10 Methods That Can Help You Open the Car If You Locked Your Keys Inside

If you have ever lost your keys or locked them inside the car, you know how hard and stressful it can be trying to get your door open. 

So how would you open your car door without a key? Bright Side found a few workarounds to help you get back in when you’re locked out.

Method #1: Use a tennis ball.

We are a bit skeptical about it, but it apparently works. Make a hole in the tennis ball, place it over the keyhole, and push. The air force from the ball should unlock the car.

Method #2: Use your shoelace.

It may take a while and will only work for a car with a pulling-up locking mechanism, but it’s not impossible. In addition, you are very likely to have this tool handy. Tie a small loop, gently push the shoelace into the door, get the loop around the lock, and pull it up.

Method #3: Use a coat hanger.

This method will only work with horizontal locks. Untwist a wire coat hanger, make a hook, and work it into the door. Get the hook around the lock, and pull.

Method #4: Use a rod and a screwdriver.

You have to be very careful with this method because the screwdriver can easily damage the interior and exterior of the car. The principle is the same: create a bit of space with the screwdriver, and push the lock with the rod.

Method #5: Use a spatula.

Insert the lever, and wedge the door open so you can push the spatula in and lift the lock.

Method #6: Use an inflatable wedge.

This method has the same principle as the screwdriver method, but it uses air to open the door instead of a metal object. With this tool, you can open the car in a minute. The plus side of this method compared to the screwdriver? No paint damage. The bad side? This tool can be quite pricey.

Method #7: Use a strip of plastic.

Bend the strip, insert through the door jamb, and lift the lock. Easy.

Method #8: Just call your car assistance provider.

There’s nothing wrong with getting some help. Call your car assistance provider, and someone will come and help you.

Thornton Secure Locksmith is the best lock and security provider around!

Method #9: Use a professional lock picking tool.

If you know how to use lock picks, it can be done very easily.

Method #10: Call a locksmith.

The local locksmith can be a good option. They definitely have all the tools and skills.

Bonus: A coin in the handle

This one is not about how to unlock your car — it’s about how to keep your car. If you find a coin in your car door handle (as in the picture), you should call the police because somebody might be up to no good. You press the key button, thinking the car is secure, but a coin placed this way will not let the lock work properly.

Have you ever been in this situation? If you already tried any of these methods, tell us about it in the comments. And don’t forget to share it with your friends because they may need it one day.

HOA Makes Homeowners Leave Garage Doors Open for a Truly Silly Reason

By Judy Dutton | Jan 9, 2018

 

Homeowners associations often get trashed for being overly bossy with homeowners, and the latest Big Brother scandal to make headlines is no exception: An HOA in Auburn, CA, is demanding that residents keep their garage doors open. That's right, go ahead and show off this greasy, grimy armpit of your home to all your neighbors, guys!

Only why?

The internet got to scratching its head over this odd policy soon after the Auburn Greens Unit 1 HOA issued residents a letter demanding that they leave their garage doors up from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday—or else they face a $200 fine.

According to board member Norma Brewer, this new rule came about after the HOA discovered that one resident had allowed people to live in his garage, which is against HOA rules. As a result, the board decided that the best way to crack down on illegal garage residency was to force everyone to open up.

Many residents caved to this mandate, grumbling, while others pushed the limits of what "open" means by leaving their garage doors ajar just a crack. But some, like Shally Ia, outright refused.

"I have nothing to hide," Ia told Fox News. "I understand somebody had people living in the garage. I don’t. I am following the rules." She's even willing to pay the $200 fine rather than have to move all her stuff out of her garage.

What's a garage good for, after all, if not to stash crusty old paint cans, neglected basketballs, and other castoffs you'd never deign to store in your house?

Others complained about compromised security. "I’ve got an electric scooter, I’ve got all kinds of stuff," said one 9-year-old resident named Jason. "So, I just don’t think it’s very good to have it open."

Local homeowners plan to voice their disdain for this new "open-door" policy at the monthly HOA meeting happening in two weeks.

"All I am asking is a reasonable way to get around this," Ia said, adding that she's open to bimonthly inspections.

HOA vs. homeowners: Who's right?

As strange as this open-garage-door policy may seem, many HOAs do indeed operate a lot like small fiefdoms, passing whatever laws they see fit. Some might make sense—say, to maintain your property so it isn't an eyesore—but others can seem draconian (witness one HOA that forced everyone to cough up $500 for new mailboxes).

"I've long since stopped investing in condos for this exact reason," says California real estate developer Tyler Drew. "Can an HOA make such an arbitrary and clearly overreaching ruling such as this? Most real estate lawyers will tell you yes, because HOAs have clear oversight of residents. If you don't go to HOA meetings where these rules are passed, then that decision is on you. They can fine you and, more importantly, foreclose on your unit if you ignore those fines."

But while HOAs do have broad powers to mandate many aspects of homeownership, they can't pass any rule.

"We are entitled to certain rights to privacy and the ability to protect ourselves and our homes," says Denise Supplee at SparkRental.com. "I cannot imagine any judge ruling in favor of an HOA forcing people to expose their personal effects to be stolen, their privacy infringed upon and, frankly, their safety. Two words often used in legal jargon are 'fair and reasonable.'

"So, then the question here would be: Is this a fair and reasonable demand? It does not seem so to me in any sense."

"The HOA is clearly overstepping their boundaries here," says Wendy Flynn, a Realtor® at Keller Williams in College Station, TX. "An open garage door subjects the occupants of a home to a lesser degree of security and limits the functional use of the garage space. Is the HOA going to accept responsibility for items stolen from garages while the garage doors are up? Or what if a home is broken into using the garage entry?"

Plus, security issues aside, this isn't good for real estate values, either. Because let's face it: Who wants to drive around the neighborhood and get a gander in everyone's garage?

"It just looks trashy," Flynn says.

Judy Dutton is a deputy editor at realtor.com covering news and advice about personal finance, home buying, selling, decorating, and everything in between (judy.dutton@move.com).

Follow @judy_dutton

ARTICLE: HOA Makes Homeowners Leave Garage Doors Open for a Truly Silly Reason 

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