Something Squirrelly this Way Comes

Yesterday, after work, I decided to do some running around (errands mostly). Gathered up my laptop, headphones and headed out to my car. I pushed the unlock button my key lobe and nothing happened. No double chirp, no flash of lights, no doors unlocking. Hmm I say to myself. This has happened before so I just stick my key in the driver's door and turn twice (to unlock all four doors so I could put my laptop on the back seat). I open the driver door and my alarm starts screeching. Crap!! I frantically hit the unlock button over and over.. I hit the lock button, I hit lock and unlock at the same time. Nothin. Nada. Zip. Well, other than the *loud* siren going off, that is. I get in in and try to start the car - No go. I shut the door, thinking I need to shut the door to start the car. Doesn't work. I get out (leaving my laptop and purse inside the car) and shut the door. The alarm ends after the cycle it was on. Blessed silence.

I get my cell phone out of my pocket and procede to call my dad - not at his desk and his cell is off. I call my brother - not at his desk, I don't even bother with his cell phone. I don't have numbers to either lab (they're both chemists and are usually not at their desks so you'd think I'd have their lab numbers, but no). I try my dad again. Still not there. Then I try my folks' house, thinking maybe he went home early. I get my mom, she doesn't know what to do to override the alarm and my dad isn't there. She tells me that she'll call dad as it doesn't cost her any minutes and is a local call.

I then notice an 800 number on the back of my key lobe. I ponder calling it for about ten seconds and then start punching in the numbers when my cell rings. It's my dad. So of course I gave him grief..

"Sure!! You answer the phone for mom, but not for me!!!"
"I recognized her ring" and then he laughs. "Actually I just walked into my office."

I explain the alarm situation and he asks if I've flipped the alarm switch that turns the alarm off. I said no, didn't know if that would make it worse or not - unending siren as opposed to pauses and a finite amount of sounding time. He said that's prolly good and then suggests just getting my stuff out and locking up manually, buying a battery tomorrow (today - aug 9) for my key lobe. I mention the 800 number and he said "couldn't hurt to call" which was my thinking.

I call the 800 number and wade through over five minutes of 'Thank you for calling blah blah blah press 1 for this and 2 for that blah blah blah' until I got an "Alarm Technician" on the phone. He asks how many buttons on my key lobe - doesn't matter how many are functional - I tell him and then he tells me how to override my alarm. And it worked!! Yay!! So I zoom over to the mall and get a battery and the alarm appears to be working fine.

Moral of the story: Make sure you have a backup key lobe or an extra battery. Unless you like the sound of your alarm going off.

Side note: Whilst standing next to my car with the alarm wailing, sitting in the car with the door open groping around on the floor looking for the alarm toggle switch with the alarm wailing and more standing around outside (alarm still shrieking), numerous people walked by and drove by and Not One even looked at me twice. No alarm, no offer of help, no concern that I might be trying to steal this car. So, basically, the only benefit of the alarm is the insurance discount for having one.