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Getting a parking spot in a big city like Chicago can feel like a big win. But on certain days, if you don’t move your car you could be hit with a ticket, thanks to street cleaning in Chicago. During the brutal winter months in the Windy City, you get a little break from street sweeping, making it even harder to remember what the Chicago street cleaning schedule actually is. Read on to learn everything you need to know about street sweeping in Chicago.

How does street cleaning in Chicago work? 

Chicago’s Department of Streets and Sanitation (DSS) manages many of the city’s non-emergency departments, including the Bureau of Sanitation which oversees street sweeping Chicago. 

The city of Chicago uses mechanical street sweepers that work to clean and sanitize the streets from excess trash and debris. 

Given Chicago’s unique geography and notoriously difficult winters, Chicago has a street sweeping season that starts the first of April and goes to mid-November. 

When does street cleaning Chicago happen in my neighborhood?

In order to avoid pesky street cleaning tickets, you want to know when street cleaning happens in your neighborhood. The way street sweeping Chicago works is by ward. The city of Chicago is divided into 50 wards and Chicago.gov offers a street cleaning map and the Chicago street cleaning schedule by ward. 

For example, this link shows you the street cleaning schedule for ward 1. Below is the Chicago street cleaning map for ward 1 as well. 

Source/credit: Chicago.gov

To find your particular Chicago street cleaning schedule and map, you can find it by ward here. You can also review this street sweeping zones map as well. For even more specificity, during weekdays this Sweeper Tracker Map shows real-time updates between the hours of 9am and 2pm local time. 

How much does a street cleaning ticket in Chicago cost? 

Getting a street cleaning ticket can be an unfortunate setback in your day and it’ll cost you a pretty penny. As of 2021, street cleaning tickets in Chicago cost $60 a pop and it’s the second highest ticket violation in the city. You might not have included paying parking tickets in your budget, so it could set you back. While one parking ticket won’t be the end of the world, it feels like a waste. Get more than one street cleaning ticket? It can add up fast and drain your finances. 

What are the Chicago street cleaning holidays?

Chicago street cleaning is a bit different in that it has a street sweeping season from April 1 to mid-November. Because of that, it basically skips over major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and MLK Day when it’s technically “off-season”. 

Aside from that, there is no published data on Chicago.gov about street sweeping holidays, only the 2021 holidays for garbage collection are listed. So your best bet is to check the street sweeping tracker on any holidays that may fall between April and November such as Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. 

How do you avoid getting street cleaning tickets in Chicago? 

No one wants to pay $60 because they forgot to move their car for street sweeping. Having that happen more than once can become a real problem. That’s why it’s best to check out the Chicago street cleaning schedule and add those dates as calendar reminders on your phone. 

Metromile customers in Chicago get the added benefit of getting street sweeping alerts by text, email, or push notification both 12 hours before and 1 before the cleaning starts in your area. 

That way you have an extra helping hand to help you avoid another street sweeping ticket. Metromile offers pay-per-mile insurance ideally suited for city-dwellers who might be low mileage drivers. While you save money on car insurance, you can also stay in the know about street sweeping as well. 

Is it okay to park after the street sweeper passes in Chicago?

If you see the street sweeper pass your street in Chicago, you may wonder if you can move your car back and still avoid a ticket. The street sweeper has passed, so no harm, no foul, right? You might want to re-consider to be safe. There have been some reports of Chicagoans getting tickets despite the fact the street sweeper had passed. 

If the parking sign says no parking within specific hours, it’s best to stay away during that time frame. 

The bottom line 

If you live in Chicago and mostly take public transportation, you might forget about your car and the parking rules. But one you want to stay on top of is the street sweeping in Chicago to avoid unwanted parking tickets. Using Metromile, you can get alerts for free if you sign-up for pay-per-mile car insurance. You can save money on car insurance and get help staying on top of street sweeping alerts. Get your free quote to see how much you could save. 


Melanie Lockert is a freelance writer, podcast host of the Mental Health and Wealth show, and author of Dear Debt. She’s a cat mom to two jazzy cats, Miles and Thelonious, an amateur boxer, music lover, and needs coffee to function.

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic and the shift to work from home, meetings could overwhelm a typical workday and prevent individual time to think and focus. Now, remote work has only exacerbated the problem for employees and led to “Zoom fatigue” and burnout across the country. 

To help address this problem, Metromile’s People team instituted a few No Meeting Days (NMDs) during Mental Health Awareness Month in May. Metromile employees reacted with overwhelming support of NMDs. Accounting Manager, Romain Bauer, says that the NMDs offered him “a break from Zoom and time to focus on work without too many distractions.” 

Positive employee feedback spurred the People team to formally establish NMDs on the first and third Friday of every month. On these Fridays, “employees are given the autonomy and flexibility to choose what they want to do with their time, instead of structuring their days around company or team meetings,” Lindsay Orr, Director of People, explains. 

Lindsay outlined how having a company-wide initiative lets employees prioritize what is important to them during their workday. That might be going on a walk in the middle of the day, spending extra time preparing lunch, taking a deep dive into a project without interruption, or having a social catch-up with colleagues. 

Having pre-set NMDs allows people to plan ahead and encourages employees to take that day off if they prefer, without feeling like they will miss out on anything – whether key team events or company-wide meetings. These days also give employees time to focus on their mental health and offer a day to reset before the next work week. 

Brandon Loyd, Director of Product Management, uses NMDs to catch up on product requirement documents and look ahead at upcoming roadmap items. For Brandon, these days are also a reminder that Zoom meetings are not always the best way to communicate or collaborate with others. “I often find myself resolving open questions and making decisions much faster through internal wiki pages or Slack,” Brandon explains. 

While NMDs are designed to encourage more reflection, focus, and reset time, our customer experience and sales teams are still available as usual on these days to support our customers and prospects. As part of our effort to ensure that all employees – including our customer-facing teams – have time to reset, all Metromilers now have two additional floating holidays to use at their discretion. 

Shannon Shafer, Director of Customer Experience, said one of the things she loves about Metromile is how much the company supports inclusivity, regardless of role or title. 

“As a long-time CX leader, I’m passionate about ensuring the productivity and wellbeing of everyone on my team. My leaders have let me know they love the NMDs, and the floating holidays have really been a boost to our customer-facing team members.”

Metromilers are regularly reminded of NMDs but, of course, can still schedule time that day if they want to catch up with their teams, socialize, or reflect on their week with others. As Lindsay highlights, “the goal is to give employees the freedom and space to choose how they want to spend their workday – whatever that is.”

We spent the spring and early summer months at Metromile refreshing our values to make sure they were aligned with who we are, the work we’re doing, and the future we’re building. The end result? Five updated value statements that express how we operate and treat each other:

• Create fiercely loyal customers.
• Invent the future
• Be intellectually persistent
• Be outcome oriented
• Nurture diversity, inclusion, and belonging

When we put our values in writing and commit to them, we’re saying something about what’s important to us as an organization, but also what’s important to our stakeholders, customers, and employees.

The best way to introduce our values is to let Metromilers speak for themselves. After all, values don’t mean much without the people who believe in them.

Be Outcome Oriented 

Brandie Smith, Senior Principal User Researcher, has been around long enough to see former versions of Metromile’s values. “Be outcome oriented” in particular, she said, represents a “mind shift” for Metromile.

“I think it’s going to set us up on a really helpful path. It offers much more flexibility to make adjustments if we need to rather than just stay the course to get it done,” Brandie said. “It’s not so much about what we’re building; it’s more about how we’re solving the problem to get the outcome we desire.”

Customer Experience (CX) Manager Ti-Jael Stafford advanced her career with the customer service team during her time with Metromile, and it’s given her historical context for how Metromile’s values have evolved over the years. When Ti-Jael started as a CX Representative more than three years ago, Metromile had a firm “penalty miles” policy that didn’t allow as much flexibility for customers. The process was updated to be more tailored and fair, and eventually, the Pulse device was updated to better prevent penalty miles from being applied to a customer’s account at all.

“The old policy was enforced mostly through an automated process, and updating it involved changing how we connected with the customer, and eventually the device itself. It would have been easier to only update the policy without changing the device itself,” she said. “But being outcome oriented means that we value and prioritize follow-through, not empty promises or half-finished projects. It’s not enough to have a great idea and create a plan, that plan must be executed and completed. And in this case, it was a big win for our customers.”

Senior People Operations Manager, April Slater says it speaks to confidence in each other and the process. “This value shows a lot of trust in the people and managers we hire. It focuses on the outcome, not the tasks that get us there—so we know it’s ok to make mistakes as long as we learn from them and ultimately get to the outcome we’re looking for.”

Senior Process Manager Megan Kurin sees being outcome oriented as propelling Metromile’s other values forward.

“We have to have those end goals in mind every day when we’re making decisions,” Megan said. “It’s just all woven together.” 

Thanks for sharing your perspective, Metromilers. Want to read more? Check out what Metromilers share about our Nurture Diversity, Inclusivity, and Belonging value, and look out for more on the other values soon.

Seattle is well-known for its stunning geography, lush greenery giving it the name of Emerald City, and its iconic Space Needle. Whether you live in Seattle or are considering a move or vacation there, the good news is there are so many Seattle transportation options. In fact, it was ranked eighth in the top 10 best public transportation options in the U.S. We’re breaking down your guide on how to get around Seattle. 

Most common Seattle transportation options 

When it comes to how to get around Seattle, there is no shortage of options. These options include Seattle public transportation and other options as well. Let’s dive into some of the most common Seattle transportation options that can get you around the city. 

King County Metro Transit bus service

One of the most prominent Seattle public transportation options is the King County Metro Transit bus service which goes through downtown and surrounding areas. 

Bus fare costs between $2.75 to $3.25 for adults and you can download the mobile app to make transit even easier and more seamless. 

To get more information and plan your trip, you can use the King County Trip Planner. You can also get an ORCA Card, which costs $5 and can be used on multiple Seattle public transportation options like this bus service, light rail, and more. 

The Sound Transit Link Light Rail 

The Sound Transit Link Light Rail is another popular Seattle public transportation option, going through downtown for commuters, to the University of Washington for students and SEA-TAC airport for travelers. The light rail comes fairly frequently, about every six, 10, or 15 minutes based on the time of day, according to KingCounty.gov data. 

On top of that, most days you can use the Link Light Rail starting in the early morning, beginning at 5am up until 1am, to accommodate various schedules. However, on Sundays and holidays, you lose an hour on the front and back end, with light rail hours starting at 6am and going to midnight. 

Expect to pay between $2.25 to $3.50, which will vary depending on the distance you travel. You can pay using the Transit GO Ticket mobile app, your ORCA card, or a ticket from a light rail station. 

Streetcars

On top of the more traditional bus and light rail options, there are also Seattle streetcars that you can take when getting around Seattle. Fun fact, Seattle’s first electric streetcars hit the city stage in 1889. 

According to KingCounty.gov, there are two active  Seattle public transportation streetcar options:

• First Hill Streetcar Line
• South Lake Union Line

The city was in the process of building the Center City Connector but has been on hold due to lack of ridership and funds, due to COVID. 

The First Hill Line connects bustling neighborhoods like Capitol Hill, the International District, and Pioneer Square, and more. You can take this line between 5am and 10:30pm during the week, 6am to 10:30pm on Saturday, as well as 10am to 8pm on Sundays and holidays. The First Line streetcar comes every 12 to 25 minutes, depending on the time of the day. 

The South Lake Union line offers another transportation option from the South Lake Union area to downtown. This line is available from 6am to 9pm during weekdays, 7am to 9pm on Saturday, as well as 10am to 7pm on Sundays and holidays. It costs $2.25 for a single-fare to ride the Seattle streetcar. 

The Seattle Center Monorail 

Seeing the Seattle Center Monorail cascade through the city center is a sight to behold and makes you want to take it whether for fun or to get where you need to go. According to the Seattle Monorail website, more than 2 million passengers per year take the monorail. 

The monorail comes about every 10 minutes and takes passengers between the Seattle Center station and the Westlake Center Mall station. 

To ride the Seattle Monorail, it’ll cost you $3 one-way and you must use an ORCA card or debit/credit for payment. 

Driving in Seattle

Since Seattle is such a public transportation-friendly city, you may not need to drive at all. But there might be some neighborhoods that are easier to access with a car or if you want to go hiking in the area, driving might be your best bet though you may have to deal with traffic. 

The good news is the city is relatively compact, so you may not need to drive that much. If you do drive a stick, beware of some of the hills, especially around Pike’s Place Market. If you’re a resident of Seattle and don’t drive that often, you might get substantial savings by switching to pay-per-mile insurance and pay a low base rate and for the miles you drive, and nothing more. That way you can get rewarded for driving less. 

By bike 

If you’re trying to figure out how to get around Seattle and looking for a flexible option to stop and go, you can explore the city on two wheels as well with a bike. It’s free and you get some built-in exercise, so it’s a win-win. 

You can check out this Seattle Department of Transportation guide to biking around Seattle as well as this bike map of the city. 

Walking 

Another underrated Seattle transportation option is walking! You can go at your own pace and explore the city and see things you can’t always see with a car or on public transportation. 

It’s also kind of like the choose-your-own-adventure option. You can go different routes, stop and see public art, street art, and other things that are unique to Seattle. Similar to biking, it’s also free and is basically getting a mini workout in. 

Alternative and up-and-coming Seattle transportation options

On top of the more common Seattle transportation options listed above, there are also more alternative and up-and-coming transportation options to consider as well. 

Uber and Lyft ride-share options

Using the power of your smartphone, you can quickly and easily secure a ride to get around Seattle using one of the ride-sharing programs. Uber and Lyft are ride-sharing options that you can easily use within the city all from the comfort of your phone. 

Rent a bike with bike-sharing options 

If you want to explore the city or get around by bike, but don’t have your own, don’t fret. The city of Seattle has a bike-sharing program that allows you to use a bike. Simply use your Uber app to reserve a JUMP bike and pay 15 cents per minute. You can also use Lime to get a bike for rent as well. For Lime, costs vary by the minute and it costs one dollar to access the bike and use it. 

Use a scooter to see Seattle 

If you’re curious about how to get around Seattle using more off-the-beaten-path options, consider renting a scooter. The city of Seattle has a scooter-share program so you can get around the city quickly. This can be a good option to go short distances or run a few errands or go down the street if you’re running late. 

You can use:

• Lime
• LINK
• WHEELS
• SPIN 

It’s important to note that costs can vary, helmets are required and you aren’t allowed to ride scooters on the sidewalk.

The bottom line 

As you can see, there are numerous Seattle transportation options to choose from. So depending on the day, your mood, energy, and the weather (hello, Seattle rain!) you can choose Seattle public transportation options or decide to drive yourself or get an Uber. 

If you live in Seattle and have a car but don’t drive that often, check out pay-per-mile car insurance with Metromile. Just like you pay for utilities based on how much you use, you can pay for car insurance based on the miles you drive along with a low base rate. Get your no-hassle quote to see how much you could save. 


Melanie Lockert is a freelance writer, podcast host of the Mental Health and Wealth show, and author of Dear Debt. She’s a cat mom to two jazzy cats, Miles and Thelonious, an amateur boxer, music lover, and needs coffee to function.

If you live in the Windy City or the Illinois suburbs, you may consider either opting for public transportation or upgrading your vehicle. That may mean getting rid of the car you have now. You could go to a dealership and trade it in, but you may find you can get even more money by selling your car via a private car sale in Illinois. The used car market is still pretty hot and you can take advantage of this time to get even more for your vehicle. Here’s how to sell a car in Illinois and get started.

Step 1: Get your car ready for selling 

The first thing you need to do is get your car ready for selling. When it’s your personal car you can do as you please and keep your favorite things in your car. It doesn’t matter if that Starbucks cup has been sitting there for a week. But when you’re getting ready to sell, it does. 

To get started selling a car in Illinois, take these steps to get it ready:

1. Remove all trash from the vehicle. 
2. Get a car wash. 
3. Buff out any scratches. 
4. Take out all personal belongings. 
5. Take alluring pictures of your car. 

Taking these steps will help you get the car ready to sell and for prospective buyers to look at. People want to imagine themselves as the new owner and if you still have your own stuff in there, it’s tough to do that. So remove all of your stuff and get it nice and spiffy, ready for a new home. 

Step 2: Post the car for sale in various places 

Once your car is sale-ready, take your photos of your vehicle at various angles (with good lighting!) and post your car sale advertisement on various marketplaces. In addition to photos, you want to include a comprehensive description of the car including make, model, year, and condition. You want to avoid any “gotcha” moments with buyers so be upfront in the description. 

You can post the vehicle on places such as:

• OfferUp
• AutoTrader
• Facebook Marketplace
• Any other local sites or publications

Once you hit publish, it’s time to sit back and wait for the buyers to roll in. 

Step 3: Agree to a vehicle inspection if asked 

Selling a car in Illinois means playing message ping pong with prospective buyers. Some people may be flaky and not that serious, while others might be serious and want to move forward. Typically serious buyers will want a vehicle inspection to make sure the car is good and as you described. 

If the buyer requests a vehicle inspection, agree to it and coordinate with them to make it happen. Buyers usually pay the price for that so you don’t necessarily have to worry about that but you want to be a willing participant if the buyer wants to take the next step to get the car checked. 

Step 4: Get your vehicle documents in order 

If the car selling process is getting serious, you want to make sure to get your vehicle documents in order. You’ll need the following as part of selling a car in Illinois, per the Illinois Secretary of State. 

• Your vehicle title. You’ll need a valid vehicle title to give to the buyer. As the seller, you must sign the form as well as date it, and hand it over to the buyer. If you’ve lost your vehicle title, you’ll need to get a duplicate title via ​​Application for Vehicle Transaction(s) (VSD 190) which you can get here to print and mail. You’ll have to pay $50 for the duplicate title. 
• Get a Notice of Sale form. You might have a Notice of Sale form at the bottom of your title which needs to be mailed to the Illinois Secretary of State. You can also download the Seller’s Report of Sale here. 
• Create a Bill of Sale for the buyer. You can use a template online. 
• Print out the Odometer Disclosure Statement for Title Transfers. 

When dealing with a private car sale in Illinois, you want to make sure you have all your vehicle documents ready to make the car selling process smoother. 

Step 5: Accept payment and hand over the signed title 

Once you have a serious buyer and you agree on a price, it’s time to accept payment and transfer the vehicle title. Get your money and hand over your vehicle title with your signature and the date. The buyer will need to sign and date as well. 

You also want to get the buyer’s info such as full name, address, and contact information in case there are problems down the road. 

You’ll need to submit an odometer disclosure as part of the title transfer. Give the buyer a Bill of Sale and keep one for your records as well. Lastly, you want to remove the license plates before handing over the vehicle to the new buyer. Your plates stay with you. 

Step 6: Mail the Notice of Sale form 

Once the car is no longer legally yours, you want to let the state of Illinois know that so you’re not on the hook for it anymore. 

You can use the Notice of Sale at the bottom of your title or use this Seller’s Report of Sale form and mail to:

Secretary of State 

Vehicle Services Department 

Record Inquiry Section 501 S. Second St., Rm. 408 

Springfield, IL 62756

On top of that, be sure to either update or cancel your car insurance. Your part will be done, but be aware that the buyer also needs to send title and tax info to the state of Illinois within 20 days. When the buyer does that, the whole process of selling a car will be complete. 

The bottom line 

If you’re wondering how to sell a car in Illinois follow these steps so that you have everything in order and you’re no longer liable for the vehicle. 

Once you’ve completed a private car sale in Illinois you might consider buying a new car. As part of buying a new car, you can also look into getting new insurance as well. You can get affordable car insurance with pay-per-mile coverage using Metromile and save big. Why pay for miles you aren’t driving, when you can get more accurate and appropriate coverage and pay a base rate and only for the miles you drive? Get a free quote to see if it’s a good fit for you. 

—Melanie Lockert is a freelance writer, podcast host of the Mental Health and Wealth show, and author of Dear Debt. She’s a cat mom to two jazzy cats, Miles and Thelonious, an amateur boxer, music lover, and needs coffee to function.

Have you ever woken up in a cold sweat, filled with anxiety that you missed street sweeping in Los Angeles, again? Whether you’ve racked up a number of street sweeping tickets already or just want to avoid them and keep your budget intact, it’s important to be aware of street cleaning Los Angeles times and dates. Whether you live, work, or hang out in downtown, Koreatown, Hollywood, or elsewhere, you want to arm yourself with knowledge and be prepared to avoid those pesky tickets. Read on to learn more about how to prepare for street sweeping in Los Angeles as well as Los Angeles street sweeping holidays.

How does street cleaning in Los Angeles work? 

Street cleaning in Los Angeles is managed by the Public Works department of Los Angeles County. According to the Bureau of Street Services in Los Angeles, there are 4,700 curb miles that have restricted parking areas in order to maintain street cleaning. 

The street sweeping process effectively removes trash and various types of pollutants from the streets, making areas of the city cleaner and more hygienic. Plus, it helps unwanted materials from getting into the storm drains and ultimately in the ocean. Given that LA’s beaches are one of the top perks of the city, it’s a win-win and a much-needed service. 

In Los Angeles, some areas have specific signs that denote when street sweeping is and that you shouldn’t park there. It can be a bit confusing as in other areas there aren’t signs but are still designated street sweeping times. That’s why it’s key to review the street sweeping map for your area (more on that later). 

Many areas have 1 to 2-hour blocks of time where you’re unable to park there due to street cleaning. 

If you don’t end up moving your car in time for street cleaning, you may get hit with a ticket and have to pay a fine. 

When is street cleaning in my area?

If you’re an LA resident, you want to know when street cleaning is happening in your area. The first thing to note is that as of May 1, 2021, the street sweeping schedule in Los Angeles changed to twice a month in residential areas, however many major streets still have street cleaning once a week. 

To check the street cleaning schedule in Los Angeles, you can look at the Los Angeles map here. 

Source/credit: LA County Department of Public Works website 

You can also review this calendar by the Bureau of Street Services to see the 2021 Los Angeles street sweeping schedule. You can also view this Los Angeles County Public Works Residential Street Sweeping Calendar for 2021 all the way up until 2026. 

You can also check out this street sweeping routes in Los Angeles map. Additionally, you can check out specific addresses here and even sign up for notifications in your area about street cleaning. 

How much is a street cleaning ticket in Los Angeles?

Getting a street cleaning ticket in Los Angeles isn’t exactly cheap at $73 a pop. That means every time you miss street sweeping and don’t move your car, you could get hit with a $73 ticket. If you get a ticket every few months, that’s several hundred dollars a year. 

What are the Los Angeles street sweeping holidays?

There are certain Los Angeles street sweeping holidays that can offer you a break from having to move your car. According to the Public Works of LA County website, the following are observed holidays:

• New Year Day* – January 1
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Third Monday in January
• President’s Day – Third Monday in February
• Memorial Day – Last Monday in May
• Cesar Chavez Day – Last Monday in March
• Independence Day* – July 4
• Labor Day – First Monday in September
• Indigenous People Day – Second Monday in October
• Veteran’s Day – November 11
• Thanksgiving Day – Fourth Thursday in November
• Day After Thanksgiving – Fourth Friday in November
• Christmas Day* – December 25

The asterisks refer to when the holidays are observed based on the day they fall on. The holidays with asterisks that occur on a Saturday are observed on the previous Friday. If it happens to fall on a Sunday, the holiday is observed on the Monday after. 

How to avoid getting street cleaning tickets in Los Angeles?

Getting a street cleaning ticket is no one’s idea of a good time and can turn a perfectly fine day into an annoying one. If you want to avoid street cleaning tickets in Los Angeles, you can:

• Put calendar reminders in your phone
• Sign-up for street sweeping notifications
• Use the Metromile app to get alerts about street sweeping in your area. Metromile customers get the added benefit of getting text, email, or push notifications about street sweeping 12 hours ahead of time and also 1 hour ahead, to make sure you move that car and avoid that ticket! Metromile has your back and uses local data to ensure you’re alerted when the street sweeper is on its way. As a customer, you get to pay for only the miles you drive plus a low base rate and get reminders for street sweeping to keep money in your pocket. 

Is it okay to park after the street sweeper passes? 

If you’re waiting until the street sweeper passes to move your car back, you might want to think again. According to the Public Works site, a parking enforcement officer is within their rights to give you a citation during the no parking period whether the street sweeper has passed or not. The best way to avoid a street sweeping ticket in Los Angeles is to not park during the restricted hours. 

The bottom line 

If you live in the City of Angels, you’re well aware of the importance of becoming fluent in reading parking signs and understanding when street sweeping in Los Angeles occurs. The street sweepers come and the officers can be ruthless, so you want to do your part to avoid a ticket and move your car on time. Using Metromile, you can get alerts without all the hassle and also may get more affordable coverage depending on how much you drive. Get a free quote today and consider making the switch. 

—
Melanie Lockert is a freelance writer, podcast host of the Mental Health and Wealth show, and author of Dear Debt. She’s a cat mom to two jazzy cats, Miles and Thelonious, an amateur boxer, music lover, and needs coffee to function.

You go to your car and you have the unfortunate realization that you’re locked out. Maybe you locked your keys in the car or the keys are lost or in a mere moment, the keys break in what feels like a freak accident. You want to scream internally, but you try to remain calm. What do you do? It doesn’t matter if you’re on a road trip or just on your way back from the grocery store, these things can happen with no warning at all. Though it can be annoying and frustrating, here are some tips for how to get into a locked car.

1. Troubleshoot Your Locks

If you realize, “OMG, I locked my keys in my car” and are starting to freak out, the first step is to breathe. The next step is to troubleshoot your locks. The good news is you might be able to find a way back in by simply checking all of your car doors. 

If you locked keys in car or lost them, there might be a door lock that did not close properly. Try all of the car doors and windows to see if you can get in. If you’re successful and do get in this way, great! Just be sure to fix the malfunctioning lock once you’ve retrieved your car keys, as unlocked cars are one of the top causes of car break-ins.

If you have your keys on you, but your car door lock is broken or malfunctioning, you can try getting into the car through your trunk. 

Even if you don’t have a hatchback, you might be able to get into your car to unlock the doors through the trunk. Once you have your physical key (if you have one) try to unlock the door, as there may be an issue with your car’s remote that is preventing you from entering the vehicle. 

2. Phone a Friend or Family Member

If you locked keys in car, it’s natural to panic a bit and wonder how the issue will get fixed. Being locked out of your car can put you in a vulnerable position, even if it does not seem like a full-blown roadside emergency. That’s why it’s crucial to call a friend or family member if there’s one nearby. 

You’re put at risk by having to potentially get help from strangers or stand by the side of the road, so it is always a good idea to let people in your life know where you are and the situation you’re facing. If they can’t help you figure out how to get into a locked car, they can provide some much-needed emotional support, and also it can be a good safety measure to know your whereabouts. 

In the absolute best-case scenario, your family member or friend has a spare key you can use to unlock your car and remedy the issue. But even if they don’t have a key, they may be able to help out by bringing you some supplies to help you manually unlock the door. Some tools that you might find helpful include: shoelaces (or comparable string), a doorstop, and a wire coat hanger, to name a few (more on that later).

3. Use Your Shoelace

If you’re trying to figure out how to get into a locked car, you’re probably not thinking that your shoes might come to the rescue. In fact, your shoelace may be able to help you unlock your car. 

Unfortunately, this doesn’t work with every type of car lock. In order for this to work, your car has to have post locks, which are the type of locks that stick straight up on the window sill. 

You pull up to unlock them and can clearly see them from outside the car. If you have that type of car lock, here’s what to do:

• Start by removing your shoelace from one of your shoes. 
• Eyeball around 5 inches from the middle of the lace. 
• Tie a slip knot at that point. 
• Work the shoelace between the door and the doorframe of the car at the midpoint, holding one end of the lace at the top of the window, and the other end on the side where the door would open.
• Use a flossing motion to loop the slip knot around the post lock. 
• Pull on both ends of the shoelace to grip the post and pull upward while continuing to restrict/tighten the knot. 

Hopefully, that will help unlock your car. If you’re wearing slip-on shoes or sandals and don’t have shoes with laces, if you’re with someone else see if you can borrow their shoelaces. 

4. Use DIY Tools to Reach Inside

When it comes to tips for purchasing a car, chances are you didn’t consider whether your vehicle had post locks or not. If your car doesn’t have those types of locks, the good news is there are many DIY-friendly methods to get back into your locked car. Here are some tools you can use:

A coat hanger

If you have horizontal locks, you may be able to use a coat hanger by untwisting and molding it into a hook shape. Once you do that, try to use the car door and maneuver the hook around the lock. Then pull to see if it unlocks. 

A screwdriver and metal rod 

If you have a screwdriver and a metal rod, you can try to get your car door unlocked as well if you don’t have the keys. Use the screwdriver to open some space and then take the metal rod and push into the lock to see if it opens. Just be careful as these tools can damage the vehicle. 

Spatula 

You might even find kitchen tools like a spatula may help if you’re trying to figure out how to get into a locked car. Take a spatula and place it between the car door to create space and pry the door open. If you can get the door to open with the spatula you can unlock it from the inside. 

An air bag pump wedge

You can also get an air bag pump wedge that can be used to open your car door. Using this tool, the air is pushed between the car doors to make a door opening that is big enough to use tools so that you can effectively unlock the car. 

Plastic 

If you have a strip of plastic, you can fold the plastic into a U-shape, and then with the bottom closed portion you can place it between the door jamb and lift it up. 

5. Get Professional Help

Having locked keys in car is stressful enough. Sometimes you don’t have the time or energy to DIY it or your DIY attempts simply don’t work. If you’ve tried to figure out how to get into a locked car to no avail, it’s time to call the professionals. 

Roadside assistance 

You can get roadside assistance to help you with your car lock situation. These professionals can come to your location, but you do need to know where your car is. The good news is you can use the GPS function on your Metromile App, so you can locate your car even if you had to leave it to get a signal. For customers with roadside assistance support, help will come to your location and open your car for you (one of the added perks of being a Metromile customer). 

Locksmith

If you don’t have roadside assistance, you’ll want to contact a car locksmith to help you get into your locked car. They’ll be able to open your car without causing any damage and fix any broken locks that may have led to this predicament. On top of that, a car locksmith can make you new keys if yours have been lost or broken.

The bottom line 

If you’ve locked keys in car and are trying to figure out how to get into a locked car, follow these steps. Whether it’s DIY or calling a professional, there are a lot of ways to open a locked car. Just be sure to avoid potentially dangerous options like breaking the window or using tools such as slim jims as they are a bit risky nowadays as modern cars have important wires stored in these spaces. Using the options listed above, you can get into your car safely. 
If you want to get the added bonus of roadside assistance and affordable car insurance, check out pay-per-mile insurance with Metromile. It’s a smarter, more affordable way to pay for coverage based on the miles you actually drive. Pay a low base rate plus per-mile, so if you drive less, you can save more. Get your free quote using Metromile.

Ralph Goodman is a security expert and lead writer for the Lock Blog, the #1 locksmith blog on the Internet. The Lock Blog is a great resource to learn about locks, safety and security. They offer tips, advice and how-to’s for consumers, homeowners, locksmiths, and security professionals. Ralph has been featured widely throughout the web on sites such as Business Insider, Zillow, Bluetooth, Apartments.com, CIO and Safewise.

We’re excited to welcome Adam Harrington on board as our new VP, Marketing on the Growth team, where he’ll be leading the teams that catapult our community of happy drivers into its next phase of growth. 

Adam joins us from the east coast—he’s a born and raised Bostonian—and is an insurance veteran, joining us from a large insurance carrier where he built key marketing functions from the ground up.

Why Metromile? “The insurance industry has gone practically unchanged for decades and Metromile is challenging the status quo with their pay-per-mile model. I had written out my vision for the next phase of my career and I wanted to work for a company that’s building a customer-first, digitally native product. It feels good to market a product that gives customers peace of mind and a fair, flexible price.”

The chance to work on a car insurance product that’s priced for the changing world excites Adam. There’s no reason for insurance to stay the same. 

We asked Adam what convinced him to make the switch. “I believe in Metromile’s product philosophy. And when you believe in a product, you believe you can help it grow. We know our style of insurance can be sold profitably—it’s just a matter of getting it in the hands of more drivers.”

“There’s an opportunity to make auto insurance less commoditized, more personalized. And by doing that we create fairer pricing for everybody that’s based on their true behavior.”

The chance to work on a product that’s fair and flexible means a lot to Adam, especially when that flexibility can transform what often feels like a legally obligated bummer into something better, or actually delightful. In a changing world, it’s actually possible to really like your insurance and your insurer.

His impression so far? “The team is incredibly talented and I’m excited to dig in. Everyone believes that Metromile is making the world better, and is working towards a shared vision.  They truly care about the customer.”

We asked Adam about his vision for marketing at Metromile. “Create a brand that our employees and customers are proud of, and that meets drivers where they want to do business with us.”

Here’s to bringing that vision to life, Adam. Welcome on board!

On June 24, 2021, President Biden announced a $1.2 trillion dollar “Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework” as part of his “Build Back Better vision” notes a White House press release on the matter.  As of September 30, 2021, the vote on the Infrastructure Bill was delayed. Part of the package includes proposing a vehicle mileage tax pilot program. Read on to learn what you need to know about vehicle mileage tax.

What is a mileage tax?

Mileage tax is a type of tax that is paid by the driver based on miles driven. You can think of it as a pay-per-mile tax that subsidizes government programs and can be thought of as a “road user charge”. The vehicle mileage tax is typically based on how many miles you drive in a particular time frame, like a year or quarter. 

What is the vehicle mileage tax program? 

Currently, there is talk on social media about the vehicle mileage tax program. Users are expressing concerns about the cost of driving and incorrectly stating that it would cost drivers 8 cents a mile, per a USA Today story. 

In reality, the vehicle mileage tax program that is included in the infrastructure bill proposes a three-year pilot program to study the viability of a road user charge. The program would begin in 2022 and after the three-year period is up, it may be voted into law by Congress. 

How does the pay-per-mile vehicle mileage tax program work? 

According to the “Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act” document:

“The Secretary shall establish a program to test the feasibility of a road usage fee and other user-based alternative revenue mechanisms (referred to in this section as “user-based 

alternative revenue mechanisms”) to help maintain the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund, through pilot projects at the State, local, and regional level.”

The program is designed to test out alternative revenue streams that are user-based, conduct outreach as well as education about these programs, assess their acceptance in the community as well as address privacy concerns about getting tracked by the mile, and more. 

There are national as well as state programs that will try out the per-mile user fees. Given that it’s a pilot program and not established into law, it requires passenger and commercial drivers’ participation. 

Volunteers from all 50 states will be solicited to participate in this program. Various telematics devices will be used such as on-board diagnostic devices, smartphone apps, and more. 

These devices will track the miles driven within a specific time period. Volunteers as part of the vehicle mileage tax pilot program will pay per-mile taxes based on the amount of miles driven, within a particular quarter of the calendar year. 

Is the per-mile mileage tax replacing the gas tax?

You might wonder if the per-mile vehicle mileage tax will replace the gas tax also known as the Motor Fuel Tax (MFT). Unfortunately, it’s not clear. 

For some background, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) website notes that since the early 2000s many states have been trying to come up with solutions to replace MFT. 

Based on data from the National Association of State Budget Officers’ 2019 State Expenditure Report, motor fuel taxes are the largest transportation source of revenue coming in at 39.8%.

Seeing as many states are making moves to reduce emissions and make vehicles less reliant on fuel with the boom of electric cars, there are ideas floating around about how to navigate this going forward, which is one reason the per-mile tax or road user charge is coming into conversation. These can also be referred to as “Vehicle Miles Traveled” (VMT) or “Mileage-Based User Fees” (MBUF). 

There are already some states that are trying out regional pilot programs but the infrastructure bill is bringing it to a national and statewide level. 

Which states are included in the vehicle mileage tax pilot program? 

The National Motor Vehicle Per-Mile User Fee Pilot Program is not in effect as of yet, but if it moves forward it intends to attract volunteers from all 50 states. It will include passenger and commercial vehicle drivers as well. 

Although the program intends to attract drivers from various geographic locations and all 50 states, it is a pilot program where you must volunteer and opt into. 

According to a Washington Post article on vehicle mileage tax, Oregon and Utah are already launching per-mile programs. A more recent posting on the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) website notes that there are 14 state and regional pilots that have received federal grants to implement these programs.

Expect more states to get on board with road user charges (RUC). An earlier blog from NCSL stated:

“State legislatures continue to debate RUC legislation. In 2019 and 2020, at least 19 states—Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington—considered 34 pieces of legislation addressing RUC. Of those, at least seven states—Maine, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and Washington—have enacted eight pieces of legislation. Five states—Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York and Vermont—currently have seven pending pieces of legislation, including carryover bills from 2019.”

The bottom line 

The new vehicle mileage tax pilot program is in the infrastructure bill and could be in place in 2022 as part of the pilot program lasting three years. It won’t necessarily affect you until then unless you opt into the pilot program. However, it’s something to monitor and be aware of as many states are looking for alternatives to Motor Fuel Tax. 

If you want to save money based on how much (or how little) you drive, consider pay-per-mile auto insurance that offers you a car insurance premium based on an affordable base rate plus the miles you actually drive. Get a free quote today. 

—

Melanie Lockert is a freelance writer, podcast host of the Mental Health and Wealth show, and author of Dear Debt. She’s a cat mom to two jazzy cats, Miles and Thelonious, an amateur boxer, music lover, and needs coffee to function.

If you’ve ever arrived at your car and seen glass shattered, you feel it in the pit of your stomach as you realize you’ve been a victim of a car break-in. Worse, you may realize your car is completely gone and has been stolen. Dealing with car burglary can be unsettling. Having your items taken from you and replacing broken windows or more can be frustrating too. 

If you live in a major city, you probably know the obvious tips of how to prevent your car from being broken into or stolen. You know that leaving a bag visible is thief bait, and a rogue phone is even more enticing. But with break-ins on the rise, it’s probably a smart idea to take extra precautions. In fact, in San Francisco alone, there was a staggering 753% increase in car break-ins from May 2020 to May 2021 according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Given the fact that cars may be staying in place longer due to people driving less while working from home, you want to make moves to protect your car. Here is how to prevent car break-ins.

1. Lock the car doors and make sure your windows are completely closed 

The first thing you want to do to prevent car break-ins is to double-check that your car is actually locked and that your windows are completely closed. Although this may seem obvious, up to 25% of vehicle thefts are from unlocked cars. Similarly, an open window invites the same fate. Even if you’re doing a quick run inside a gas station, that’s still enough time for a thief to make moves. 

2. Invest in an anti-theft device 

If you want to take your car burglary prevention to the next level, you want to invest in an anti-theft device. A car alarm is the first level of thief-deterrent, but there are many other preventive measures you can take. For example, there are several anti-theft devices you can choose from:

• Steering wheel lock
• Glass breakage detector 
• Car security system 
• Protective steering columns 
• Car-disabling locks

Using one or more of these options can help you take steps to prevent car break-ins and car burglary. On top of that, using an anti-theft device can help lower your car insurance rate, too. 

3. Park in populated areas with lots of light

If you leave your car on a dark, lonely street there may be a higher chance of a car break-in without anyone around to notice. That’s why it’s best to park in populated areas with lots of other people and cars and in areas with lots of lighting as well. 

Parking directly under a street lamp is a good idea when possible. Those who break into cars and also steal thrive on darkness and having no one around, so take these steps to help mitigate risk. 

4. Hide all of your belongings 

The common advice to avoid car break-ins is to hide your valuables. But to go even further, you should hide all of your belongings, whether they’re truly valuable to you or not. Why? Because a car thief or burglar doesn’t know the difference until they break into your car and find out. 

I once left a bottle of shampoo and conditioner in a bag in my car. The next morning I went to my car, the window was broken and the bag was gone. I couldn’t care less about those items being gone, but having to get the window replaced was a hassle and extra money. Your best bet is to keep next to nothing in your car. Your second-best bet is to keep things in the trunk or glove compartment, so they’re out of sight for any potential intruders. 

5. Get your windows tinted 

Given the fact that car break-ins can happen after nosy intruders see something they potentially want in your window, it can also be a good idea to get your windows tinted. Adding a darker hue to your window can make it difficult to see through the windows, acting as a barrier to would-be car thieves. 

Just be sure to check the local state guidelines and laws about window tinting to make sure you’re in compliance. 

6. Make inside and outside less appealing 

If you want to know how to prevent car break-ins, you need to make the inside and outside of your car less appealing. That means no flashy signs or decals, expensive gear, or even an upgraded stereo. While a really good stereo while driving can make listening to tunes fun as you drive down the road, a really sweet stereo system is just asking to be stolen. 

If you have a faceplate, you might want to remove it when you’re not in the vehicle just to be safe. Though an NPR article in 2009 noted that car stereo theft was on the decline and cut in half from the previous 15 years, you still want to be careful. 

The key is to make sure your car looks basic and minimal on the inside and outside to attract less attention. Also, don’t think you’re off the hook if you have an older vehicle. 

Older and stereotypical “family cars” are more desirable to a thief because of the demand and resale value of the car parts and the fact that they may be easier to steal. In fact, as of 2017 in Spokane, the car stolen the most was a 90s Subaru Legacy, according to this article from King5.

7. Avoid leaving the car unattended 

Think you’ll just double park and leave your car unattended and running, while you hop into your apartment to get the gym bag you forgot? Think again. At all costs, avoid leaving your car running and unsupervised. That’s an invitation for trouble and in a way that makes it super easy to do a car break-in or just straight-up steal your car. 

The bottom line 

Figuring out how to prevent car break-ins can take some work but it’s worth the extra precautions. If you’ve had a car break-in or car burglary, check your auto insurance coverage. If you have comprehensive coverage on your policy, that could cover you in the event that your car is damaged during a robbery. You want to check your policy for specific details, but if you only have liability insurance, you won’t be covered. 

In the unfortunate event that your car is stolen, you can follow these steps. If you’re a pay-per-mile insurance customer with Metromile, your Metromile Pulse device doubles as a car locator. We’ve used it to recover stolen cars in the past!

Not a Metromile customer but want added car break-in protection? Get that and potentially a lower car insurance premium. Get your free quote and pay only for the miles you drive plus a low base rate.