering wheel cover. ---
**Author:** ![want2befree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3e96dc/32.png) [@want2befree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2befree)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241/16 "2013-09-19T19:56:03Z")
I owned a 94 Honda Accord. If I walked outside and it wasn’t there, I was like damn, they took it again… ---
**Author:** ![smee\_goan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@smee\_goan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smee_goan)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241/17 "2013-09-19T20:31:41Z")
> [@want2befree](#): > > I owned a 94 Honda Accord. If I walked outside and it wasn’t there, I was like damn, they took it again… My friend bought an alarm for his Honda sumt citing some “most stolen car” fact. My Taurus has a theft dash light, and if its half as nasty as the seat belt alarm :wtf: ---
**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:** [September 19, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241/18 "2013-09-19T20:40:19Z")
A few years back some guy boosted my dad’s 10 year old pickup so he could use it in a kidnapping for ransom. We got it back with a couple of bullet holes in the tailgate. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241/19 "2013-09-20T03:31:29Z")
Our 1986 Jeep Cherokee was stolen twice, once from a parking lot and once from in front of our house. I _hate_ that surreal feeling you get when you’re looking at the place you left your car, thinking, “But…but…but…it was _here_!” It was eight years old the first time and twelve years old the second, and it had serious, obvious, front-end damage. Car thieves aren’t always the brightest people on earth. The worst thing for me the second time was the fact they found it again. It would have been much simpler had it just stayed missing. I hope you have better luck (all the way around) with your Subaru. ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241/20 "2013-09-20T15:22:11Z")
Well, the car is back. Cops found it last night in a Home Depot parking lot about a mile from our house. I picked it up this morning and took it to our mechanic to check it out. No body damage, but the clutch and steering are not the same. Everything of value is gone, and evidently he was smoking meth in the car. Police found two pipes and a couple of bags. I think. Not sure what meth is transported in. They caught him coming out of the Home Depot, so he’s in custody. Anyone know how to get that just smoked meth smell out of a car? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-worse-than-not-being-able-to-find-your-keys-in-the-morning/669241.md?page=2)