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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

thining its stupid taking the car keys upstairs at night, as if someone breaks in to get the car, i dont want them coming upstairs

69 replies

carriedapumpkin · 29/10/2010 15:48

dh insists on taking the car keys upstairs at night, incase someone breaks in to delibertly steal the car

this has happened to someone we know 6 miles away, with the same car

the police were convinced they were broken inot purley to get the car.
i have not idea how or why they've come up with this idea though

anyway personally i dont want crooks coming upstairs looking for the key

and last night before we were in bed we heard the car alarm go off.
there didnt seem to be anyone outside, but it just put a bit of fear into me that someone was creeping about and i couldnt sleep
i kept hearingnoises probably the fridge AND the house just making noises etc.
it was still there in the am

but me and dh are aguring where to keep the keys

where do you keep yours?

OP posts:
FlyingInTheCLouds · 29/10/2010 17:27

our car has been broken into 3 times, it's a really rubbish fiat (about 17 years old), the police reakon it's so they can practice hot wiring on it, as modern cars need keys.

Ahhh hotwiring how nostalgic Grin

Kitta · 01/11/2010 19:02

OH hides the remote to the TV, honestly believes that if we were ever broken in to they wouldn't steal his pride and joy if they couldn't find the remote.

wouldn't mind except that he tends to forget where he's hidden it

CoronaAndLime · 01/11/2010 19:09

We leave ours in the front hall, next to the laptop Grin

We do live in a small village and crime is not a biggie here.

SixtyFootDoll · 02/11/2010 13:05

Sory MN crashed when I was answering this.
I think your Dh is being sensible esp if you have a high value car.

I must admit to hlf the time not even knowing where my keys are.. But tatty zafira's arent high on the list of desirable motors!

squeaver · 02/11/2010 13:21

We had a spate of incidents round here where thieves put a stick through the letterbox and fished the keys from the dish/bowl/handbag in the hall then drove off with the car.

tyler80 · 02/11/2010 13:31

I had my car stolen, keys were mid way up the stairs, which is round the corner from the front door so not visible. They took nothing else, even though they would have walked past a laptop and a digital camera.

I couldn't understand why anyone would want to nick my car, it has no street cred and a small engine. Turned out it was stolen as a getaway, they found all sorts of breaking and entering tools in it when they found it.

The police told me that nearly all stolen cars are stolen with keys these days as most have immobilisers.

I still keep my keys downstairs. I am insured and happy to take reasonable precautions. Hiding stuff in tubs in the fridge is just too much.

PaisleyLeaf · 02/11/2010 13:51

Or, you could leave the keys in the ignition to save them coming into your house at all.

thumbwheel · 02/11/2010 13:56

There was a spate of this happening in the next town to where my Dad lives (posh place, lots of top-end vehicles) - cars being stolen to order, only things taken were car keys.

I don't know about the wisdom of taking the keys upstairs, but certainly a good idea to hide them somewhere downstairs, not leave them on display or lying around.

My keys are usually in a pocket so they might be upstairs (if in jeans) or downstairs (if in coat). But no one would want my car anyway so not relevant.

ratspeaker · 02/11/2010 14:04

I keep my car keys and house keys in a bag which is next to my bed at night. Not so much to hide them from burglars but in the event being evacuated due to a fire we will have somewhere dry to go

shitforbrains · 02/11/2010 15:45

Since our house was broken into at 3am (while we were in it, asleep), when I heard it and DH kicked seven bells of shit out of them while they had our car open filling it with our stuff, I would say your DH is very sensible.

Bag, purse, keys, phone, all upstairs.

We managed to keep the car since we scared them off but lost all our keys, bags etc.

Police said that breaking into houses for car keys is now the fastest growing crime.

KEEP THEM UPSTAIRS.

I still haven't quite got over it tbh, it was only a couple of months ago.

shitforbrains · 02/11/2010 15:47

oh, and I have a 2007 galaxy before anyone thinks I have a 2010 merc Grin

ToniSoprano · 02/11/2010 15:51

How about leaving some fake car keys in the hall?

mumeeee · 02/11/2010 15:54

YABU. You should either take them upstairs or hide them somewhere. We were burgeled a few years ago, They stole my handbag that had my house keys which was down stairs, So now we take all keys and bags upstairs,

Rocketbird · 02/11/2010 15:55

Friend had her patio doors smashed and her Smart car nicked. Scary stuff.

I wouldn't have thought they'd chance foing upstairs for the keys but I guess I'm wrong.

booyhoo · 02/11/2010 15:58

my aunt kept her keys onher kitchen counter and was broken into and teh car stolen. insurance didn't pay out because keys were in plain sight. anyone thinking their insurance covers them, check your policy.

shitforbrains · 02/11/2010 16:03

insurance didn't cover us either - "no signs of forced entry"

Just hide or take anyting important upstairs
No good relying on insurance

fake car keys downstairs or whatever, just keep the real stuff with you.
I shouldn't think they'd go upstairs - our burglars shat themselves when we confronted them

4plus1 · 02/11/2010 16:05

Our neighbours had their car keys stolen from the dressing table while they were both asleep. What was most frightening was that the thief would have passed their 5 dc bedrooms, 3 of who wer teenage girls. The police said their car, a bmw was most likely stolen to order which makes thieves very determined to get the keys.

booyhoo · 02/11/2010 16:10

my aunt's was a bmw and a few years ago my cousin had her houe broken into and 5 series bmw stolen, they think, to order.

booyhoo · 02/11/2010 16:11

4plus1 someone being in my room while i am sleeping is my worst nightmare. my mum's colleague had her wardrobes emptied while she slept. she woke up in the morning to no clothes and her house trashed. she was glad she slept through it.

laweaselmys · 02/11/2010 16:13

Our insurance is very detailed about things not being in sight from windows, and signs if forced entry, no keys in locks etc.

Which is fine. Keys are left somewhere not visible from outside, but logical once you are in.

I'd rather have the car stolen and not get a payout than a stranger upstairs while I'm sleeping.

cumfy · 02/11/2010 16:14

Just get a set of fake keys ?

HeadlessPrinceBilly · 02/11/2010 16:17

I keep my car key in the car.

whoneedssleepanyway · 02/11/2010 16:19

my friend had this happen to her, someone broke in for the car keys, her DH went downstairs and distrubed them, they ended up beating him up and got the car keys and stole the car.

i would hide them downstairs somewhere.

booyhoo · 02/11/2010 16:19

headless really? but then if it's stolen you wouldn't get any insurance to cover it.

laweaselmys · 02/11/2010 16:26

Surely if you have fake keys then when they don't work they will just come back in?