Handing over your car keys at the mechanic seems harmless enough. But a mechanic's warning suggests you might be giving away more access than you realize—and it could put your entire home and personal safety at risk. Here’s what to do instead to protect yourself and ensure peace of mind. In a viral video with more than 85,000 views, mechanic Ronnie Robinson (@coachronnierobinson) delivers a safety message to women—though the advice applies to everyone. Standing in front of a key-making machine at what appears to be a Home Depot, Robinson explains why you should never hand over your complete keyset when dropping off your vehicle for service. "This message is to my ladies," Robinson says. "Whenever you drop your car to a car wash, a mechanic, or anybody ready to do some work on your car, have access to your car, always just give them the car key." "Just give them the car key. Never leaving access to all your keys." Robinson warns that sketchy workers could make copies of your house keys without your knowledge. Plus, they might have access to your home address through your paperwork. "They'll be in Home Depot, Lowe's, or anywhere making a copy of your key," he explains. His recommendation is straightforward. You should separate your car key from the rest of your keychain before any service appointment, whether it's a mechanic, car wash, detailing service, or any other situation where someone else needs temporary access to your vehicle. Keep your house keys, office keys, and any other personal keys with you. "So ladies, please, whenever you get any type of maintenance work done, car wash, anything, make sure you leave only your car key. Never access to any other key," Robinson concludes. Key Duplication Do's and Don'ts Robinson's warning connects to broader concerns about key security. According to Miramar Locksmith & Key, here are the essential do's and don'ts when it comes to key duplication: Do: Choose a reputable locksmith over self-service kiosks or unauthorized locations Communicate clearly about your duplication needs and specifications Prioritize quality over cost, cheap duplicates may break or malfunction Check key accuracy immediately after receiving duplicates Keep track of how many duplicates exist and who has them Don’t: Use unauthorized or untrustworthy locations for key duplication Skip background checks on first-time locksmiths—verify licenses and reputation Attempt DIY key duplication with at-home kits that lack precision Neglect security upgrades if you're duplicating keys for outdated locks Hide spare keys in obvious places like under doormats or in flower pots near doors Safety Concerns About Self-Service Key-Making Kiosks Self-service kiosks at hardware stores make unauthorized duplication extremely easy. Even keys stamped "Do Not Duplicate" offer zero actual protection. Able Locksmiths confirms that no law prevents locksmiths from duplicating these keys. Anyone with a key can walk into any locksmith shop, hardware store, or self-serve kiosk and make as many copies as they want without providing identification or explaining what the key is for. This creates a genuine security risk. If someone at a car wash, mechanic shop, or detailing service has malicious intent, they could easily duplicate your house key while your car is being serviced. You'd never know until it's too late. Robinson’s video struck a chord with viewers. As of this writing, it has over 430 comments. Many are from people sharing additional safety advice and expressing exasperation that this is even something they should worry about. “Being a woman is exhausting; we just want to be safe,” one exasperated viewer wrote. Another advised that the same applies to valet parking. “And take your garage opener as well. The connection can be easily transferred to another device. Seen this on Criminal Minds and it always stuck as a lesson for me,” a third added. Motor1 reached out to Robinson for comment via TikTok direct message and comment. We'll be sure to update this if he responds. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team