Funny thing happened. Unbelievable!!!

[NutmegCarrera]

So today I took the kids to local mall to see the Easter bunny. (They're 6 and nearly 4 years of age, respectively).
After bumming around with them a while, waiting in line for Mr. "E.B.", and doing our thing - I was back outside after about 1 1/2 hours.
So we walk up to the car (nearly new Subaru), and I find that I left one of the kids' doors visibly OPEN.

So I'm figuring - holy crap, what will I be missing?

Walk up to the car, and find the following:
- radar detector, still there.
- ipod in the flex dock, still there.
- bag o' tools & misc in the back (wagon), still there.

Now, we don't live in a major metro area - but at 11:00 AM on a saturday, I'm a little surprised that nobody made a move to lift anything.

(Door was still open because the seat belt prevented it closing - kid's car seat thing).

I'm a moron for not being absolutely sure of closing it all up, as I tend to be pretty anal.

I guess I lucked out today!!!

[jorian]

You must be a good person. Go buy a lottery ticket.

[not sharp]

Dam, I thought it was a trap!

[lendaddy]

I used to leave the keys in my unlocked 930 all the time around here. You guys can keep the city life

[Sapporo Guy]

hmmm, maybe it was the Easter Bunny and somebody caught him in the act of laying eggs and jumped before somebody could have nabbed him?

[911Rob]

Wow.

Here where I live, we leave the doors open, the windows open and the keys in the ignition

When I read stuff like this I wonder if people dont realize that moving could be an option for them, ha, ha. We're so lucky where I live, but you really have to be careful when you go to the big cities nearby like Kamloops or Kelowna and remember to at least hide the keys under your coffee cup or something, just to be safe.

[Sapporo Guy]

Where I live, I leave my car running and doors open when I go to the 7/11 (convenience store).
I often forget to close my windows in Sapporo (pop. 1.9 million) ... doors are locked though .... lolo

[mattdavis11]

The company vehicle is usually running all the time leaving everything behind, ie.. wallet, phone, house keys... I know "Philly" when I see it and shut it down and lock it up.

I'm going to be a victim one day.

[Taz's Master]

I do not have keys to my house.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Wow, I thought the story was going to end "and then I felt the thump of a steel pipe on the back of my head as I was looking inside, when I woke up the car and my wallet were gone".

I guess I've lived in the city too long. Like you, I'm discovering (as of very recently) the joys of living in a less-populous area. Fewer people = fewer of them that are stupid/overly aggressive/potentially criminal. I don't know if I'm permanently jaded or cynical from my years in SoCal (and Chicago before that), but it certainly left an impression. I (still) keep guns all over the place, I still lock everything religiously, I still make it a point to park in well-lit areas, preferably next to cars that pose a much greater target than my own. I still don't follow a routine/pattern that someone could easily identify. I still use multiple methods of locking things and I still have an elaborate surveillance/home security setup. Maybe I'm paranoid, but it comes from living in a city/urban setting for the last 15-or-so years until very recently. Around here the crime rate is very, very low but "why take the chance?" I guess maybe I am hardened and cynical. Whatever - it keeps me from getting ripped off.

Go buy a lottery ticket in any case. Glad you got out of that one without any loss!

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

I (still) keep guns all over the place, I still lock everything religiously, I still make it a point to park in well-lit areas, preferably next to cars that pose a much greater target than my own. I still don't follow a routine/pattern that someone could easily identify. I still use multiple methods of locking things and I still have an elaborate surveillance/home security setup. Maybe I'm paranoid, but it comes from living in a city/urban setting for the last 15-or-so years until very recently. Around here the crime rate is very, very low but "why take the chance?" I guess maybe I am hardened and cynical. Whatever - it keeps me from getting ripped off.

All those precautions couldn't hurt if you are used to them. I would feel like I was living in jail if I had to live like that, but I guess I could get used to it. I lock my car when I leave it in a lot anywhere, but I seldom lock my doors at home.

[911Rob]

Originally Posted by Taz's Master

I do not have keys to my house.

Hey Taz, I'm in the same boat
This always becomes a challenge when we sell our places.... where are the keys? Then I have to change the locks just to give the new owners keys; seriously, true story.

I'm taking my Pcar for a 3 hour rip today.... yeeha!

[NutmegCarrera]

Nice array of viewpoints!
Yes, we live in a "small town" type place - but the door was hanging open for crissakes. Not like I'm disappointed to get away with all my stuff intact, but even small towns have dumb kids looking for things to mess with.

And yes, it is nice to not need to lock your car when at work, and leave the house open. But there's a limit - and leaving the door wide open is it. I'll continue to be surprised.

And, while we're at it (with proclaiming that there is some "good" in people), I'll point out that I've had some really good luck locating some parts with some nice and easy to deal with folks out there recently. Thanks, Pelicans - Bruce and Lorne. Hopefully, the fruits of our collective labors will result in my car back on the road before too much nice weather passes!

Take care, guys!

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Sapporo Guy

Where I live, I leave my car running and doors open when I go to the 7/11 (convenience store).
I often forget to close my windows in Sapporo (pop. 1.9 million) ... doors are locked though .... lolo

I lived in northern Honshu in the late 70s and early/mid 80s (Misawa). You could pretty much leave a purse full of stuff on a street corner, and you'd either find it still there when you came back, or it would get returned to you with all of it's contents (assuming an American from the base didn't find it before the Japanese did).

Japan's an amazing place (I assume it still is). I'd love to go back for a visit again some day.

[JRRSA]

New Subaru....great choice! Just got my wife a new 2010 Outback. When you lock the car with the remote, listen for one single beep. If it beeps three times, that means a door is still open. Glad to hear everything was there, I guess there still are some honest people out there!

[notfarnow]

Originally Posted by taz's master

i do not have keys to my house.

+1

[speeder]

You just got lucky. All this talk about the lack of thieves in rural and small town America is pure crap. There is a meth epidemic in the heartland that makes burglary and theft a huge problem. FWIW, I've had one vehicle break-in in 28 years in Los Angeles + 2 vehicles stolen, both early VW bugs w/ zero anti-theft precautions in place. (We're talking (1) screw removed and ignition lock cylinder is in your hand).

Want to hear lucky? Last week I left my entire tool box+ tool bag+Nascar jack in the back of my open PU truck parked on my street in Koreatown, which is a dense urban part of Los Angeles. Here is my neighborhood, the third most densely populated in the U.S. after only midtown and downtown Manhattan:

Koreatown, Los Angeles, California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I had a bad head cold and just spaced-out that they were there when I parked the truck. Several hours later, when I came outside and jumped back in my truck, I nearly schit when I saw my stuff in the back and realised what I'd done. (It was all pushed-up tight against rear of cab and my windows are tinted, in case you're wondering how I missed it when I got out of the truck). I NEVER leave valuables in the back of an open PU truck, I don't care where I am. And I roadtrip this country probably more than anyone on the board. My parents live most of the year in rural Northern WI.

That was one of the worst brain-farts I've had since god-knows-when in terms of security lapses. One of the reasons that I've been such an infrequent crime victim is that I try not to make myself the easiest target. If you driveway is long enough and you have a dog or two, you and your stuff are going to be pretty safe no matter where you are. I believe you guys that Canada has fewer bad people than the U.S. but if you're saying that no one would take a radar detector or Ipod left out, you're crazy. Your living and parking situation is just not convenient for thieves.

[osidak]

hell i used to leave my keys in the ignition and doors unlocked with my GPS and V1 on the window....... Notice I said used to

Did it for years and then one Sunday I got a knock on the door at 7 am from the local cops - somebody had walked down the street of our quit neighborhood and went through about 20 cars - all unlocked and all easy picking.

That's right - don't do anything close to that anymore

[onlycafe]

locks only keep out honest people. they just make it inconvenient for thieves.

[osidak]

Originally Posted by onlycafe

locks only keep out honest people. they just make it inconvenient for thieves.

true - but why make it convenient for some underage punk that could barely find his ******* to steal from you