The other Sunday, my 10 year old son asked for the car keys to get his homework out of the boot. With admonishments not to lock the keys in the car, I began to get suspicious when he had not returned with keys in hand after five minutes.
Wandering out to the car port I was met with a very nervous boy, armed with a coat hanger, attempting to open the boot. Yes, keys locked in the boot and the spare key? Yes, the spare key was lost by the previous owner, and I had meant to get another one cut, but had not yet managed to do it.
Fortunately for my son’s physical health, I knew there was a roadside locksmith about one km up the road and father (still angry) and son (tearful) set off on foot.
Grand Theft Auto.
Unfortunately we found he doesn’t work on Sundays, this information coming from our local laundry lady, who said she would find someone else. (Laundry ladies are wonderful people, they know all your innermost secrets, as well as everything happening in the neighborhood.)
True to her word, she arrived on her motorcycle with a young lad on behind who had a very thin wire and a pair of pliers. This was no graduate from a locksmith’s apprenticeship, but probably more likely a graduate of the Cambodian hot car enterprises.
In under 10 minutes he had the driver’s door open, giving us access to the manual boot opener. Boot with the keys inside!
“Give him three hundred baht,” said Mrs. Laundry, whilst refusing my offer to cover her time, fuel, local knowledge, etc. She knows now that I won’t take my laundry to the opposition only two doors up!
Monday and I presented myself to the ‘real’ locksmith who ran me up a copy for B. 150, so now where to put the spare?
My daughter suggested my work desk at home, but that doesn’t help me in emergencies away from home. “Put it in the glove box,” one wag suggested.
The other suggestions were to leave it behind the bar at Jameson’s, or at a local restaurant. However, the most intelligent suggestion was to zip-tie it under the car where it would not be seen. That way the spare and the car would always be together.
So now I am looking under the car to see if I can find a likely spot.
Any further suggestions are always welcome.
