When is a spare tire not a spare tire?

DAYS UNTIL TRIP: 19

When you can’t get the tire carrier open!

There’s a spare tire on the back of my van, but I can’t get the lock open. The previous owner told me she’d never had to open it. Which means it’s been locked shut for 15 years. Now the key doesn’t work. When I got the van inspected last week, I told the mechanics to open it and they couldn’t. Now what?

I’m thinking of calling a locksmith. I imagine they could fashion some sort of key that would open it, but at what cost?

There’s no doubt I need this tire! I don’t want to get a flat in the middle of the Arizona desert and be stuck without a spare. (I’m not sure I’d know how to change the tire, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.) I suppose the only other option is to buy a new spare and store it inside the van.