PSA: Lock your doors!

[attrapereves]

I was getting some groceries out of my wife's car two nights ago and I guess I forgot to lock the doors. The morning after, she found her glove box and little storage compartment above the glove box opened. If the crook had closed them, I probably wouldn't have even noticed.

Luckily we have a policy of keeping nothing valuable in the car. The only thing that was taken was a $2 USB cable.

We live on a somewhat busy street. There is quite a bit of traffic (for a town of 15K), as well as pedestrians that walk on the sidewalk in front of our house. I'm guessing someone walking the sidewalk tests car doors until he/she finds one opened.

It's scary knowing that someone was 5' away from our bedroom window. I feel violated knowing that someone went in my vehicle and stole things.

Always remember to lock your doors and keep nothing valuable in the car!

 

[Blue hedgehog]

That has been happening for over 20 years here on LI. They never broke any windows (that I know of) to get in. It's a crime of opportunity, you gave them the opportunity and since they didn't "break in" I guess it's one less thing they can be charged with if caught. They always seem to take small items that can be easily caried and empty the change from the cup holder/ashtray. I'm actually surprised they closed the door. Usually they leave the door open so they don't alert the dog when it closes.

 

[attrapereves]

They would always hit up the student apartment complexes where I used to live. They'd swipe GPS units, MP3 players, phone chargers, and any money.

 

[ahtoxa]

I used to live in the city of Chicago. Had car windows busted twice. Once my dad walked away from the car while waiting for my mother. He was no more than 20 feet away when a guy ran up the the car, reached in and swiped a CD player (13 years ago or so).

On the flip side, when I used to have a wrangler, I kept it unlocked all of the time. I'd rather people open the door to find out there is nothing in there rather than cut the top and find the same.

 

[ChrisJ]

This has been happening practically forever, it's nothing new.
My dad stopped locking his car doors after someone broke his window to steal a pair of gloves off of the seat in the late 1960s. Hedgehog, you honestly thought it started in LI 20 years ago? Seriously?

Personally, I lock my cars and always have and I don't know why someone is surprised someone went through their car when they didn't lock it.




I do know what you mean by "I feel violated knowing that someone went in my vehicle and stole things." But fact is they didn't hurt anyone or go in your home so it's all good.

Try to remember to lock it from now on. It doesn't matter who you are, it's nothing personal and it doesn't matter where you live, it happens.

 

[sonicboost14]

I think its kind of the fact that some piece of garbage is ballsy enough to just mosey up to your house, check the doors on the car and take what they please. I had my Spark gone thru 3 times last year because I was too big of a bonehead to lock it. I live in a nice suburban area. Its more of the fact that some degenerate is getting into your property, not that you should expect it.

 

[attrapereves]

I think its kind of the fact that some piece of garbage is ballsy enough to just mosey up to your house, check the doors on the car and take what they please. I had my Spark gone thru 3 times last year because I was too big of a bonehead to lock it. I live in a nice suburban area. Its more of the fact that some degenerate is getting into your property, not that you should expect it.

If I ever caught someone on my property going through my belongings, they would promptly be held at gunpoint until the police arrived.

Too bad I can't install chloroform gas nozzles which are triggered by car a door opening. When I find a guy knocked out inside my car, I know he was trying to steal.

 

[ss2000slp]

I always lock my car out of habit, pretty much everywhere. One night for some reason I didn't, only time I can think of that I didn't, and someone stole the change that was in my ashtray cup thing in my Cavalier. What pissed me off wasn't the change (probably only $5 worth), but they took the ashtray that cost $40! And they probably just tossed it in the woods after.

 

[Fempunk]

Something similiar happened to me too. I guess i left my passenger door unlocked one night n i went to my car the next morning and everything in my glove was on the seat and they took rabdom ****. A little change i had in my cup holder, one of those emergency combo flashlight/seatbelt cutter things and some other dumb crap.

 

[Evict]

Somebody stole a few things from my car in the past as well.
They took the leftover carton of smokes on the passenger side, I'm pretty sure there were only a couple left in there.
And my belt buckle that happened to look like brass knucks.
Oddly enough they didn't go through the glove box or if they did they literally didn't move anything around.
And they left my Ipod which was right next to the belt buckle.
They were kind enough to semi shut my door, just closed enough so the light wasn't on and left an empty pack of smokes at the top of my street.
Total value lost, about 40 bucks.
Oh, and they left all the change in my car.

 

[mowcowbell]

One of the main reasons I wouldn't own a place without a garage. I don't leave the garage door open any longer than absolutely necessary. We have seen a wave of punks that are brave enough to walk into a opened garage while you are home and steal tools from inside.

 

[ahtoxa]

My neighborhood always amazes me. People leave their garage doors open all the time, and for extended periods, too. I walk with my dog and notice it all the time. Amazing how some shady people don't just cruise through my area and ransack open garages.

 

[SouthFLSonic]

My neighborhood always amazes me. People leave their garage doors open all the time, and for extended periods, too. I walk with my dog and notice it all the time. Amazing how some shady people don't just cruise through my area and ransack open garages.

I had a neighbor that I thought I was friendly with, turned out he was a tool, and I noticed his garage door open late night and all the lights off so I kindly went over and closed it for him and ran out. As I was walking down his driveway he came out yelling at me asking what I was doing so I said I was helping him out so he didn't get robbed, he proceeds to cuss me out for trespassing and all sorts of stuff so I say F people who are too dumb lazy or rich to care about their property.

Learned my lesson for being a good neighbor and helping a person out because he coulda shot me and been my fault lol. Just makes his house a target and not mine when the thieves roll in so I help no one like that again unless asked to.

 

[ahtoxa]

No good deed goes unpunished.

 

[Wydz]

I always lock my doors and even when I got my windows tinted, I got an unbreakable tint. It won't shatter the glass and it has to be completely removed off the window to get into the car

 

[davecerv]

My Sonic is always locked if I'm not in it! I make sure it's locked, i'll press the lock button like three times. I do have valuables hidden in the back of the hatch. I don't worry too much. I think it's safer to keep my drum stuff back there than in my room. Plus I never forget anything when I get to the gig. Plus I'm sure no one would think anything can fit back there!

 

[attrapereves]

My Sonic is always locked if I'm not in it! I make sure it's locked, i'll press the lock button like three times. I do have valuables hidden in the back of the hatch. I don't worry too much. I think it's safer to keep my drum stuff back there than in my room. Plus I never forget anything when I get to the gig. Plus I'm sure no one would think anything can fit back there!

The Sonic sedan doesn't have trunk latch inside, right? I originally wasn't sure what I thought about that, but it seems like a pretty good security feature.

 

[slitzell]

I never lock my doors or keep valuables in my sonic. Id rather have someone steal my change and $2 USB cable than have someone smash my window trying to get into my car.

 

[davecerv]

The Sonic sedan doesn't have trunk latch inside, right? I originally wasn't sure what I thought about that, but it seems like a pretty good security feature.

I like how the hatch can only be opened from outside too. I have a friend that always keeps his 70's Fender Strat in his BMW trunk because he thinks it's safer in there than in his house....that one I think is crazy.

 

[Wydz]

The Sonic sedan doesn't have trunk latch inside, right? I originally wasn't sure what I thought about that, but it seems like a pretty good security feature.

Some sedans do, some don't

I think it depends on year or something. I test drove a 6spd 1.4t 2012 lt sedan that didn't have the trunk latch except on the key fob. Yet the auto 2014 lt that I bought does have it