My 2014 VW beetle is key-less. Instead of an ordinary car key, I have a gadget with lock and unlock buttons. Instead of turning the ignition with a key, I step on the break pedal and push a start button. It isn’t a must-have feature for me but I liked the idea.

Once when I was putting wine bottles in the recycling dumpster, I locked my key in the trunk. But I was able to get in and drive home since my key-less-key said remotely, “It’s ok! I’m right here in the trunk.” 

(At home, I flipped the back seats face down and was able to rescue my key.)

Then one day, I got out of the car, locked it — with my phone sitting on the front seat. I grabbed the door handle, and surprisingly, the door wasn’t locked. I pushed the lock button on the key gadget a couple of times but each time I tried the handle, it opened.

Oh man, I thought, this will be a pricey repair. From then on I stopped using the defective buttons to lock the car. Then one day, I accidentally slammed the trunk lid with my key and purse inside.  I thought no big deal, the car isn’t locked  and the key is within range to start it; I’ll drive home like before.

I tried the car door and it WAS locked. Long story short — I walked over a mile and 1/2 to my house wearing hardly sturdy sandals in 90 degree heat.

Key-less entry is in a middle chapter in the manual. I found out that when key-less-key is within a foot of the car, I lock and unlock the doors and the trunk just by the laying on of my hands. My touch activates the remote sensors which shout out, “Key-less-key is in the house. Action approved. Commence.”

I am queen of the universe.