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?"
Stuff that matters.
move in with your girlfriend, that will save you 3 keys right there
And then carry around a crowbar, just like Gordon Freeman. It's the universal key!
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.
All those keys can be replaced by a few lock picks or if you are lazy a small amount of bump keys will go far.
Everyone that disagrees with me is a paid shill
three more for my girlfriends place
Why must you turn the internet into a house of lies, Ralph?
My work here is dung.
Put your "disposable" keys like the key to your bike, mailbox, the roof, and your gf's place on one key ring and keep it in your backpack, while keeping just your "essential" keys like car and front door strapped to your pants.
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.
why do you need 3 keys for your girlfriend's place? You have 3 girlfriends?
* The lock on the front door
* The lock on her bedroom door
* The lock on her chastity belt
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
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.
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
get a manpurse.
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
I rarely have more than three keys on me at any given time. One for the house (all locks keyed the same), one for the vehicle I'm driving (SUV, Car, or motorbike), and optionally the mail key. Work is all proximity card readers, and there are precious few other locks that I ever use.
I did see an instructable or the like that had a way to put a number of keys into a leatherman by removing the tools.
http://www.tadgear.com/shop.php?id=804
"Sacrifice for the good of The State" - The State
The key to that lock is metaphysical.
Or a plasma cutter.
Depending on your burnt-flesh-stench preferences.
"Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
Use your imagination.
It's so she can lay in wait for him, (mostly) naked, with dimmed lights and romantic music playing, posed provocatively on her bed. All while trusting that only he (holder of the Sacred Keys of I-Gave-You-Unfettered-Access-Where's-My-Ring) can enter her abode and ravish her.
Having the girlfriend's housekeys can lead to all kinds of laying-in-wait-for-him goodness, very few of which involve a blunt object and a trip to the hospital.
"Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
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
It seems to me that the *three* keys for your girlfriend's place are probably somewhat redundant
Yup, there's an alternative
For those in colder climates, try the heavyweight firehose material pants. Also recommended for winter desert hiking when you can have rain, snow, sleet, and hail in the same 2 hour period.
Every mans' island needs an ocean; choose your ocean carefully.
Most badge readers aren't two-factor. They rely on something you have, and that's it. Some combine it with something you know (a keypad) and/or something you are (handprint), but in my experience, those are the exception.
You can never go home again... but I guess you can shop there.
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.
I'm posting this as I stare at all the different keys and key chain items I carry around. They include my own house keys (3), my neighbor's keys (2), car keys (3), car alarm fob (2), RSA SecurID token, trigger lock keys (4), ThinkPad dock key (1), padlock keys (2). These are only the primary keys as the backups are stored elsewhere. Add to this the optional items such as a couple Leatherman Squirt S4s and Micra, Gerber Clutch and Shortcut, keychain flashlights, and assorted carabiners and I can understand your plight. After losing a set of keys after the disengagable clip came apart somewhere along Ft. Lauderdale beach, I looked for alternatives.
First, separate all your keys based on need. I carry around my Leatherman Micra, main house key, ignition and car alarm fob on one ring. On your second ring, add the garage key, car trunk key, Shell Gas RFID fob. On the third ring, place your firearm trigger lock key, the docking station key, and padlock keys. On the fourth ring, place the remainder.
Next, acquire a locking carabiner. Don't opt for the spring loaded ones you get for $5 for a 6 pack at WalMart. You need climbing gear biners. These can be had from Altrec or Eddie Bauer or even Home Depot. Attach the primary key ring set to this carabiner.
You'll then need to purchase a pair of cargo pants, and -- this is important -- make sure that it has belt loops that can accomodate at least a 2" leather belt.
Purchase a durable and reinforced leather belt. Along with this, pick up a belt-attachable key minder. Black leather ones are cool, but nothing says rugged like camo. You can attach the second and third rings to this belt. It will also have plenty of room for your cell phone holster, your Leatherman Wave, binoculars, primary flashlight, and optionally a spool of 550 paracord.
Finally, you'll need to purchase a MOLLE vest. These can be had for $60 used at an army surplus store but new ones can run into the hundreds of dollars. An ALICE capable vest is an option, but I prefer the MOLLE attachments. With this vest you can add several key rings and similar attachment devices.
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
The fact that this story is not in idle, or the fact that it has so many "serious" replies?
Next up: An in-depth analysis of what brand of adhesive tape is best to mend your glasses.
How about a moderation of -1 pedantic.
In a more respectable time, men did more of a "Spectacles, Testicles, Wallet, and Watch." Now everyone I know does more like a One Handed Charleston, checking the pockets for wallet, keys, and cellphone.
You never expect irony, do you?
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@iyfwrestling
I'm in Scotland...
Summer lasts only 4 hours a year....
Laters Sol "Have you found the secrets of the universe? Asked Zebade "I'm sure I left them here somewhere"
I'm married, and this situation never came up where I needed to get into a girlfriend's house without her being there. I can understand an occassional "Oops, could you run to my house and pick something up for me? I'm at work and I need it, and you're inexplicably at your house watching TV during a work day!" but that's an exception to the rule. I didn't give her the keys to my apartment and she didn't give me the keys to her apartment because we weren't retarded. It is also why I never had to change my locks when I broke up with someone.
It's NOT normal to have the keys to someone else's house unless you're just trying to show off that you HAVE the keys to their house -- it's an amateur move made by attention whores.
I am the richest astronaut ever to win the superbowl.
I shove my car remote in the right front coin pocket of my jeans, and let the rest of the keys dangle. That way the keys don't poke my leg or eat through my pocket liner. They do jingle, but it's not unbearable, and I've noticed that if/when I enter a quiet room I'll grab the keys with my hand or just carry them. The need for silent walking is rarer than you might think.
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
House, car and office. They fit easily in my pocket.
Every housing lock I control, I swap over to run off the same Kwikset smart key.
With them, I can re-key to any other Kwikset key I like in a few seconds. If my wife or I lose a key, if we decide a friend who was trusted with a spare isn't so trustworthy now, we can rekey each lock in a few seconds and be good to go again rather than having to replace the whole damn lock. Plus, as I've re-keyed all the locks, the new key continues working in every door rather than being yet another variant.
They're not perfect but then most household locks aren't - they're simply good enough to deter most people.
one for the outer door, two for the inner, three more for my girlfriends place, one for the office ... and the roof
At the very least, that's one key in place of your three plus the roof. Depending on how close your girlfriend and you are, it could be one for all seven. If you were very lazy and happy with security through obscurity with your co-workers, you could key all six of your home/girlfriend's locks off your work key. That'd be eight keys condensed in to one.
That one plus the bike/car/motorcycle keys is only four and now pretty easy to carry. If your car is your daily ride and the bike/motorcycle are occasional toy rides, you can likely swap them off to a second keyring for just those occasions. At that point, a building and a car key on a keyring, even with your swiss army knife, isn't going to be that bulky at all.
I have my keys on a Carabiner. The core set stay there all the time, other groups (like car keys) or tools (like a little USB Swiss army knife) get clipped on and off as needed. The set then gets clipped on the belt loop nearest my pocket and slipped into the top of the pocket. The weight never pulls on the pocket itself.
Isn't it great when summer falls on a weekend!
The US government have made it clear that we have no inalienable rights; any we do not defend vigorously will be taken.
If your relationship ends so badly that you have to change the locks when you break up (rather than simply asking for the key back and getting it), then it was a mistake giving him/her the key in the first place.
http://alternatives.rzero.com/
move in with your girlfriend, that will save you 3 keys right there
If he's asking a question like this on slashdot, I don't think he's ready for that. I don't know about you, but I was made responsible for a set of keys to the house sometime around the age of 7 or 8. I'm surprised he's not asking slashdot about toilet habits "What happens when you want to go poopies?"
These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
It's been suggested that it's "less secure"
I am a locksmith, and I have one key that fits my house.... and my mother's house... and my brother's house... and my father's house... and two of my friends' houses. Security is simply a matter of key control. There seems to be a common delusion that having more locks is more secure. Really, if someone is going to break into your house, they're going to break in to your house. People who steal using keys are nearly always people who have been given the key by the occupant. Having a bunch of different keys won't solve that.
...and if you think you have a lot of keys to deal with, you should see what *I* have to deal with. I have them by the thousands, and it's a constant struggle to keep them organized.
For work I have my work key ring in the truck, and that gets me into the lock shop. For home all I have is a ring with my house key, my HID prox fob,and my truck key (which also fits my other car--- a benefit of being a locksmith).
If a job's not worth doing, it's not worth doing right.
There's a rather old-timey solution to this problem. I, too, was tried of wearing holes in my pockets from the numerous keys I had to carry around. Get yourself a leather key wallet. It is a wallet sized object with a set of key holders inside. You can store your keys in a relatively small area, and no more tearing up your pockets. Some of them even include change purses.
"Enough of this wretched, whining monkey life." -- Marcus Aurelius, _Meditations_, Book 9, 37
First, get rid of some keys. Many houses have exterior doors with both a lock on the knob and a deadlock. I've replaced all of the knobs with keyless versions. #1, the knob lock is pointless if you use the deadbolt. #2, if the only lock is a deadbolt, you *cannot* lock yourself out.
Second, split to multiple rings. There's no reason for me to carry my motorcycle keys when I'm driving my car. I have separate rings for each vehicle, with a house key on each. The rings are kept in a keybox, and I only take the one I need. I then have a separate ring with miscellaneous keys, but it mostly stays in the keybox.
I mean, seriously, why are you carrying around your *roof* key?
First I'm going to tell you all about my keys, then I'm going to criticize you. This makes me feel important.
I have my keys divided into two separate rings. The first ring has 1 house key and 3 car keys. The second ring has a redundant car key (for the car I drive primarily) and house key for convenience as well as 2 work keys, the key to my tool shed, 2 house keys which I can't identify, 1 mailbox key I forgot to return, and a key for a Kensington lock.
All said, that's 13 keys. I keep both rings in my pocket. It hasn't been a problem.
I recommend that you buy pants which are in your correct size. It seems obvious to me that having too many keys isn't the problem -- it's just that your pockets are too small.
If you can't afford larger pants, might I recommend losing some weight? Anyhow, the point is that your keys shouldn't be eating holes in your pockets unless you're doing something wrong. (Are you sleeping in your work pants or something?)
Given the problems you have with managing simple everyday objects, I'd also suggest moving in with your girlfriend. She'll easily be able to handle little life details like selecting appropriate clothing, keeping track of important things like keys, and will more than happily tell you when it's time to change your pants.
Required reading for internet skeptics
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.
"Freedom in the USA is not the ability to do what you want. It is the ability to stop others from doing what THEY want"
No, OP is correct. SPecifically the S-biner has a habit of losing stuff. I used to geek out at the EDCForums (which is *the* correct place to ask this, there are entire forums devoted to this kind of thing!)
Personally I break contents down to separate keyrings down for things I might want to remove: house keys on one ring, car on another, Leatherman Squirt P4 on another, small metal container with a micro USB stick and some paracetamol on another, photon torch etc, and then clip them all onto a steel spring loaded spring clip from the local marine supply store. When I'm camping the whole lot gets lanyard-clipped to me, the rest of the time it just sits in my pocket.
Every copule of months I get the pockets of my work suit repaired...!
While you still might need to trim down on the number of keys you carry, at least this will protect your pockets, and any mobile that may be sharing a pocket with your keys.
And some of these pouches even have an additional smaller compartment that is handy for items such as USB keys.
..in this thread has mentioned the obvious. In most of the world (IE the 3rd world) everyone with stuff they really need to secure, hires a guard to watch it. So you never carry a single key, you just wave to the nice man with the gun, and walk on through, leaving your car or motorbike keys in the ignition for the valet to park. Seriously people, step up, if you want to ditch keys, spend some money amd hire yourself a bouncer, doorman, groundsman, valet, elevator guy, housekeeper, driver and bodyguard (to carry your phone).
Waiting for the other shoe to...
You’ve obviously never tried it.
Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.