Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Desperate for help (Birmingham, Twitter, car keys, NCP)

406 replies

LostCarKeys · 04/08/2023 13:06

AIBU to beg for help from strangers on the internet?

I’m on holiday in Birmingham with three kids. I parked in an NCP car park on Monday night and we’ve been staying in a car park since.

We checked out this morning to leave and head home (Brighton) via Coventry to see my Nan (90 years old).

I can’t find my car keys 🤦🏻‍♀️

OP posts:
Batalax · 04/08/2023 16:13

You’ll find them the instant you’ve paid the money op ☹️It’s inevitable.

Jetstream · 04/08/2023 16:16

Starting praying to St. Anthony and Michael the Arc angel.
otherwise, can I suggest you go back to your handbag. Keys have a habit of getting tangled up in a pocket or getting stuck in a corner of handbags.
Turning the bag upside down might not dislodge keys that are stuck.
Also check all the pockets again.

TheInterceptor · 04/08/2023 16:16

Pushed to the back of a high shelf in the hotel.

Titfortat78 · 04/08/2023 16:16

I lost mine the other week turned the apartment we were staying in upside down. Rang places to see if we had dropped them there. Walking into an amusement arcade because it was pouring and got stopped by a man who informed us our keys were in the takeaway where he worked. We had a takeaway on the first night was the only place we hadn't thought of.

Annoyingnamechangerperson · 04/08/2023 16:24

Can you post on the local Facebook groups so see if anyone has them?

TeeBee · 04/08/2023 16:26

The last time I needed to get a car key sorted with the AA (it was my son's car), I had a moan at him about the cost of having to sort it and he very kindly gave me a discount. Worth a try?

Im99912 · 04/08/2023 16:29

How old is the car and what make / model
my car and my last car - BMW has an app you can download and you can open your car and lock it using the app

Im99912 · 04/08/2023 16:33

Not much use for now but by a tile
irs a little square thing like a apple tag but around 20
put that on your keyring and link it to your phone

if you can’t find your keys you push the app on your phone and the tile rings and it also had a last location finder

also if you can’t find your phone you press the tile and it will make your phone ring even if it’s switched off

ChrisPPancake · 04/08/2023 16:35

LostCarKeys · 04/08/2023 14:30

I tipped my bag out @DanceWithTheBigBoysAgain. They’re not there.

Show quote history

I lost my phone once (well, loads more than once but this is an experience that may be helpful!). Turned the house upside down. Emptied handbags the lot. Ordered a new one (known as "casting the spell of finding" in our house Grin).
Next day, bunged bag in the wash. Shook it out to hang upside down and the now dead phone fell out. It had been stuck inside the lining 🤦🏻‍♀️

Long story short, any holes in your bag linings?!

Holidayvibes · 04/08/2023 16:36

If after all this and shelling out £250 the car park get back in touch to say we have your keys I would be fuming 🙈 Shocking there is nobody else to contact in case of an emergency with them. Hope you are on the road home now and manage to see your Nan.

ChilledBeez · 04/08/2023 16:37

^This^

jeaux90 · 04/08/2023 16:37

PP mentioned the lining of her handbag this happened to me too.
I've also found them in my make up bag, wash bag and the lining of a coat.

Hope you have keys now OP and see your gran.

FormerlySpeckledyHen · 04/08/2023 17:02

When my kids were little and one was in a buggy and a nightmare I left my keys in the door of the car in the NCP car park. I was very lucky that someone parking next to me saw them and handed them into the man who was there. He watched until I returned and was by my side in an instant shaking them at me and smiling!

Perhaps the OP has done the same? With kids and loads going on in stressful circumstances it’s easy to do stupid stuff.

CornishTiger · 04/08/2023 17:05

I’m thinking behind the tv in the hotel room. Or the bin.

porridgeisbae · 04/08/2023 17:13

Knowing my luck I'd get home and find it somewhere in my bag.

JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon · 04/08/2023 17:23

Im99912 · 04/08/2023 16:33

Not much use for now but by a tile
irs a little square thing like a apple tag but around 20
put that on your keyring and link it to your phone

if you can’t find your keys you push the app on your phone and the tile rings and it also had a last location finder

also if you can’t find your phone you press the tile and it will make your phone ring even if it’s switched off

Chipolo is similar to tile and both are much cheaper than an airtag.

I love mine, useful for finding the DH too!

BungleandGeorge · 04/08/2023 17:41

When I did this they had to recover the car to a dealer, order a new key from manufacturer and reprogram the keys. It took a few days and the key was about£250 alone. If the AA reckon they can do it on site I think that’s definitely your best option. If it’s that hard to get hold of the car park company then it’s unlikely anyone has managed to hand them in there. Your mind starts playing tricks on you when you try really hard to re-trace steps etc!

Summersunorrain · 04/08/2023 17:48

I found someone's keys (plus phone and purse) on a shop shelf yesterday.
Did you put them down anywhere to look at something?
Cafe toilets?
Public transport or taxi seat?

greenleafyleaves · 04/08/2023 17:48

I think a man with a beard has your keys.

mrpenny · 04/08/2023 18:03

Ask on local FB group

Georgyporky · 04/08/2023 18:04

Hotel safe ?

Natsku · 04/08/2023 18:06

Oh OP, I'm sorry you didn't find them, bet they turn up when you unpack at home.
I once lost my flat keys, searched my bags, searched everywhere, had to call my ex-inlaws who had the spare key still for some reason. Turned out, in my infinite wisdom, I had decided the safest place to store them was inside my boyfriend's guitar 😂

CherryMaDeara · 04/08/2023 18:13

I can recommend RAC key cover. I broke my car keys and they gave me a new pair with Jo quibbles. Don’t have it at the moment but looks to be £19.99 pa.

maddening · 04/08/2023 18:20

LostCarKeys · 04/08/2023 13:35

I’ve got something @HeritageBlooms.

I was reaching for something and I pulled my car keys out in error.

I remember commenting to the kids that car keys wouldn’t be useful to me in that situation. It’s vague, I’m working on it…

Show quote history

Where in the week was this? Where were you? What were you looking for when you pulled out your keys?

Mac11 · 04/08/2023 18:30

are you insured for doorkey loss?