It happens to the best of us. One minute you are in your car, the next, you lock the door and look back to see the keys just sitting there on the car seat. How frustrating! Perhaps you stepped outside the house and you have a deadbolt that automatically locks when the door closes. Next thing you know, you are locked out.
The urgency of a lockout situation will vary a lot. Sometimes there may be a child locked inside or you may need to be somewhere in a hurry. But, there is one thing that is common to most lockout situations- the person who is locked out begins to panic.
If you are locked out, don’t panic! Easier said than done, right? Quite likely. But there are ways to get access to your property once again without causing property damage. So take a deep breath, relax, and read on for more information on what you should do. Of course, if the situation is urgent and a child or pet is trapped in the vehicle, you will need to react very quickly.
What to Do When You’re Locked Out
One of the first things that you should when you realize that you are locked out is to think. Sounds weird? Maybe it does, and maybe you are wondering what would you think about. Well, it’s a bit simple, but in the moment, it may take a while before it comes to your mind. You need to think about anyone who may have a copy of your keys. In many cases, people will give a copy of their keys to a neighbor they trust, a friend or some family member. If you can think of anyone who has a key, you may be able to retrieve that key and regain access to your property.
Perhaps you don’t have to go so far. Many persons hide keys on their property just in case something like this happens. If you’re one of these persons, all you have to do is fetch the key. Once you open your doors, you can put the key back in its hiding spot. Make sure you did not alert anyone as to its location or you may have to change where it was hidden.
Some persons may have already gone back inside their home. But in some cases, even if you have given someone a key, you may be so unfortunate that they are currently out of town or unable to get to your location with the key any time soon. So, what’s the next step?
If you cannot get an extra set of keys, inspect your property carefully. Check to see if there is a way that you can get access to a lock inside without damaging your property. Some people will have windows beside their door and can easily reach inside to open the door. If a window nearby is open, you may be able to climb in through the window too. If you can gain access this way, great! If not, don’t worry. There are other options.
So, now you realize that you are really locked out. What can you do? Well, you may be able to break in your own home. Depending on the type of locks on your door, you may be able to use a credit card to push back the bolt of the lock so you can open the door. It may destroy your card so be careful about which card you decide to use. If this gets you inside your home, you might want to consider changing that lock since thieves may be able to do the same thing and get inside.