Someone broke into the car behind mine at the gym

[PHOEN$X]

This is sad. I parked my Mustang at the gym yesterday afternoon during peak gym traffic. When I came out, the driver side window of the Pathfinder behind mine was smashed. With a parking lot full of cars, and people constantly coming & going, I don't know how someone could be gutsy enough to do something like that in broad daylight, and why there were no witnesses. I'm just glad they passed over my car.

Is this pretty common in the bigger cities? How about some tips to avoid becoming a target, besides securing valuables out of sight?

 

[8000RPM]

These stories really make me mad.

Unfortunately, I think random violence / vandalism is a fact of life - things will happen no matter where you live.

 

[akira3d]

Fact of city life

So many things have happened to coworkers' cars in the public structures near my office that I've lost count. Vandalism (spit, keyed, scracthes, smashed windows) and theft (emblems, spoilers, wheels, targa roof panels) seem to happen regardless of day, time, or how busy the lot is (the structure also services a popular tourist / shopping / nightlife spot in Santa Monica). And Santa Monica cops seem to do little to nothing about it (even though they have a sub-station at the base of the parking structure).

From our office window, we've watched people just randomly trying doors, opening unlocked ones, and removing loose content...a call to the police sometimes yield a response, but long after the thief has fled the scene.

Fortunately, spit was the worst thing to happen to my NSX in these structures!

 

[PHOEN$X]

Re: Fact of city life

From our office window, we've watched people just randomly trying doors, opening unlocked ones, and removing loose content...a call to the police sometimes yield a response, but long after the thief has fled the scene.

Have you thought about setting up your camera? I wrote the gym asking them to beef up security/monitoring. Although my office is across the street, it is not within visible sight of the gym parking lot. If it were, I'd set up some kind of photo/video surveillance system. From the remnant shards of glass on the ground, there have been far too many break-ins there.

 

[snapper]

I am sick of these pieces of walking trash.

I was in the post office in line and watched some little bastard walking around my Turbo 2 with his whole family standing less than 10 feet away getting their crapbox car jump started. When I came out, down the side away from my view, was his handy work.

 

[Dan H]

Turbo 2? RX7?

Vandals are another reason why I won't be parking much in public when I get my NSX. Its sad but just the thought of it makes me anxious. What a world we live in.

 

[snapper]

Turbo 2? RX7?

 

[Dan H]

Oh, ok. Thought you meant this one.

 

[huckster]

this is a real attempt at Optimism, but for the most part i'm amazed there isnt more theft/vandalism than there is. There are a lot of crazy disenfranchised p***ed off people out there.

I had a honda accord keyed down one side about 8 yrs ago. 7 yrs ago I had my Harley stolen when it was parked less than 1/2 block from police station. You could actually see police station from where the bike was parked. The cop was nice but pretty cavalier about it. His comment was, "yeah, youre never gonna see it again. It is probably already in parts on the way to Germany. They are shipping a lot of Harleys overseas."

 

[NeoNSX]

<B>Phoe<FONT COLOR=red>N$X</FONT></B>: I'm just glad it wasn't your car. Best security is to buy a 1975 Honda Civic - nobody wants to steal those, and if it gets keyed you won't even notice it.

<B>Akira3D</B>: Now i understand your website why you always park your NSX within view!!! I thought you just liked admiring your 1:1 scale NSX model.



Has anybody else contemplated developing a cheap car-surveillance system? I've been mentally working on a cheap system consisting of an old notebook+a couple of USB camera's... it would be useless if your car was stolen, but being able to capture people keying/vandalising/badging your car... priceless.

Even if you could produce such photographic evidence, would police do anything?

 

[5inchfatlip]

Yep- another reason to drive a daily "beater" anything decent seems to be somewhat of a target no matter what...SUCKS. I dont understand how ALOT of NICE cars just park wherever in busy structures regardless of area...

 

[8000RPM]

I also don't understand those people with expensive Mercedes or BMW convertibles who leave their cars parked at a mall/plaza/street with the *top down*

Leaving the top down in a parked car is like an open invitation to random vandalism but yet people do it all the time. I don't get it...

 

[Black Knight]

I also don't understand those people with expensive Mercedes or BMW convertibles who leave their cars parked at a mall/plaza/street with the *top down*

Leaving the top down in a parked car is like an open invitation to random vandalism but yet people do it all the time. I don't get it...

yes, open for all people and the wonderful species of the friendly skies......

 

[akira3d]

That reminds me

I also don't understand those people with expensive Mercedes or BMW convertibles who leave their cars parked at a mall/plaza/street with the *top down*

My boss often left the top off of his Ferrari 355 GTS in the very structures I mentioned above.

Aside from leaving it open to vandalism / bird droppings, I also figure it can't be good for the leather interior.

 

[huckster]

id probably leave the top down, depending on where it was parked. Hey, no sense having it if you cant enjoy it.

I do think itd be really disgusting to have a lot of people jumping in it for pictures or spitting in it.

 

[PHOEN$X]

I'd leave the top down too...if I had armed guards standing nearby.

 

[8000RPM]

I just think that by leaving the top down when parking makes it enticing for some passerby to 'accidentally' spill his/her drink into your cockpit or do something worse to your convertible...

 

[NeoNSX]

There's no reason for them to leave the roof down... especially when many are motorized and take less than 30secs to open/close.

 

[Black Knight]

There's no reason for them to leave the roof down... especially when many are motorized and take less than 30secs to open/close.

unless the motor jammed when the top was down....