Last night I made the mistake of leaving my car parked on the street & unlocked for 2 hours. That, it seems, was enough time for one of the shining examples of humanity that walk along the Inter-Urban trail past my house, to try my door, learn that it was unlocked, and help themselves to my Ka-Bar & my ASP baton.
It’s my own fault for leaving my car unlocked, but it just irks me that there are people out there who walk along the road trying every car door to see if they get lucky and get to loot a personal vehicle. It also irks me that the only justice I will ever hope to see for this violation of my property is karmic. I can file a police report, but let’s be honest, all it will do is provide another car prowl data point for the EPD.
If I trusted the targeting accuracy of the criminal justice system more in this country, I’d agree with the idea of cutting off a thief’s finger or hand.
When I drove the Jeep Wrangler, it rarely had doors or a top on. I always left change in the ashtray. Turns out, some of the lower class of citizenry simply want to steal *something*. If they can make off with $.76, they’ll do that rather than prying open the glove compartment.
I had similar thoughts in relation to a bicycle theft some years ago:
http://www.softgreenglow.com/wp/?p=1660
Robb’s right, BTW. When thieves broke into my pickup a while back, they took the BOB and a container full of change, but left the unlocked glovebox alone.
I know some people just like to steal whatever isn’t nailed down or locked up, it’s just irksome. I got enough other crap going on in my life right now, I really don’t need $60 knives & $80 batons needing replacement because somebody just HAD to steal something. And I really liked that knife.
Had somebody steal a 15 year-old hat that I put down while doing some work. Relly pissed me off because it had three irreplacible pins on it.
One of these under the seat?
http://www.huntsmart.com/App_Themes/hs.com/ProductImages/500/DWT-0310.jpg
No… I know you can’t do it unless you like lawsuits but there has to be some way to rig a harmless but embarrasing booby-trap for the scum. Cookies made with X-lax come to mind.
That really bites! I had a car stolen from me once and it was a real PIA even with insurance.
My wife is disabled and some lowlife actually stole her cane at a mall food court.
I left my jeep open a couple of years ago and the ususal low life went in an took the change in the ashtray. Ok, my bad. What pissed me off was that they took the ashtray as well! That was just low.
Sorry! Might have been worse if locked? In north Contra Costa County Calif., the perpetrators often smash windows (like mine Memorial Day Monday – http://www.crowndot.com/car-in-shop-day) when the car is locked. I can’t imagine the stuff they took would even have flea market value.
I am reminded of a line from a comedian some years back: “Some people just look better dead.”
The break-in that broke my heart was when I lived in Enumclaw, got home from work and someone had crawled in my back bedroom window and tore the room apart. They left obviously more valuable things than they took which to me and the police indicated kids on a dare to “take something” had been the most likely culprits. What they took could not ever be replaced and had no value other than sentimental ……….. they took my deceased parents’ wedding rings.
Some assholes just know instinctivly how to raise their little thieves right and the world’s full of em !
Why can’t somebody break in and steal my ex-wife out of her house?
I lost my winter survival box last year, stolen right out of my driveway. Everything’s replaceable, but I had $500 deductible theft insurance, and would have only gotten a couple hundred, plus would have a claim on the insurance, so I didn’t file it.
I don’t know about that “urban” trick of leaving change in the car to get stolen instead of more valuable stuff. That might mollify some bum who is looking for loose change to finance his next short dog, but the average thief lives on fenced value, and won’t be mollified.
Even if you have to park several doors away from your destination, try to find a house to park in front of that has a yappy dog. That’s not as good as a guard dog, but there are lots more yappy dogs.
Asp? Even if you’re good with one, and it takes much work in the dojo to get that way, it’s never as intimidating as something stouter, like a 24″ Monadnock side-handle baton, or even a nice, black-painted axe-handle (sledge-hammer handle if you can find one). The Asp won’t break bones with most strikes, it is designed as a whip to inflict sharp pain to force compliance with arrest orders. You want to break bones while deterring a mugger. Much less likelihood of the mugger fighting through a few well-placed ax-handle blows, and the ax-handle gives good protection from an overhand strike in case the mugger actually wants to get it on with you when you face him down, few will.
If you want deny-ability for your hand-weapon, mount a trailer hitch on your vehicle, and carry a 16″ adjustable wrench or 20″ 1/2 or 3/4 drive flex-handle and socket to tighten the main hitch-ball nut with. It will sit nicely in the door pocket if you have one, alongside the seat if you don’t. It makes a nice hand weapon.
“It’s my own fault for leaving my car unlocked”
Don’t blame yourself for living in a society where it’s necessary to lock your car (or indeed your house)…
Had my van stolen in North Highlands, CA in 1984. It turned up missing the stereo, seats, batteries, etc, and spare key I foolishly put in the ashtray.
I made a big production of replacing the stereo, and some other things. Left the boxes on top of my garbage cans. Disabled the ignition, put a can on top of the rear tire, and slept in the bushes. Second day, the can drops and I come out of the bushes with the car in the middle of the street. I put my 9mm up to the window and ordered him out and onto the ground. He started to take off, running toward a van parked a few houses down. I put a round through his thigh, lacerating his femoral artery. I stopped the bleeding by kneeling on the wound and putting pressure on the groin where the femoral passes through the inguinal ring. Cops were sympathetic, crafted a nicely worded report, and no charges were filed against me. I was lucky, it could have gone the other way. He lived, and was walking on crutches afew days later. He was a scumbag, and should have died.