My Car Was Stolen This Afternoon

[Runwildboys]

I had a leather jacket stolen once at a laundromat. I was livid, but at least they had the decency to leave my keys behind.

That feeling stuck with me though, and someone tried to my next leather jacket from the bar I was bouncing at. I met him at the door, and the thing never would have fit him, as he was considerably bigger than me. That didn't stop me from threatening his life, at which point he couldn't handle it back fast enough and never returned to my bar.

Corrections:

...and someone tried to steal my next leather jacket...

at which point he couldn't hand it back fast enough...

 

[Jammer]

I've never had a car stolen, but I've had six different cars/trucks broken into. Five of the vehicles had the driver's side window smashed, and the other one I had left unlocked. I was on an Air Force base in England and I thought it would be safe there. It was after midnight and my coworkers and I were at the base gym playing racquetball. The Air Force security forces thought it was suspicious and a week after the break-in they brought me in and read me my rights. I was highly upset with them thinking I was fabricating it to get money. I didn't file an insurance claim because I only had liability insurance. About two months later I got a call from the local British police and they had recovered most of my stuff. Apparently a couple of young punks were going through the parking lot and broke into any car that was unlocked, and mine was one of them.

I got the report from the British cops and took it straight to the ** security forces to pretty much laugh at them for such an "outstanding" job investigating the break-in.

I wish it wasn't against the law to booby trap my cars.

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

I've never had a car stolen, but I've had six different cars/trucks broken into. Five of the vehicles had the driver's side window smashed, and the other one I had left unlocked. I was on an Air Force base in England and I thought it would be safe there. It was after midnight and my coworkers and I were at the base gym playing racquetball. The Air Force security forces thought it was suspicious and a week after the break-in they brought me in and read me my rights. I was highly upset with them thinking I was fabricating it to get money. I didn't file an insurance claim because I only had liability insurance. About two months later I got a call from the local British police and they had recovered most of my stuff. Apparently a couple of young punks were going through the parking lot and broke into any car that was unlocked, and mine was one of them.

I got the report from the British cops and took it straight to the ** security forces to pretty much laugh at them for such an "outstanding" job investigating the break-in.

I wish it wasn't against the law to booby trap my cars.

Had no clue it was against the law.

 

[Jammer]

Had no clue it was against the law.

If it causes injury or death it is against the law. Otherwise, you're probably good to go. There is a guy on YouTube who creates glitter bombs for porch pirates. It causes no injury. It sprays glitter and fart spray to the unsuspecting thief when they open the package.

The kind of booby trap I want to use would cause bodily injury. It would stop the thief and it would get the word out that my stuff isn't to be messed with.

 

[JoeKing]

If they do, It's only once.

Yeah but is chopping off hands the right solution to thievery? That seems like an over-severe consequence to me.

 

[ClappingCarrot]

Quick update, I went on a mini vacation with the wife this weekend to Charleston SC and I got a call from local police today. They located my vehicle!

Sounds like the idiot ran into another driver in my car and sped off, and even though there was no damage to that victim's car, she had the presence of mind to still call it in and the cops located it in an apartment complex in a crappy part of town.

I haven't laid eyes on the car or seen a photo but the responding officer claimed that the most damage was done to the steering column (as I predicted in the OP) and paint/scuff marks all over the body.

I'm hype to go home and get this resolved!

 

[Runwildboys]

Quick update, I went on a mini vacation with the wife this weekend to Charleston SC and I got a call from local police today. They located my vehicle!

Sounds like the idiot ran into another driver in my car and sped off, and even though there was no damage to that victim's car, she had the presence of mind to still call it in and the cops located it in an apartment complex in a crappy part of town.

I haven't laid eyes on the car or seen a photo but the responding officer claimed that the most damage was done to the steering column (as I predicted in the OP) and paint/scuff marks all over the body.

I'm hype to go home and get this resolved!

Good for you! I hope the damage isn't too bad!

 

[darthseinfeld]

Hands down the most bizarre thing that's ever happened to me. My wife was grocery shopping, I was at home on my back deck smoking a brisket flat and listening to the radio in broad daylight when some young punk took a cab into my neighborhood and boosted my car. Right out of my driveway.































































































































It feels so damn violating. It was such a quick and concise job that even my dogs (who bark at everything) didn't notice anything amiss.































































































































I really wanted to alert Zoners that may drive older model Kia's and Hyundai's to invest in a wheel lock system or a GPS tracker that you can mount to the car inconspicuously. There is apparently a TikTok Challenge that I was not aware of where you can break the steering column, and start the engine with a USB drive. The police who responded to the call told me that close to 10 vehicles in my area had been stolen in the last 24 hours. Social media has created a car theft fetishism.































































































































It takes a real piece of crap to steal property from hard working people around the Holidays.















































































































































Be safe, ya'll.







Hands down the most bizarre thing that's ever happened to me. My wife was grocery shopping, I was at home on my back deck smoking a brisket flat and listening to the radio in broad daylight when some young punk took a cab into my neighborhood and boosted my car. Right out of my driveway.







It feels so damn violating. It was such a quick and concise job that even my dogs (who bark at everything) didn't notice anything amiss.







I really wanted to alert Zoners that may drive older model Kia's and Hyundai's to invest in a wheel lock system or a GPS tracker that you can mount to the car inconspicuously. There is apparently a TikTok Challenge that I was not aware of where you can break the steering column, and start the engine with a USB drive. The police who responded to the call told me that close to 10 vehicles in my area had been stolen in the last 24 hours. Social media has created a car theft fetishism.







It takes a real piece of crap to steal property from hard working people around the Holidays.







Be safe, ya'll.



Hands down the most bizarre thing that's ever happened to me. My wife was grocery shopping, I was at home on my back deck smoking a brisket flat and listening to the radio in broad daylight when some young punk took a cab into my neighborhood and boosted my car. Right out of my driveway.



It feels so damn violating. It was such a quick and concise job that even my dogs (who bark at everything) didn't notice anything amiss.



I really wanted to alert

Thats awful! Thankfully only 18% of the population could steal my car

Zoners that may drive older model Kia's and Hyundai's to invest in a wheel lock system or a GPS tracker that you can mount to the car inconspicuously. There is apparently a TikTok Challenge that I was not aware of where you can break the steering column, and start the engine with a USB drive. The police who responded to the call told me that close to 10 vehicles in my area had been stolen in the last 24 hours. Social media has created a car theft fetishism.



It takes a real piece of crap to steal property from hard working people around the Holidays.



Be safe, ya'll.

 

[MWH1967]

Damn dude! Hope it comes back home.

 

[Runwildboys]

Standard?

 

[ClappingCarrot]

Went to the wrecker today to sign off on the vehicle so that my insurance adjuster could take care of it and tow it to the shop.

Wow.

Steering column is absolutely destroyed, there's a huge impact paint scrape on the bumper, and the car was absolutely trashed. I don't think I've ever seen that much trash in a vehicle in my life. I can't even describe the smell without gagging. Peach cigarillos, marijuana, body odor, feet, and old fast food. Think the battery is dead as well. Was tough to see since I detailed that car two days before it was stolen.

All kinds of random stuff in the car that doesn't belong to me, everything in the car that was mine that was menial they made sure to break. The irony of all of this is that the one thing in the car of mine that was perfectly in tact was my eye glasses. And they were out of the case, on the floor.

They stole my garage door opener remote (I've already bought a new one and reprogrammed the system), my registration, and my work badge for some unknown reason. I also had a couple bucks in change in there as well that's gone. Must've really needed it.

I will say that when my wife and I got home from our trip yesterday, I checked the mail and found a manilla envelope from our bank. We are a paperless household so it's unusual for us to receive any communication of any kind from our bank. Enclosed was a check for $1000. We didn't know what it was for, but it comes back to a transaction that we disputed in 2020, and was something we both forgot about. I'm not a deeply religious man, but this was an illustration to me that good always prevails. That was truly a moving gesture the universe gave me in what was arguably the most difficult 8 days of my life.

 

[Blackspider214]

I have had my car broken into and then stolen within a 4 month period. I feel your pain. Both at movie theaters. Ended up finding out it was the people who installed my stereo system. They tried to steal it when they broke into it but I had my kill switch anti theft insert taken out so they couldn't start the car. I could tell they tried very hard with how it looked under the hood. They would have had to do too much to bypass that switch and it's too risky. So they just took my stereo equipment. I then had an alarm put in on this car (from the same stereo shop, still didn't know it was them) and it was stolen a week later. No broken glass at all. They made a spare key when they installed my alarm and drove off like it was theirs. Also forgot to take out the kill switch that would have prevented it. This was way back in 2006/07.

I hate thieves with a passion. They can all rot under the ground.

 

[Runwildboys]

I have had my car broken into and then stolen within a 4 month period. I feel your pain. Both at movie theaters. Ended up finding out it was the people who installed my stereo system. They tried to steal it when they broke into it but I had my kill switch anti theft insert taken out so they couldn't start the car. I could tell they tried very hard with how it looked under the hood. They would have had to do too much to bypass that switch and it's too risky. So they just took my stereo equipment. I then had an alarm put in on this car (from the same stereo shop, still didn't know it was them) and it was stolen a week later. No broken glass at all. They made a spare key when they installed my alarm and drove off like it was theirs. Also forgot to take out the kill switch that would have prevented it. This was way back in 2006/07.

I hate thieves with a passion. They can all rot under the ground.

Wow, what a racket! I wonder how many other people they did that too, and for how long before getting caught!

 

[Coogiguy03]

Hands down the most bizarre thing that's ever happened to me. My wife was grocery shopping, I was at home on my back deck smoking a brisket flat and listening to the radio in broad daylight when some young punk took a cab into my neighborhood and boosted my car. Right out of my driveway.

It feels so damn violating. It was such a quick and concise job that even my dogs (who bark at everything) didn't notice anything amiss.

I really wanted to alert Zoners that may drive older model Kia's and Hyundai's to invest in a wheel lock system or a GPS tracker that you can mount to the car inconspicuously. There is apparently a TikTok Challenge that I was not aware of where you can break the steering column, and start the engine with a USB drive. The police who responded to the call told me that close to 10 vehicles in my area had been stolen in the last 24 hours. Social media has created a car theft fetishism.

It takes a real piece of crap to steal property from hard working people around the Holidays.

Be safe, ya'll.

So sorry to hear this

 

[Blackspider214]

Wow, what a racket! I wonder how many other people they did that too, and for how long before getting caught!

Oh it's definitely common and not unique to the stereo shops in the lower income areas (where they are in abundance). My cousin used to work at Car Toys and it happened there, too. Also, mechanic shops where they get your keys it happens. Now it might be different because so many newer cars have the fobs and don't know how quick you can copy this and cars have more security features off the lot. But with the old keys, you can copy them in under a minute.

I also suspected some kind of tracking device was put on mine. That way they can track the car and decide when to hit it. Seeing it a movie theater, they knew I would be in there for a length of time.

 

[John813]

Oh it's definitely common and not unique to the stereo shops in the lower income areas (where they are in abundance). My cousin used to work at Car Toys and it happened there, too. Also, mechanic shops where they get your keys it happens. Now it might be different because so many newer cars have the fobs and don't know how quick you can copy this and cars have more security features off the lot. But with the old keys, you can copy them in under a minute.

I also suspected some kind of tracking device was put on mine. That way they can track the car and decide when to hit it. Seeing it a movie theater, they knew I would be in there for a length of time.

Definitely interesting. The one time my old truck was broken in was shortly after I had a subwoofer installed...
Also 15+ years ago.

 

[Blackspider214]

Definitely interesting. The one time my old truck was broken in was shortly after I had a subwoofer installed...
Also 15+ years ago.

Yep I found out how mine was stolen because when I went to the wrecking yard where State Farm had my car after it was totaled, I was able to go there and get any items not tied down that belonged to me. So like any cd's or whatever was left behind. Just couldn't take anything actually installed but they already stripped it clean. It was one of those Fast/Furious type cars with a ton if customized parts. They took it all. It was found dumped in an alley a few days later but I knew it would be stripped.

Anyways, as I am cleaning out the car, I see a key in there. It isn't mine at all because I have my keys and we still had the spare. I pieced it together because the only people who had my key was the stereo shop. I had been going there for a few years with zero issues, too. Went and confronted them but it wasn't worth it. They made a big scene and told me to leave. In hindsight, it was pretty dumb to do that lol but I was highly upset.

 

[ClappingCarrot]

Car was totaled. $11,000 in damages, which is more than it's probably worth. Adjuster noticed a slew of awful things that I didn't see on first glance.

The cigarette holes in the headliner really pissed me off. Idk, made me want to track the punks down myself and pummel them.

Insurance cut me a check today, which was way bigger than I was expecting. Guess I'm car shopping this week.