could have been worse.

[riffraff]

This morning my planner was chock full of things I needed to do today. Gym, Storage, post office, Starbucks, Costco, library. Etc. Nothing out of the ordinary but was maybe the first time I planned it out the night before.

I get to the gym and decide to skip the workout and just get a shower to get a head start on the day's events. I leave my kindle behind since I was skipping the workout. I get to the locker room, prepare to put my stuff in the locker when it hits me. Not only did I not bring my kindle, I left behind my funny pack which contains my keys, wallet (which had a backup even key) and mifi device which I had just activated another month on. Shit.

Oh well I am annoyed but start the shower... then am thinking "what if I left my funny pack at the front counter when I signed in instead of inside the van?" Needless to say the worry grew and I hurried to get finished and dressed. Rushed to the counter and am told they have haven't seen it.

I make my way out to the van to see the good-news/bad-news that indeed, my funny pack is sitting on the passenger seat behind locked doors. I then realize I don't have my glasses on. I must have left them in the locker. I head back inside and the locker which I thought I'd used has a new lock on it. Wonderful. I am torn between camping the locker for up to an hour or two and trying to get into my van. I decide to work on the van.

Neither the gym or security personnel can offer any help. I scour the lockers looking for a clothes hanger. I've seen them before randomly when choosing a locker but not today. I must have looked like a madman or desperate thief searching every unlocked locker hoping to find this necessary device. No luck.. I return to the locker to see someone opening it... awesome. Except he says he's been there over an hour. I must have had a different locker. Maybe the next one over? I end up writing a note on the other locker to explain I left my glasses in there and if they couple return them to the front if found.

I finally find a hanger and head out to work on opening the van. After about 25 minutes I succeed and reclaim the dreaded fanny pack. Encouraged, I head back inside. The guy at the counter said whoever had the locker got my note but reported no glasses inside it. Argh.

I head out to Starbucks where I spent the day putting a bunch of auctions up on eBay and return to the gym around 7pm. I am told some glasses were turned in around 3pm but they didn't sound like mine. (Apparently only the manager could get into the safe where they were being kept)

So it could have been worse. Actually losing both keys to my van, credit cards, drivers licence, social sec. Card, library card, phone, mifi device etc. would have been an unmitigated disaster. As it stands, looks like I may only be out a pair of glasses, but the jury is still out there.

Probably will stick the backup key somewhere else now as it's not doing much good if kept so close to my other key. Before I was using the fanny pack having it in the wallet saved me from being locked out twice. I don't consider myself absent minded but seems like constantly being in and out of the van offers lots of opportunities to mess up.

Oh yeah the Tigers blowing 3 run lead in the 8th didn't help my mood either.
Tomorrow should be a better day

 

[caseyc]

I realize you're just venting and that's cool, but you do need to have a methodical approach to things which I'm sure you will develop out of necessity. I am totally paranoid and anal about stuff, so I'm usually over prepared. Good luck, you'll figure it out.

 

[GotSmart]

I have a backup in a magnetic box hidden. Vans have a lot of flat spaces. I carry two sets of keys ~~~ most of the time...

 

[akrvbob]

It happens to all of us!

I carry a van key around my neck and only take it off to shower.
Bob

 

[riffraff]

Cool, both good ideas. I was going to do the magnetic key holder but I think I like the aound-the-neck plan better.

I might have been venting a little but mostly I had the attitude of the post topic. How much would I have paid to be in my current situation if I had been in the other scenario, where I had lost everything in the fanny pack? Call it looking at the bright side or what have you... but it did take the edge off considerably.

I did have a routine which was disrupted and that started a chain of events that made me feel pretty stupid. Time to improve the routine!

 

[caseyc]

I also carry a second key in my wallet which leaves a permanent imprint in the leather wallet. I've been doing that for years. I also keep duplicate keys hidden in a combo lock, the type real estate agents use, that is strapped through a steel cord. Plus I keep duplicate keys in my 2nd vehicle. Like I said before, I am paranoid and anal, hah!

---

By the way, it's good to vent. Heck, I vent all the freakin' time myself, hah!

 

[Patrick46]

here's an easy soultion I've been doing for years

get a spare key made for your rig, and use a small zip-tie to attatch it to the frame of your rig under the rear bumper.

If (or when) you lock yourself outta your rig, then all's you gotta do is reach under the rear bumper, find the key, twist it (snapping it free of the zip-tie)...and you're in! I usually have mine sitting on the inside of the frame rail, (where it's safe and hiden) and use the bolts in the bumper to identify the right hiding spot.

This has saved me, my wife's, and our's kid's bacons on more than one occasion. We've all done it, and we've all found our hiden keys.

I buy a small pack of the 5" long zip-ties just for this purpose. Try the dollar stores.

the thing you gotta remember, is to go back under and re-zip-tie the key back under the bumper again IMMEDIATELY...before you lock yourself out again!!!

 

[compassrose]

Do you just use your glasses for reading? If so, then you can buy $1 reading glasses from Dollar Tree (I have several since I lose them all the time... just like the $1 umbrellas).

 

[riffraff]

For driving mostly. (I'm near-sighted) Especially at night. Went back there today without any luck. Will hope that they show up.. dunno why someone would just take someone else's glasses.

 

[riffraff]

The emergency key in the wallet worked twice in the last few weeks. Once I kept my wallet and keys in the same place (fanny pack) I kinda knew something like this was bound to happen but put off finding a new spot for the spare key. Procrastination is the devil! =) I'm now wearing it around my neck. I'm paranoid about leaving it stuck to the van somewhere, even tho it's probably fine.

 

[highdesertranger]

everybody should have a hide a key on their vehicle. did I say everybody, yes. cheap insurance. highdesertranger

 

[Dandelion]

Riffraff thank you for posting this. I too sometimes find that if something doesn't go as planned it sparks off a chain reaction of mishaps. As I embark on this new lifestyle as a permanent nomad, I'm hoping I can learn to deal with the inevitable gracefully and not let stress get the better of me. The responses here sure did help me a lot regarding the spare key issue and now I plan to have a backup for my backup for my backup Good luck in finding your glasses or suitable replacements. I'm so glad you didn't lose everything else!

 

[caseyc]

I agree with Highdesertranger. Everybody.

 

[akrvbob]

Because I am so often remote, I always have a van key around my neck that I rarely take off!

That's saved my bacon many, many times!! I recommend it as a practice.
Bob

 

[sephson]

The car I drove fifteen years ago could only be locked using the key. Needless to say, I never locked my keys in that one.

 

[Dandelion]

Wouldn't you know it??? Just 24 hours after reading and replying to this post by riffraff, I locked myself out! Good thing I had my spare ^^ Question for the gurus: How does one go about preventing a thief from finding and taking a hidden key?

 

[Patrick46]

How does one go about preventing a thief from finding and taking a hidden key?

Easy...

don't hide it in an 'obvious' place.

this is why I put mine on top of a frame rail which is under the back of my rig and up behind the bumper.

Sure, if someone were to go clambering around under the back of my truck looking on top of my frame rails, they 'could' find it (heck, I even use happy coloured zip-ties which would make finding it easier)...but theives are lazy and looking for easy marks. This would simply take too much time and energy for them to mess with.

but for me...I simply reach under my bumper and find my hiden key on the frame rail, give it a good twist, and I'm in like Flynn!!


Glad our advice worked so soon for yas!!

 

[user 2252]

HA! Patrick46, I know where your extra key is!....lol, just kidding.