If there is one mistake you are bound to make as a vehicle owner at some point, it is locking yourself out of your car and having to call a locksmith service for help. While most locations have several locksmith services available for unlocking the car, you may be tempted to allow a passerby to help you instead when they offer their assistance. After all, calling a locksmith may mean that you have to pay a fee for service. However, going ahead and calling a locksmith and paying the fee to get your car unlocked is usually the better option. Take a look at these big reasons allowing a bystander to help you unlock your vehicle can be a bad idea.
You never know who you can really trust.
Even though there are some people who truly do have the best of intentions to help you out, there are also people out there who prey on people who are in a vulnerable predicament, such as when you are standing by your locked car with no easy way to run away. Because it is too difficult to tell the difference, it is best not to accept help from people you do not know when you are locked out of your vehicle.
It is easy to cause damage to your car with the wrong unlocking methods.
Many people believe you can unlock a car door with simple tools like a wire coat hanger or a device known as a slim jim, which shimmies down inside the door panel. While these methods of unlocking a car door can work, they can also cause damage to your vehicle's paint, interior door components, and even the car window. To avoid inadvertent damage, it is a better idea to only trust a professional locksmith to help you out.
Unlocking a car door the wrong way can trigger the alarm system.
Some of the more modern car alarms are designed to trigger when someone tries to unlock a car door the wrong way. Even though this may also happen when the locksmith arrives, the door will be opened quickly so you can shut off the alarm. If the alarm goes off because an inexperienced bystander is unlocking the door, it could mean the alarm is allowed to go off for a long period, which can lead to a dead battery. If you subscribe to service like OnStar, the authorities could even be dispatched to your location if the alarm is not shut off soon after it is triggered.
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