Vehicular smash-n-grab and Einstein's definition of insanity

March 2, 2009 1:50 PM

How can I avoid having my car broken into -- again? I've had a GPS and an iPod stolen out of my car twice in the past three months. Assuming I buy replacements for one or both, how do I avoid going through this yet again in another three months? What have others found to be effective or ineffective, and are there any relevant stats or studies on any of this? My current best plan is to simply remove both from my car every time I get out (except in my garage); that'll be a PITA, but manageable. Are thieves going to see the mounts and break in anyway? If I leave them locked in the glove compartment instead, are they significantly less safe than on my person? If I simply mounted the GPS somewhere other than the windshield, as suggested by the office taking the report the second time, is that enough to make a difference?

This past weekend marked the second time in three months that I've had a car broken into and electronics stolen. First time was in a hotel parking lot in the middle of the night in Orlando, and they were morons who started by trying to pry the door open with a crowbar before eventually smashing the window and taking the dashboard-mounted iPod and windshield-suction-cup-mounted GPS. It was somewhat distressing, moreso because we discovered it just before checking out of the hotel to take the 9-hour trip home.

Second time was the middle of the day, closer to home: a restaurant parking lot in a Raleigh suburb. The car next to mine was broken into as well, as were apparently another half-dozen or so cars in the area that afternoon. They once again got an iPod and a GPS (different car, same setup). Fortunately they just smashed the window and didn't do any further damage, meaning it'll be much less of an ordeal to have fixed. This time, it was more annoying that distressing -- even my kids seemed used to it*.

Both times the damage was covered under insurance, and the electronics were not (given the deductible on my homeowner's, they weren't worth claiming under that). The second GPS was actually covered under AmEx's automatic 90-day coverage, so that's not out-of-pocket.

I know: fool me twice, shame on me. It was, ah, lacking in wisdom to assume the first incident was a fluke (it was the first car break-in I'd suffered in over three decades of life, so I thought that was a fair assumption at the time) and to leave the items visible the second time. What's even dafter, though, is that I'm going to give them the opportunity to do it again. Maybe it's an ingrained hatred of bullies and a refusal to live like a victim. Perhaps it's the result of national "you can't change your lifestyle out of fear, that's just what the terrorists want!" sentiment. More likely, I just don't want to go back to dealing with a CD changer and carefully preplanned trips with printed-out maps every time I take my kids to do something fun on the weekend. Either way, I'm determined to get at least a new GPS, and probably a new iPod too (though I suppose I could make-do with the GPS's MP3 capabilities).

I have to wonder, is this really that prevalent? If my sample is anywhere close to normal (yeah, I know, big "if"), most of the millions of GPS units sold annually would be stolen after a few months of ownership. Isn't the black market saturated with used GPSs by now? I thought that living in a relatively safe suburb of a relatively safe city, with cars in my garage each night, would keep them relatively safe, but obviously not.

But my real question is the one before the break: given that I'm stupid enough to mount electronics in my car again (and please don't just tell me "don't do that", I'm aware of that option), how do I avoid going through this yet again?

*I talked with my kids enough to make sure they understood what had happened both times and were okay with it. And apparently they absorbed a decent amount, driving home after the second one, my four-year-old asked "Daddy, are the bad people in the hotel now? You
know, the hotel you can't get out of? For their consequence?" I had to
suppress a laugh on recognizing the description of prison I'd provided her after the first incident.

posted by SeanCier to travel & transportation (38 comments total)

Lots of people - including me - take their electronics out of the car with them every time they leave it. They get used to it, and it becomes second nature after a while. That is really the only way to prevent this stuff from happening. If you live in an area where break-ins are frequent, however, you may not be able to do anything about your car being broken into. The difference is that they won't have anything to take. If the thieves are the same people, they might give up when they stop finding items in there.
posted by katillathehun at 1:54 PM on March 2 [6 favorites has favorites]

I don't know anyone who leaves their GPS/iPods in the car. I'm in NYC though, so you learn fast.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 1:55 PM on March 2

What's more of a PITA... taking your electronics out of the car, or buying new electronics every time they get stolen. There's really no way to make things safe except never giving the thief something to steal in the first place.

I have one of those weighted GPS-on-the-dashboard stands, and I always remove my GPS and put the dashboard stand into a compartment whenever I leave my car, so there is no visible trace of the GPS at all.
posted by kosmonaut at 1:59 PM on March 2 [2 favorites has favorites]

The one time something was stolen from my car, the cost of replacing the passenger door (where the lock had been ripped out) was much less than the value of my CD player and other stuff.

On that basis, I just make sure things in the car are out of sight. The way I see it, if they wreck part of my car to get in, they might as well take the stereo.

Having said all that, I'm sure the fact that my car is ten years old and never gets cleaned is the best deterrent to any further theft.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 1:59 PM on March 2

I used to live in a very nice, quiet, and generally safe suburb, and had my car randomly broken into one day when I simply left the GPS mount attached. I had the actual device in the glove compartment, and the asshole(s) luckily didn't seem to think that warranted a rummaging through. Since then though, I leave no clues that there is anything of slight value in the car, no matter where I go. Nothing will deter someone, besides making it obvious that there is nothing of value to take the risk for.

Take your valuables out with you, and you won't have problems.
posted by Bakuun at 1:59 PM on March 2

Here in Fayetteville, NC cops recommend that folks take the GPS systems and such in with them and NOT leave them in cars. People have had them stolen right across the street from the police station.

And fwiw it's the nice suburbs that I would be less likely to leave stuff in as hey, that's where the nice stuff is and it's also where the teenage burglars tend to live.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 2:00 PM on March 2

I never understood people who leave their electronics in plain sight. This must be a suburban vs urban thing. Youre begging casual theives to do a smash and grab.

What have others found to be effective or ineffective

I keep nothing in plain view. Valuable stuff goes into the glovebox. I keep the GPS in the trunk and pull it out only when I need it. Then again I park on the street in the middle of Chicago.

I have to wonder, is this really that prevalent?

Does it matter? Its happening to you for whatever reason. There's no big mystery here. Youre leaving tempting goodies out for criminals. Stop doing that.

(and please don't just tell me "don't do that", I'm aware of that option), how do I avoid going through this yet again?

Maybe its not obvious to you, but those two statements contradict each other.
posted by damn dirty ape at 2:01 PM on March 2 [2 favorites has favorites]

I make sure that there's nothing in my car that's more valuable than a replacement window. Then I don't lock the doors.

It doesn't sound like you're into that option, though. Maybe an alarm, or maybe tinted windows so that people can't easily see your stuff?
posted by box at 2:02 PM on March 2

The stealing of GPS units is one of the most common crimes in Boston and Cambridge (where I live and work). Everyone knows you have to take it out of your car. Police departments have signs up outside reminding you to do that. I know plenty of people who have had their stolen. So yes, it is extremely prevalent. And, heads up, the local PD also put out a bulletin that thieves are also breaking into cars where they can see the tell-tale ring on the windshield where a GPS suction cup has been, and nine times out of ten can find the GPS unit in the glove compartment.

It's like leaving your purse unzipped hanging over the back of a chair at a restaurant. It's just not smart. There's no way around it. Sorry, but there's not much to tell you other than "don't do that".
posted by olinerd at 2:02 PM on March 2

I...had my car randomly broken into one day when I simply left the GPS mount attached.

This happens a lot. If your GPS or whatever is mounted on the windshield usually, and you leave the mount (or any evidence of a mount, including two circles where suction cups normally go) then you likely could end up with a broken window and an open glove compartment.

So, if you insist on still mounting it, get a mount that (a) detaches easily, and (b) doesn't leave a mark at all.
posted by inigo2 at 2:05 PM on March 2

I would at least put them out of sight in the glove box or trunk if you don't want to take them with you when you park your car. An empty mount is less of a target than a mounted GPS/Ipod that could probably be taken in less than 10 seconds in a smash-and-grab.
posted by theDrizzle at 2:06 PM on March 2

I make sure that there's nothing in my car that's more valuable than a replacement window. Then I don't lock the doors.

This is my strategy. And I also live in the country where this is normal.

The only time I have been the victim of a crime-type thing was when I was in a Disney town, so while I can't speak to the normalcy of getting your car broken into [never happened to me in twenty years of car ownership) I think it is more prevalent in touristy areas and big cities.

If you want a grnuine option for your "I'm going to mount electronics" lifestyle I'd suggest keeping electronics locked in the glove compartment when you go somewhere and have a way of obscuring mounts for spendy electronics. So maybe an open-bottomed coffee mug you can put over the GPS mount?

The thing about GPSes and iPods is that unlike high end stereos, they're easier to use after being stolen so they attract thieves more readily. Alternately, you could get a sort of cable attacher thing to keep the thing on your car, but you're more likely to enrage a thief who might take a dump in your car and that would be an annoying problem to solve.
posted by jessamyn at 2:10 PM on March 2

Let your kids have fun trashing the car with non-stinky debris like junk mail. Hide expensive stuff in the "trash."

I drive a 14-year-old car, often unwashed, with a messy pile of junk mail on the passenger seat and what appears to be a grocery bag of more junk mail on the floor in front of that seat. Anything small that I don't want to take with me goes under the junk mail on the seat, and anything bigger goes behind the bag of "trash" on the floor.
posted by PatoPata at 2:11 PM on March 2 [1 favorite has favorites]

I am agog that anyone would leave anything of value in their vehicles, ever, and totally speechless that someone would leave those things visible.

Yes, burglaries of this type are becoming a lot more prevalent in this economy and likely to become even more so. Quit leaving your stuff in plain sight, or if you're going to do so, leave the doors unlocked so the thieves don't have to smash your window to get it.
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 2:12 PM on March 2 [1 favorite has favorites]

To those recommending taking the electronics with me (a plan which, in hindsight, does indeed seem saner than the trust in my fellow human beings I'd previously relied on): how many of you generally leave the mounts visible -- and, even better, does anybody have information or anecdotes on the prevalence of theft when electronics vs. mounts vs. nothing is visible?

Currently, I can only pick a course of action based on what "seems wise"; any experience with the actual effectiveness of alternatives is what I'm really after.

damn dirty ape: Just to clarify, I meant "don't do that" as in "don't have electronics in your car in the first place". Not leaving them there when I'm not there is, indeed, my current plan. And I'm aware that nothing, but nothing, is going to prevent all thieves with 100% certainty, I'm just hoping to minimize my chances.

jessamyn: Ironically, the first incident was at Disney.
posted by SeanCier at 2:15 PM on March 2

If thieves see ANY evidence of you having a GPS or iPod, they'll just assume it's on the car. They don't have much to lose breaking your window to check.

So, it's not just a matter of where your mount is, it's the matter of having a mount at all. To avoid getting robbed, you'd have to take out the mount (and the audio cable from the iPod) out of sight (and then it doesn't really matter if it's on you or in the glove compartment, as long as noone sees you storing it).

The difference about the windshield is that the suction-cup mount leaves a characteristic circular mark on the windshield. It's really hard to just rub this mark out, it is, for all effects, "permanent". So, again, a thief sees the circular mark, assumes the gps+mount is stored in the car, breaks in.

A nice neighborhood is, unfortunately, an easy target for prowlers - unless it's a place where people walk by *all the time*, you're not inherently safer in a suburb.

Your bet is to make your car less attractive to prowlers - unless they are serially breaking windows, they're going to break into the easiest target. So, if noone else has anything in sight, and you have a suction cup mark, that's your car. Aside from being wary of the suction-cup mark, and keeping your stuff out of sight, my hint is to get some blinking red LED in your car. doesn't matter if it's plugged to anything, just get a red led to blink in plain sight.

On the other hand, forget about the "this car's GPS has a security code" kind of stickers - most of these are crackable, most of the lowlifes know how to crack it, and you're only saying "hay, I have a GPS".
posted by qvantamon at 2:17 PM on March 2

Never leave anything of value in plain sight in your car. Ever. It's an invitation, like the others say.

Although like many, I'd recommend going beyond just the "plain sight" rule because smarter, even more desperate thieves will always check in the glovebox, especially if there are clues like a mount/suction rings or if your car, is, well, one of the more expensive models (my car is less of a target thanks to its presentation, much like le morte de bea arthur's).

It's not like a GPS unit and iPod are so bulky that you can't stash them in a bag while going out, either. Yes, get a man-purse. And comparing "please burgle this bling" behavior with politicoreligious terrorism is a bit weird--you're giving people a physical reason to victimize you.

Agreeing with peanut_mcgillicuty, petty crimes like this are shooting up in frequency thanks to the worldwide economy.
posted by Ky at 2:18 PM on March 2

I live in the middle of nowhere on a farm and I still take my valuables in at night and lock the car.

Perhaps you should look into an in-dash GPS system that has a cover or removable faceplate of some sort.
posted by bristolcat at 2:21 PM on March 2

I would hate to leave any hint in my car that I use a GPS or Ipod - But then again, I live in the SF Bay area and people break into cars for spare change and jackets. I can't even imagine leaving an Ipod in the car.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 2:27 PM on March 2

does anybody have information or anecdotes on the prevalence of theft when electronics vs. mounts vs. nothing is visible?

Sorry it's anecdotal, but I thought it was common knowledge that you don't leave the windshield mount for a GPS visible. The presence of the mount will invite someone to search for the device. In fact, I've even heard that the presence of circular suction cup residue on the windshield will be taken as a sign that you have something valuable in the car. I don't have scientific studies to back this up, just tidbits I've picked up from news stories or word of mouth.
posted by knave at 2:30 PM on March 2

I just had my car broken into last week.

Their loot? $3 in change.

I don't leave anything at all in my car that can be seen and gives any indication it might be valuable. This used to not include change but now that's on the list as well. I am considering starting to leave the car unlocked at night to prevent another broken window.

However, I live downtown and park in an alley so I am probably at higher risk than most people. My strategy though, would be to leave as little as possible in the car, especially anything that hints at being valuable.
posted by utsutsu at 2:33 PM on March 2

Agreed that these types of crimes are likely to become more common, so it's going to be more important to keep electronics out of your car. However, if you insist on leaving them in your car, why not at least conceal them?

I once read that cars which are completely clean, and look "stock" (that is, no mounts hanging off the dash or anything) are much less likely to get broken into. Even small things like having soda cans or trash in your car increases the chance of someone breaking in (I'm assuming because a completely clean car sends the signal that there's absolutely nothing there, whereas a car with trash is more ambiguous).

When I owned a car, I followed this advice and kept my iPod and GPS in the car, but out of view. My car was never broken into. There were at least 2 instances where I returned to my car to find 2 or 3 surrounding cars with broken windows, but mine left alone.
posted by helios at 2:33 PM on March 2

I once had someone throw a brick through the window of my car in order to grab the loose change I had accumulating in the cup holder. My advice is don't leave ANYTHING visible in your car.
posted by cali59 at 2:35 PM on March 2

I just had my car broken into last week.
Their loot? $3 in change.

If you have car insurance documents and the like in your glove compartment, the $3 in change might be incidental and you should consider the possibility that they copied down enough info to attempt some form of identity theft. Might be worth checking your documents to see what's in there and thus how much info could be out and about.

OTOH, they could be crackheads inching toward their next fix $3 at a time...
posted by -harlequin- at 2:45 PM on March 2

My father went farther than you "leave-nothing-visible" types. He kept nothing in it but an ice scraper and never even locked the doors. It was showroom empty.

His reasoning was that if they want in, they'll smash their way in.

It helps to have an uncool car no one would want to bother stealing, too,
posted by codswallop at 2:49 PM on March 2

Firstly: I'll nth 'DO NOT leave your ipod or GPS an unattended car'.

how many of you generally leave the mounts visible

I do. Nothing stolen so far.

Also:

I have to wonder, is this really that prevalent? If my sample is anywhere close to normal (yeah, I know, big "if"), most of the millions of GPS units sold annually would be stolen after a few months of ownership.

Most people are not leaving readily resellable electronics visible in unattended cars.
posted by pompomtom at 2:50 PM on March 2

I lived in big bad LA and had my car broken into. My stereo was stolen -- the faceplate may (or may not) have been still on the stereo itself (I had made it a habit to take the faceplate off but leave it hidden in the car). AND they took the little flip-down change tray concealed under the dash -- not just the change, but the TRAY ITSELF. Bastards.

So yeah, don't leave anything in plain view. That's probably the best way to avoid any break-ins. Take your electronics with you, but stow the mounts in the glove compartment. If your car is going to get broken into, it's going to get broken into, but don't leave anything in there that will make it extra worthwhile for the crook to have done it (e.g., an iPod vs. spare change).

If my sample is anywhere close to normal...most of the millions of GPS units sold annually would be stolen after a few months of ownership. Isn't the black market saturated with used GPSs by now?

Your sample isn't close to normal, and no, the black market is probably never saturated with anything.
posted by puritycontrol at 2:52 PM on March 2

I also remove theft-prone portable electronics when parking my car in public. In addition, I'd recommend picking up a beanbag mount for your GPS. Repeated removal and re-attachment of the windshield mount suction cup proved impractical (destroyed mine quickly), and I'm told that the thieves are known to target vehicles with windshield mount suction cup marks.
posted by MD06 at 3:09 PM on March 2

If you have car insurance documents and the like in your glove compartment, the $3 in change might be incidental and you should consider the possibility that they copied down enough info to attempt some form of identity theft. Might be worth checking your documents to see what's in there and thus how much info could be out and about.

Good point, this. I had a car vandalized beyond repair once. There was absolutely nothing of value inside it, but there was that little folder with the owner's manual and my insurance verification. They took a window (they actually took the window right out of the door. The cop was as baffled as I was) and my insurance info. That said, All State told me that none of the info on the insurance card could be used in a harmful way and simply sent me another copy. Still - consider keeping anything about your identity in your wallet instead of the glove compartment.
posted by katillathehun at 3:11 PM on March 2

I make sure that there's nothing in my car that's more valuable than a replacement window. Then I don't lock the doors.

And then, if you're me, you have the window broken anyway by some idiot who doesn't even try the handle first.
posted by The corpse in the library at 3:15 PM on March 2

Be careful of other things in your car, such as change, which could motivate a thief to get into your car int the first place, and then look for 'what else is in here'. A totally empty car is the best.

I had my car broken into and they had the audacity to go through my change in the ashtray and leave all the pennies on the passenger seat. Wow.
posted by Vaike at 3:24 PM on March 2

Thieves are looking for valuables. Do not leave your car looking like there may be valuables in the car. If you don't take them with you, at least hide them. That's it!
posted by qvtqht at 3:49 PM on March 2

I live in a quiet part of town, across from two cops. I left a camera on my passenger seat (on the phone with my idiot boss when I got home), and it was gone in the morning. Scratch one passenger-side CRX window, which are hard to come by.

Two weeks later, they busted the window again, in the *hopes* I'd left another, I guess. *That* window was even harder to replace.

Now I live by PatoPata's concept - the car is filled with decoy crap so that even a sharpshooter couldn't pick out the valuables, even if I *did* leave 'em out.
posted by notsnot at 4:39 PM on March 2

When I lived in Albuquerque, the ONE TIME I forgot my stereo faceplate in my car it got stolen. The dumb fucks weren't able to get the actual stereo out, just the faceplate, so both of us lost. Except I lost more because I couldn't afford to get a new stereo. I could barely afford to get a new window.

I live near Chicago now, and my car has only a tape deck. I have a cassette adapter for my ipod and I don't even leave that in the car when I get out, because its very existence implies that there's something to hook to it.

You're being silly, leaving your expensive electronics in the car.
posted by sugarfish at 4:57 PM on March 2

Here in San Francisco I frequently see signs posted on car windows notifying potential thieves that everything of value has already been stolen and that the door is unlocked if they'd like to rummage around and check for themselves. I've also wondered recently about simulating the after-effects of a break-in by taping a trash bag over the window with duct tape. I see the real thing pretty often.
posted by Jeff Howard at 5:33 PM on March 2 [1 favorite has favorites]

Sheesh. I've had my truck broken into and all they got were my Billy Joel CDs. I mean -- Billy Joel. I think I'm the winner.

Oh, yeah, except for what it cost to replace the glass.

Point being that thieves break into cars that are available to break into, even if the chance of finding anything valuable is minimal. They've got all night, they can break into twenty cars in an hour until they find something worth fencing.

Unless you've got a Batmobile with INTIMIDATE mode, you're going to be a victim again unless you learn to accept the fact that you cannot defend your vehicle unless you are in it (and in some cities like Miami even that one is doubtful).
posted by dhartung at 9:28 PM on March 2

What's even dafter, though, is that I'm going to give them the opportunity to do it again. Maybe it's an ingrained hatred of bullies and a refusal to live like a victim. Perhaps it's the result of national "you can't change your lifestyle out of fear, that's just what the terrorists want!" sentiment. More likely, I just don't want to go back to dealing with a CD changer and carefully preplanned trips with printed-out maps every time I take my kids to do something fun on the weekend.

Nevermind the patriotic absurdity about not giving in to fear of being victimized; by keeping that stuff in your car, you're perpetually going to BE victimized.

And unless you have a job where travel takes up a significant portion of your day, leave the GPS at home during the week. Your impromptu trips take place on the weekend.
posted by Ziggy Zaga at 2:59 PM on March 4

Yeah, that living-like-a-victim thing is hokum. I mean, I'm 'living like a victim' because I don't leave a bunch of expensive stuff in my car, but you're the one whose car is getting broken into? What type of crap is that?
posted by box at 3:36 PM on March 4