T o lock up an umbrella, you slide it down between the rows of the stand and fit the base of the handle into an open slot. N ext, you would expect that turning the key would cause the hook to lock the umbrella handle in place. That is what I thought. However, when I turned the key, the hook didn't move, the key wouldn't come out and the umbrella dropped into the narrow crevice between the rows. I t was not easy to retrieve the umbrella from between the narrow rows of the stand without breaking the umbrella ribs or impaling your arm on the ribs of the umbrellas adjacent to it.
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I thought perhaps the slot I had chosen was defective, so I tried a different one, but the same thing happened. After several unsuccessful attempts, my cousin finally figured it out. You must hold the umbrella in place, manually slide the hook around the handle and then turn the key. T he key has a numbered tag, corresponding to the slot. This allows you to easily locate your umbrella upon exiting.