Hi and welcome back to Second Chance to Live. I am happy to see that you decided to stop by and visit with me. You are always welcome at my table. As I mentioned in my last article, my car had been stolen early Monday morning and then recovered – thank God – early Monday evening. My car is presently being checked for damage created by the thieves. I am not terribly concerned as I know any damage will be repaired and I will get my car back. The circumstances given to me through the experience of my car being stolen have taught me to take precautionary measures.
Consequently, I want to share a bit of information that I learned through the process of my car being stolen. If you never have had a car stolen you may not be aware of some precautions you can take to discourage thieves. As with everything there is a learning curve. The police officers that came out to do the initial report after I reported my car stolen, encouraged me to get The Club. In the event that you have never heard about the club, the club is a device that is attached to the steering wheel. The clubs design prevents the steering wheel from being turned once attached to the steering.
The club is red and very visible and a deterrent to potential car thieves. A kill switch can be installed in your car to prevent your car from being started by thieves. Other security systems can be installed on you car to discourage thieves, however these systems are more expensive and can be disabled. I bought the club from Wal-mart for under $35. From my conversations with various police officers — in the last several days — I have learned that the club is a strong deterrent to potential car thieves. Once I pick up my car from the mechanics, I will be applying the club every time I park my car.
Something else I learned through the experience of my car being stolen entails what I keep in the glove compartment. I have been leaving my registration and other papers related to my car to present to the police in the event that I am asked for the information in a potential traffic stop. According to the police, I should not keep any papers with identification in the glove compartment. Instead, they recommend keeping the registration in a wallet. Consequently, I have decided to keep only the car manual in the glove compartment. I have also decided to limit what I store in my center counsel and to keep all change hidden from sight.
I hope the above information has been helpful. In the event that you know of any other precautionary measures and / or deterrents to auto theft, please share them with me. Thank you.
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Brenda says
Dear Craig,
I’ve been lurking in your blog shadows for the last 6 months. I love your BLOG!!
Your story reminds me of the time my sister’s Honda CRX car seats were stolen from her auto. She called the police & they came out to take their report. After dusting for finger prints they sat down to “counsel” my sister. They started by saying, “we always tell people to remove valuables from visibility”. The cop laughed and then said, “Clearly, you couldn’t bring your seats in with you”.
At least he figured it out! Good Luck with all of your car lessons!!!
Sincerely,
Brenda
secondchancetolive says
Hi Brenda,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.Thank you also Brenda for visiting Second Chance to Live. Your loyal readership is greatly appreciated. If you have any subject or idea that you would like me to address, please let me know. I will write a post on that specific topic or concern.
Zeesk. Car seats stolen. In some countries they chop people’s hands off for stealing. I believe if that was the policy in our country stealing would be highly discouraged. Hmm. What a novel idea. Serious consequences. Not just a slap on the hand.
Since writing the above post, I learned another valuable lesson from my car being stolen. The insurance company policy does not cover anything stored with in the trunk (even though the contents may not be in view)if those contents are not bolted down or permanently attached to the vehicle. Consequently, the insurance company stated that they would not replace the $100 Michelin Road Side Assistance Kit that I had in my trunk. Lesson learned. I no longer leave anything of value in the trunk.
Thank you again for your friendship Brenda.
Have a wonderfilled weekend and God bless You.
Craig