Have you ever had that horrible sinking feeling in your gut that comes the moment that you slam the car door behind you only to realize that you left your car keys in the ignition? Frantically, you try the door handle, then run around and try all of the other handles, too. But noooo, you had to go and hit the door lock button on your way out. It happens a lot and it will probably happen again. Will you be stuck on the outside looking in? Will you have to call the auto club to come and help you? Do you need to look for a coat hanger? Or do you go to your handy dandy magnetic hide-a-key box and get out your spare key? Do you start to cry when you find your handy dandy magnetic hide-a-key box missing or empty?

Hiding a set of car keys in one of those little magnetic boxes that attach to the underside of your car is simply not a good idea. It may have seemed like a good idea at the time you bought it for $6.99, but then when you need your keys most and it’s not there (or worse, your car’s not there) you’ll know that that idea was a pure dud. But the idea does hold promise, once the bugs have been worked out. And apparently, someone has figured out how to work out some of the bugs.

If you own a truck or SUV, or any vehicle that has a receiver hitch (you know, the kind that tows your speedboat) you can install a lock box type of safe called the HitchSafe (original, huh?) in only a few minutes, which will conceal and protect your spare keys, cash, credit cards and drivers license. The safe can only be installed or uninstalled, and the drawer can only be opened or closed, if you know the combination, which you can set and change at any time. A rubber gasket conceals the combination dial and keeps out debris. For the casual observer, it looks like an ordinary hitch receiver, and no one will ever give it a second look (which is just what you want, really).

The HitchSafe is a step up from the original magnetic hide-a-key box. Only this time, it works brilliantly.