Thinking of coming back for all the wrong reasons....?

[T1berious]

With a very heavy heart i write this thread.

Early yesterday morning we were broken into and both cars were stolen. I wish I could be pragmatic about it but I can't. Moves are being made to make the house more secure (yes, I did want to get an alarm installed 12 years ago but SWMBO was in the "if you need one, you've moved to the wrong place".. sigh).

The list of steps is long but essentially its monitored alarm, internal locks, security bollard and enough lighting to give Blackpool a run for its money.

SWMBO has left me to get an EV and a fun car. I'm giving serious thought to coming back and getting a Z4MC.. Am I mad?

Am I in some form of shock (most likely) and once the house is a fort knox as I can make it things will get back to normal?

Answers on a postcard

[Beedub]

your not mad !!! come back...........

[mr.tourette]

First of all sorry that s**t happened to you, having a vehicle stolen feels like a proper kick in the nuts even though its just metal and replaceable, I've been there and feel your pain.
Once you've made the place secure do something that makes you happy with your next car, you only live once and if its a z4mc you desire then go for it

[T1berious]

Cheers chaps,

As the market is completely mental at the moment. I'm going to wait and see what the insurance comes up with.

[RedUn]

Yes your mad, you want an MR not an MC

Seriously though that's some serious bad luck but at least you and the Mrs are OK! Could have been a lot worse!!

[Scubaregs]

Tell SWMBO it's the best areas criminals target, no point in robbing houses of the poor.

Horrible thing to happen, been there and unfortunately slept through it and luckily then gf was away.

[T1berious]

Yeah, definitely glad they got what they wanted and left.

House is on the way to be being as secure as we can make it.

[tomscott]

Sorry to hear about it. The positive thing is you want to get it replaced good first step.

Makes my blood boil.

Happened to me twice we had our Clubman JCW stolen back in March this year. But have been broken into before and had 2 attempted burglaries. The first time they broke in to steal my boxster S and caught them in the house, he put me though a partition wall he was that desperate to get out I ran after him and kicked his legs so he fell down the stairs and got him in a head lock but then he started slashing at me with something, at that point I came to my senses and let him go.

Had another attempted burglary in sept last year, I have 5 cameras around the house and the whole place is flood lit all the time, every access alarmed even the windows and they just put masks on and hopped over the fence looked right at the camera and cracked on doesn't seem to be much of a deterrent.

When ever I forget to turn off the alarm and it goes off nobody bothers anyway lol.

Its the violation and for me its made me quite a nervous and anxious person. I check things a million times, end up making obstacle course to make things more difficult for them etc

In Manc they pay kids to steal valve caps to mark cars. Recently I left the Z4M on the my gated drive and had two stolen and I have 2 cameras outside the front and they crawled behind the car to take them. caught it all on CCTV but just the actions of the gate opening and then 2 mins later a little kid ran off. The Zs now been at my parents house for 6 weeks which is 100 miles away as im scared of it being stolen and I've been away on business and didn't want it being targeted while I was away.

Funny thing is I keep both sets of keys on me when I use it and I accidentally locked myself out of the Z once and had to call a guy to open it. It was frightening how quick he got in less than 10 seconds. Used a metal implement that worked a bit like a spanner with a wheel to move the different parts of the key.

Had a call from my next door neighbour because had his van broken into yesterday and they robbed all his plumbing gear. Same thing as above you can buy these tools on eBay. He was wanting me to check the CCTV but mine focuses on my property.

I lock it away in the garage as I worry about who sees it as its just a target. Honestly makes me want to get rid and buy a banger. I think I've had worse look than others tho.

Doesn't really seem to matter where you are, high income areas often are bigger targets than lower.

[T1berious]

Hey Tom, yikes that made painful reading, very sorry to hear about those experiences. I can totally understand the reluctance to having a nice car when you think of the amount of car crime currently taking place.

Initially I was like "f**k this, I'm getting a Golf" only to be told by a mate that his parents were broken into for non cooking cars, only the fact they were disturbed kept them from being nicked. He's since beefed up their internal locks (he's doing the same for me) but it makes me think if I let criminals decide what car I drive, what next?

To be honest, I'm looking at doing everything I can, short of putting a guard tower up and getting a security detail with Alsatian's doing loops of the property perimeter.

It's happened, all I can do is take a very long retrospective and say what should I have done differently?

Truth is the property wasn't that secure, the side of the house has no lighting and the rear wasn't covered light wise as efficiently as it should have been.

Lessons learned. I'm going to take the steps I can (not about to install a safe with a time lock that has all the keys in) and move on.

Deeply sorry to hear about the number of times its happened to you.

[Scubaregs]

Over 20 years ago I was broken into whilst I slept. Young boy about 18/19. He got caught doing his 4th house of the night and I got my wallet etc back. A friend of my sisters was CID dealing, said it was his third time being caught. So for breaking into 4 houses in one night and having two previous convictions the judge gave him 6 months. Go figure.

Wee areshole was so stupid that he climbed up a drainpipe of a townhouse, jimmied a window and rather than just going out the front door he climbed out the window again. To this day I still wish I'd caught the scrote on the way out, he would have went down a lot feckin quicker.

[rdm05z4]

I am sorry to hear about everyone's troubles. Personally I have been lucky (so far) to live and have lived in towns were the crime was not to bad. And "knock on wood" have not been robbed , but there is always tomorrow. And yes all countries unfortunately have criminal elements that don't respect other peoples property. But on the good side we still are allowed to own Guns here in America. I hope I have to never use mine but it is there if someone tries to harm me or my loved ones. Again items can be replaced human life can't. Glad to hear no one was physically hurt but the lose of any owned item does leave a mark. Good luck with your next purchase.

[buzyg]

Shocking thread to read. Too many scum bags out there. For sure come back to a Z4 OP, but keep it out of sight and park a 18 year old shed on the drive.

[Stevo1987]

Over 20 years ago I was broken into whilst I slept. Young boy about 18/19. He got caught doing his 4th house of the night and I got my wallet etc back. A friend of my sisters was CID dealing, said it was his third time being caught. So for breaking into 4 houses in one night and having two previous convictions the judge gave him 6 months. Go figure.

Wee areshole was so stupid that he climbed up a drainpipe of a townhouse, jimmied a window and rather than just going out the front door he climbed out the window again. To this day I still wish I'd caught the scrote on the way out, he would have went down a lot feckin quicker.

He would have been shot in Norfolk.

[Mr Tidy]

Sorry to read of people's sh*tty experiences caused by scumbags.

But having bought an MC in 2019 I can quite understand why the OP is tempted to get another! If that's what he wants why not go for it?

[BMWZ4MC]

…But on the good side we still are allowed to own Guns here in America. I hope I have to never use mine but it is there if someone tries to harm me or my loved ones…

The problem with liberal gun laws is that your would-be assailant likely carries a gun too