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Can lockouts be prevented 100%? No, of course not! Can their rate of incidence be lowered? For sure they can! All it takes is a few easy to implement steps. Locksmith Pro Evanston is often asked about lockout prevention. Read on and see what we recommend to our local Evanston, IL customers that ask us about this subject.
Our Evanston, IL lock professionals handle lockout situations on a regular basis. After helping many locals with lockouts at home, at their cars or at their businesses, we feel that we know a thing or two about this dreaded occurrence that happens to most everyone at some point or other. If you are locked out, you obviously don’t have to call us but we do encourage you to call a 24-hour mobile lock professional, and get back inside safely and in a timely manner.
One of the most common forms of lockouts is the one that happens at home. This may be due to the fact that we are so relaxed while at home; we tend to let “our guard down” and in the process, we might not notice an already locked door. Many people simply walk outside to bring in the newspaper or to fetch the mail and somehow manage to close the locked door behind them. One common scenario is when a person goes out through the garage and closes the garage door thinking that the front door is unlocked when it really isn’t. There are so many locks and locking mechanisms in and around our homes. We have locks on front and back doors, bedrooms, bathrooms, basements, home offices, gates, garage doors, mailboxes, cabinets, gun safes and sometimes even pet doors!
Lockouts involving our automotive vehicles count for most of the calls for help that our Evanston locksmiths receive. It’s ironic, too as most cars only have a few locks – car door, trunk and ignition. Sometimes there are locks on the glove compartment or maybe the console but those don’t affect full auto lockouts. The most common reason that people lock themselves out of their car is that they get distracted. We are a nation of multi-taskers and we often try and do many things while driving. The legal ones include watching the road, having a conversation, listening to the radio, talking on the speaker phone, etc. Too often people are also texting, eating, reading something or even adjusting hair or makeup! It’s no wonder that sometimes keys are left dangling in the ignition as we exit our locked cars in order to fetch a pizza or pick up our dry cleaning.
These happen all the time, but unless it happens to you or to one of your co-workers, you usually don’t hear about it. Business lockout situations can happen to owners, managers, stock holders, employees, vendors and even customers. Think about it; all businesses contain goods, services, cash or equipment. Therefore, they use locks and locking hardware to secure those things. It is estimated that there are over 30 million businesses in the US alone so you can imagine how many lockouts occur on a regular basis! While not all of them happen here in Evanston, IL we do get our fair share! (We know!).
So, is there any way to prevent lockouts, at least a little bit? We give this question a resounding YES! One thing you can do is fast, easy and simple. In fact, you can practice this at home, at your car or at your workplace or business. It’s this; put your keys in their place. No, don’t tell them off; put them in the same location each time you are through with them. For example, hang them up on a hook or nail when at home. Or, put them in the same place on the dresser or kitchen counter when you are not using them. Good habits are learned through repetition and doing this proper key placement over and over will lead to losing them less frequently and knowing where they are when you are about to go somewhere.
Spare keys can be a lifesaver! They can also fast become a nightmare. It all depends on how you use them. If you do what many others do and leave one under the door mat, you might as well hang a banner over your garage proclaiming that you are ready for robbing! Be smart and make a couple of spares. Be really smart as well as choosy by being selective in whom you give one to. You don’t know your neighbor well? Don’t give him a spare key!
You can give a spare key to your house, car or even to your business to someone that you trust. Family members, close friends and maybe co-workers might get one too. Keep the phone number to your spare key person logged in your smart phone. Also be sure to add our shop number or that of another trusted Evanston, IL locksmith; just in case. It’s a proven fact that most people keep their smart phones nearby at all times.
Many even sleeps with their phone under the pillow! In fact, we tend to keep better track of our mobile devices than we do our keys! This is why it is important to have some vital phone numbers in your contacts list. One would be to an experienced and licensed locksmith. Be sure that your lock and key technician of choice is available 24/7 for emergencies and that he charges affordable rates along with doing quality work. Also, keep your spare key contacts stored in there as well.
Hide spare keys where YOU know where to find them, not others! Inside the backyard BBQ grill is a good idea and so is hiding a key in the HVAC unit or inside your dog’s collar. Use your imagination but remember; don’t be obvious!