Chapter 46

1/11/2005 

Ch 46 All Keyed Up                                                       Tracking Keys                                 

Had to get up at 5 am to start this one. Probably the most interesting story to date.

Ever forget where you put your car keys? We here at Keeler solved that by buying the $16,000 Keytrak Light Trak http://www.keytrak.com/ system. Too much you say. Think about 200 cars times 30 salesmen and mechanics times 100 customer test drives, throw in a foot of snow and now you start to see the picture (attached)!

My boss struggles trying to identify keys after recent snow storm when all the cars had to be moved for plowing.

Being the only authorized swap driver to have access to the system, a biometric fingerprint identification scanner recognizes me and my secret password [007] thus opening up the locked cabinet. Coding in the stock number, a laser will light up the correct key via smart button technology (Dallas Semiconductor iButton). The Windows XP operating system on the PC controls the hardware and runs the proprietary software database applications that will reveal who took what when and for what reason. But KeyTrak can do more information handling.

Take note that it can cost you $100 or more to replace the new keys that have transponder chips in them that talk to your car via radio frequency and tell it that this is the correct key for the car, thus deterring theft significantly.

Did you notice Janet Jackson in the key box (about 6" left of my hand). See how everything comes full cycle. Like the hydrologic cycle and the motor cycle connection that some of you failed to see in the last chapter. Alicia Keyes may be secretly coded into the pix as well?

Threw in the security lug nut caper. The special socket for them broke- mechanic used a hammer and chisel to easily remove the "security device", if you know what I mean.