Who has experienced having their car stolen?

[20ducks]

I am experienced in both perspectives.

Please share.

"we" had a network and an outstanding scheme actually:

First: we always "borrowed" from the neighborhood because we knew if the car was reliable, what the owner kept in it (golf clubs etc.), and how secure it was kept. We also knew the temperment of the owner. I mean one doesn't get cute with a guy that has an arsenal in his home.

Second: Never "borrow" from a friend's family. Strangers are better than family.

Third: Always find out if there was gas in the car. We had friends or knew how to find out the purchasing habits of some or our potential victims. I mean, what the hell is more useless than having a car without fuel? We had friends that worked at the local gas stations....very helpful.

Fourth: Joy riding with 4 other buddies attracts attention, one buddy riding shotgun and that is all. btw, my prime purpose in these adventures was to either take a girl or pick up a girl at some social event. Reality told us that if we are going to get in Peggie Sue's undies it ain't going to be on a Chicago public bus.

Fifth: Never, never, never think that one can out run a Motorola. You can't. Ditch the car and run.

Sixth: Leave the car is decent shape (one might need it again some day) and always leave it in an adjacent neighborhood. This is all PR work within the neighborhood and with the local constabulary.

Seventh: Get caught...don't snitch, plea down from Grand Theft Auto and give it up. Prepared to became someone's bitch in Joliet (infamous prison now closed).

Eight: Have fun.

 

[micdundee]

ahhhh......the innocent days of youth eh

 

[Citation 650]

When I was in the Air Force, a kid got my 55 Chevy parked on base.
A friend saw it parked at his house a couple weeks later. The police wouldn't do
anything since it was stolen on government property. We later caught the kid and
dad down town. Beat the $hit out of both of them.
:evil:

 

[Aebous]

When I was in the Air Force, a kid got my 55 Chevy parked on base.
A friend saw it parked at his house a couple weeks later. The police wouldn't do
anything since it was stolen on government property. We later caught the kid and
dad down town. Beat the $hit out of both of them.
:evil:

Ah the good ol times.


I wish someone would steal my truck an burn it out in the desert.....It would save me the hassle of selling it.

 

[Wondermike]

senwar, nice to see you back home

The Orion 1.6i Ghia was a fine car, my mate was a mechanic and put an Escort RS turbo engine into his, which I think became a popular conversion. They were even better with the RS bodykit and wheels too.

Oh, on topic I had my Fiat Cinquecento nicked off the drive with the keys in it, got paid out in the end, after much wrangling

 

[20ducks]

ahhhh......the innocent days of youth eh

Not that long ago.

 

[micdundee]

 

[20ducks]

Construction equipment is much more lucrative. No babes though. 8)




Now....I'm just kidding. Theft is a serious crime. :!:

 

[senwar]

senwar, nice to see you back home

The Orion 1.6i Ghia was a fine car, my mate was a mechanic and put an Escort RS turbo engine into his, which I think became a popular conversion. They were even better with the RS bodykit and wheels too.

Oh, on topic I had my Fiat Cinquecento nicked off the drive with the keys in it, got paid out in the end, after much wrangling

Cheers Mike.

I loved my Orion's. The pepperpots were lovely but did look good with the RS stuff. Here's my first one (not the one that got 'inched)

Only realised when I uploaded this pic a few months ago that the door looked a different colour!

 

[epbrown]

I've had two stolen. I moved to Chicago in 1986 and within a couple of months my 1985 Honda Prelude was stolen. I decided to get something fun and less valuable to me and bought a Fiat 124 spider for 2 grand. Stolen a month later. The Honda turned up stripped and burned in an alley, the Fiat I never saw again, though I got a parking ticket in the mail from the plates that were on it, somewhere way downstate, and according t the ticket the plates were on another car. From 1987 to 2000, I didn't own a car here. The thefts, the difficulty parking, the ready access to lots of public transportation made it easy to get by without one.

 

[ovrkll]

I moved to Chicago in 1986 and within a couple of months my 1985 Honda Prelude was stolen. I decided to get something fun and less valuable to me and bought a Fiat 124 spider for 2 grand. Stolen a month later.

Had to stop for a second and wonder if this was 20Ducks, till I saw the condition they were left in.

 

[moodhead]

When the mini was stolen the thieving b*sta#ds actually prized a window open in the holiday cottage I was staying in, fished the keys out and drove off with the car and all my keys, I hear that it's a lot more difficult (maybe impossible) to bypass the immobilisers built into the cars these days and so the practice is to take the keys instead. I am now far more careful where I leave my keys and would advise the same to all out there. With the 3 series (back in approx 1997)they drilled the ignition key hole and you could just start the car with a screwdriver, obviously the BMW alarm / immobiliser wasn't all that good!

Apart from the stolen cars I have lost count of the amount of times my windows have been smashed and mobiles and in car entertainment stolen. I am so glad that the systems are built into the dashboard, it was a pain carrying around a pullout or hiding it under the seat like the thief wouldn't think of looking there!!

I have to admit that the middle eastern legal system seems much better for car owners....my girlfriend is currently working in Dubai and says that people just leave their cars running outside the shops to keep them cool inside (strict legal system + cheap fuel) - great for petrol heads