Slashdot Mirror
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?"
Haven't owned a traditional key since 2005
Everybody I know keeps their keys and trinkets around their neck on a lanyard along with their badges.
I prefer to use two keyrings: one with the bare essentials(1 key for car, 2 keys for house) and a big one for the more obscure keys that I could go pick up from home if I had to do something special. I also make backup duplicates of all my keys.
Hollow rocks and magnetic key holders are also good places to store backup keys in case you lock yourself out of the car or house.
Get flat copies of your keys, and keep them in your wallet.
The only key I actually need to keep with me is my car key; I use the garage door remote to get into the house. But that is a non-issue anyway, since all your keys should be on the same keychain!
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
I got tired of wearing holes in my pants from keys in general while moving PCs/servers while at client sites, so now I just carry everything except my wallet. Cell phone and keys in hand, so that I always know I have what I need. When you really need to, they go into the pockets of course, but getting in the habit of literally having them in hand means you always know where they are. It also forced me to reduce the keys I have by figuring out what I really needed to have _all_ the time, and what was just 'nice' to have.
I will shred my adversaries. Pull their eyes out just enough to turn them towards their mewing, mutilated faces. Illyria
Hang it on my belt.
Work key - big old thing
GF's car key on a key ring with brass Iguana fob
GF's car remove in key ring that has a Forza 3 fob
House key on key ring
Truck keys (2) on three key rings with a Chevrolet key fob
Exactly what I was going to say. Make 'em yourself from a coat hanger and an allen key, learn to use them, and you'll really go places. Of course, you might have trouble explaining yourself to the neighbours until you learn to do it fast.
Funny may not give karma, but +5 Informative never made anyone snort coffee out their nose.
Those well-known geniuses have figured it out in between the hair salon and the notary. It's called a keybox. http://www.google.com/products?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&hl=en&q=keybox&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=PEjjS5f_AoSKlwfe_a2SAg&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=3&ved=0CEMQrQQwAg
Oh, you dingy little people who hang out in this chatroom can be so narrow-minded sometimes! C'mon, let's tawk about cawfee...
-- average slashdotter by the year 2011 if the current dumbing down trend keeps up.
Caveat Utilitor
I place a handkerchief in my pocket before I put my keys in, the handkerchief then protects the pocket from the sharp keys and pocket knife, and also provides padding that will at least muffle the noise of jingling keys in your pocket.
Either a Key Wallet
http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Leather-Holder-Wallet-Available/dp/B0007IQF5Y
or a belt clip key chain, which keeps the keys outside of your pockets.
http://www.keychains4you.com/belt-clip-key-rings.html
I use a similar system. I have one Master Ring with a big ring on it, and each of the sets are on tiny carabiners. When I need that particular set, I attach it to the Master Ring. Otherwise, they hang on the wall by the door.
I live in Finland, and we have a company named Abloy.
They have this thing called serialization of keys.
All the keys to for the apartments share enough characteristics, so that everyone going through the same entrance can get in with their apartment keys without other people getting into your apartment with theirs.
And you can commission for a lock that's serialized with your key from an authorized dealer.
Even the trolls are weak these days!
More on-topic -- what I learned from the Special Forces and Rangers: dummy cord everything to you. If you don't like cord, use a carabiner.
Put identity in the browser.
Such a configuration (called master keying in the US) reduces security. See Matt Blaze's paper on the subject at http://www.crypto.com/papers/mk.pdf (Abloy is mentioned by name as being vulnerable to the described attack).
http://lifehacker.com/399031/diy-leatherman-key-mod
i bought a $5 multitool at the hardware store and removed the tools from it. get some copies of your keys made, cut them down to fit, and stick them in place of the tools. the multitool i bought holds eight keys, four in either handle. that just happens to be the number of keys i have too~
http://www.accountkiller.com/removal-requested
I've sort-of done this. I have two keys to get into work - exterior door and office door. In my desk I have all the rest of the keys I need to open the rest of the stuff around here. Sure, I might, once, need to just go in, go somewhere, and go out. But 99% of the time, I need to get into my office.
I tried doing that at home, but mail is at the bottom of the stairs, on the way to my apt. No sense really in leaving my mailbox key in my apt, because I'll have to cover a flight of stairs twice to get mail that way.
I tried leaving my car keys in my Apt when I was out without it, but there were plenty of times when I rode a bus home and then wanted to hop directly into the car to go to eat, to the girlfriend's place, etc. No sense in covering a flight of stairs twice while unlocking two doors just to retrieve car keys.
The best I can do is 5 keys - 2 for work, 1 apt, 1 mailbox, and 1 car. I wish I could get rid of 3 of those, however....I have them on a carabiner on my hip. 2 keys (and no keyless entry car fob) would fit in a front pocket well.
Velociraptor = Distiraptor / Timeraptor
Grind down your keys and fit them into a cheap leatherman. You only use one at a time anyways, so flick it out like any other blade and presto! There is a blog somewhere about it. Much more pocket friendly, and if done right, looks very nice.