Anyone else confused as to why rental car companies give you two keys to the car (often those big bulky electronic keys) and put them both on the same key ring? It would be fine if it were a normal key ring that allowed you to take one of the keys off, but it's not. It's a ring that is welded together so the keys can't come off. What's the point in giving you two keys? Ever try to go for a run with those things in your pocket? It's brutal.
I used to rent a car every week and had the same issue. I resorted to traveling with wire cutters and a bunch of rubber bands. I’d rent the car with the keys connected with the wire loop, and return them with the keys connected with rubber band. The rental car folks didn’t raise a fuss
I assume it's because they don't intend to keep the car forever, and they want to keep both keys with the car. Rental cars are not always returned to the same location where they were rented from. So if you only took one key with you, then the second key would be left behind and be separated from the car. Then when they go to sell the car at some point, they only have one key to go with it.
As for why they use a key ring that isn't designed to be separated, it's probably to reduce the number of instances of people separating the keys and losing one.
I've complained about this for a long time....however I've recently seen at least with Avis they aren't always giving you two keys. I assume because they are keeping the other key in a central location ready for when the car is to be sold. Seemed kind of crazy if the person loses both, its double to cost to replace...instead of the cost to mail the extra to wherever the car ended up when its time to sell. I guess it depends on how often people lose keys.
Why not attach the second pair of keys to someplace in the glove box?
And I as I wrote that I realized why.
With keyless entry and start you can't leave keys in the car.
But it is very awkward to have them together.