What a week!

[mattdavis11]

Actually, it all began Saturday 9/15, last week. I was doing what needed to be done to our vehicles, nothing major, oil change, air filter, tires, etc... I back her MDX off the ramps about 8pm, just tad bit of light out. Put the ramps in the backyard, wash my hands, go outside 2 steps. "Honey, call the police". Dammit! Her car is gone. My fault, left it running in front of the house maybe 2 minutes, that's all it took.

I can't recall what was said between she and I, but it wasn't nice, from either side. We chill out, knowing it could have been worse. The police take the report an hour later, and leave our home. Seems like routine stuff, but it wasn't to me. Soon after the local pd left, I also call the county to make sure they have the report too, they did. Then it all soaks it in. Depression, anger, hope, solitude. They wanted the car, no one was hurt, and that's the best that can come of it. It was, for 5 days.

Sunday was awful. Outside of notifying the insurance company, it was nothing but the guilty feeling of being really stupid. Allowing it to happen, is a damned hard pill to swallow. We've probably all done it, and probably not, especially with her car. I'm ****ed, her pride and joy is gone.

Monday afternoon she gets a call, the car has been recovered, and is impounded. The sheriffs department recovered it in the city, 12 hours after being stolen, in an apartment complex. The county mountie had license plate scanner.

We retrieve it Tuesday. Damage to the front, but not much. The thief/thieves rifled through the car, but didn't throw much out, if anything. The cd's were ejected, left on the floor, the owners manual was still in the car, but not in the glove box, that would have been a clowns mask.

I need a beer, more later.

[pwd72s]

Some days are like that...sorry to hear. Will it still be a hassle in 5 years? Probably not...

[DanielDudley]

Considering everything, that is about the best result you could hope to get. The real emotional toll isn't the car as much as feeling like you aren't secure in your own neighborhood.

20 years ago, I never bothered to lock my house. These days I lock it even if I am only going to be out 10 minutes.

[pavulon]

I deeply dislike living in a puny town too boring and cold for much riff-raff until I read stuff like this. That said, I had my Rx-7 stolen in Omaha a long time ago. Got it back undamaged 2 days later because they caught part of the "crew" working the Creighton campus that night. It still gets a little under my skin today.

[ckelly78z]

It sucks feeling vulnerable and violated when something like this happens

We live way out in the countryside with our nearest neighbors 1/4 mile in each direction. My dogs are trained to be off leash, and stay on our 10 acres with no problems. One day, I came home from work and let my Aussie out to run around, and get his business done. I came out 1/2 hour later, and didn't see him anywhere, and called for hours (he was stolen out of our driveway) someone must have seen him, pulled up, and lured him close enough to grab.

They were nice enough to leave his collar on the porch the next day while I was at work, which confirmed their dastardly act.

We have another Aussie now, but I get paranoid every time I here a car slow down near our house, and keep a gun handy (which i'm afraid I would use in a similar situation),

[wayner]

Ive learned form talking to some young offenders that car theft is simply an alternative to taking the bus. Don't take it to hard, they just "borrowed" it.

I know how bad it hurts, the violation etc, but to them it was just a way home.

[Tobra]

Mom got this one stolen when it was in the shop. Got it back a few weeks later, only thing missing was the boot for the top, lucky they did not steal the back seat. Nobody ever figured out how to fix the fuel gauge. Cops found it on a dead end street, out of gas. Hey, that is Mike Blanchard standing next to his Alfa, never noticed he was in that pic.

Originally Posted by pavulon

I deeply dislike living in a puny town too boring and cold for much riff-raff until I read stuff like this. That said, I had my Rx-7 stolen in Omaha a long time ago. Got it back undamaged 2 days later because they caught part of the "crew" working the Creighton campus that night. It still gets a little under my skin today.

Mom went to Creighton too. When the time came to pick a residency, she goes to the guy and he asks her if she wants to go into Pediatrics or Obstetrics.

"I was thinking more of being a Pathologist."

"But you are a woman."

"Yes, I know that, but I am not interested in Obstetrics or Pediatrics."

"But you are a woman."

"Yes, I realized that prior to medical school, and I am not doing OB or Pedi.

"You are not going to get a residency in the state of Nebraska in anything besides Obstetrics or Pediatrics."

She went home and told my father that she was moving to California to do a residency and he was welcome to come. I guess they had been married about 2 or 3 years. She ended up going into anesthesia and I was born where she did her residency. True story.

[vash]

That sucks!

On the bright side; thanks for the harsh reminder. I have the same bad habit.

[rattlsnak]

Matt, where do you live? And is it a subdivision house, or an apartment, or? Just trying to get a feel of the crime scene. It almost sounds like they were watching the whole time waiting for you to finish???

[Arizona_928]

I leave my diesels idling. Crazy that it happened in front of the house. Definitely crime of opportunity.

[mattdavis11]

We have been in this duplex for 7 years. It's a subdivision in Austin, Texas. I've had concerns about crime while here, and as neighbors, we keep an eye out for each other. However, skid row is not far away. I suspect the were watching, just hanging out at the park in our cul de sac.

People are moving here in droves, we can't wait to get out of this city. We have a house about 45 minutes down the road, and we are moving stuff into it today.

Luckily, her house keys were not on the key ring.

Back to the story:

Just out of impound, she found the mask in the glove box while I was checking the exterior. She freaked out. "WTF is that Matt!!? WTF is it!!"? It's a clowns mask. We needed to move on, the impound had other business, and she has to wrap up a few things at the office..

It may have been swept outside when recovered, but it was locked. What to do. We can't take it home, fecker has the keys, and knows where we live. To the dealer it goes. End Martes.

I requested the local PD sweep the inside of car on Wednesday, They did, all clear of contraband.

It takes the insurance adjuster 5 days to call us. I was keeping them abreast of what was going on every step of the way. Finally the adjuster called yesterday, 9/21. They will look at it Monday 9/24. Dealership says it's probably totaled.

[Arizona_928]

I would let that dealer do the estimate then.

Maybe it's urban legend, but I heard some insurance companies won't pay out if a vehicle is stolen with its own keys...

[onewhippedpuppy]

Dude, that sucks! It’s something that we all do, I’ve been there many times. If nothing else hopefully your suffering is a good reminder for the rest of us to take the keys out every time.