Taking a walk around the car and checking all the other doors also gives you the opportunity to take a few deep breaths so you can calm down a little.
The first responder might not always use the least destructive option to get into your car. If they break a window, for example, you’ll be on the hook for replacing it. But if it’s truly an emergency, that’s a small price to pay.
If you do have a spare key, attach it somewhere on the underside of the car with a magnetic key safe so you’ll have it on hand if this happens again.
At home: If you’re at home, do you have a spare key inside the house? Even if your house key is on your key ring with your car key, it’s usually easier to break into the house. At a school: Go to the office and let them know what’s going on. Most schools have a courtesy officer on duty who might be able to help you out. On larger campuses, try an administrative office or the student union, or just look for campus security. At a shopping center: If there’s a security guard, they’ll likely be able to help you out. If not, look for a grocery store, discount store, hardware store, or pharmacy—they’re your best bets to find tools that might help you. In a parking lot: If there are any other drivers around, one of them might have an emergency kit or other tools in their car that would be helpful.
Some manufacturers also have roadside assistance programs available for their vehicles. If there’s one available for your car but you don’t have it activated, you can typically get it started on the spot. You can always try the DIY options if you find out they’re going to take longer than you’d like—and if they don’t work, you’ll still have someone on the way!
Work it down into the corner enough that you can just see the shoelace inside the car from the top corner of the window.
The loop behind the knot is the part you’re going to try to fit over the door lock post to unlock the door. If you don’t have a post, you might be able to fit the loop around the handle in the door, but you won’t be at the right angle to pull it out and open the door.
If you’ve got something you can use as a wedge, stick that in the corner between your door frame and your car to make the gap between them a little wider. That’ll make it easier for you to get the knot through. If you use a wedge, take it out as soon as you get the knot through the door. You actually need the door frame and the car to be relatively tight so you can control the shoelace.
Stop when you get to the point where the slip knot you created is touching or right over the post for your door lock.
Go slowly here and make sure the loop is completely around the post so it will tighten around it rather than slip off.
Your shoelace might be a little frayed, but it shouldn’t be damaged to the point that you can’t put it back in your shoe and continue to use it.
No coat hanger available? Any kind of long, bendy wire will work as long as it’s stiff enough to hold its position when you bend it in place. That spiral where the hanger meets the hook can be difficult to bend open. If you happen to find a pair of pliers, they’ll make the job a little easier.
If you have post locks, watch the post as you tap on the pin or bar you’ve found. If it’s the locking mechanism, the post will jiggle a little when you tap it. Be really careful if you have side airbags in your door—it’s easy to accidentally deploy them. Stay perpendicular to the lock itself to avoid this. [17] X Research source
If you’ve got a post lock, you’ll have visual confirmation that you’ve unlocked your car because the post will come up. Otherwise, listen for that satisfying click. Open the door immediately, then pull out the coat hanger. That way, if you accidentally snag the locking mechanism again, you’ll already be in your car.
Don’t have a blood pressure cuff? If you’re near a store, they might have one in their emergency kit. Discount stores or pharmacies typically have them too. This is the same method the pros use, and it works for any kind of lock! Car lockout kits have inflatable bladders designed for this purpose if you want to have one handy.
Go slowly and be careful not to over-inflate it. If you have a tool you plan to use to reach in the car, test it every couple of pumps to see if it’ll fit through the gap. If you don’t have a tool, you’ll have to inflate the cuff enough that you can get your arm through the gap. It might be easier to reach through if you get on top of the car.
If you’re reaching in yourself, extract your arm from the gap before you open the door to avoid injury.
