Car theft

[Prophet Zacharia]

I’ve never had a bike stolen. I’ve had my car stolen twice, once from the driveway behind my apartment and once from the street outside my apartment building. I felt pretty victimized with the first theft, they beat the hell out of it on a joy ride and abandoned it a few miles from my home. Stole all my personal content, including a semester’s worth of textbooks and my backpack used for school. I felt to blame for not using The Club while parked in the driveway.

The second time I woke up to a call from a neighboring community’s police, asking if I knew where my car was. I told him I knew where I had parked it, but that he probably knew better than me as to where it was that morning. This was a more professional job, they left it at a local hotel parking lot after stealing the radio. 
 

Have you lost a car to thieves, either permanently or temporarily?

[jsharr ★]

My mom gave a car to her mother.  Buick Regal.  It was stolen.  Reported stolen to Dallas police.  Years later mom get a call from the impound lot wanting her to come get her car and pay the fines.  She told them it was stolen and insurance owned it now.  Took a bit to get that sorted.

I once left my truck running in the driveway as I ran back into the house to get something.  A good friend walked by and saw my truck running in the drive, so he jumped in and drove off.  I came flying out of the house feeling sick that my new truck was driving off.   He drove about a block and parked it and got out laughing his ass off.  It was pretty damn funny in hindsight.

[ChrisL]

5 minutes ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

I’ve never had a bike stolen. I’ve had my car stolen twice, once from the driveway behind my apartment and once from the street outside my apartment building. I felt pretty victimized with the first theft, they beat the hell out of it on a joy ride and abandoned it a few miles from my home. Stole all my personal content, including a semester’s worth of textbooks and my backpack used for school. I felt to blame for not using The Club while parked in the driveway.

The second time I woke up to a call from a neighboring community’s police, asking if I knew where my car was. I told him I knew where I had parked it, but that he probably knew better than me as to where it was that morning. This was a more professional job, they left it at a local hotel parking lot after stealing the radio. 
 

Have you lost a car to thieves, either permanently or temporarily?

Actually temporarily and I found it!

Years ago my car was stolen from the carport.  After the police took their report and I reported it to the insurance company I figured I needed a run to clear my head before I got my rental.  So I’m running down the main East/West road leading away from my apartment complex and off in the distance near an orange grove I see a car parked in the dirt? It’s the same color as mine, after a bit I can make out the model, same model as mine... A bit later I’m close enough to realize it’s my car!!! 
 

Back then there was still orange groves in SoCal and the road next to the grove didn’t have a curb. The thief drove  off the road and when he tried to get back on the road he blew out both right side tires so parked it and split.

I had to replace both tires but they didn’t damage the door locks nor ignition.

[Razors Edge ★]

7 minutes ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

Have you lost a car to thieves, either permanently or temporarily?

Nope. My sister and her husband worked in the Pentagon back in the early 90s.  On the coldest mornings, they would fire up their car to let it warm up and then head back inside to grab their stuff (my little niece as well), and then head back out to a warm car for the commute.  One morning, they heard tires squealing as someone noticed the car (and the routine?) and hopped in the unlocked and running car and took off.  I think they got it back a few days later - surely worse for the wear as it was a relatively new Mustang GT. I do wonder, as it was a stick shift, if it could be easily stolen these days or idiot thieves wouldn't want to joy ride in a manual???

My cousin in NYC had a motorcycle he kept parked behind a tall fence/wall in a lot.  Video surveillance showed some thieves showing with some sort of lift to try to get the bike up and over the wall. They didn't get his but I think they got a few others from the lot.  Definitely an organized crime thing.

[Further]

A company I worked for, based in Charlotte NC had a van stolen in Philadelphia. It was recovered after several weeks 

One of our guys, driving the van in Charlotte was stopped and arrested for car theft  The van was never reported as  recovered and popped up on a stolen vehicle report 

[dinneR ★]

I had a car with no keys so I never locked it. Somebody figured out how to start it and stole it. A day later they returned it and parked it across the street.

It had the pop-out windows, so I started locking it. I could pop the window and reach in to unlock it. 

My GF crashed it once. The other driver had no damage to his so he said not to worry about it. She gets back in and starts crying. I asked her what was wrong and she said I wrecked your car. I said have you seen it? It's a piece of shit with more rust and dents than should be legal. Don't sweat it.

[Prophet Zacharia]

1 minute ago, dennis said:

I had a car with no keys so I never locked it. Somebody figured out how to start it and stole it. A day later they returned it and parked it across the street.

Did they just “borrow” it to run errands, or did they simply not like it after a trial theft?

[ChrisL]

I also had my shotgun stolen out of my truck one night.  I had had gone hunting with a friend and didn’t want to bring it through the apartment complex (it was in a gun case)  but didn’t want to alarm anyone.  I was working nights so went to my truck a few minutes early to retrieve my shotgun and saw my door lock hanging out from the door. Mother F’r.... I had a back pack, some tapes stolen and the fuckers got lucky & found my gun case behind the seat.

Fast forward a couple of days and I was walking from where I parked my truck to my apartment after my Army reserve duty.  I see two Hispanic teens on bikes and one on foot standing near where I had to pass casing the parking lot. (It was a gated complex and I had never seen them before).  

Now I ain’t admitting to shit but those boys probably had trouble chewing for several days. Not sure how they got the baton marks on their heads either...

Funny in that car break ins suddenly stopped in our complex...

[JerrySTL ★]

I had both my car and bike stolen at the same time as the bike was in the back of the car. I also had my wallet in the car with about $500 in it plus my cell phone.

I went to the local YMCA for a workout. Usually I kept the car keys in my gym shorts but for some reason I left them in my jacket. Easy pickings for the thieves.

Had the police came quickly after we called them, we might have had a chance to catch the thieves. I was able to track my cell phone with a computer and we found where they pawned the cell phone. At least I got that back. 

Got the car, bike, and even wallet back three days later. Only the cash was missing but I had my credit and debit cards all changed also. I also paid over $700 to have my car locks changed just in case they had a key made up. The police did find a bottle with prints on it which lead to a juvenile. Being a juvi case, I never found out if they got in any real trouble. 

[dinneR ★]

21 minutes ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

Did they just “borrow” it to run errands, or did they simply not like it after a trial theft?

I thought it might have been a friend but I told anyone they could use it at any time. Plus, the "thief" didn't know how to turn it off so they popped the clutch and killed it. My friends knew how to turn it off.

The "thief" figured out the code start. Jam a sharp object into the ignition, touch the good luck charm, rub Sugar Bear's tummy, hit the start button.

One of my roommates got a parking ticket which he did not pay or tell me about. It turns out those things follow you.

[Longjohn ★]

1 hour ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

I felt to blame for not using The Club while parked in the driveway.

A local guy invented the club. Jim Winner, who knew such a simple invention could serve such a good purpose. He was an amazing man, he had great success with all his business ventures. He died a few years back, some of his businesses are still doing really well.

[Scrapr ★]

49 minutes ago, JerrySTL said:

I had both my car and bike stolen at the same time as the bike was in the back of the car. I also had my wallet in the car with about $500 in it plus my cell phone.

I went to the local YMCA for a workout. Usually I kept the car keys in my gym shorts but for some reason I left them in my jacket. Easy pickings for the thieves.

Had the police came quickly after we called them, we might have had a chance to catch the thieves. I was able to track my cell phone with a computer and we found where they pawned the cell phone. At least I got that back. 

Got the car, bike, and even wallet back three days later. Only the cash was missing but I had my credit and debit cards all changed also. I also paid over $700 to have my car locks changed just in case they had a key made up. The police did find a bottle with prints on it which lead to a juvenile. Being a juvi case, I never found out if they got in any real trouble. 

They did prints on a stolen car? How quaint. Was this the 1960s? In Portland it is file a report online

No cars stolen. We did have our trucks for the business gone through. Day before a driver took a bunch of metal to recycle and had about 4-500 dollars on his clipboard but under his timesheet. The thieves missed that. If they had found it i am sure there would have been more break ins. I think they picked up some fuel cards but did not have PINs so no use to them

[2Far ★]

No bikes or vehicles stolen. Had a few break-ins: Alpine Stereo & equalizer; gym bag & RayBans; laptop & bag.

[12string]

I had a Blue '69 Beetle body I wanted to sell for scrap.  I also had a never washed '80 Chevy diesel pickup with a nearly gone transmission.  My BiL had been helping with the Beetles.  He also stayed at my house for  a few days when we were away.   Upon returning I pulled up the driveway to notice a shiny clean truck.  Except the undercarriage, caked with mud.  And the bed, all marked up with Blue paint.  After I got the ticket in the mail for illegal dumping, I found out about tow truck to pull the empty truck out of the mud.  He also paid for half the rebuilt transmission.

There was also a '68 VW Pickup in my driveway for a few days.  Never got the whole story from - yes, the same BiL - but I think it was part of a trade for another Beetle.

[maddmaxx ★]

2 hours ago, 2Far said:

No bikes or vehicles stolen. Had a few break-ins: Alpine Stereo & equalizer; gym bag & RayBans; laptop & bag.

I had my stereo stolen once.  My fault I believe.  The car wasn't broken into so I always assumed that I left the passenger door unlocked.  This was back in the day when you had to lock each door with the lock button.  It was an 8 track.  They were nice enough to leave the bracket.

[Bikeguy]

At work in the early 80's we had reserved parking spaces.  One day a car was parked in one of the spots.  A few days later we realized the car hasn't moved.  I take my boss out and show him the car. The car was unlocked, my boss gets in and starts looing around.  I tell him...  when the police come your prints will now be all over the car.  Do you cant to give me some bail money now?

I noticed the car dealer sticker on the back of the car.  I go inside, and call the dealer. Are you missing a new car?  They said yes.   I called the police.   My boss didn't go to jail.    

[Kirby]

I had a bike stolen at college decades ago, but never had a car stolen.

[Airehead]

I have not had anything stolen. 

[Longjohn ★]

Most of my vehicles a criminal would have to be hard up to steal. Even some of my nicer cars were always covered with a protective layer of dirt. I bought my son a new Chevy when he was in college. One day I was going to service his car and asked for his keys. He said they are in the ignition, they are always in the ignition. Nobody is going to steal a car in our neighborhood.

[dinneR ★]

3 hours ago, maddmaxx said:

I had my stereo stolen once.  My fault I believe.  The car wasn't broken into so I always assumed that I left the passenger door unlocked.  This was back in the day when you had to lock each door with the lock button.  It was an 8 track.  They were nice enough to leave the bracket.

Sounds like a fool being parted from his money. JK.

[groupw]

Had a bike stolen once from work. Went out with some friends after work. When we got back, the bike was gone. 
Closest to a stolen car was when some rednecks were spinning cookies in the intersection near our house. I was calling the police anyway when I heard the crunch. I looked out the window to see they had hit my car, bumpers hooked as they tried to get away with a hit and run. They finally broke loose and got away. 
I got the first 3 digits of the license plate. The rest were blocked by my car they were dragging. I gave the information I had to the officer and he said they wouldn’t be able to do anything without a complete plate. Now, in Nebraska, the first 1 or 2 digits are the county code. The county was a lightly populated county adjacent to ours. The color was unusual for a Chevy Blazer of the era. It should have been easy to track. Instead, I had to pay my deductible to get it fixed. 

[Parr8hed]

Nope, never.  Around here thieves are getting into stealing your exhaust.  Especially diesel trucks.  The exhaust systems with the catalytic converters are worth a lot of jack.  Thieves have it down good, know exactly which trucks they want.  Use cordless sawzalls and have it cut out in a matter of seconds.  It's a big problem especially for car lots.   

[maddmaxx ★]

7 hours ago, dennis said:

Sounds like a fool being parted from his money. JK.

Indeed it does.

I was waiting for you there.