[Dailydrool] Hot Car Experience

[Marilyn Briggs]

I hate to admit this, but just last month I locked my dogs in my car, with my
KEYS inside-- after an early morning walk. Totally stupid and I am embarassed.  But here is what I learned. 
I walk 3 dogs every morning at a gully/park place. It was not hot yet, and we went pretty far. When we got back to the car, Sasha gets in back, Bosley in
his front seat, but Chester will not get in the car. He is 80 lbs. so he puts his feet on the seat, and I boost him in. Refuses to budge. Begging, begging. 
Finally--throw my keys in the front seat with Bosley and pick Ches up (not
easy) and dump him in. Slam the car door. Car is locked. Sun just came up.
Call my son 15 times who is home but asleep (works evenings). No answer. Who knows where his phone is? Call cell phone information for local police 3 times. They give me bad phone number 3 times. Finally call 911-- OK, not an emergency, but please just get me local police. We have a difficult time with the location and address. Not Sandy City, Salt Lake County--I get cranky at delay. (Heaven forbid they ever release that 911 call-). Finally. They will send someone. 
In the meantime, find a rock and hope I am strong enough to break a window. 3 jogger guys come by. I ask THEM to please break my window. One says "not that hot". Other guy says "it is in the car, look at the dogs". They live nearby and think they can get car open. Go to nearby house and get hanger. Meantime, one guy says "Why don't you call AAA?"  Just so happens, I carry my driver license, AAA card and cell phone in my fanny pack with poop bags. Call AAA as the 3 guys are trying to break into my car. Getting more panicked all the time. Dogs look hot. AAA, bless them, says they treat animal in car the same as if it were a child, emergency. Help on the way. I tell AAA that guys are trying to get into car, she says--try passenger side. They have pulled passenger side window out about 3 inches at the top and reaching in with hanger.
Then one of the guys asks me if he can climb on my car. Heavens, yes, do
anything to the car--really wish you guys would just BREAK THE WINDOW.
The one guy holds the window out--the other guy climbs on the roof of my
car and reaches his arm down in the opening and OPENS THE DOOR!!!!
I now have a AAA emergency locksmith (and possibly a county sheriff eventually) on the way. Call and cancel them.  Local animal control called me about an hour later after we got home and wanted to make sure I got the dogs out, and that they were OK. (Better late than never, I guess).
So things learned-- 
1. Program local police phone number in your cell. (For other use, probably not this circumstance.)
2. AAA is fantastic for stuff like this. Well worth the money. Call them first. 3. Don't depend on local law enforcement to do anything--I have no idea when they would have showed up. You are kind of on your own. At least in
Salt Lake City.
4. Pretty much anyone can break into your car on the passenger side. My window was pulled out far enough for the guy to reach his arm in and open the door and it has no damage--still goes up and down. And you would
probably just think you didn't lock the car if you were robbed. (2009 Subaru) 

And most important lesson for me: Carry your extra valet key in your fanny
pack, dummy.  I will never do that again. 

Marilyn 
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