Locked out at night: what to do and what to have ready

It's one in the morning, the door clicked shut behind you, and your keys are on the kitchen counter. Or you're standing in a parking lot looking through the car window at the keys in the cup holder. Almost everyone gets locked out at some point, and it tends to happen at the worst possible time. How you handle the first few minutes decides whether this is an annoying night or a damaging one.

First, stay safe and think for a minute

If you're outside at night, your safety comes before the door. Get somewhere lit, stay near other people if you can, and keep your phone charged. If a child or a pet is locked inside, or something is on the stove, say so right away on the call, because that changes how urgent the job is.

Then think about what you can do without force. Is there a spare with a neighbor or a family member? Is there a door you forgot to lock, like the garage side door? Check only what you can reach from the ground. Climbing to an upstairs window in the dark is how a lockout turns into a trip to the emergency room, and a broken window is a bigger problem than the one you started with.

What to have ready when you call

A locksmith gets you in faster when the first call includes the right details.

• The exact address, plus the nearest cross street if the place is hard to find in the dark.
• Which door you're locked out of and what kind of lock it has: a knob, a deadbolt, a keypad, a smart lock.
• Whether the door is simply latched shut or locked with a key, since that changes the method.
• For a car: the year, make and model, and whether it has a key fob or a push-button start.
• Proof that you belong there, such as an ID with the address, a utility bill or a vehicle registration.
• A callback number that will actually get answered.

Yakima Lock & Safe says its mobile emergency service is always available, 24/7, and that when you're locked out of your home or business in the middle of the night, it will come and open the door for you. The shop itself keeps office hours Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, and the emergency line is how you reach a locksmith outside those hours.

The request for proof isn't personal. A locksmith who opens a door without asking whether you belong there is a risk to every homeowner in town, and a careful one will always ask.

What a professional does at the door

Most residential locks can be opened without damage. Depending on the lock and the door, a locksmith may pick the lock, slip a latch that's held shut only by a spring, or bypass the locking mechanism entirely. Drilling is a last resort for a broken or seized lock, not the first thing out of the bag.

Cars follow the same idea. Yakima Lock & Safe says its team has the equipment and skill to enter any form of locked automobile without breaking the locks or the security systems.

A car with a fob and a push-button start has its own quirks, which is why a phone call can sometimes help before anyone drives out. One customer, Manny, was locked out of his car with a key fob that wasn't working. He called, and the person on the phone walked him through the options for getting into the car, how to start it manually with the push button, and how to reset the key. He called it very informative, and said he'd be back if he needed a key.

Why not just break in yourself

It's tempting to try a credit card on the latch or a screwdriver on a window. Sometimes it works. More often it scratches the finish, bends the weatherstripping, or damages the strike plate. On a car, a coat hanger or a wedge can scratch paint, tear the door seal or set off a security system. A locksmith's tools exist so the lock, the door and the car all come out the same as they went in.

After you're back inside

Once you're in, spend five minutes making sure it doesn't happen again.

• Make a spare key and give it to someone you trust, not under the mat or in a planter.
• If you lost the keys rather than locking them in, think about rekeying, since whoever finds them may know which door they open.
• If the door was hard to open, mention it, because a sticking latch or a door that has dropped out of alignment makes lockouts more likely.
• For a car, get a spare key or fob made before you need another one.

If you're stuck outside right now, call Yakima Lock & Safe at (509) 248-1124. If it's the next morning and you want to sort out spare keys, stop by the shop at 715 W Nob Hill Blvd, the yellow house with the giant key on the pole sign.