It's a good feeling to see an automotive locksmith pull up next to you when you've made the mistake of locking your keys in the car. In a few short minutes, you'll have the keys back in your hand and will be on your way — hopefully, with two lessons to learn. The first lesson is that you can rely on an automotive locksmith for help whenever you're locked out of your car, and the second lesson is that if you've been locked out several times, you need to get another key cut. Having a spare car key cut and stashed somewhere on your vehicle means that you can retrieve the key quickly in the event of a future lockout. Here are some places to stash the key.

Inside The Rear Bumper

On most vehicles, when you kneel at the back bumper, you can reach under the bumper and put your hand in a void. This is an ideal spot to place a key; it's somewhere that the average thief likely wouldn't think to look, yet you'll be able to get your key quickly and with ease. It's important to ensure that the key is secure, and you can do so with a strip of duct tape placed over the key to hold it to the inside of the bumper.

Inside The Gas Door

Some people think to put a spare key in a magnetic box and place it somewhere beneath the hood. This is a good idea on the surface, but unless you've happened to pop the hood before locking your keys in the car, you'll be able to access this area. A better out-of-sight place is inside the gas door of your vehicle — provided that you don't have a locking door. You can either hold the key against the metal on the inside of the door with a strong magnet or a piece of duct tape.

Inside The Trailer Hitch

If your vehicle has a trailer hitch, it's possible to buy a tiny safe that mounts to the interior of the hitch. This safe, which is typically accessible with a small combination lock, has a tiny void inside it that is big enough to hold a key. Unlike the above two methods in which the key is hidden, the presence of the hitch safe will typically indicate that a key is present — but the locking mechanism will prevent a thief from accessing it. If your automotive locksmith sells locking products, he or she may even have such a device for sale.

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