Question of The Day- Stolen Cars
By DB
@dgobucks226 (37621)
October 15, 2017 1:38pm CST
Two very expensive cars were stolen recently near my neighborhood . One was a Porsche and the other a Maserati. With both cars, the owner left their keys in the car and obviously unlocked.
Nothing like making life easy and lending a helping hand to the thief. 
I have left my car unlocked in my driveway for brief periods, but not overnight (unless I forget). I am always double checking my car though, as we have teenagers in our neighborhood who look for unlocked vehicles to steal valuables out of if they are parked on the street.
Do you always lock your car after parking it? If you leave it unlocked what was the reason for doing so? Have you ever had your vehicle stolen and did you recover it? If not you, maybe a friend had their car stolen and you have a good story to share.
Source- Asbury Park Press
Photo- google images/blogcammy.com
I have left my car unlocked in my driveway for brief periods, but not overnight (unless I forget). I am always double checking my car though, as we have teenagers in our neighborhood who look for unlocked vehicles to steal valuables out of if they are parked on the street.
Do you always lock your car after parking it? If you leave it unlocked what was the reason for doing so? Have you ever had your vehicle stolen and did you recover it? If not you, maybe a friend had their car stolen and you have a good story to share.
Source- Asbury Park Press
Photo- google images/blogcammy.com19 people like this
16 responses
@Happy2BeMe (99353)
• Canada
15 Oct 17
I always keep my car locked. I only ever left it opened once by mistake and somebody went through it and even though they didn't steal my car they stole the stereo out of it and I few other things. Since then I always check to make sure it is locked.
2 people like this
@Happy2BeMe (99353)
• Canada
16 Oct 17
@dgobucks226 Yes it is a huge problem here too.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
17 Oct 17
@Happy2BeMe Wait until they own their first car. If they got broken into it would not be so funny then.
1 person likes this
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
15 Oct 17
I always lock my car, even when filling it and especially when going to the cash desk at the filling station. I've never had a car actually stolen but I once had one broken into (they stole a briefcase full of exam papers from the back seat which they must have thought contained a computer) and I also had the entire windscreen stolen from the car outside my house in a quiet residential cul-de-sac (if you know what you are doing, it's actually very quick and easy to pop a windscreen out).
2 people like this
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
16 Oct 17
@dgobucks226 Actually, the briefcase and the papers were found several months later in a hedge not far from where they were stolen. Of course, they weren't much use after such a long time but the briefcase was still serviceable!
These thieves were very far from sophisticated. They just broke a quarter-light to get at the door handle inside and took what was visible. They didn't bother with the radio or anything else in the car.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
16 Oct 17
Oh no, what did you do about the exam papers? Those thieves must of been surprised when they opened that briefcase. Little did they know they were being given a take home exam!
On a serious note, thieves can be really sophisticated in their craft
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
16 Oct 17
@owlwings Oh, I see. Thanks for the explanation.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189957)
• Boise, Idaho
16 Oct 17
I always locked my car. I remember when we lived in the other end of the apartments I had my car broken into. They stole my rear view mirror and that was all. So weird.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (189957)
• Boise, Idaho
16 Oct 17
@dgobucks226 ......Yep. Broke into my car just for the rear view mirror.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
15 Oct 17
I always lock my car but that didn't prevent a car of mine from being stolen. They simply hitched it to a tow truck and when I came out from work, vanished forever.
2 people like this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
16 Oct 17
That's terrible. Wow, that seems like a very sophisticated group of car thieves 
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99367)
• Atlanta, Georgia
16 Oct 17
@dgobucks226 That's true, but some cars are stolen after you've taken all precautions.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
17 Oct 17
@RubyHawk Sadly, some thieves are not deterred by a locked car. 
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
16 Oct 17
A good policy to follow. Better safer than sorrier!
1 person likes this
@nangayo (2290)
• Nairobi, Kenya
16 Oct 17
In our country you wouldn't do that. The thieves will disappear with the car in just a few minutes. Car thieves are experts. I have hear of a man who left his car entered a shop coming out after five or so minutes everything in the car was dismantled the car was a wreck.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (502729)
• Italy
16 Oct 17
@dgobucks226 In Italy the get everything we had a Mini Morris stolen and also a Fiat 500. Now it's a bit better than in the 80's.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
16 Oct 17
I think car thieves look for certain brands of cars to steal. I remember a TV report years ago mentioning this?
1 person likes this
@bluesa (15022)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
17 Oct 17
In my country you have to have a tracker installed in your car, get a lock for your steering wheel, lock your car up, put on the car alarm and then pray your car is still there in the morning. Our criminals don't worry about things like keys.
1 person likes this
@bluesa (15022)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
19 Oct 17
@dgobucks226 
you're right, we just about have to!
you're right, we just about have to!1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
17 Oct 17
Wow, that is some procedure for keeping your car safe! You would need to camouflage your car in S. Africa, lol.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (91155)
• United States
16 Oct 17
I come from NY so we always locked our cars even if it was just leaving it for a minute. Now my car is in the garage so it's not locked but it would be if I had to street park.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
17 Oct 17
Nice to have a garage to put your car into. Out of sight, out of a thief's mind so to speak...
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
22 Oct 17
I live in a small town with no theft or troubles but every time I get out of my car it is locked before I go anywhere.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
22 Oct 17
That is a good practice to follow, even in a safe town. 
1 person likes this
@cintol (11261)
• United States
1 Feb 18
@dgobucks226 I would hope so, that could get pretty costly for the insurance companies and you know whos rates go up to pay it all back. Yep, everyone else who pays insurance
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
1 Feb 18
It is strange because it is an expensive neighborhood. Either the town has a crime free reputation or maybe as you suggest something sneaky is going on. I bet they start locking their cars in the future.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43655)
• Denver, Colorado
18 Oct 17
Back when I owned a motor vehicle, I always locked them I wasn't in them.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
18 Oct 17
Yes, locking yourself in your car would not be good and quite difficult if I catch your drift.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130150)
• Israel
30 Jan 18
I do not have a car anymore. I drive a mobility scooter and I lock it up good no matter where it is. It is my life and transportation so I cannot let anyone steal it from me. People do not care about if the person needs the car, the bike or the scooter when they want to steal things. It is sad that we have to lock things up tight.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130150)
• Israel
31 Jan 18
@dgobucks226
DB, yes it would be, but, life does not work that way.So many people care about themselves and do not care about others.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
31 Jan 18
If everyone was honest what a better world it would be....
1 person likes this
@YrNemo (20254)
•
16 Oct 17
There seemed to be a lot of well organised car thefts in our area lately, but they targeted only expensive new cars. I heard that the people who organized this sort of thing, paid cash to the thieves. The stolen cars then would be taken apart prior to being exported to China or some countries far away.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
16 Oct 17
That is interesting. A very sophisticated operation!
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86855)
• United States
16 Oct 17
I have a very inexpensive car (comparatively speaking), and I have it locked.
In a locked garage.
Behind a locked gate.
The first thing that went through my mind when I read this was that people couldn't afford the payments so they "arranged" to have the cars stolen (making it the insurance company's headache, not theirs). Dang, I've become a conspiracy theorist, haven't I. 
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
16 Oct 17
Well first, congratulations on your Fort Knox type approach to keeping your car safe 
Making a thief go through 3 locks is definitely a deterrent. Secondly, you might be on to something about the insurance conspiracy thing?
Making a thief go through 3 locks is definitely a deterrent. Secondly, you might be on to something about the insurance conspiracy thing?
