someone stole stuff out of my bus and it makes me sad

[airkooledchris]

and stupid. the bus was unlocked. ive always left my bus unlocked at home, as I do my house and the rest of my things.

Ive always disliked the feeling when locking up everything, like im assuming everyone around me is out to get me.

but then things like this happen. I have big flood lights that come on if you walk up close to the house, but it would have been quick to just pop open the rear hatch, grab the tools and my subwoofer/amp and bolt.

they of course had to throw everything out of my glove box and spill some trash and a soda all over the floor first.


now, IF it had been locked, would they have broken a window to get in? that would be much worse than what im dealing with right now.
Or, would they realize that you can just push hard on the slider and get it to open with a little force anyway? (maybe I should fix that.)

do I start locking up the bus and forget it ever happened - or do I go up TWO levels and put an alarm on the bus?

I feel angry and naive

[ruckman101]

Sucks. I lock up when bus will be out of sight and we have the video gear on board, otherwise, valuables are stashed under seat and not visibly obvious. Locks will only keep an honest person honest. If someone is intent, they will find a way to break in regardless of lock and alarm.

I have the same slider window issue, which has been handy when I've locked myself out, which has happened on embarrassingly frequent occasions.

I know the anger. Had a guy break out the passenger side door window to snatch a $30 timing light I had left on the seat. Sucks. So sorry to hear.


neal

[sped372]

Sorry to hear it. I rarely lock the car(s) but we do lock the house when we're away. Got in the habit of leaving the vehicle completely empty and open when we were in Milwaukee. Too many broken windows... like you mentioned, they're often more expensive (and a hassle) than the stuff that gets stolen. I think the best tactic, regardless of your locking habits, is not to leave anything in plain sight.

[Sylvester]

I am amazed mine has not been broken into yet. I leave Samantha at the park and ride during the week for up to 13 hours a day. Large unguarded lot, I am sure my vehicle is one of the very few without a car alarm. However, a few months ago someone hack sawed a lot of catalytic converters in the span of a few days in this lot, lots of them. I always lock Sam no matter how long I am gone, and how I go, but that is because the nature of where I live.

I understand your anger, you feel angry. Years ago when my pickup was broken into, I was going to hide in it with a pistol. Glad I didn't.

[skin daddio]

i would lock up for a while. when things get lean, criminals return to the easy targets.

[Amskeptic]

IF it had been locked, would they have broken a window to get in?
do I start locking up the bus and forget it ever happened - or do I go up TWO levels and put an alarm on the bus?

I feel angry and naive

Take it easy on yourself. If we lived in some other countries I can think of, you'd be dealing with a palpable sense of anarchy surrounding you, as you battle wits with people who really do not care. Lock the car at night and forget about it. Angry? You bet. Naive? Naaaaah ...

[steve74baywin]

I wrestle with the same, I like to think everyone and everything is always good. However, I do the simple things like lock all my doors on the vehicle, I think of that saying "keep a thief honest". So I do the simple things like lock the doors, unless I'm not going to be long, and then I don't think about it, or dwell upon it, I go back to my mantra that it is all good, and or it doesn't matter anyway. Maybe this is a case for that thing "balance" someone talks about from time to time. Not obsessive, but not totally lax.

[TrollFromDownBelow]

I think the best tactic, regardless of your locking habits, is not to leave anything in plain sight.

... a million times over. I was in Portland, Or on a business trip about 6 years ago, took a coworker out to dinner after work. I threw my laptop in the trunk of the rental (out of sight out of mind) and he threw his in the backseat. I almost said something to him, but thought .... 'naa, we're in a good part of town, don't have to worry about that here'. Sure enough, come back from dinner, back window is busted out and his laptop is gone. Of course, mine, which was sitting in the trunk, was still in the trunk... out of sight.

Fast forward about 3 years. Come home from work late at night (11:30p) from a business trip. I ALWAYS take my laptop inside. However, I was dog tired, and new I was going to the office in 7 hours. Car is parked in MY DRIVEWAY, it's a good neighborhood (no, car not locked). Come out the next morning, the laptop which I had sitting on the floor of the backseat is GONE. I left my lap in my car JUST THIS ONE TIME, and it got stolen.

[airkooledchris]

someone went through all my stuff again last night. damnit damnit damnit, I hate the way that makes me feel.

thankfully there was nothing they found worth stealing, but they threw the contents of my glovebox all over the place.

don't they make locking gloveboxes? I know it's not fool proof, but I live on a busy street and they are always just looking for a quick item to grab.

a friend gave me a cheapo alarm, which I think ill install sometime this week. I can't use hardly any of the accessories, but maybe the flashing light and the beep beep beep when the vehicle rocks side/side will be enough to just keep the lookie loo's away.

[poptop tom]

Here ya go, Chris!
http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_category.php?id=156

[airkooledchris]

thanks Tom! I used the part number there to find one for about $7 less on eBay (and with free shipping)

Im sure they can be easily defeated if someone is really set on getting into it, but if it prevents my registration/licence/manual/pens/paper/fuses/screwdriver from getting thrown all over the bus again - i'll be happy!

[Amskeptic]

thanks Tom! I used the part number there to find one for about $7 less on eBay (and with free shipping)

Im sure they can be easily defeated if someone is really set on getting into it, but if it prevents my registration/licence/manual/pens/paper/fuses/screwdriver from getting thrown all over the bus again - i'll be happy!

Was your bus locked?
Colin

[airkooledchris]

thanks Tom! I used the part number there to find one for about $7 less on eBay (and with free shipping)

Im sure they can be easily defeated if someone is really set on getting into it, but if it prevents my registration/licence/manual/pens/paper/fuses/screwdriver from getting thrown all over the bus again - i'll be happy!

Was your bus locked?
Colin

probably not

I get back into a comfort zone after a while and eventually leave it unlocked again. Id say it's locked a good 80% of the time. Im either just really unlucky in that someone checks my doors only when its unlocked, or they do it all the time and sometimes im really lucky that I DID lock it.

Usually ill have my oakleys and my ipod in the glovebox, but I just so happened to have backed the bus in that night after getting back from the beach with the dogs and probably left it unlocked when I was done vacuuming it out.

Last night I installed this cheapo alarm that's been floating around my toolbox. It won't stop someone from breaking in, but maybe i'll deter them enough to stay away from it now. (OMG A FLASHING LIGHT? RUN AWAY@!!!!!)

[Amskeptic]

(OMG A FLASHING LIGHT? RUN AWAY@!!!!!)

Chloe has that . . . everybody asks,
"Your van has an alarm?"
"Certainly, if triggered, the call goes straight to CIA helicopter dispatch."
"No it DOESN'T."

I say, let's charge up the ignition coil so the instant anyone touches the car they get a full 20,000 Volks shock. That'll teach them.
Colin

[Sylvester]

(OMG A FLASHING LIGHT? RUN AWAY@!!!!!)

Chloe has that . . . everybody asks,
"Your van has an alarm?"
"Certainly, if triggered, the call goes straight to CIA helicopter dispatch."
"No it DOESN'T."

I say, let's charge up the ignition coil so the instant anyone touches the car they get a full 20,000 Volks shock. That'll teach them.
Colin

I want one!!!!