Keys

I’m reminded of Mark Pilgrim’s post on keys as I take one off my keyring for the last time and simplify life just a little bit. Current count? Four: home, mailbox, car door, car ignition.

25 thoughts on “Keys

  1. <snark>Dome, sweet dome.</snark> Funny… knowing people who worked in a sports arena called “the dome,” it didn’t seem odd to me at first that you would have keys to a “dome.”

  2. Oh, atleast you know where to put your keys. I still have two unidentified keys on my keyring (with a total of seven keys), and I just can’t make myself take those two keys away since they are probably important in some way. Stupidity or responsibility? Probably both.

  3. When you are in the midst of major life changes, the smallest detail often carries the greatest power over you. Welcome to life on the edge. Surf the leading edge of the wave of risk and enjoy the ride! 😉

  4. Jeff: “Two car keys? That’s odd.”

    Yeah, fess up Matt… What’s going on with the 2 seperate keys here?

    Next we’ll find out he just has to stick that 2nd key in the ignition, then out comes the screwdriver he carries around with him as well…… A few crossed wires later and we’ve got a new video game on our hands – Grand Theft Auto: WordPress

  5. The fewer the keys the more simple the life. Usually happier, too, although there was a time when I was down to one little key–that was gut-wrenching frightening and it was after quitting the corporate world to start a biz from home.

    I can’t think of anyone who ever regretted the decision, myself included, but it takes a level of courage most people will never possess. Congrats for placing yourself in that small percentile.

  6. After reading this post this morning, I realized that I had several keys that I never use on my keyring; I planned on taking them off later today, after a few ours of conservation work at a local campround. Whilst I was doing the conservation work, 5/6 of my keys managed to unclip themselves from my carribeaner… I was left with only a car key. Looks like my life just got a whole lot simpler :).

  7. I have a keyring that has about 12 keys on it. 10 I have no idea what they are for… LOL

    Then I have my keyring with my car key and house keys. Thats the only keyring I use anymore… hmmm

  8. The key for my ignition and car door are different, I think they are on most older Chevys.

    Coming as I do from a family of Chevrolet drivers, I can confirm this. I never understood the reasoning for it, either…

    I have two copies of my Nissan truck’s key on my crazy keychain, but that’s because I’m prone to locking myself out of it. If I leave the keys in the truck with the engine running, I detach part of the keychain and retain a couple crucial keys—I’ve had to break into my own truck twice, and that’s two times too many.

  9. Yep Matt… Most older vehicles have two keys. One for the doors/trunk/gas cap, and one for the ignition. Back then the thinking was to be able to leave the vehicle running while still being able to open the trunk (there was no auto trunk latch release back then), etc…

    With the advent of electronically controlled door locks, trunk latches, etc, most newer cars have one key and an FOB, thus replacing the second key with the FOB and leaving just the ignition key, which on more expensive cars has extremely sophisticated embedded circuitry (among other things) to prevent theft of the vehicle.

    So there you have the useless trivia of the keys.

    And yes 4 keys is a good thing. I have 5 different keys and would like to get it down further. I had many more than that, but recently consolidated all my house fence/shed padlocks to one key set thus knocking 4 keys off my keyring. I can consolidate the house keys down to one and get it down to a total of four keys (1 house, 1 gates/shed key, 1 vehicle key, and 1 work desk key). I can keep the gates/shed key at home too, since I only use them to take the trash out to the alley or open the side house gates to the back yard or open the shed. Can you believe I had 3 keys just to get into the back yard (it depended on what gate you went through, there’s one back alley gate and two side gates on opposite sides of the house) and one to get into the shed in the back yard? Don’t ask… It was inherited from the previous home owner. I got tired of spending minutes at a time trying to get into the back yard or take the trash out, so I bought a lock set for all of them with one key that does all the locks. Much better.

  10. I don’t carry any keys at all most of the time. If I need to go to the local shop it only takes about 50 minutes on foot for the round trip so that obviates the need for a car key. Some people may think that’s a waste of time; I think of it as exercise. I don’t carry a house key either due to almost zero crime. Most times I leave the house I don’t carry anything at all except a small camera.

  11. I have two copies of my Nissan truck’s key on my crazy keychain, but that’s because I’m prone to locking myself out of it. If I leave the keys in the truck with the engine running, I detach part of the keychain and retain a couple crucial keys””I’ve had to break into my own truck twice, and that’s two times too many.

    I locked myself out of my own truck one time (and that was too many). I had to get a coat hanger to unlock it. Fortunately I had a third door with a working door handle. The next day I had three copies made. One two are kept at home and one in my wallet.

    Also, not too long ago when I went to a carwash bay (I generally leave the door unlocked and my stuff inside when washing) I locked my keys and wallet inside. Had to call home on a payphone (cell was in truck too) and wait.

  12. This makes me think about how simple my life at UT is — I have one key and one access card here. In Houston, I know I have about ten keys on my keyring (car, garage door, 2 house keys, as well as the key to a friend’s house so I can use her darkroom, a key to your car because I’m one of your designated car door key carriers but I guess that doesn’t mean much now that you’re there and I’m here, one that I think I have on there just for decoration because I found it a long time ago and think it’s really pretty…) you get the idea. :p

  13. Three keys on my keyring: car, house deadbolt and house door. BTW – I can’t lock my keys in my car. The door won’t stay locked when I shut it with the lock on. I have to use the remote or manually twist the key. Pretty cool feature.

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