jakesalter

An amusing little tale for you all....

This morning I went to get fuel and then on to use the petrol station jet wash.

I walked back to my car with token in hand and in a moment of haziness I dropped my car keys........................down a large drain!

First thoughts were of annoyance and anger. Then it dawned on me..... I was stranded!

I pushed my car back a few feet to get full access to the drain - the grid cover would not budge an inch!

I went to summons some assistance in the petrol station. Out comes a very helpful man with a claw hammer. We manage to open the cover and I find a large stick to test the depth.


It was about 5 foot deep.

The chap has an idea... He comes back out with the longest extendable magnet I've ever seen! Which he also tells me is the last one they have in stock (the display model).

I have kind of given up hope by now and was about to make an embarassing call to my wife.

THEN! Ta da! The chap has managed to retrieve my keys in just a couple of goes.

Relief. Then of course the remote alarm fob didn't work. I thoroughly dried it out under hand dryer and gave it few taps and low and behold it worked!

I think the moral of the story is to carry an extendable magnet at all times! Marvellous invention.

Rob88

Or to ask your mum to attach them to your mittens with a piece of string.

Umski

Nice result - I think that would be one of my worst nightmares - I always avoid drains

loftust

Very, very, very lucky!!!

At least the chap was friendly enough to help out and thought on his feet

Umski

Oh and I hope you washed your hands afterwards

jakesalter

Thoroughly scrubbed!

Very lucky to have found them.

It was the last thing I needed really, I fly off to the Falklands tonight for 4 months - this morning just added to stress levels!

msisleman

Haha brilliant!! My Dads done this twice (yes twice!) within about 3 years!! Both were modern all in one keys (Laguna 2 and Saab 93). It was just outside the house both times, but was hilarious, he had to completely empty the drain of all the sludge to finally get to them, both times! And both times, the fobs worked fine afterwards even having been submerged in liquid for a few hours.

You really would think he'd learn the first time!

buaan

Ahh glad you got it sorted, props to the garage attendant for his efforts in saving the day!!

Ste_Nova

did the magnet have an led in the end??

jakesalter

I think it did actually. Not that it would have lit up the murk!

It was a BP garage in Nettlebed, near Henley on Thames.

Top marks for customer service!