GPS owners beware-theft is on the rise !!!!!

[geoff5093]

These are the reasons i'm glad I dont live in a major city. Where I live you can't really even see the houses, so no one locks their cars at night. Even when I work in the city I leave my windows down, and in the past I had a GPS and radar detector in my car, as well as a $400 camera and about $50 in change. Of course thats only because my car isn't left anywhere for more then 30 minutes at a time.

[thapranksta]

30 minutes? You are just not leaving your car around REAL thieves. A good thief doesn't need 5 minutes.

[etc]

Don't attract attention to yourself. Drive a mediocre vehicle, slightly dirty or messy maybe, a dent helps, without all the high end CD players, expensive stuff like rims, and such. Thiefs profile their "marks" and if they see an expensive vehicle, they will target it. However if your car projects a profile "I am a poor college student or starving artist", they will target a BMW ( Break My Windows ) next door.

I practiced this, drove a 2000 Camry CE, M/T, which was as plain-jane and mediocre as possible, and on top, had a salvage title, with one of the headlights popping out slightly and paint peeling off. Mechanically, it was excelllent with low miles. Just totally generic non-head-turner car.

Upgrading to 5th Gen worried me slightly for this reason as it is a nicer, flashier car, but it too is a base "LE" version without anything that stands out. Itt does have upgraded Toyota rims but they are nothing special.

Plus I think gen 6 eclipses it anyway, in this area. So that's good to know. I think the newest car I ever had was 5 years old. That's probably as new as I will ever own.


Secondly, RE: GPS.
Get a GPS you can easily remove and put in your pocket or glove box. Not one of these permanent units. Garmin 60-series is wonderful with that, runs on 2AA cells but can be plugged in to the socket for extended trips. The screen is kind of small to easily read but it's convenient, and very accurate/sensitive.

[geoff5093]

Originally Posted by thapranksta

30 minutes? You are just not leaving your car around REAL thieves. A good thief doesn't need 5 minutes.

lol, I deliver so i'm constantly in and out of my car and the store. If I rolled up my windows every time my window motors would probably be burnt out by now

Besides, it's extremely rare to hear about cars being broken into or stolen around here, although a guy I work with had his car broken into... But he did have a huge sticker ont he back that said "Alpine".

[desentrix]

Originally Posted by etc

Secondly, RE: GPS.
Get a GPS you can easily remove and put in your pocket or glove box. Not one of these permanent units. Garmin 60-series is wonderful with that, runs on 2AA cells but can be plugged in to the socket for extended trips. The screen is kind of small to easily read but it's convenient, and very accurate/sensitive.

The Garmin Nuvi 350 was selling for $300 a little while ago. GPS units will be dropping dramatically in the next 1/2 yr...

BTW, keep your golf clubs in the trunk, and not in the back. Those seem to be real eye-catchers...

[cam4life]

Originally Posted by reprod

^^^ Yeah I cant stand. I had to grow up with it as a kid. I grew up in East New York, Brooklyn. I had so many encounters with these idiots that I lost all patience for it.

I leave nothing visible in my car. I installed tint and I dont do any exterior mods except for rims. Anytime I am approaching home, I turn down my music, park and turn off my HIDs pretty quick. The best way is to not attract attention to yourself.

Sorry about the NAV and setting home to somewhere in your area is definetely the right thing to do.

****************************************
I'm with you reprod. I do the same exact thing in my neighborhood in Jersey. Keep my stereo low, no tints, don’t' even leave my cd case behind every nite. Still it doesn't matter. There are plenty of haters out there that will vandalize your ride for no reason. My 07 Camry was keyed within the first week of purchasing it. Not to mention how many times all the cars I've had over the years got broken into... Plenty of times there were visible fingerprints left behind as well. If the cops really wanted to, they could easily process them and catch the crooks... But the just don't care. I don't even bother filling out a police report any more.

[secrecyguy]

It's a good thing you post this.

I always see people leaving expensive stuff out in the open including people with convertible cars, cars with windows open, etc.

It's like saying, "PLEASE STEAL MY STUFF!".

As for bringing attention to yourself, I agree. That's why I leaving my car stock look. I also don't want to draw cops to my car either. The most I will do is add tinted windows but that's it.

[sky03]

i guess i needa hide my aux plug for my mp3 player from now on =X

[marc780]

I'd bobby trap the car with a venonous snake

[w203]

Originally Posted by JJJJJJ

Here's a good one for you.

One time when I was in college, I stayed at my friends place near BU on Comm Ave (where the green line splits in 3 near Boston Toyota and Star Market).

I had parked by college car, a corolla overnight...the bastards broke the passenger side window...they left a $500 stereo and about $20 worth of change (for laundry) in the car....alot of these are just random vandals getting kicks.

Try parking on the street between the Boston Common and the Public Garden at night. Instant theft.

Originally Posted by marc780

I'd bobby trap the car with a venonous snake

If the thief plans to sue, you will lose.

[thapranksta]

Well, a thief can't sue if he is dead. Plus you can always say that you never knew how it got there.