Anyone ever forget to transfer their key to another driver?

I was running late for a flight and had my wife ride with me to the airport so that she could drop me off. I got out of the car, took all of my luggage and my wife drove off with the car. After checking in for my flight I started preparing for the security line. I began to take off my cell phone and put it in my computer bag, started checking my pockets for change, etc. then I realized I still had something else in my pocket - the car key!

I called my wife to warn her since she had planned to stop at the cleaners on her way home. Obviously if she had turned the car off she would have been unable to restart at the store and would have had to get a ride home to get the other key. Not life-threatening but annoying just the same (I had her drive back to the airport so I could transfer the key).

In addition to this incident, I'm constantly reminding myself to make sure I get the key back from the valet.

Just curious if anyone else has had any similar adventures with keyless ignition?

 

That is an excellent story that i myself may deal with. I suggest we start a thread asking people their strategies for storing the key when they get in.

I usually put it in the passenger seat or cupholder.

what about you?

 

it happens to us too, but the car beeps at you several times as you're getting out so we are reminded to transfer the key. usually we hop out, he gets his bag from the trunk, and i get out to get in the driver seat. as soon as the key leaves the interior of the car, it beeps and we transfer. but i agree w/ you - it's scary to think of driving away without the key!

 

Me too! Scary thought driving off without the key.

 

Now that I have tried the keyless entry, and if it were posible, I would have ordered our ES350 with NO keyless system. I prefer using the old fashioned method, a key and a remote control.

 

True... never thought of that part!

 

We both love the no key system! She keeps one and I keep the other... no problema!

 

I usually just hand the key to the valet but I'll try leaving it in the cupholder next time.



For some reason I didn't hear the beeping when I left the car this time. It's probably because my mind was preoccupied with hurrying to check in for my flight or maybe it was too noisy from all the traffic/planes/etc(?). Either way I missed it this time.

The next time my wife dropped me off at the airport I still drove but SHE had the key in her pocket the whole time so we didn't need to make the transfer.

 

It never leaves my pocket. My wife keeps hers in her purse at all times.

No reason to take it out of my pocket or her purse.

 

I love that I can keep the key in my pocket all the time.

I think the system is designed very well; it warns you when you leave the car with the key while the car is running, it never lets you lock the car with the key either in the car, if you leave your key in the the trunk it warns you and lets you open the trunk (i've been saved dozens of times), it can still start the car if the battery is dead (by holding the key to the start button), it lights up the car for you at night when you approach, it even lets you pull the handle 3 seconds after locking the car just so you can be sure it's locked...all in all I can't imagine how they could improve on it.

Replacing all that with an old fashioned key? What next - a starter crank?

 

That's the method my wife and I use when we are both in the car. However, I go one step futher. I always safety-pin the fob inside my pocket through the metal ring on the metal snap-in key. That way I can't lose it and no one can easily pick my pocket without my knowing. When I valet the car I just release the metal key from the fob and the metal key stays pinned inside my pocket with the glove compartment locked and the trunk button disabled.

 

An improvement will be biometrics, then you don't have to carry a key at all.

 

that's what I do.. cupholder. There have been times where I leave it on driver side door compartment. I"ve forgotten it a few times and when I try to lock the it beeps

 

We have several vehicles so it's not practical for my wife or myself to carry a set of keys for each car all the time - especially since some of the key fobs are pretty big.

We're considering my wifes next car now and I want the LS (she has other ideas) so that I can try to get it programmed to work off the fob for my car. Not sure if that's possible(?) but it would be convenient.

As bitkahuna stated, biometrics would make a lot of sense. You'd still need some type of physical device to pass to the valets or be able to grant them short-termed access... The only shortfall I see with using biometrics is that you'd need to be in physical contact with the car to unlock it. Sometimes I like using the transmitter to unlock the car doors and roll down the windows from a distance...

 

the idea of biometrics is a bit out there, but I'm not doubting that eventually it will be done. one downfall I see for that is for those who wear gloves for whatever reason, medical or to keep themselves warm during frigid weather conditions, it might be a bother, maybe as an option as Keyless Go was for Mercedes Benz.