Hoodlums

[MrBishop]

You can buy alarms that can hit 140dbls and rig them inside the car instead of outside. Strobe lights are interesting too. Personally, I like the hidden camera idea of rJA. Get the evidence and hand it to the Police.

You can also fake an alarm system cheaply.
Better yet...park in visible spots..and preferably close to more expensive looking cars.

 

[Gonz]

Get the evidence and hand it to the Police.

I've known people who tried that. The cops won't even look at it.

 

[catocom]

I've known people who tried that. The cops won't even look at it.

then you turn to the media

 

[Nixy]

You can buy alarms that can hit 140dbls and rig them inside the car instead of outside. Strobe lights are interesting too. Personally, I like the hidden camera idea of rJA. Get the evidence and hand it to the Police.

You can also fake an alarm system cheaply.
Better yet...park in visible spots..and preferably close to more expensive looking cars.

I HAVE an alarm system. However, the glass is not alarmed (I imagine that would be terribly expensive). They didn't open the doors, otherwise the alarm would have went off.

I have to park where I park, it's assigned parking in the underground garage here. A restricted access underground garage at that...

 

[Luis G]

Better yet...park in visible spots..and preferably close to more expensive looking cars.

I don't know how car theft works over there, but over here the most common cars (not necessarily the most expensive) are the ones that get stolen the most.

E.g. if you drive a VW Bora and park it near a Ferrari you're in fact giving protection to the Ferrari.

 

[Gonz]

Silly Mexicans.

 

[MrBishop]

I HAVE an alarm system. However, the glass is not alarmed (I imagine that would be terribly expensive). They didn't open the doors, otherwise the alarm would have went off.

I have to park where I park, it's assigned parking in the underground garage here. A restricted access underground garage at that...

Motion alarm... the kind that sometimes goes off close to heavy fireworks. You can set it so that it doesn't go off if a heavy truck goes by f'r instance..but it will if the body gets rocked by a fender-bender or someone walking across the hood, or someone crawling inside looking for goodies.

**
Make a complaint to the building re: their weak security. Mention protecting it's clients v. several potential crimes.

 

[MrBishop]

I don't know how car theft works over there, but over here the most common cars (not necessarily the most expensive) are the ones that get stolen the most.

E.g. if you drive a VW Bora and park it near a Ferrari you're in fact giving protection to the Ferrari.

Cars get stolen for parts all the time (which is why I've got etched parts, windows etc...).. but this wasn't a case of a car being grabbed for parts or even a joy-ride. It was a quick smash n'grab.

Expensive cars have expensive radios, GPS systems, better electronic toys lying around inside - look for suction-cup marks on the windshield or dash-board, plugs for laptops and iPods sticking out of cigarette-lighter plugs etc...
There are often a lot of clues as to what people have in their car. Even with no immedaite evidence and a limited amount of time to work with..you have better odds of getting something good in a Beemer than you would in a K-car

 

[Nixy]

Motion alarm... the kind that sometimes goes off close to heavy fireworks. You can set it so that it doesn't go off if a heavy truck goes by f'r instance..but it will if the body gets rocked by a fender-bender or someone walking across the hood, or someone crawling inside looking for goodies.

**
Make a complaint to the building re: their weak security. Mention protecting it's clients v. several potential crimes.

The building is aware, they just don't give a shit.

 

[Luis G]

I totally forgot about the topic.

I'm sorry to hear that Nixy, things like that should never happen. You didn't only lose your stuff, but also some money to pay the deductible. That's a bitch.

Last year I got to my car and it had the left rear view mirror broken, I didn't call the insurance company as it was more expensive to pay the deductible than to pay for the new mirror. I ended up paying USD$150 for that when I could have spent it on ANYTHING else for my own benefit.