Most of us have been there at one point or another…

You’re in a hurry, you have your hands full, your mind is elsewhere and…you realize you locked your keys in your car the second you shut the door.

Oops!

So what are the best ways to handle that incredibly inconvenient situation?

First off, if you have a child or a pet locked in the car, call 9-1-1 so the police can help you out.

And if you belong to AAA, give them a ring and they’ll take care of your problem. Most AAA memberships get one free lockout taken care of each year.

But if you don’t have AAA or another roadside service who will help you out and you don’t want to , there are ways you can handle this by yourself without spending big bucks on a locksmith. (Also, take the time to check and see if your car is a newer model that can be unlocked with a cell phone).

A lot of folks use a coat hanger to unlock their car when they’ve locked their keys inside. This only works on older cars with manual locks, FYI.

Here’s what Laura Gonzalez of Audi Bellevue says about how to do this:

“Use the pliers to unravel the coat hanger so you have one side hooked and one that’s straight. You’re going to slide the coat hanger between the window and the weather stripping. Once the hook is below the window, you can start fishing around for the control arm. Once you find it, pull up with the hook and your door will open.”

Boom!

Another trick for an older car is using a bobby pin: bend one pin at a 90-degree angle and pull apart the other pin, slightly bending one of its tips. Put the bent side of the first pin into the lock and put the second pin straight into the lock. Hold first pin still and move the second pin around inside the lock until it opens. This method might damage your car if you mess it up, so tread carefully with this one.

A method that works on older and newer cars is the air wedge. You have to buy this as part of a kit but it’s a good thing to have handy. Basically you pump the air wedge up until there is a gap in your door frame which allows you to use a coat hanger to push the unlock button.

And finally, here’s a video about how you can unlock your car in 30 seconds using a shoelace. Take a look below. You’ll feel like MacGyver in no time!

Take your time when you’re getting out of your car so you hopefully won’t have to deal with this major headache at all!