This is Why...
By cortjo73
@cortjo73 (6498)
United States
June 6, 2008 1:07pm CST
So, I got an email from my Block Captain in my subdivision today. It informed me, along with everyone else in my subdivision that has signed up to receive emails from their Block Captains, that several cars on my street were broken into and burglarized last night. Why? Because they were easily accessible. How? Because the homeowners left their cars on their driveways and one parked theirs in their garage but left their garage door open. And, even worse, they left these vehicle UNLOCKED. Seriously? Really? Have they suddenly lost the ability to read in English when the reports in the newspaper have come out about gas siphoning from people's own driveways? Have they lost their hearing or the ability to understand english again when the newscasters are warning us over and over again to make sure we stay vigilant about our vehicles because of gas siphoning? Have they simply not been paying attention to the past several warning, even in the monthly newsletter that goes out from my Homeowner's Association that has said over and over again that people have had their vehicles broken into while they sat on the driveways and in their open garages? I feel bad for any of my neighbors that it may have happened to but, I have to wonder why they didn't take the warning seriously. Do they simply think that they couldn't be burglarized? Because...guess what! You can and now you have!
I park my car in my garage and close my garage door. The hubby has been taking his motorcycle to work and in order for him to drive his motorcycle back into the garage when he gets home, my car has to be in the driveway. I won't leave it there and I didn't last night when the other cars on my street were being burglarized. I can't tell you how glad I am that I continued to go about listening to my instincts. Now, if I had left my car on the driveway, I would have locked it so, there is a distinct possibility that it might have been touched but walked away from because it was locked!
So, what about all of you? Do you heed the warnings in your area when you hear about break-ins? Are you in the habit of ignoring the warnings, no matter how close they are to your home? Do you think that, if you haven't been heeding the warnings, this will sort of give you pause to perhaps start heeding any warnings your area has given you? I know it may not have hit close to your home but, try thinking about it from the standpoint of my neighbors. They didn't think it was that close to their homes either. They were wrong!
3 people like this
9 responses
@minnie_98214 (10557)
• United States
6 Jun 08
I dont heed the warnings but then again I got nothing worth stealing lol. My car is a 91 dodge shadow so they can steal it but no promises it will get them anywhere as it randomly stalls lol. And well being I dont work I dont keep much gas in my tank anyways. So if they really want to try and steal the gas I think they are in for a dissappointment in fact my tanks so empty now that it may be more worth while to steal the gas from my lawn mower. And as for my stereo well its a tape player and all the buttons stick so please take it then mabey my hubby will get me a new one. Plus my car is a soft top convertable so if they wanted in its pretty easy to do seeing the top has holes in it hehehe. Yeah i know my car sucks but its paid for and gets me where I need to go.
1 person likes this
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
6 Jun 08
Ah! So, only benefits could come from you being burglarized! LOL!
See, the problem for some people is that they leave their purses, brief cases, laptops, wallets, and all other kinds of valuable things in their cars. So, while I don't yet know what was stolen, I do know something was. I am sure they will fill us in with more details. Although, sometimes they don't get as specific as far as what was taken, only that property was broken into and then they ask us for any info we might have.
But, I can see why you wouldn't care. In my neighborhood, people drive BMW's and Lexus' and Mercedes. Not me. I don't need that kind of car. But, they aren't uncommon in my hood. So, I am sure that someone's nice expensive car got burglarized, along with some expensive sunglasses, probably some cds, maybe their GPS and likely other gadgets. I hate to say, "They told you so..." but...
1 person likes this
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
6 Jun 08
Oh minnie, I am so jealous now! Those are my favorite cars. My little green 1994 one is sitting out in the driveway with a bad fuel pump. I'm going to strip all the good parts off to sell and send what's left to the scrap yard...I really hate to but I need the money and s/o will not spend the $200 for the new pump.
2 people like this
@minnie_98214 (10557)
• United States
6 Jun 08
Yeah some people are stupid lol. I mean a nice car is great but at least take care of it people. If i could afford a car like that i might hire a guard to watch it at night.
Sorry yours is broken mine has issues to but we will just drive it till it wont go anymore lol.
1 person likes this
@chertsy (3798)
• United States
7 Jun 08
It hasn't got to that point around our neighborhood, thank the goodness, but it will happen somewhere down the line. I don't think people will steal a car, but take gas, or that one part that's been stolen a lot that's worth a lot of money. Unless people who leave their vehicles outside locked up along with a lock on their gas tank cap's, this will be going on far into the future. I put mine in the garage, with the garage door down, and when it's down, there's no getting into it from the outside.
1 person likes this
@chertsy (3798)
• United States
8 Jun 08
I love my garage, and don't see why people don't use theirs. Inside the garage gets hot during the summer, but at least the inside of my Xterra isn't hot to get inside, like it would sitting out in the direct heat. When it's raining, I don't miss, running out in the rain to get 2 kids inside or out. When it's cold, I don't miss, having to go outside to defrost my windows. Sorry I could go on. I see garages around me, that has room for a car, but they still park outside, for reasons I don't know. Right across the street from me, they park outside, because the husband has a riding lawn mower, gym equipment, and 2 push mowers. Then I see them having to hurry up to get inside when it's raining. We have ours inside with 2 push mowers, a soccer net, a table, 2 bikes, 2 scooters, 1 tricycle, and other things.
We will have to make room once we get a new car down the road. I already know we can, because I seen a neighbor's garage that fits a mini van, that's bigger or about the same size as our Xterra, and a small compact car inside, along with a lawn mower and other sorts of stuff. We don't keep important stuff in the xterra, when we lived in apartments. My biggest fear if leaving it out of the garage over night, is our gas being stolen.
1 person likes this
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
7 Jun 08
I am glad that you make use of your garage! And that you keep your door down. I have actually seen garages in my neighborhood that are jam packed, wall to wall with junk, stuff and crap! So, their cars sit on the driveway while their junk, stuff and crap is safe and secure in their jam packed garage. LOL! Good thing! I would hate to see anyone steal that little plastic toy lawn mower that their kids haven't used for 4 years, get stolen! LOL! While their purse or briefcase with important identifying information sits in their car on the driveway overnight, practically unprotected. LOL!
1 person likes this
@ambkeb (782)
• United States
6 Jun 08
I guess I am lucky that I live in alittle podunk place. There isnt even cops LOL I cant actually say that I have ever heard of people getting anything stolen from around here. We dont even lock our doors to our houses. It is so sad that people who live in the bigger cities, and towns that have to worry about stuff like that. Im not real sure if I could handle it. I like my little country area. (the "town" i live in isnt even considered a town...its a village. LOL that is actually what it says on the sign)
1 person likes this
@Angelwhispers (8978)
• United States
6 Jun 08
The gas siphoning has been getting worse int he bigger cities around us, so far our small neck of the woods has not been affected as of yet. We do not have a garage, but a two car car port that is open in the front. It is enclosed on three sides, alot of good that would do us however. We do lock the doors and have bought a locked gas cap. Not much more we can do than that. But yes mame we pay attention. The desperation is only going to get worse unless something is done soon.
1 person likes this
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
7 Jun 08
I wonder if there is any way you could have a garage door installed on your carport? That might be a good investment. And, not just for the siphoning. That wasn't the problem with the burglaries on my street the other night. They stole belongings from the cars. But, I am sure that it won't be too long before whomever committed the thefts of property in the cars on my street, decide that they could use some gas too.
I am glad to hear you got locks on your tanks! I remember that you were worried about it a little while ago!
Now, maybe it is time to put a door on your car port! If that is possible!
@Rosekitty (19368)
• San Marcos, Texas
7 Jun 08
Hi Cortjo
Even though you heeded the warnings, thiefs will find a way since they seem to be very bold about what they are doing now...its almost like they want to get caught or feel they are invincible.
So sad to have anyone's hard earned money put in a gas tank to be stolen in minutes by these idiots..and glad yours didn't get hit
1 person likes this
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
7 Jun 08
Hey Rosekitty!
I am all too aware that people heck bent on doing harm to others will stop at nothing to get what they want. I know that, there are times that nothing you do will protect you, no matter how much effort you put into trying to make it really hard for someone to take what is yours.
And, as for the siphoning, that was just an example of what we are being told to watch out for. That wasn't what happened on my street. The people who burglarized the folks on my street, actually took personal belongings from their cars. I don't know what exactly. But, I would imagine anything from GPS units to purses. Anything people would leave in their cars.
And, I am glad mine didn't get hit either! Thank you!
@Palmerhusky (843)
• United States
6 Jun 08
see heres the thing. These warnings that your block captain is giving is really nothing more than common sense. I can look at a newspaper or watch the six o'clock news on any given day and see that i need to lock my doors at night. Anyone not locking their doors at night are really giving an invitation to criminals to steel whatever they want from their cars and homes. common people, look at the world around you and you will see that you don't need block captains and such to tell you to keep your home and belongings safe because you should already be doing that. Sadly, it seems that common sense these days is not a commodity but rather a sad deficit where home owners are concerned. but i guess not everyone uses that wonderful gray matter that calls their skull "home". hope they like having nothing because if they have to be told to keep their things safe over and over again, then get broken into and things stolen from them, and yet they continue to leave their stuff open and easily accessible then they are just asking for it. hope they have good insurance or at the very least can afford to replace it all. so yes, i would lock everything up at night and whenever im not there to keep my belongings safe, and that without having to be told multiple times.
1 person likes this
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
7 Jun 08
AGREED! LOL! I feel the same way! It is common sense to me to keep my stuff under lock and key. I didn't have to be told. I was already protective of my stuff but, having been warned only made me slightly more protective. But, not some! For whatever reason, there are still people who were not concerned before and then, even after being warned multiple times, they still chose to ignore the warnings. I don't get it! But, I guess that some people simply have to learn the hard way before they will get it through their thick skulls. I don't get why! You would think that people would have natural instincts that would tell them that there always dangers of people wanting what isn't rightfully theirs and those people will stop at almost nothing to get what isn't rightfully theirs. But, apparently, that isn't enough to scare some people! They are probably the type of people who think nothing can hurt them. Not thieves, not an accident, not a disease...nothing. They really aught to think again. But, for those on my street, it is a little too late!
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
6 Jun 08
I think s/o needs to get a locking gas cap at least for his beast. No one will go near it to steal anything from inside...because it looks like a pile of junk even though he does actually have some expensive stuff inside....but anyone who knows anything about his vehicle knows those things have 34 gallon gas tank tucked up underneath. He fills up every Thursday without fail (and you can smell it when it's full anyway) so it wouldn't take a genius to score a whole lot of gas and as big as it is a person can easily stay hidden while siphoning it out.
1 person likes this
@makingpots (11915)
• United States
6 Jun 08
We have only recently started hearing siphoning stories in our area. What amazes me in my area is the breakins caused by people leaving laptops, phones and even purses sitting on the seat of their locked car. We have lock and hide signs as reminders and people just seem to think it wont happen to them.
My husband used to leave our garage door open while he was doing yardwork until one day we got a notice left on the doorknob of the door leading into our house from the garage. It was a preprinted item from the police department telling us that many of our valuables could have been taken in the time in took them to walk into our garage and leave that note unnoticed.
You can just never be too sure. Good for you, cortjo, for following your instincts. They will not fail you.
1 person likes this
@enola1692 (3323)
• United States
6 Jun 08
I know its sad that we need to worry about things like our gas being stolen from our cars we had our car stolen a few years ago by some kids the funny thing thu is there was no power steering pump in it we were replaceing the old pump with a new one I still havn't figure how the stole the car when they couldnt' sterr it it was found later up againgst a tree yes they crashed it an of course got caught an went to jail
1 person likes this
@cortjo73 (6498)
• United States
7 Jun 08
I am glad they got busted and went to jail. And, they must have really needed wheels to steal something that wasn't working properly! LOL!
I would say that they probably started stealing it by putting it in neutral and pushing it away from your house, or wherever they stole it from, and they must just have figured that the steering was a bit difficult while the car was in neutral, then, once they got in and turned it on, they might have figured that it was too late to give up and kept trying only to end up crashing it but, I don't know. LOL! I guess that it is hard for a person who wouldn't do something like that to try to understand the mind of a criminal. They don't make sense to us! LOL!
