It was one of those things that I laugh at other people for doing but I have never done it. I locked my keys in the car. I didn't just lock my keys in the car but the car was still running! I don't know how it happened. Honestly I don't. And I was in the Wal Mart parking lot of all places!
I have a routine when I park the car. I turn the car off, open the door, hit the lock button as I'm getting out, close the door and put the keys in my purse. Sometimes I put the keys in my purse before I get out of the car. Today, as I was getting out of the car and hit the lock button, it didn't make the clicking noise it usually makes. As I walked away I thought I would just use the key fob to lock it just to make sure. I couldn't find my keys. Then it dawned on me, I didn't put them in my purse. I walked back to the car and sure enough they were dangling in the ignition. The door was locked. I leaned against the car and called Michael and remembered he left his cell phone in Alexandria yesterday so I would have to call his office. No answer, just voice mail, so I left a message. As soon as I hung up I heard a noise that sounded like it could possibly be my car still turned on. But the car beside me was running and the car I parked behind started up, so it couldn't be MY car. My car is quiet when it's running so it took a couple of minutes of me trying to decide if it was when the fan kicked on and I knew for sure. Another call to Michael's voice mail. As I stood there in the heat and humidity, waiting for Michael to call me back, I had a vague memory of him telling me early this morning that he would be in meetings all day. Well, poop. I had no idea when he would get the message so I decided to call my insurance because we have roadside assistance with them. There are like 34 numbers to call on the little card and none of them are for roadside assistance. I spent 5 minutes giving voice commands and pressing numbers and still no roadside assistance or even a real person. Well, poop again. Finally I call a number that has the option I need and even connects me to a very nice lady named Ellen. She was very sympathetic, made sure I was safe, and told me it happens all the time! Then why don't they have a number for roadside assistance? Anyway, she told me to wait for a call to let me know how long til help would arrive. That call came very quickly and I had 35 minutes to wait.
Now for the rest of the story!!!! I really didn't want to leave the car since it was running, but it was really hot standing there in that parking lot. I thought I would try the doors again. When I tried earlier, I tried the 2 on the passenger side, walked around the back of the car and tried the driver side passenger door. I hadn't tried the drivers door. So this time I started with that one and imagine my shock when it opened!! Yes, it was unlocked the whole time!!! Oh my gosh!!!
I got in and just sat there dumbfounded and feeling like a complete fool! I had a decision to make....either I call USAA back or really lock myself out and wait for that darned roadside assistance. I really and truly considered the latter because I was so embarassed. Michael called about this time and I confessed to him and he got a good laugh out of it. No sympathy there. We decided I should wait because by the time I called USAA and they contacted the guy coming out, he woud probable be here already. After a couple minutes of waiting I decided to just call. I was able to cancel with just a voice command and push of a button and didn't have to admit my mistake to anyone. Whew! What a relief! Until the phone rang 1 minute later. It was Ellen verifying I cancelled my help. I told her I did and that I did it because my husband arrived first to help!! I just couldn't tell her the truth!!
Lessons learned:
1. Make sure my keys are in hand BEFORE I open the door.
2. If the keys are locked in the car, try the driver's door FIRST.
3 The driver's door on my car doesn't lock if the car is still running. I tried this several times to
make sure!
4. Mark the number on the insurance card for roadside assistance!
What embarrassing thing have you done lately? (It's okay...you can tell me. I won't tell anyone!!!)
Ellen is my sister and I'm telling her!!!!
ReplyDeleteOk..just kidding..loved the story ;-)
Don't be ashamed! It ends up happening to everyone believe it or not. I locked my keys in my car not to long ago. Usually when this happens I am local and the hubby comes to my rescue. Not this time, I lock my keys in my car while 2 hours away from home, in the parking lot of a really important client. I had to wait 45 minutes for a locksmith, all the while hiding from anyone coming out of the building because I was so embarassed!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for visiting my blog and becoming a follower. I just became your most recent follower and you have a lovely blog too!
ReplyDeleteMy most recent embarrassing moment happened after I fell down on our road which was slippery from the rain and lots of leaves that the ran brought down. That wasn't so bad since we're secluded and no one saw me. The embarrassing moment came later in the day when I knew my leg was weak from the fall ( I've had a nerve issue with it before) yet I "needed" to be in JoAnn's (because scrapbook paper was 5 for $1 so it was a necessity!). I kneeled down to look at some paper and in the process of getting back up, let's just say I didn't and went plop on the floor. Sat there laughing and a kind fellow shopper helped me up. If we can't laugh at ourselves....
I can certainly relate to your dilemma and learned my lesson quickly too! Having to get three kids off to school all before making sure they were dressed and groomed and ate breakfast wasn't a challenge enough, I had to make sure I too had everything together for my day at work, hair done, lunch made, and straighten the house before it was my turn to leave. Then drive twenty miles to work and still be on time. Find a parking space that wasn't a mile from the building and then get to my desk on time. During lunch time I would usually do errands I started out to my car while fumbling for the keys in my bag. When I reached the car I still hadn't come up with the keys yet. As I stood near my car still fumbling to find the keys, I could see the keys still in the ignition and the doors were all locked! At least the car wasn't running, so in a panic I called dear hubby to come to my rescue. He was only about 10 minutes away. When he arrived he went over to unlock the car door and looked at me while putting his arm through the open window on the drivers side! There's nothing more to say but oops!!
ReplyDeleteI can so sympathize with the lying to Ellen. That would be far too embarrassing to admit. Sure, they may get it all the time, but if you're like me, you're one of those folks who prides themselves on not being as stupid as the next guy ... even if you are. Which I am. A lot of the time!!
ReplyDeleteMost embarrassing act of late: letting the wind grab hold of my receipt as I walked out of Walmart. It flipped and flew and although there was a line of cars waiting on me, I felt it was the "right" thing to do to not leave it littering the parking lot, especially because a mom with three kids watched it happen. So I chased the stupid paper and finally had a chance to step on it to stop its flight. So I stomped quite hard, grabbed my receipt and smiled sweetly at the line of cars waiting for me to get the heck out of the way.
Hi
ReplyDeleteFollowing you via Friday Follow...check my blog out ...I'm doing a MAC giveaway at the moment:))
Dee
That was hilarious! I can just imagine how you felt when you realized the door wasn't locked. So funny!
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your stories! I don't feel so bad now!!
ReplyDeleteLisa, I'm just as stupid as the next guy but I try not to let it show! And I would have done the exact same thing with the receipt!! Do you think Wal-Mart brings it out in us?!
I've done that too! But since now that my main vehicle is a school bus it doesn't happen any more :)
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful weekend!
Oh - the flower photos below are amazing!!!!!
Hi Annette, that is too funny! Well, it is now I know that you were OK.
ReplyDeleteEmbarrassing story, recently my son needed tires for his car, I called around a few places and decided that the best price was at the tire place that replaced my car tires and my Hubby's car tires.
so, I send him off with his sis. to get the tires replaced, with specific instructions of size, make, price, when he returns home the tires cost a bit more so I called up the tire place and start laying into the manager that he ripped off my son. He asked what car it was, and when I told him he said we haven't worked on one of those today, are you sure he didn't go somewhere else?
Turns out he did!
Thankfully we do not have video phones yet :)
So, what happened was I call the places to get prices and deals, but it is my Hubby who goes to the place to get the tires put on, I was calling one place and he was getting tires at another but we both thought we were dealing with the same place :)
Oh well, live and learn, hey,
Have a great weekend, T. :)
Funny - LOL. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one.
ReplyDeleteHugs - Marie
Hahaha! Oh you poor thing! I so feel for you!
ReplyDeleteOk, you want a pure 'me' moment? You asked for it. I was about 15. I was in a restaurant with my family. I went to the bathroom. After I came back to the table I couldn't figure out why the people behind me were snickering and looking my way. I get up to leave, running my hand along the back of my skirt as I do so, only to find my skirt is not there...it was hiked up in my pantyhose...nuff said...
So at least you didn't 'moon' half of Florentine's! ;)
Oh Christina, you must have been mortified, lol!!
ReplyDeleteAnnette,
ReplyDeleteGreat story, and yes, a little embarrassing, but I think all you have to do is re-read Christina's comment (above) and yours seems not so bad!
Poor Christina!!
ALOHA!!!