Spare key?

[Sara in a Prius]

Last summer, while staying at a rental property, I lost my electronic key while hiking and was unable to get back into my Prius. It was a bit of an ordeal (no cell, tow truck, fedex, buying and programming a new electronic key, getting the metal key made wrong, buying a new one, getting the metal key made correctly)...

I don't want to repeat the experience but if I were to keep an extra with me, I'd have to keep it on my person, because if I kept it in the car, it would be the same as leaving the key in the ignition, yes?

What do you do?

 

[B and C]

They make hide-a-way key holders that attach to anything metal. Put it where you can get to it but not easily. The harder it is for you to get to it the less likely it will be discovered.

Amazon for example: https://www.amazon.com/Hide-Under-M...ocphy=9027693&hvtargid=pla-942431544122&psc=1

 

[Sara in a Prius]

Thanks, Brian. Hide-a-way keys are a great option for normal metal keys, but my understanding is that with an electronic key, it's basically like leaving the key in the ignition.

 

[B and C]

Your door doesn't have a place to stick a key in to unlock the door? The spare electronic key (lest inside) could have the battery removed.

 

[Sara in a Prius]

Interesting idea. Yes, the door has a lock, which can be opened with the metal key that is part of the electronic fob. The spare electronic key could be left in the glove compartment (or wherever) and a spare battery could be hidden elsewhere.

I'm also thinking about getting a Tile or similar bluetooth tracker for my keychain, which if I'd had last summer would have saved me $$$.

 

[hugemoth]

I gorilla tape a spare key to the back of my license plate. If I don't have a screwdriver I can't bend the license to get to it.

 

[Scorpion Regent]

B&C is right spares are smart.  A spare mechanical key will get you in and that will be fine if you only locked your keys in.  If the keys are lost completely, you are going to need a spare electronic key.  Take out the battery and like the Offspring say, 'Got to keep 'em separated.'  If the key is small, the battery is absolutely tiny.  That gives you all sorts of places to hide it them.  What ever you do they both have to be clean and dry.  The more inconvenient and unlikely places the better.  A thief will have to either find both or find the key and take the time to get a battery.  Either way is too much trouble for all but the thief that wants to steal your personal car.      There is one other hiding place for a mechanical key, with you.  conceal it in the lining of a coat you always wear, or under a patch sewn on to your bag that you take every where.  
AAA is always handy too, I drove a tow truck and I opened cars almost as often as  I towed them.

 

[Sara in a Prius]

Thanks, all. Yeah, the tow was through AAA. I had no service but a kind ranger let me borrow her phone to call them. It was SUCH an ordeal. On the plus side, I met a really nice van dweller who let me wait with her (as AAA actually gave the tow driver the wrong address).

Thanks for some great ideas!

 

[Calaverasgrande]

On my old Econoline I put a spare key inside the bumper.
If I had to get to it I'd have to take the plastic bit off and reach inside to get to the magnet box.
But I just did not trust the hideakey magnet box to stay attached going down bumpy country roads.

Of course I did like many others have done and lost my keys hiking.
(I think while skinny dipping actually)
and had to wrangle that key out, in the dark.

 

[maki2]

I have a waist pouch. I take it off for bed and put it on when I get dressed. I travel with have 3 electronic vehicle.fobs. One on my key chain. One in my waist pouch. The third inside my vehicle. As a spare in case of damage or loss to one of the other two. Redundancy works best : ) so does getting in the habit of not locking the door without making sure you have the keys and fob on you. I have been known to be absent minded at times, hence always wearing a waist pouch. I would have locked myself out a few times if not for having keys in it.

 

[MrNoodly]

Wear the spare like a high tech necklace.

 

[MrNoodly]

I was pet sitting for a friend. He had me drive him to the airport in his Tesla. Its key works by being in the general area of the car. It was very strange just walking away from the car without doing some sort of locking hokey-pokey. Just to make sure, I left the key in the house and went back out to check the car doors. Welcome to the future, old man.

 

[VanFan]

Until about a week ago, Moby had a "feature," probably designed with traveling families in mind.  If you first exited the driver's door, then exited (closed) a side door, the van automatically locked.  Very disconcerting to hear that sound as you walked away.  I've never been locked out, but it is because of just the type of habit and redundancy Maki mentioned.  Last week, the power lock on the side door (only) quit working.  Now I have to train myself to lock it.

The Prius has a pretty wimpy battery that powers the electronics.  It is easy to kill, and you need that little manual key then.  (Aks me how I know.)

When those fobs first appeared in general use, I worked in a high-rise and had the misfortune of dropping mine (get this) through the elevator door crevice in the parking garage and down the shaft.  A maintenance worker and I retrieved it from the basement--broken open but still working.  I could probably never do that again.

My first day back to work after giving birth to my first child, I locked her in the car!  Two firemen had a race to see who could get in first.  There were new-fangled lock guards on my truck, and they had a new tool to play with.  After that, I always had a key to my car in the day care centers' file.  Oh, my.  The memories...

So glad all ended well for you and hope some day you enjoy the memory!

 

[crofter]

Speaking of skinny dipping, what to do with an electronic key when swimming? Not waterproof? Also the possibility of dropping it to the bottom if it gets off your high tech necklace.
-crofter

 

[pupiedad]

I put it inside my wallet. Can't go outside my car without my wallet and I think it's the best place to put it. Or maybe you could buy a phone case with a small pouch and put your key there.

 

[Calaverasgrande]

Until about a week ago, Moby had a "feature," probably designed with traveling families in mind.  If you first exited the driver's door, then exited (closed) a side door, the van automatically locked.  Very disconcerting to hear that sound as you walked away.  I've never been locked out, but it is because of just the type of habit and redundancy Maki mentioned.  Last week, the power lock on the side door (only) quit working.  Now I have to train myself to lock it.

My old Subaru Outback had a similar feature.
Luckily the AAA guy in my area hung out at the same bar as I. So getting my car opened was the price of a pint, and did not impact my quota of roadside assistance for the year.
Got me in the habit of keeping the non-smart spare key in the small pocket of my messenger bag.
(Used to be a messenger in college and still feel naked without my messenger bag)

Speaking of keys in wallets.
I miss when you could get a credit card key made at AAA and stash it in your wallet. Though honestly, I never ended up needing it for the cars I got it for.
You probably still can get those for older cars?
Dang I need to get a AAA membership again before I hit the road.

 

[Scorpion Regent]

Speaking of skinny dipping, what to do with an electronic key when swimming? Not waterproof? Also the possibility of dropping it to the bottom if it gets off your high tech necklace.
-crofter

Divers have water proof containers to hold things they can't afford to get wet.  Why bother taking it if you can afford to get wet?  Other than this thing I'm at a complete loss, but the tech exists.  You can easily make your own say out of PVC pipe and fittings perhaps.  
SR

 

[Scorpion Regent]

Funny story.  I completely forgot about it till know.  I was doing a service on a Jeep once.  I'm wrenching away and I go to reach into the passenger compartment and I find I'm locked out.  Not a problem, I go get a lock out tool, open the Jeep, roll down the window and close the door.  I go back to work and when it's time to start the engine I'm locked out again.  Now I knew I left the window down and no one was close enough to roll up the window and lock the door as a prank.   So this is all sorts of wrong.  Once again I get the lock out tool and open up the jeep, faster this time, because I had practice.  I rolled down all the windows, put the keys in my pocket, closed the door and waited.   Twenty seconds later, all the windows rolled up automatically and the doors locked.  This was about twenty years ago, and a after market anti theft system.  Today it not big deal, but that jeep was a royal pain.  I can't remember why, but having the keys outside of the car wasn't a option.  So I had to do the rest of the work with the battery disconnected.  I told my boss that we really needed to get more time for the job due to aftermarket modifications.  If the customer put up a fight then my boss could do the job as quoted, but there was no way I would work on it again unless allowances were made.  I can't remember how it played out.  I never dealt with the customer in person or worked on that jeep again.  
I'm sure that if you put a CSI black light on that Jeep you would see big letters, "MURPHY WAS HERE!"

 

[Scorpion Regent]

CalaverasgrandeLuckily the AAA guy in my area hung out at the same bar as I. So getting my car opened was the price of a pint, and did not impact my quota of roadside assistance for the year.
Got me in the habit of keeping the non-smart spare key in the small pocket of my messenger bag.
(Used to be a messenger in college and still feel naked without my messenger bag)

Some one out there, (not me) is imagining Calverasgrande naked save a strategically placed messenger bag, drinking a pint. In top bike messenger shape.

 

[Scorpion Regent]

My first day back to work after giving birth to my first child, I locked her in the car!  Two firemen had a race to see who could get in first.  There were new-fangled lock guards on my truck, and they had a new tool to play with.  After that, I always had a key to my car in the day care centers' file.  Oh, my.  The memories...

AAA has radio codes for regular tasks: tire changes, tows, etc.  I think that lock out is a T-6.  One day I got a Hot T-6 call.  Hot designation is top priority urgent.  I knew that it could be only one thing, infant locked in car.  I arrived post haste to find a frantic mother and a baby sleeping the car.  I told the customer that I would have the baby in her arms in no time, so long as she took a deep breaths and started counting quietly to herself while I did my job.  I had the door open in less time than it took to fill out the paperwork and the baby never even woke up.  I declined her tip and just asked that she not let her kid grow up to be a serial killer.