We were in Buffalo NY this afternoon and after a bit of shopping made our way over to the Forest Lawn Cemetery (after a painful drive from Niagara Falls after the GPS directed us AROUND Grand Island instead of ACROSS Grand Island. Oops, had the "Avoid Toll Roads" setting on). Anyway, we finally get to the cemetery, just as the heavy dark cloud cover is finally starting to lift. Sun is shining, we see deer walking around in the cemetery, find a couple of letterboxes in one series, life is good. Then we make our way further in and visit the grave of 13th US President Millard Fillmore. After viewing the gravesite (which I gotta say, it being the grave of a former US President, it really was - well, not much - I guess I expected a bit more, similar to some of the Canadian Primer Minister graves that I've visited), I pulled out my letterboxing notes and started off in search of Box #245653. It was just after 5 pm. Just then a car approached, and I could see it belonged to the cemetery. Crap, busted letterboxing in a cemetery which is noticeably devoid of geocaches. I start thinking about what to say, when the driver rolls down his window and informs me that the cemetery is closed and that the gates have been locked up. Seriously, it's still daylight and the gates are locked? We're locked in a cemetery. well, that's a first one for us. Fortunately all I had to do was follow the worker back to the main entrance, where the gate was (manually) unlocked and we were allowed to leave.

Although I really didn't want to leave - I wanted to find that letterbox.

Anyone else ever get locked in a cemetery while letterboxing?

I once hopped the wall into a closed cemetery in eastern Romania and then got chased out by a pack of hunting dogs guarding an adjacent military base. I decided to hide my box somewhere else :)

Princess Lea and I were in a similar situation in San Francisco....I actually think we drove up as they were going to lock the gates and we convinced them to let us visit "Grandma" for a second....so we went and got the letterbox and then they let us out ! LOL I don't think I could have convinced them by myself....because it was an Asian Cemetery. Luckily Princess Lea fit the profile!!

-Amanda from Seattle

A few years ago my boxing buddy and I were locked in Bellefontaine Cemetery (St Louis) after the Tombstone Tales event. We thought they might be open later because of the event. We called the number on the gate and about 10 minutes later the security guard came and let us out. It's fun to tell ppl you have been locked in a cemetery :)

That very same thing happened to my daughter and I here in Spfld., IL. We were trying to get out but got lost in the maze and the cemetery guy came up and said the gates were locked, we couldn't get out the entrance we were headed for but we could follow him & he'd let us out the main gate.

Good idea.

I was there for that event--I never heard this story. It would be easy to get lost in that cemetery, it's huge.

Some geocacher went to find one of my geocaches in a cemetery, and while he was in there they padlocked the gate on him. It's hard to imagine how they didn't see each other, but he drove back to the gate to find it locked. So he whipped out his trusty tool kit and disassembled the gate on the hinge end, swung it out of the way, and pulled out. Then, being a nice guy, he put the gate back together before leaving.

There's a cemetery near the Tallahassee Airport that has an automatic gate on it. It's open during the day, but at some time each evening it automagically closes. I *think* there's a way to trip it from the inside so you can get out, but I've never been willing to test that theory!

Yes, I've seen one like that in Athens TX. That approach seems a bit more practical.
I'm not sure that I've been to a cemetery in Canada where they lock the gates, that is of the few that even have gates.

I once hopped the wall into a closed cemetery in eastern Romania and then got chased out by a pack of hunting dogs guarding an adjacent military base. I decided to hide my box somewhere else :)

There is a Special Equipment Required attribute icon that you could have used for the box. A couple of raw steaks laced with tranquilizers would do the trick!

Of course there's always gunpowder . . . .

oh YES! It was late afternoon - I was driving - there were four of us - we were parked near the maintenance shed in a suburban Chicago cemetery - Serbian National somethingerother - stamping in. A car approached, slowed down, the driver looked at us and grinned, then gunned it for the front gate. We followed as soon as we could replace the box and quickly turn the car around, but when we reached the gate, it was shut and locked, and the guy was gone. Fortunately, as we drove around hoping to find another exit, we found a monastery on adjacent grounds which were connected by one of the cemetery roads, so we drove past the building and out the un-gated driveway. No one was amused.

Almost! It was a big old one in downtown Wilmington DE. I’d put the box back after stamping in and was wandering around looking at the monuments. The caretaker came looking for me because he’d seen the car.

I chose not to keep looking for a box recently. The three big dogs at the house nearby seemed to think that guarding the cemetery was their personal doggy responsibility. They wouldn't stop barking, growling and trying to corral me so I decided I didn't need that box anymore. If there was an electric fence it wasn't working and the owners didn't seem to be around.

Buh by box!

This happened to me once. I didn't know that the cemetery changes to "winter" hours and closes at 5:00 PM. I was leaving and was at the gate and found the gate locked. Fortunately a security guard pulled up behind me and let me out.

This almost happened to me at the cemetery in Louisville. I was there latish in the afternoon, noted the closing time, but forgot that they were on eastern time. I kept watching the clock in my car, thinking "yes, I have time to get one more box". Then I kept noticing all the cars headed toward the exit and it finally dawned on me that it was an hour later there and I needed to get out of there!

Another time, I was in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indy. I was doing the same thing.... "just one more, I have time". The security guard followed me out the gate as the clock hit 7:00 PM, closing time.

Anyone else ever get locked in a cemetery while letterboxing?

In my area, I'm not really sure how many cemeteries have locked gates. A lot of local cemeteries are quite old (200+ years) and have low stone walls that can easily be hopped over.

A lot of local cemeteries are quite old (200+ years) and have low stone walls that can easily be hopped over.

That's true. I have been in some cemeteries in New England that get locked but I'd say the majority of them don't have gates or the gates are small and never get locked. They are just *so* old, as you say.

YES! DS and I were locked in a cemetery in Columbus, OH. There was still plenty of daylight and we were kinda shocked. We drove around looking for another exit without much luck. There were no phone numbers to call. We parked by the locked gate and we were trying to formulate a plan--probably catching an uber to a nearby hotel for the night--when a caretaker spotted us and let us out. Whew! I try to remember to check and respect the closing times now a-days.

Yes, and I have locked my keys in the car in a cemetery, too. Both were while looking for places to plant. That keys locked in the car story is much more interesting than my locked in a cemetery one. I just called some number and they unlocked the gate.

My mom loves to tell the story of my rescue for the one about the keys locked in my car at a cemetery. I think it gives her a reason to get nervous when she hears her adult only child is letterboxing alone.

So, this was 2009, before I ever had a smart phone or a gps. I studied Google maps before leaving the house to locate a cemetery in a village that I had never visited. It was in one of the next counties over. So, I set off in my car, really exploring and trying to see if I could find that cemetery or maybe just some interesting, letterbox friendly place.

Anyway, so I found a cemetery and was pretty sure it was the right one. I got out to look for potential places for a letterbox, but instantly realized I just locked my keys in the car. A peek in the window revealed that the keys were inside.

Now, I have AAA, so that isn't a problem. The problem was that there was only a $1.10 left on my pay-as-you-go phone. The plan involved spending a $1.00 and talking to others on that provider for free or spending .10 a minute talking to everyone else (after spending the dollar). Calling AAA would only get me a 1 minute call. The call would end as soon as they ask, "Are you in a safe location?" The best plan for me would be to call my parents, as they have the same cell provider but with a monthly plan, and have them call AAA.

I still had no idea on where I was at, though. There wasn't a noticeable sign in the cemetery. There was a nearby baseball field. There were houses, and someone drove through the cemetery, but I felt weird asking, "Where am I?" So, uh, no thanks.

Anyway, I call my mom. Dad answers. I ask him to give the phone to her.

Me: Hi.
Mom: I just got into the bathtub.
Me: Oh.... so I locked my keys in the car at this cemetery, and I don't know where I am.
Mom: WHAT?! (She jumps out of the bathtub.) What do you mean you don't know where you are at?
Me: Well, I think I am at (insert cemetery name), but there isn't a sign. I was looking for a place to plant a letterbox.
Mom: Call AAA.
Me: There is only a dime left on my phone. Could you please call them?
Mom: Okay, but we don't know where you are. Is there a street sign?
Me: No, but there is a baseball field not too far away. It looks like there might be a sign, but it could be a scoreboard. I'll call you back.
A walk across the field indicates that I am indeed in the right area. I return to the cemetery and sit down to call my mom back. She has thrown a robe on now and has some paper.
Me: Yeah, I am in the right place. The baseball field is (insert baseball field name). I am probably on such and such road. Oh, hello there.
Mom (sounding a bit worried): Is someone there with you?
Me: A friendly black cat is sitting next to me.
My mom is laughing nervously.
Mom: Oh (insert my real name), what are we going to do with you? I am going to call AAA now. Hopefully they will locate you with this information.
They did, and I chilled with the black cat until the roadside person showed up to assist me.

A couple of weeks ago, I locked my keys in the car in Toronto and was glad to find out that AAA works in Canada with CAA. Thankfully, that happened at my hotel.

That keys locked in the car story is much more interesting than my locked in a cemetery one.

Fortunately for me, the only way to lock the driver's side door (except when inside with a closed door) is to use the key. I would have locked my keys in a few times otherwise.

My brother has a Toyota Avalon, and he once challenged me to try to lock the keys in it! One of us would stay inside the car just in case we succeeded. We did not. At least one time, door closed and locked, keys inside, and we both said "Aha!" -- and then the doors unlocked.

and then the doors unlocked.

does his key have some version of a proximity reader built into it?
do the doors auto-lock when the car is put in a forward gear and moved?

That was an excellent story, Koalacat! So glad it had a happy ending.

Thanks. Me too! The box that I was hoping to plant was my MST3K letterbox. That one ended up in a different cemetery and had a find this year. Another letterbox ended up in that cemetery, but it disappeared.

What make and model of car do you have?

What make and model of car do you have?

I have a Chevrolet Aveo. Even the dealer doesn't like this model, but this is what I bought.

It's not that you can't lock the keys in the car, it's just that you can't lock the driver's side door unless the door is closed. Then the only way to lock it is from the inside or using the key. If you want to lock the keys in just lock the driver's side door from the inside then lock the others (while open) and close it.

I have no idea how the car did it, but it flat refused to stay locked when the keys were inside.

I hate that auto-lock garbage where your doors lock when you start moving. The first time I saw it was on a GM car, and the owner's handbook pointed out that if you hate it you could pull a particular fuse to disable it. Good idea. If I owned a car with that "feature" and it didn't have the fuse removal option, I'd disable it with a pair of wire snips.

I have a '14 Honda Accord and I can't lock the keys in the car. There's a transmitter in the key which will alert the car if the keys are inside, and then will unlock. Furthermore, I can't even lock the keys in the trunk (let's say I have both sets of keys but only want to carry one). The trunk immediately pops open when keys are inside.

BB