I recently participated in a super high-tech Mythbusters simulation –- a heist, almost –- to unravel a legend I recently discovered. Here’s the myth: If someone holds your car’s clicky thing up to their cell phone and presses the trunk button -- and if you put your cell phone up to the trunk while they do that, it will open.

Now, knowing the answer to this myth isn’t nearly as interesting if your keys aren’t actually locked in your trunk. That’s where I come in. Here’s the short version: On Friday at 3:42 p.m., I walk out of the Pegasus News towers to catch a 5 p.m. flight. At about 3:44 p.m., I had already locked my keys in my trunk, along with my boarding pass, ID, luggage, and company-issued laptop. Thank God my cell phone was still attached to my hand. After a series of frantic phone calls, good friends, and high-speed chases, I have raced to my home, met a friend there with a key since mine were … in my trunk … unlocked the vehicle, got the luggage and arrived at Love Field Airport at 4:48 p.m. for a 5 p.m. flight. I flew through security (they didn’t even ask why my 2 oz. contact solution wasn’t in a plastic baggie) and found the man at Gate 5 screaming, “Are you Sarah?” one minute before takeoff. I threw my arms up –- “Yes!” -– like I’d won the Super Bowl, blew him a kiss, and arrived safely and on time in Austin a mere 35 minutes later.

It wasn't until I got to Austin that I meet country boy Daryll. He overheard me tell the exasperating story and pulled me over to share a bit of information: “If ya had a freey-end with your clicky thang, you coulda just held your ce-yll phone up to it and it woulda popped open. Works ever’ time.” WHAT? Says who? (It worked for this lady.)

Now I’ll be honest: I have no idea how the clicky thing works. I would have rather just thought of it as this magical button that does what I tell it to. If it ain’t broke, don’t ask. But in the event that I might find myself with keys locked in an unfortunate place in the near future –- and it's pretty likely -- Daryll’s advice sent me on an obligatory lesson in investigative journalism.

So I tried it with some family members, first with my 2007 Honda Civic sitting in the driveway. Anna stands in the kitchen, holds the clicky thing up to the phone, and I count to three loudly -– holding the phone away from my ear and near the sensor (we think) on my trunk. And … click! Open.

So Mark -- he’s a pretty smart guy –- says maybe we’re too close to Anna and the magical clicker. By this point, I’m ready to call it quits and claim victory. But he’s right. So we drive about a quarter-mile away and try the heist one more time. Actually, about 20 more times. We hold the phone near the trunk, on the trunk, near the engine, near the locks, near the flashy light that says you’re not supposed to steal my car, and all over again. We even traded off phone calls to make sure my 1, 2, 3 counting wasn’t flawed. And … no click.

We sulked back home, realizing we’d busted the myth: I can’t even break into my own car.

If you've tried this myth and it worked, you might have a cooler, newer phone; or, a cooler, newer vehicle – or both. Help!