Kiss Them Goodbye: The Freeway Has Eaten Your Keys

Hey Johnston: As I was driving back from Southcenter, northbound on Interstate 405, I realized I left some keys on the hood of my car. They fell off. I'm wondering if you happen to know if there's a group responsible for picking items off the freeway. Who can I contact to see whether my keys have been located?

Answer: If the keys fell off while you were driving on I-405, you are out of luck unless you had your name and address on the keys. But then we don't think it would be a smart move on your part to put your name and address on your house keys.

Claudia Cornish of the state Department of Transportation said the department gets calls all the time from people who lost something on the freeway (generally hubcaps) and want to know if there is a highway lost-and-found department.

Nope, said Claudia. By the time the lost object gets through being run over and rolled along the gravel, it's not much good. Besides, the freeway shoulders are cleaned by those huge sweepers, and your keys would be sucked into the machine.

Occasionally the sweeper driver will see a purse or wallet along the shoulder and pick it up. If there is identification in it, the owner will be contacted. Otherwise, you are out of luck and out one set of keys.

Hey Johnston: We found some fireworks that my son bought a long time ago when those things were legal in Bellevue. What would be the best way of disposing of them now?

Answer: You can call the Bellevue Fire Department, 455-6892, and it will take care of it, said Lt. Chris Copland. The Fire Department turns old fireworks over to police, and they get rid of them along with all the other explosive items gathered up during the year.

You could soak the stuff in water and throw it in the garbage, but your garbage person may not be happy with that solution, Copland said.

Hey Johnston: My father is about to retire. He doesn't have any hobbies, but he's interested in driving cars across the country. He likes to drive nice cars. Is there any kind of business that drives cars from the West Coast to the East Coast and back, either paid or through some kind of volunteer program?

Answer: There are companies called "drive-aways" that will let your father drive someone's car across the country. Of course he has to be insured and a good driver. They are listed in the Yellow Pages under "Automobile Transporters & Drive Away Companies."

Once he gets to wherever the car needs to be delivered, he has to figure out a way to get back home. But maybe that's your plan.

If your father likes to drive fancy cars, he can also try to get a job as a limo driver.

Finally, our friend in advertising, Slick Stu, said you can advertise in the newspaper classified ads under Category 120 - Trips, Tours, Transportation - in which people offer their services for driving vehicles across country.

You may have noticed there was no mention of pay (except the limo-driving idea). That's because people don't pay, other than for gas, to have their cars driven across the country. Driving is reward enough.

How to Just Ask Johnston: This column appears Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Local News section of the Eastside edition. Leave your questions on Steve Johnston's voice mail at 464-8475. The e-mail address is east@seatimes.com. Or write: Just Ask Johnston, c/o The Seattle Times, 10777 Main St., Suite 100, Bellevue, WA 98004.