in which we call bullshit AND ARE WRONG

You know that story/article/email going around the internet about the 5 amazing things you can do with your cell phone?
I got it from two different people last week and then saw it on one of my favorite sites yesterday.
I don't really care about four of the five miraculous things but one stuck with me.
The claim is: Have you locked your keys in the car?
Does your car have remote keyless entry?
This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone:
If you lock your keys In the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other 'remote' for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).

I wondered about it for about a week and then enlisted Middle in a little Myth Buster work.

I took my keys and my camera and my cellphone out to my car.



I left Middle in the kitchen with the house phone and K's keys. ( I see now that he was supposed to have a cell phone too - but no matter.)



Though he was a very willing participant he was highly skeptical.

I got in my car and drove down the block.



I was four houses away and could STILL SEE HIM STANDING IN THE DRIVEWAY.

I left the keys in the car and hit the lock button when I got out of the car.
Middle then proved that I was too close as he proceeded to unlock the car with K's keys from his position in the driveway down the street.

So I got back in the car.
I drove further down the block and AROUND THE CORNER.



I put my keys in the center console.
I locked the car and closed the door.



I called Middle.
To prove that the keys (at home) could not work from this distance Middle had me hang up the phone and he tried to unlock the car from the house.
It didn't work.
Then he called me back...



and we each tried a number of variations -



this position did not work.



This position DID.



Middle unlocked my car from two blocks away. Through our phones, apparently.

I would never have believed it if I didn't see it myself.
We are going to try it from a greater distance in the near future.

We will NOT be bored this summer.



Hey! Go read my interview at Derfwad Manor whydon'tya.