By NoKeyNoCar - 13/08/2009 06:42 - United States

Today, I rented a car that has a smart key. The proximity of the key determines if the doors will unlock. I went to a meeting and returned to the car with the trunk popped open and all my luggage gone. The rental company decided to store a spare key in the glovebox for safekeeping. FML
I agree, your life sucks 47 053
You deserved it 3 283
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Top comments

lucky0514 0

That is really, really stupid. Take it like an American and SUE!

75 3
XOfiestypixie 0

Wtf? Geniuses...and they didn't even tell you?

50 2

Comments

jaxsk 0

That's awful. How is the idea of a "Smart Key" at all safe? What if someone was hiding behind your car planning to jump you in a parking lot or something and as you approach you let them in?

2 3
girlygirl666 0

@ jaxsk. If there wasn't a spare left in the car, it's not quite as dangerous. The way mine works is when I get near the car, only the driver side door unlocks if I am on that side. If I go to the passenger side, all of the doors open. But, yeah I agree with you. That's the down-side of it, and that is exactly what could happen.

1 0
Grangoire 0

Actually that is exactly what could NOT happen. As long as there is a fob detected on the outside at time of locking, then any fobs on the inside will be ignored and WILL NOT unlock the car. OP just didn't lock the car.

7 1
atomicmrpelly 2

Really? So if I'm in my car with a smart key and I give the spare to my wife to take inside so that this doesn't happen when we park, the car locks itself with me inside because it detects one key moving away from the vehicle and ignores the one I'm holding inside?!

0 0
russianspy1234 11

Actually if it was in the glove box, the whole car could be opened. You're lucky it wasn't stolen. Do you have it on paper anywhere from them that extra key was stored there or did you just notice? Storing extra key in glove box is stupid even for normal locks.

1 1
Jimboom 11

Every smart car I have ever seen or used has a system where if you lock the car from the outside with a key it ignores any other key thats inside the car or it doesn't let you lock the car. I bet the OP just didn't lock it properly...( some cars you click lock once and it locks the doors. You click lock twice and it deadlocks the doors and locks the boot)

4 3
girlygirl666 0

Only if there's an actulal "key", and not just a chip in the remote. My car doesn't even have keyholes.

0 2
DarkIce_fml 0

The car I own does that. The spare used to be in the glove box, and I still couldn't open the doors if I didn't have a key on the OUTSIDE of the car. The car recognizes whether the position of the key is inside or outside of the car. I've played around a lot with it, testing it out. I highly doubt that if a key was in the glove box it would of allowed the doors to be unlocked from the outside. And, the key shouldn't of kept him from locking the doors if he had the other key outside of the car. I doubt the engineers behind that key believed that people were smart enough to not put the spare in the glove box. Anyways, whatever happened, sucks for your lost luggage! FYL

1 1
Grangoire 0

I highly doubt that... unless your car is a custom job. Cars with smart key systems still have keyholes in case the external fob's battery dies.

0 0
morgan020 0

my car has one of those and it opens the auto hatch all the time. that really sucks. I'd deffinently get the rental company to reimburse you for everything that was stolen. at least you weren't drunk leaving a bar to find a crap load of cops aroud because they thought some one had broken into it. and just to avoid the drunk driving issue I had a DD. FYL.

0 4
kev_213 0

my car has this feature and you can't lock the doors if a key is inside...

1 0
Grangoire 0

OP, YDI for not knowing how to use smartkeys. (And most of the FYL'ers here also don't understand they system either.) Since I have this convenience system on my car I'll explain. SmartKeys DO NO automatically unlock or lock your doors if you walk close. You STILL MUST push the button on the door. The "SMART" feature just allows you to keep the fob in your pocket/purse. ADDITIONALLY, the system WILL let you lock a fob INSIDE the car, just as long as the car detects another fob OUTSIDE of the car. (If the only fob detected, is IN the car then pressing the button on the doors will not lock the car, and the trunk/rear-hatch wont stay shut either (it will pop ajar). All that said, if this really is a REAL fml, then the OP totally deserved it for either; 1. Leaving her keyfob in the car with the spare or.... 2. Not pressing the lock button on the door to LOCK THE CAR or... 3. Locking the car, opening the trunk with the button(ON the trunk) then accidentally putting her purse/jacket/etc inside it with the fob and closing it (not noticing it automatically popping ajar to prevent the keys from being locked inside). My point? A spare fob in the glove-box WILL NOT unlock the car. YDI

4 4
girlygirl666 0

Mine does. Know what the **** you're talking about. Arrogant asshole!

4 4
Gradius 0

Clearly your car was designed by idiots then. Most cars are clearly built so this doesn't happen.

3 4
foryoublue94 0

I don't even understand this. I'm not trying to seem like an idiot, but did someone break the window and steal the other key? or did it accidentally get pressed, or what? I actually really don't understand. Not that I've ever had/dealt with a car that had a smart key before.

0 0
avidfmylife 6

agreed...i dont know how someone got into the glove compartment if the car was supposed to be locked

0 0
summer99 0

me neither, i don't get what happened. can someone explain the concept of a smartkey? because how did the person get into the glove compartment?

0 0
tempaccount 0

No, the smartkeys are wireless, you don't have to put them in to unlock the door. So since the one in the glove compartment was always in the car, the doors were always unlocked. The rental company are dumbasses.

1 0
Recon13x 9

With a smart key you have a button on the door handle that, when in proximity of the key (about a foot generally) , will lock the car when pressed. But only when the key is the one that locked the car last and is outside. The same button could also lock the car with a smart key in range. If you press the button to lock the car with the key inside, it won't let you and will alert you in some way. If there is a spare key inside while you lock it with a second from outside, it will ignore the inside one or not lock at all like mentioned above. Of course all systems vary. This situation is almost 100% OPs fault (I think it actually is 100%). OP just didn't realize the car wasn't locked or forgot to lock it. Whatever the case, there is no way the second key was to blame here.

0 0