Down the Drain

[puppetmaker]

Caroline and her class had a blast at the Aquarium. I had Caroline and one of her little friends that is a good kid with a lot of energy and many questions about the world around him. We went around and saw all the exhibits. The class saw the Sea Lions show together. And the kids got a big surprise to see their teacher who is on maternity leave. It was a good day for all concerned.

I didn't draw a seat on the bus so I had driven to the aquarium. I decided on the way home to surprise Pete with the new edition of Galaxy Quest which he wanted. It went on sale yesterday. I stopped at the Border's Book first and the only parking spot that was even close was over a storm drain. I went to the store and found out I could order it but they didn't have it in the physical store which is happening more and more these days with Borders. I picked up a copy of Art Dolls Quarterly and went back to the car. Pulled out the keys to open the car. Fumbled with the key and dropped them down the storm drain.

Yes, down the very large storm drain. 15 feet drop with about three feet of water to the bottom of drain. The water wasn't moving but I couldn't see my keys either. I went to the Borders to see if they had any ideas of who to call. The Police seemed to be the answer. It was not a 911 call. I was embarrassed but not in any physical danger.

They gave me the non-emergency number which I called and got an Insurance firm that gave me what they thought it was the local number. Apparently in the last local phone book, which came out a month ago, the phone number in the municipal section for the non-emergency calls to the police was a miss-print. The kind person on the line gave me another number to call. I got state police in Nassau where I live in Suffolk. They connected me to Suffolk who kicked me to the local division who gave me the number for the local Riverhead Township police department. Finally I got someone who said they would send someone to take a look and see if I needed a locksmith. At this point I called Peter and asked him to bring the spare key and started mentally working out all the keys I would be replacing and which ones I was waving bye bye to.

20 minutes later I am sitting on my car's bumper kicking myself for parking over a storm drain and various other stupid things I have done in my life when 3 police cars pull up around the car. Apparently I was on a list of non-emergency but as soon as you are free list and all three got off their previous calls and came to the parking lot. I got tsked tsked at by a little old lady who was probably assuming that they were there to bust me for some horrible crime. The lead cop had called the local highway/public works in to see what they could do. The cops flipped a coin and one got to stay and the others filled out their paperwork and went on.

The gentleman who works for highway showed up and looked down the drain and said that's a long way down. We can't pull up the grate because my car is over it. He goes back to his truck and pulls out a large speaker magnet tied to some plastic coated metal line. He proceeds to fish for my keys with the magnet. He got a couple of batteries and some other screws and bolts which probably came from the undercarriage of people's cars. Peter showed up with the spare right as the magnet found my key set in the muck. We extracted my keys from the storm drain and there was much rejoicing.

I am so very grateful to the Riverhead police department and the Riverhead highway/roads/public works department. They were so wonderful and helpful.

Comments

[chazari.livejournal.com]

I always have that fear when I park over a storm drain and pull my keys out before I get close, hooking them around my finger just in case. It's nice to see that I'm not crazy for that fear. Sorry it had to happen to you :(

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

You really aren't. It amazed me that they went through so quickly. I didn't have a chance to catch them.

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad they were able to extract your keys!

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

Me too! There are a couple that can't be replaced.

[tryslora]

I'm amazed and pleased they were able to get them back for you!

And much like chazari, I've had that fear before. And with elevators too -- that 1/4 to 1/2 inch gap between elevator and floor looks like it wants to gobble my keys, doorpass, etc. etc...

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

I am going to be a bit more paranoid from now on including elevators. But I was since my room key went down the chute.

[tryslora]

Oh wow. At least hotel key cards can be reissued by the desk easily!

[readinggeek451]

I always worry when I pass anywhere near a drain with my keys in hand. I'm glad they got yours back again.

Have you considered writing a letter of appreciation to his boss for the public works guy?

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

I plan to.

[wickedsin.livejournal.com]

wow! I'm so glad you got your keys back!

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

Me too!

[barbarienne.livejournal.com]

I tell you, every time I park over a storm drain, I have a moment of "Be extra careful! You don't want to drop your keys down there!" I am perversely pleased to see that I am not being paranoid when I think that. (<--silver lining!)

Sounds like a truly vexing experience, the kind where the combination of the way it hacks into your day + the feeling that it was in some way your own fault + the need to hack into the days of others = serious emotional crap. I'm so glad to hear that the police and highway people were professional and pleasant about it.

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

They were so wonderful. Thursday is the birthday of one of the officers and she also told me a story about almost losing her very expensive (300) key down the drain.

[querldox.livejournal.com]

Re: Borders. In addition to their precarious financial state in general, they seem to be getting out of the CD/DVD markets. A month or two back, the local Borders put all the CD/DVD backstock at 50% off, and other branches have been doing the same. It's not universal yet (in fact, I happened in a Borders while in NYC last week and it hadn't done so), but I suspect they're not putting much effort in those areas any more.

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

Borders is in trouble and I am crossing my fingers for them for multiple reasons.

[wonderbink.livejournal.com]

I'm glad this story has a happy ending!

The cops flipped a coin and one got to stay and the others filled out their paperwork and went on.

I'm not sure why this mental image made me chuckle, but it did.

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

I was an easy polite call compared to some of the others they had on the list. Including a fight over a wheelchair ramp.

[michael-b-lee.livejournal.com]

I had the exact same thing happen once, when I was stage managing a show at Belmont. I had to run out in the middle of rehearsal to pick up the costume manager (long story), and when we got back to the car, down went the keys, into the drain beneath the car. Fortunately there wasn't any water involved, but it still took the better part of an hour to fish them out with an unwound coat hanger.

After that I was very careful about where I parked the car.

[thetripper]

Which reminds me, I have to make a spare and find some place to stash it. I'm a *long* way away from the spare set.

[thetripper]

And that's something to put in the emergency road kit; a magnet and a spool of twine.

[hergrace.livejournal.com]

Y'know, Kath, if you're looking for something exciting to write about, I'm sure there are better ways to go about it than dropping your keys down a drain. ;-)

I'm so happy for you that you were able to get them back. Hoorah for the Riverhead PD!

[wherdafux-d-cat.livejournal.com]

I gave myself a 'twitch' about large drains and grates when I was little so I reaaallly don't like parking over them (almost can't walk on them at all). Plus I just know I'll drop my keys - while my husband's out of town, if not the country, natch. So I'm totally with you. I did chuckle at the tsking though! ;) And this is just another reminder to me that yes, I do have a valid excuse to pick up some 'super magnets' juuuust in case I have to retrieve something metallic from a difficult place. Paragraph breaks? What are those? :)

[fairemade.livejournal.com]

That's a rescue worthy of a box of donuts!