Car Lockout Safety Tips

There are particular situations that many people find incredibly stressful. Public speaking is one – and we’ve all had our own shares of stressful or embarrassing moments, but there’s one particular situation that manages to be both these things – and dangerous as well: being locked outside of your car. If you’re a Chicago resident, you understand that you don’t want to be left alone, outside of your car, on certain streets with crime. Locking yourself outside of your vehicle in these situations isn’t just inconvenient – it’s dangerous. If you do find yourself locked outside of your car, follow these tips to maximize your safety.

Call a Locksmith Right Away

Don’t even try to open the lock with a coat hanger – and don’t wait around to reach your friend who you loaned a car key. In these situations, you don’t want to take your time – the longer you wait, the more danger you’ll be in. The goal is to get inside your car as quickly as humanly possible, and waiting around won’t make it happen any faster. The best possible thing to do is to contact a professional emergency Locksmith – like Nonstop.

Make sure to watch your car

If you’re in a crime ridden area or a dark area, standing right outside your car while waiting for the locksmith to arrive might be a bit dangerous. Look around the area to see if there’s a diner, laundromat, or storefront that you can wait at while help arrives. If you don’t see anywhere within eyesight, find the closest indoors area, and ask the locksmith to come meet you there.

Don’t get help from strangers

You may be a personable person who’s likely to talk to strangers, but now isn’t the best time to do so. Many criminals will pick up on you as a target right away, and may pose as a helpful good Samaritan and offer to help you get in your car. This might be a nice offer – but they can also hotwire your car and steal it. Be careful around strangers.

Magnetic Spare Key Box

You may be able to prevent finding yourself in this situation again if you attach a small strongly magnetic box to an area of your car that won’t get commonly looked at – and keep a spare key inside it. This way, even if you have no access to your other keys, you can always find it in a pinch.