Did I lock the car?

Somewhere between the parking lot and the store entrance, you lose the memory. Your hand was in your pocket. You probably pressed the fob. There might have been a chirp, or that might have been someone else's car two rows over.

Plenty of people turn around in the middle of a parking garage and press the lock button again from fifty feet away, just to hear it. If that's you, the reasons are pretty ordinary, and there are easy ways to make the memory stick.

Why you can’t remember

A key fob turns locking into a tiny gesture. You don't turn a key or touch the door; you squeeze a button while walking, talking or looking for your phone. Your attention is on where you're going, so the action never gets stored as a distinct event.

Parking lots are full of the same cues, too. Every car around you chirps and flashes. When you try to remember whether you heard your car, your brain has a dozen nearly identical sounds to choose from, plus every other time you've parked this week. That's a classic recipe for mixing up which memory belongs to right now.

Some cars also behave differently from what you expect. A few will unlock again if you lock them with the key still inside, or won't lock while a door is ajar. Others lock themselves when you walk away, which is convenient but means you never consciously lock them at all. And pressing the fob over and over to reassure yourself has the same downside as any repeated check: it piles up more look-alike memories and leaves you less sure.

How to check right now

• Open your car's app

  Many newer cars have a manufacturer app that shows whether the doors are locked and lets you lock them remotely. If your car supports it, this is the quickest answer.

• Press the fob within range

  If you're still close, press lock and watch for the lights to flash. Most fobs only work within a limited distance, so walking back partway may be enough.

• Look for specific details

  Do you remember something unique about this park, like the car next to you or the spot number? If the memory has today's details attached, it's more likely a real one.

• Check your car's settings later

  Find out whether your car has walk-away auto-lock or auto-lock at speed. If it does, and it's switched on, the car locked itself when you left.

How to stop rechecking

1. Turn on the lock chirp

   Many cars let you enable an audible horn chirp when you lock. A sound you choose to listen for is easier to remember than a quiet click.

2. Lock, look, name

   Press lock, turn and watch the lights flash, and say "car locked" under your breath. Three seconds of attention gives you a memory you can trust.

3. Use walk-away auto-lock if you have it

   If your car supports it, switch it on. You'll still want to confirm the first few times, but after that the car takes care of it.

4. Keep a quick record

   A One Loop simple tap or a photo of the car as you walk away gives you a timestamp to check when you're wondering in the checkout line. It doesn't connect to your car; it records that you confirmed it.