Now that the summer is here, you’re likely to have more and more guests coming to your home - for barbecues, pool parties, or just to hang out.  When you’ve got a houseful of people on the way over, you probably do the requisite cleaning, which includes putting away your valuables.  You’d never ever leave your money or your jewelry or anything “tempting” out in the open, would you?  But you left your car keys right there hanging from the key rack in the kitchen by the back door, didn’t you?  Is your car (or the contents of your car) worthless?

“Oh, these are my [friends/family/co-workers] they’d never steal from me,” you’re thinking.  Think again.  Friends bring other friends, families bring their kids and their kids’ friends, co-workers bring spouses.  In a large group of people, someone among them may have sticky fingers.  Bad enough if they’re pawing through your medicine cabinet; worse still if they’re pocketing your car keys.

And let’s say that - in the interest of giving some invalid guest easy access to the house - you’ve moved your car around the corner.  Out of sight, in other words.  Someone with your car keys only has to walk around the block, open the door, lean inside and take what they want.  Even if someone spots them, a good liar can spin a yarn like a spider does a web… “Oh, Ms. Jones wanted me to grab her coupons out of the car.”  Yeah, and they’re always shoved inside a laptop case.

Don’t tempt fate.  When company comes, keep your car keys as well hidden as your best jewelry and finest silver.  And go clean out your medicine cabinet while you’re at it.  Do you really want someone testing out your toothbrush?