# Why do they give two keys with every rental car? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 5, 2008, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-give-two-keys-with-every-rental-car/448198 "2008-05-05T21:46:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-give-two-keys-with-every-rental-car/448198/61 "2014-03-01T16:53:16Z")
Sure but the quote from Marketplace adds an answer straight from a Hertz spokesperson. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-give-two-keys-with-every-rental-car/448198/62 "2014-03-01T16:55:24Z")
sometimes the truth Hertz. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-give-two-keys-with-every-rental-car/448198/63 "2014-03-01T18:24:58Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > This question was addressed in a [Q&A segment](http://www.marketplace.org/topics/business/ive-always-wondered/how-do-rental-car-companies-make-money) of the public radio program Marketplace earlier this month. The answer from a Hertz spokesperson, “We have about a half-million cars in our fleet. So logistically, it’s very difficult for us to store the second set somewhere and then match it up with the original car.” Sorry, refuse to believe that. Store each one according to the VIN number, when it is time to sell, pull the file folder with that VIN number, retrieve the second key, title and maintenance paperwork and Bob’s your uncle. Asshats, corporations seem to be able to track parts by number, people by SS number, all sorts of information in file folders organized by number, by letter and by combination. They simply do not want to make the effort to, and take up the space of storing keys and paperwork in file folders in file drawers somewhere at Corp HQ. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-give-two-keys-with-every-rental-car/448198/64 "2014-03-01T18:31:06Z")
Hertz does not seem to be very consistent about keys. Last weekend I rented a car and only received 1 key. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-give-two-keys-with-every-rental-car/448198/65 "2014-03-01T19:30:26Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Sorry, refuse to believe that. Store each one according to the VIN number, when it is time to sell, pull the file folder with that VIN number, retrieve the second key, title and maintenance paperwork and Bob’s your uncle. I doubt that the title exists on paper until the car is sold or that the maintenance records are stored on paper. ---
**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:** [March 1, 2014, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-give-two-keys-with-every-rental-car/448198/66 "2014-03-01T19:35:23Z")
Another data point: an Avis rental in St. Louis 3 weeks ago. Two bulky keys on a sealed cable ring. I didn’t bring my wire cutters on this trip so I had to deal with it for the whole week. ARRRG!! ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-give-two-keys-with-every-rental-car/448198/67 "2014-03-01T21:23:53Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Sorry, refuse to believe that. Store each one according to the VIN number, when it is time to sell, pull the file folder with that VIN number, retrieve the second key, title and maintenance paperwork and Bob’s your uncle. > > Asshats, corporations seem to be able to track parts by number, people by SS number, all sorts of information in file folders organized by number, by letter and by combination. They simply do not want to make the effort to, and take up the space of storing keys and paperwork in file folders in file drawers somewhere at Corp HQ. Except for the fact that on some cars with proximity keys ( the kind you leave in you pocket and push a button to start) you must have any remaining active keys at the point of programming a new key or they are removed from the system and cannot be put back in. Period. So if you stored the second proximity and the customer loses the first key you now have a very nice small paperweight. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-give-two-keys-with-every-rental-car/448198/68 "2014-03-04T20:26:30Z")
Let’s just hope that eventually the technology allows them to make a “key” that’s no bigger than an actual key used to be. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-give-two-keys-with-every-rental-car/448198/69 "2014-03-05T00:50:36Z")
FYI, I was given a rental car from Hertz today as a loaner from the BMW dealership. Two keys, just as expected. ---
**Author:** ![Melchior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Melchior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melchior)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-give-two-keys-with-every-rental-car/448198/70 "2014-03-05T02:19:21Z")
This is the answer: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-man\_rule](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-man_rule) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-give-two-keys-with-every-rental-car/448198.md?page=3)