I took the day off last Thursday to do homework before our long camping weekend. That's the thing about many online courses...the coursework is pretty dependent on an internet connection.
Chris called me around noon. He was at the courthouse in Madison for work and had gone through the x-ray scanner, as required. He was rushing to get into the elevator with a group of people and shoving items back in his pocket. Including the convertible key (the convertible was back at his office...top and windows down). You see where this is going, right? The key tumbled to the ground, just as he was crossing the elevator opening. He went to grab it, but there were too many people in the way and it fell in the crack, down the elevator shaft.
It's our only key (guy we bought it from only had one). We'd been talking about needing to get one made just a few weeks ago.
He found a maintenance worker, and they found the basement door to the elevator shaft. But nobody had the key. Only the supervisor who was off for vacation for a week and the elevator company out of Minnesota.
So Chris goes to the Toyota dealership two blocks from his office. We can't simply get a second key cut that matches the first. We need to have the whole thing reprogrammed and get a new key (of course we'd get two). Cost? About $300. They could at least get the windows up for us without the key.
Instead of waiting around to see if somebody could retrieve the key the following week from the elevator, Chris decided we needed the second key anyway, so had the two keys cut. It took four hours because they kept running into snags. And yeah, Toyota dealership shop rates? $110/hour. Luckily, they only charged us as quoted, because I was ready to make a big ol stink.
So between the key and some cosmetic work on the bumper Chris had done in May, the convertible cost us almost $1000 last month.
The courthouse called him yesterday and has his key ready to pick up. You know, the one that no longer works in the car.
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13 comments:
I sure hope the new key is on a key ring with a fob. You know so it can't slip down cracks.
*shakes head*
He put it on the ring with other keys so it's big now. :-) The fob style would've been another $75 for each key. Gah!
Keys got so expensive once they got "smart!" I well remember the good old days when you could get a key cut for 89 cents.
Four hours to cut 2 keys seems like a heck of a long time too.
But it's a sexy convertible, right? So totally worth the expense.
What the heck is a FOB?
And I would have made a big ol' stink as well.
I honestly have no idea what "fob" stands for, but it's the part of the key that does the auto lock/unlock...where the brains of the key are.
It is? I just thought fob meant a trinket on the key chain. Ya know something you can grab or keeps keys from falling down cracks.
1. A small pocket at the front waistline of a man's trousers or in the front of a vest, used especially to hold a watch.
2.
a. A short chain or ribbon attached to a pocket watch and worn hanging in front of the vest or waist.
b. An ornament or seal attached to such a chain or ribbon.
I guess when the word "electronic" is in front of "key fob," then it's the brains I described.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_fob
YIKES! What a frustrating day!
I'm amazed that they found the original key. You're getting into some excellent convertible weather about now.
I had my first and last experience with the damn "fob" when Chris asked me to open the sunroof on your car.
I was the subject of much ridicule and laughter.
Have you thought about running a crocheted string through his sleeves - what we used to call "idiot mittens"?.
LOL-MC! Chris still laughs about that. And yes, we have had the "idiot mittens" conversation! In fact, my sister made him big grilling mitts on a string because he always burns himself while cooking outdoors and claims it's because he doesn't have any mitts nearby.
I dropped my car and room keys down the elevator shaft while in college.. that was a pain, thankfully did not have to drive anywhere that weekend, and was able to get a spare key to my room... did not cost anything... sorry for that exorbitant key cost for you ! Yuck!
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