{
"type": "entry",
"author": {
"name": "Jared White",
"url": "https://jaredwhite.com/",
"photo": null
},
"url": "https://jaredwhite.com/20250319/breaking-into-my-own-car",
"published": "2025-03-19T23:08:56-07:00",
"content": {
"html": "<p>Now that <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/podcast/123/\">the cat\u2019s out of the bag</a> regarding my full transition into the <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/nomadlifestyle\">#NomadLifestyle</a> (see also <strong>#</strong>CarCamping, <strong>#</strong>Overlanding, etc.), I can start sharing stories and observations from my life on the road!</p>\n\n<p><strong>Here\u2019s one of those stories.</strong> I was having a perfectly nice day working in Eugene, OR. It was earlier this month when we were having a spell of warmer, drier weather. Goodness, the sun was actually out! I was getting ready to leave my car (now my home on wheels) and head into a marketplace area for a snack and to do some more computer work when, to my utmost horror, I realized my brain had malfunctioned and <strong>I\u2019d accidentally locked my keys in the car.</strong> \ud83d\ude31 *</p>\n\n<p>After an awful moment of freaking out, I started to think methodically about next steps, and I realized that I\u2019d left my passenger window open slightly. With the right kind of tool it\u2019d be possible for me to reach through the window and navigate the end of the tool to flip open the inside door latch. This seemed feasible enough that I could attempt it and avoid paying for a locksmith (or whatever that\u2019s called for automobiles) to come rescue me.</p>\n\n<p>So I looked up the nearest hardware store to walk to, and it was about a 25 minute walk away. Fair enough! I started heading that direction, hoping against hope my excursion would prove fruitful\u2014</p>\n\n<p>\u2014only to discover as I homed in on my destination that the hardware store I\u2019d selected <em>was permanently closed!</em> \ud83d\ude31</p>\n\n<p>Once I\u2019d successfully uttered a healthy string of expletives, I evaluated my Maps app once more and found another hardware store about 15 additional minutes walking distance away. That meant I\u2019d have to get there in the first place, <em>then</em> walk 40 or so minutes <em>back</em> to the car and possibly still fail in my attempt to break into my own car. <strong>Ugh.</strong></p>\n\n<p>At any rate, I eventually arrived at Harbor Freight Tools and quickly found a set of pry bars that seemed to me like good candidates. I purchased those, then started the walk back\u2014taking a small detour to quench my thirst with a cup of iced tea.</p>\n\n<p>Some while later, I returned to my vehicle once more. I\u2019d spent the whole walk back trying to get into my best \u201czen\u201d frame of mind, imagining myself to be like some secret agent in a spy movie. <em>I had only once chance</em> to get this right. If I fumbled my fingers or miscalculated, I might drop my new pry bar into the locked car and I\u2019d be right back where I started. I tried to visualize in my mind\u2019s eye exactly the maneuver I\u2019d use to reach the inside latch, and I rolled the pry bar back and forth in my hands to get a good sense of the weight and the balance.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Now for the moment of truth!</strong></p>\n\n<p>Upon glancing about to make sure no passersby were staring at me (let\u2019s avoid <em>Mommy, who is that strange man trying to break into someone\u2019s car?!</em>), I reached through the open window with my pry bar. Bringing my best fine motor skills to bear\u2014and attempting my best impersonation of Ethan Hunt\u2014I positioned the tool where it needed to go. The curved end of the bar found its home right behind the latch, and with the right amount of pressure <strong>I flicked open the latch</strong>. I instantly knew I\u2019d gotten it right and the car door would now open. <em>Hallelujah!</em></p>\n\n<p><strong>And the rest, as they say, is history!</strong> \ud83d\ude0e</p>\n\n<p>* Needless to say, soon after the unfolding of these events I stopped procrastinating and took my car remote in to get the battery replaced. Lord willin\u2019 I won\u2019t run into this problem ever again! \ud83d\ude02</p>",
"text": "Now that the cat\u2019s out of the bag regarding my full transition into the #NomadLifestyle (see also #CarCamping, #Overlanding, etc.), I can start sharing stories and observations from my life on the road!\n\nHere\u2019s one of those stories. I was having a perfectly nice day working in Eugene, OR. It was earlier this month when we were having a spell of warmer, drier weather. Goodness, the sun was actually out! I was getting ready to leave my car (now my home on wheels) and head into a marketplace area for a snack and to do some more computer work when, to my utmost horror, I realized my brain had malfunctioned and I\u2019d accidentally locked my keys in the car. \ud83d\ude31 *\n\nAfter an awful moment of freaking out, I started to think methodically about next steps, and I realized that I\u2019d left my passenger window open slightly. With the right kind of tool it\u2019d be possible for me to reach through the window and navigate the end of the tool to flip open the inside door latch. This seemed feasible enough that I could attempt it and avoid paying for a locksmith (or whatever that\u2019s called for automobiles) to come rescue me.\n\nSo I looked up the nearest hardware store to walk to, and it was about a 25 minute walk away. Fair enough! I started heading that direction, hoping against hope my excursion would prove fruitful\u2014\n\n\u2014only to discover as I homed in on my destination that the hardware store I\u2019d selected was permanently closed! \ud83d\ude31\n\nOnce I\u2019d successfully uttered a healthy string of expletives, I evaluated my Maps app once more and found another hardware store about 15 additional minutes walking distance away. That meant I\u2019d have to get there in the first place, then walk 40 or so minutes back to the car and possibly still fail in my attempt to break into my own car. Ugh.\n\nAt any rate, I eventually arrived at Harbor Freight Tools and quickly found a set of pry bars that seemed to me like good candidates. I purchased those, then started the walk back\u2014taking a small detour to quench my thirst with a cup of iced tea.\n\nSome while later, I returned to my vehicle once more. I\u2019d spent the whole walk back trying to get into my best \u201czen\u201d frame of mind, imagining myself to be like some secret agent in a spy movie. I had only once chance to get this right. If I fumbled my fingers or miscalculated, I might drop my new pry bar into the locked car and I\u2019d be right back where I started. I tried to visualize in my mind\u2019s eye exactly the maneuver I\u2019d use to reach the inside latch, and I rolled the pry bar back and forth in my hands to get a good sense of the weight and the balance.\n\nNow for the moment of truth!\n\nUpon glancing about to make sure no passersby were staring at me (let\u2019s avoid Mommy, who is that strange man trying to break into someone\u2019s car?!), I reached through the open window with my pry bar. Bringing my best fine motor skills to bear\u2014and attempting my best impersonation of Ethan Hunt\u2014I positioned the tool where it needed to go. The curved end of the bar found its home right behind the latch, and with the right amount of pressure I flicked open the latch. I instantly knew I\u2019d gotten it right and the car door would now open. Hallelujah!\n\nAnd the rest, as they say, is history! \ud83d\ude0e\n\n* Needless to say, soon after the unfolding of these events I stopped procrastinating and took my car remote in to get the battery replaced. Lord willin\u2019 I won\u2019t run into this problem ever again! \ud83d\ude02"
},
"name": "That Time I Had to Break Into My Own Car",
"post-type": "article",
"_id": "44258492",
"_source": "2783"
}
