If your car isn't locked...

[Raveni]

They apparently have you confused with Batman.....

Ah, another common complaint is that people want us to figure out whose dog poop wasn't picked up.

"Ma'am, we don't employ any doggie detectives. If YOU don't know who did it, we sure don't either."

[Moosenogger]

I'm so paranoid about theft that I was legitimately surprised when I left an expensive college textbook on top of my car in the garage and no one stole it.

[Argabarga]

I don't know if it's still on, but there was this show on TV where they'd demonstrate how easy it was to rob someone by arranging for a person to leave their home/place of work for the day, and use all their regular security/lock up procedures, (usually just locking the front door, if that) and then the shows "consultants" would come by and rob the place, often with casual ease, just to show how easy it is to lose a LOT of stuff when you aren't careful.

I remember one particular business owner who was amazed that people continued to walk by on the sidewalk as several guys loaded up their van full of stolen swag from the curb in front of his place, after entering through an unlocked window and then just unlocking the door

"WHY ISN'T ANYONE STOPPING THEM? I THOUGHT MY NEIGHBORS WOULD WATCH MY PLACE!" he said with jaw dropped as he watched the footage....

As it turned out, he hadn't installed any security, as he'd assumed living/doing business in a "nice" neighborhood was all the protection he needed, as surely everyone around him would KNOW who was allowed and not allowed on his property.... and would surely call the police!

I guess he's also one of these guys who thinks that robbers all belong to some formal trade union and have to wear tiny little black masks, striped shirts, and carry around a sack with "$" on the side so they can be easily recognized

What a dope.

[sms001]

I'm so paranoid realistic about theft that I was legitimately surprised. . . .

Common sense. You have it, SCs don't.

[Raveni]

I don't know if it's still on, but there was this show on TV where they'd demonstrate how easy it was to rob someone by arranging for a person to leave their home/place of work for the day, and use all their regular security/lock up procedures, (usually just locking the front door, if that) and then the shows "consultants" would come by and rob the place, often with casual ease, just to show how easy it is to lose a LOT of stuff when you aren't careful.

This one?

The ones that were the best were the ones where they had an alarm system, but simply didn't turn it on. There was one where a car lover left the keys to his car out in plain sight, so they loaded it up with loot and took it too.

[Andara Bledin]

I know perfectly well that my house is fairly easy to break into - we've got sliding windows instead of the standard style. If those things are open at all, they're pathetically easy to just pop out of the frame. So easy, in fact, that that's how I used to clean them in the last place I was in that had them.

Locking the doors is just to deter the casual thieves who aren't planning to smash a back window.

^-.-^

[manybellsdown]

as he'd assumed living/doing business in a "nice" neighborhood was all the protection he needed

I used to live in a city that routinely makes top 10 lists of "safest cities in America." During that time my car was broken into half a dozen times, and my husband's car was stolen out of our (allegedly) security patrolled lot.

Then we moved to Los Angeles and the worst thing that's happened is people scavenge soda cans out of our recycling bin. You never know.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Tis' far better to trust no one and be surprised by genuine honesty than to trust everyone and be surprised by genuine dishonesty....

Ah! The philosophy of "optimistic pessimism".

"Always expect the worst that way you're never disappointed, only pleasantly surprised."

[EricKei]

I have routinely looked up crime reports for a job at a publication -- I can say without hesitation that 90% or better of ALL car "break-ins"/items stolen and vehicles stolen (especially in downtown areas!) took place with vehicles that had been left unlocked. The criminals themselves routinely tell the cops that all they had to do was walk along a line of cars, pulling on the door handles to see which ones were unlocked >_> Once in a while, the victims admit it, too. Just because your car is in your garage, doesn't mean you should leave it unlocked...especially if, ya know, the garage door is still open...

[sirwired]

I wish the car thieves in my old neighborhood were that smart. My then-GF (now-wife) parked her soft-top Jeep Wrangler (the old kind with vinyl side-windows) at my apartment overnight once while we were out. Some thieves tried to break into it, and failed. They tried to pry the window away from the roof, messing up both the window and the roof (doing about $1300 in damage.)

The kicker? Even if they didn't have so much as a Swiss Army knife among them to just slice through the plastic, the rear windows unzip from the outside.

[protege]

Some thieves tried to break into it, and failed. They tried to pry the window away from the roof, messing up both the window and the roof (doing about $1300 in damage.)

Thieves really aren't all that bright. When I still had my Ford Tempo (a beat-up '87 model, with questionable brakes), I never locked it if I was at the mall. Sometimes, I even left the keys in it. I figured, if someone wanted that heap, they could have it. Even though it was unlocked, someone went to the trouble of attempting to 'pop' the passenger-side door lock...destroying the lock and damaging the door in the process. Left me with a $500 repair bill. Never paid that, as the car was totaled a few months later.

Then there was my Mazda. That had multiple attempts at breaking in. First time, all that got taken was my $5 parking pass. At the time, my then-GF and had returned to her place from the store, and apparently left the car unlocked. All that was taken was my parking pass for work. Everything else--CDs, expensive stereo, change in the ashtray, tools, train stuff, etc. was left alone. Apparently, the crook was more interested in accessing the building. No damage to the car even.

Second time, I wasn't as lucky. Car was parked in Dormont, about a block from a certain hobby shop on West Liberty. Since it was quite warm that night, I'd left the windows down about an inch. Imagine my surprise, when I got into the car, went to drop the front passenger window...and all I got was buzzing. Seems that rather than simply break the window, someone had grabbed the *glass* and attempted to force the window down...trashing the power mechanism in the process. Leaving me with a $250 bill for parts and labor

Otherwise, my cars are always locked when I'm not around. Even in the driveway.

[Skelly]

I guess he's also one of these guys who thinks that robbers all belong to some formal trade union and have to wear tiny little black masks, striped shirts, and carry around a sack with "$" on the side so they can be easily recognized

What a dope.

Only in Ankh-Morpork, where burglars are required to wear a mask, striped jumper, flat cap, and a sack with the word "SWAG" written on it .

[dalesys]

Only in Ankh-Morpork, where burglars are required to wear a mask, striped jumper, flat cap, and a sack with the word "SWAG" written on it .

But they go give you an "Already Donated this quarter" receipt, so the next dude will return your stuff.

[Andara Bledin]

Otherwise, my cars are always locked when I'm not around. Even in the driveway.

As my driving instructor pointed out, it's more important to lock your car doors when you are around than when you're not.

You can always (eventually) replace things. Yourself; not so much.

^-.-^

[EricKei]

protege -- a friend of my brother's back in the day (yo) had an old pickup truck that, to all who were not in the know, looked like it was begging to be put down, just so it would be out of its misery...It had everything working (like brake lights) needed to pass inspections, but the exterior/sound of it looked so decrepit that people often wondered how he ever got it to start in the first place. He maintained this illusion in order to discourage thieves from stealing the $2500+ stereo system that was installed -- and also carefully disguised -- within ^_^