Boyfriend's car just got burgled... :(

[Nataly 38]

So they tore off the rear-view mirror, messed up the car a bit, took a SUUNTO AMBIT, which is like a fancy sport/GPS 007-type watch, some ski gear, his waterproof camera, et cetera, et cetera.

We were about to head off for a quick break but now he doesn't feel much like a holiday...

It's been a bummer of a month for us...

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

[freethefly 6]

Some jerk once took my whole truck down in Mississippi. Had all of my clothes, tools, gun, about 100 cassette tapes (it was 1989), new tires and rims. I wasn't stranded as I had my Sperry railcar and was testing rail on the old ICG RR. Sucks to lose what you work hard for to a thief.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[Nataly 38]

freethefly

Some jerk once took my whole truck down in Mississippi. Had all of my clothes, tools, gun, about 100 cassette tapes (it was 1989), new tires and rims. I wasn't stranded as I had my Sperry railcar and was testing rail on the old ICG RR. Sucks to lose what you work hard for to a thief.

Did they ever find the car/culprit?

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

[quade 3]

Nataly

. . . took a SUUNTO AMBIT, which is like a fancy sport/GPS 007-type watch, some ski gear, his waterproof camera, et cetera, et cetera.

What were all the valuables doing in the car?

I'm not sure about where you live, but to me that's simply an invitation to have the car get busted into.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[freethefly 6]

Nataly

***Some jerk once took my whole truck down in Mississippi. Had all of my clothes, tools, gun, about 100 cassette tapes (it was 1989), new tires and rims. I wasn't stranded as I had my Sperry railcar and was testing rail on the old ICG RR. Sucks to lose what you work hard for to a thief.

Did they ever find the car/culprit?

County sheriff that showed up told me that chances are they already "smoked your truck." Meaning they sold it and bought crack. Never saw my truck again. It was a white 1979 GMC 4x4, 350 4 barrel, cam and headers, 6 inch lift, big tires and nice rims (one week old, had them put on in Memphis the past Saturday) and, I had one bad ass stereo system in her. It was a very nice truck.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[JohnMitchell 14]

quade

I'm not sure about where you live, but to me that's simply an invitation to have the car get busted into.

We have a rule at our place. No guns, no parachutes in the cars outside overnight. That's where most thefts occur.

Jumper I know had his rig stolen from his truck in the driveway, leaving it in there overnight to get a fast start to the DZ in the morning. Like it takes all of 5 seconds to scoop that bag up and carry it out. Funny thing was, this guy was a cop. Talk about should have known better.

[oldwomanc6 38]

quade

*** . . . took a SUUNTO AMBIT, which is like a fancy sport/GPS 007-type watch, some ski gear, his waterproof camera, et cetera, et cetera.

What were all the valuables doing in the car?

I'm not sure about where you live, but to me that's simply an invitation to have the car get busted into.

I understand what you are saying, but I Hate the mentality of thinking the victim is at fault.

Would you say that if she was personally victimised? Or if her things were visible in her living room?

Why are cars fair game?

I call BULLSHIT on the thieves.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[Nataly 38]

quade

*** . . . took a SUUNTO AMBIT, which is like a fancy sport/GPS 007-type watch, some ski gear, his waterproof camera, et cetera, et cetera.

What were all the valuables doing in the car?

I'm not sure about where you live, but to me that's simply an invitation to have the car get busted into.

All these items were small, in a bag, in the trunk (so not visible/inviting). Except the CDs and radio/stereo... Again, not great CDs and a crap stereo, but having a crap stereo is better than not having one. The car was locked up, and parked on a road that has traffic 24/7. They would have acted in broad daylight because he'd just come back from skiing in the morning and decided to temporarily leave the small stuff in the car.

They tore off the rear-view mirror. They tried prying open every door and left the passenger-side door open. My guess: the car is old and seemed easier to break into than a newer car. I don't think they were after anything in particular - just grab anything and see what they get. His car is really dirty/messy (empty bags of crisps, paper on the floor, crumbs everywhere, half-eaten sandwiches... )... They got lucky with the contents of his back-pack, but there was nothing inviting the thieves except that the car would be "easy" to break into.

They also took a box of "emergency spaghetti" that had been in the glove box for years... I hope they eat it.

I also agree with Lisa: the thieves are to blame, not the victims.

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

I don't know about that; I've had a couple of older cars where the locks didn't function correctly, so I just left them unlocked all the time, and no one ever touched them for years. It's the fancy cars I had broken into.

I'd guess it was someone who knew there were valuables in the car to take. That could have been someone who was watching when stuff was being rearranged/put in the trunk or someone who knows you personally well enough to know you were on or going on a vacation.

I didn't store particularly valuable items in the cars that had the bad locks, but there was a CB radio visible on the passenger seat for years in one of them and no one ever took it. I do try to make sure my crappy looking car is parked near fancier ones if I can! No one's going to go after the 15 year old RX7 with a crappy paint job if there's a Mercedes in the lot.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Quote

I've had a couple of older cars where the locks didn't function correctly, so I just left them unlocked all the time, and no one ever touched them for years.

I am in the same predicament right now. The lock on the passenger side of my Jeep Wrangler is buggered up and because if one door can get messed up, you know the same problem can occur on the other door. So for the last year I have just been leaving the Jeep unlocked and I don't really keep anything valuable in it that could not easily be replaced.

Also years ago while living in the Vancouver area. Whenever I would go visit Jaap (a jumper from the area) who lived in the Gastown district adjacent to Hastings and Main (crack capital of Canada where hundreds of homeless drug zombies roam the streets), I would leave my Jeep unlocked. I figured if some junkie wanted in to either try to steal something or to find a place to sleep in, it would be better to just leave the doors open as opposed to coming back to find one or more window smashed. Of course it never happened but I wasn't sure what I would do if I arrived back at the Jeep to find some junkie passed out in it. Call the cops? What else can you do? If they refuse to leave. But it never happened.

PS: I once was a victim of an apartment break in where my place was trashed. So I do sympathize with the OP if she and her significant other feel violated with this event.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[quade 3]

oldwomanc6

****** . . . took a SUUNTO AMBIT, which is like a fancy sport/GPS 007-type watch, some ski gear, his waterproof camera, et cetera, et cetera.

What were all the valuables doing in the car?

I'm not sure about where you live, but to me that's simply an invitation to have the car get busted into.

I understand what you are saying, but I Hate the mentality of thinking the victim is at fault.

I'm not saying the victim is to blame. I'm saying the victim wasn't smart about the general dangers of life.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Andy9o8 0]

Quote

It's the fancy cars I had broken into.

Were you good at it? Is that how you funded your education?

[ryoder 1,412]

CanuckInUSA

Also years ago while living in the Vancouver area. Whenever I would go visit Jaap (a jumper from the area) who lived in the Gastown district adjacent to Hastings and Main (crack capital of Canada where hundreds of homeless drug zombies roam the streets), I would leave my Jeep unlocked. I figured if some junkie wanted in to either try to steal something or to find a place to sleep in, it would be better to just leave the doors open as opposed to coming back to find one or more window smashed.

In the mid-90's a coworker had a Honda which had a side-window smashed in the theft of the stereo. I don't recall the exact number, but it cost him an insane amount of money to replace the window; Several times the value of the stereo. After that, he just quit locking the car because he had nothing in the car worth more than the window.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[quade 3]

ryoder

In the mid-90's a coworker had a Honda which had a side-window smashed in the theft of the stereo. I don't recall the exact number, but it cost him an insane amount of money to replace the window; Several times the value of the stereo. After that, he just quit locking the car because he had nothing in the car worth more than the window.

I know this one dude who had something like a million dollars in a briefcase and left it in his car when he went bowling.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[ryoder 1,412]

quade

***In the mid-90's a coworker had a Honda which had a side-window smashed in the theft of the stereo. I don't recall the exact number, but it cost him an insane amount of money to replace the window; Several times the value of the stereo. After that, he just quit locking the car because he had nothing in the car worth more than the window.

I know this one dude who had something like a million dollars in a briefcase and left it in his car when he went bowling.

I hear from the boys down at the crime lab, they've got four more detectives working on the case.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

Andy9o8

Quote

It's the fancy cars I had broken into.

Were you good at it? Is that how you funded your education?

Hah!

I had a second hand 300zx for a while that I really didn't pay that much for, but it was a good looking car. Even with nothing in the car, someone threw a tire iron through the driver's side door while I in a movie in Montgomery. They made off with one T-Top (You'd think they'd steal the other one too after going to all that trouble.) Couple years later someone actually stole one of the rear windows out of the car while I was at the beach in Florida. Damn thing cost several hundred dollars to replace and the guys who did the work didn't do a very good job of it, too.

That was all back in the '90's. I try not to park the new Z in the crack hood.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[Nataly 38]

quade

I'm not saying the victim is to blame. I'm saying the victim wasn't smart about the general dangers of life.

To agree with you would be the equivalent of saying "I told him so." Which I did. But that doesn't make anyone feel any better about the situation... Even if they had come away with just the 4-year-old spaghetti, they still did a lot of damage to the car itself. And again - it was broad daylight in a very busy/populated area.

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

[davjohns 1]

I once foolishly left a car in a parking garage in downtown Birmingham. Someone smashed a window and went through it. Stole the pop CDs; left the Manilow CDs (barbarians); completely missed the pistol wedged between the seat and console.

Nat - you know sex is a great way to get his mind off things, right?

I know it just wouldnt be right to kill all the stupid people that we meet..

But do you think it would be appropriate to just remove all of the warning labels and let nature take its course.

[craigbey 0]

Wait ... Manilow CDs?

[DrDom 0]

*** Someone smashed a window and went through it. Stole the pop CDs; left the Manilow CDs (barbarians);
quote]

animals.

FYI leaving a gun in a car (or anywhere not secured in a safe) is never a good idea; if you need to I recommend some sort of secured container at least cable locked to something sturdy. Otherwise you just armed another criminal.

I've gotten to the point when I leave my car anywhere questionable I take the face off the stereo and leave the empty glove box open. Nothing to steal, no real reason to break in.

You are not the contents of your wallet.

[davjohns 1]

I agree. It's been a long time ago. I don't recall the circumstances, but I had no intention of leaving the car. I somehow ended up far away and made the bad call that it would be ok there overnight.

I know it just wouldnt be right to kill all the stupid people that we meet..

But do you think it would be appropriate to just remove all of the warning labels and let nature take its course.

[theonlyski 3]

ryoder

***Also years ago while living in the Vancouver area. Whenever I would go visit Jaap (a jumper from the area) who lived in the Gastown district adjacent to Hastings and Main (crack capital of Canada where hundreds of homeless drug zombies roam the streets), I would leave my Jeep unlocked. I figured if some junkie wanted in to either try to steal something or to find a place to sleep in, it would be better to just leave the doors open as opposed to coming back to find one or more window smashed.

In the mid-90's a coworker had a Honda which had a side-window smashed in the theft of the stereo. I don't recall the exact number, but it cost him an insane amount of money to replace the window; Several times the value of the stereo. After that, he just quit locking the car because he had nothing in the car worth more than the window.

Many pilots I know don't bother locking their planes when they park them. Idea is, if you want my radios, take them, but don't fuck up the airframe trying to get to them.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[wolfriverjoe 1,371]

CanuckInUSA

Also years ago while living in the Vancouver area. Whenever I would go visit Jaap (a jumper from the area) who lived in the Gastown district adjacent to Hastings and Main (crack capital of Canada where hundreds of homeless drug zombies roam the streets), I would leave my Jeep unlocked. I figured if some junkie wanted in to either try to steal something or to find a place to sleep in, it would be better to just leave the doors open as opposed to coming back to find one or more window smashed. Of course it never happened but I wasn't sure what I would do if I arrived back at the Jeep to find some junkie passed out in it. Call the cops? What else can you do? If they refuse to leave. But it never happened.

I knew a guy who lived in a really bad part of Oakland CA. He didn't lock his car, but still had someone smash a window to break in (too lazy to try the door first?), so he got in the habit of leaving a window down too. Every so often he had to kick a bum out, but he said he'd just shake them awake and tell them to go find somewhere else.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[JohnMitchell 14]

theonlyski

Many pilots I know don't bother locking their planes when they park them. Idea is, if you want my radios, take them, but don't fuck up the airframe trying to get to them.

For many years I drove a convertible. Never, ever locked it. I'd much rather replace the cheap stereo (did it twice) than to repair or replace a slashed top.

[ryoder 1,412]

When I was in my late teens I worked in a gas station.
This was back in the days before self-service.

One day a full-size Chevy pulled in. I went up to the driver, asked him how much he needed, then grabbed the pump nozzle, went back and flipped the license plate down, and...there was no gas cap, or even a filler tube.

About this time the driver had gotten out, came back to me, unlocked the trunk, and there was the gas tank...sitting loose in the trunk He explained that he lived in Gary IN, and this was the only way to ensure his gas stayed in the tank when the car was parked.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.