Probably doesn't help much when the manual is in the glove box of a locked car.

Ideally one would read it beforehand and memorize the important emergency stuff, like what to do when your key fob doesn’t work.

Ideally. But it is a funny image.

And there is something to be said for not being that guy who says "should have read the manual!" when another human being, however flawed, gets stuck in a situation they don't know their way out of.

Absolutely. I’m mostly pointing out that people don’t do this.

It seems like it would be worthwhile for the industry to come up with a standard symbol for “hold your key fob here to make it work when the battery is dead” and print it on the appropriate spot on the car.

That's what smart phones and Google are for. Saved me once.