Thanks Pantego FD

So- I locked my children in the car today.  We were at the park and we were loading up.  I remote started the car. I unlocked the doors. I put the girls in their seats.  I threw my phone and keys in the front passenger seat while I buckled them in.  I closed the back door, walked around the car to open the driver’s door- and it was locked. 

All the doors were locked.  I didn’t even know that was a thing! I knew that sometimes the car would lock it’s self if I unlocked it, but didn’t open a door within a certain amount of time.  I never expected that it would lock its self with the key in range.  It’s a keyless open/start. I thought if I unlocked it and the key was in range it would stay unlocked. Actually, I never thought about it at all.  WHY would the car LOCK itself at all?  The car was running on remote start (so I had about 10 minutes before it turned off and started getting hot in there.) Ok- so locked car, no keys (not even an extra key- anywhere) no phone. Crap.

I knocked on the window of the car parked next to me. I told him I had just locked my kids, my keys and my phone in the car, and asked to borrow his phone.  I called D- he said either call 911 or a locksmith. 

My 911 call.

Arlington 911

Hi- I’m at Dottie Lynn Park and I’ve locked my keys and my kids in the car.

Dottie Lynn Park? Is that in Ft. Worth?

No- it’s in Arlington, it’s an Arlington City park.

Do you have the address?

No- it’s on Norwood near Parkrow.

Is there a sign with the address?

No- It’s behind Duff Elementary School- It’s next to a church that faces Parkrow. If you turn onto Norwood from Parkrow- it is just after the church. It’s a big park, with a pool and a recreation center, and a playground.

Hmmm- let me see if I can find it. Yeah-Ok. I got it.  So- your kids are locked in the car. Are all the doors locked?

Yes.

Do you have OnStar?

No.

Can you kids reach the keys or unlock the doors?

No.

Are the windows open?

(I’m trying to remain calm. I’m trying to remind myself he has been trained to ask these inane questions. He apparently deals with more dummies than I have imagined.)

 I said, “No,” ---but I was thinking, “God help us both, if you ask me one more idiotic question I will reach through this stranger’s cell phone and strangle you! If I had OnStar, or one of the doors was unlocked, or the kids could reach the keys or a window was down I wouldn’t have to call 911!”

What is your phone number?

I won’t be able to answer my phone. It is locked in the car with the keys and the kids. I’m using someone else’s phone.

So- the number you care calling from is 817-------

I don’t  kno. . .  ok, yes, that is the number. (I just agreed without checking. What did it matter, dude’s got things to do, he’s not waiting around.)

The fire station is just a few blocks away-I heard the sirens within a minute of hanging up.

When the firefighters got there, the first thing they did was check to see if any doors were unlocked.

Really?  How often does this happen? Wouldn’t I feel foolish if one of the doors was unlocked?

They slimjimmed the lock in just a few minutes.  So much for the safety of locking my doors.

The girls were just sitting in the back, looking around-not worried at all.

They got some badge stickers and little plastic helmets.  They were shy with the firefighters, but pretty pleased with their loot.

So- I can cross  that off my parental ‘to do’ list – called 911 to rescue my children- check!