How Do You Handle Your Keys?

arisvega writes "I lost my backpack some time ago, but was lucky enough to have left my laptop at home that night, and my cell and keys in my pocket. The inevitable habit-change that followed was to start strapping my keys on my pants, so at least I would still be able to get home (as long as I kept my pants on). But I realized I had a lot of keys: one for the outer door, two for the inner, three more for my girlfriend's place, one for the office, one for the postbox, one for my bicycle, the car, the motorbike and the roof. ... Plus, I keep a tiny Swiss Army knife on my keychain that I really wouldn't want to part with. Needless to say, this makes a jingly bunch that eats through my pocket. I ask you, Slashdot people, how do you carry/safeguard a hefty, pronouncedly jingly bunch of keys? What are the alternatives? Any suggestions on clothing or technology? Would having 'The One Key' make things better, or worse?"

Comments

CDO Key Habits

[painandgreed]

I keep my keys in my front right pocket. They don't go anywhere else. They're always there unless they are in my hand and I'm unlocking something. If I do set them down, I usually notice that they are missing (and also am in the habit of patting myself down to make sure they are there before leaving the house etc). The same goes for my cell phone in my other front pocket and my wallet in my back pocket. that's where they go and I simply don't put them anywhere else except for unusual situations. That usually solves my losing things issue and when people ask me how many times I've lost my phone, I can say 0.

For too many keys, since I didn't want to change my system, I eventually had to split up my key rings. One for every day, always have keys. Another for the car. Another for my photostudio. Another one for work keys. The work keys go on my lanyard at work and the others I only pick up and put in my pocket when I actually use them. They actually do fit better on different key rings rather than all on one. Otherwise, they sit in the same coffee mug on my desk at home.

Re:saves time and money!

[drachenstern]

If you live in an apartment building with a single entrance (think movie style with the stairwell in the middle), you have the main apartment building key, the door knob key, and the deadbolt.

Three keys, designed for increasing levels of individual safety (insofar as locks are not designed to keep you safe, but to make it noticeable when someone is actively violating another persons safety ~ or however that gets said)

Re:I don't really worry about it.

[Pikoro]

Actually, we do have something similar in Japan. They are e-cash cards. Suica is one of the more popular ones since it lets you ride the trains without having to buy a ticket each time. You charge it up with cash and then you use it until the cash runs down on it. You can use it to buy almost anything your heart desires (inside a train station anyways) including drinks, food, smokes, condoms, newspapers, etc... I have also used it as a "key" for some of the pay lockers. You open the locker, stick your stuff inside, pay with your Suica card and the door is locked. The only way to unlock it is to swipe the same card you used to pay for it.