Posted by: Dave Jackson
Vehicle break-ins - 02/27/02 06:31 PM
Ah, Spring is just around the corner. When the warmer days of Spring grace us with their presence it also tends to bring the thieving scum out from under the rocks that they sleep in during the winter.
In recognition of this annual event it's time to go over some suggestions as to how to help prevent losing valuable property to these vermin. I'll present the ones that I know of and the rest of you all can chime in with what works for you.
1) If you wanna keep it, don't leave it in your rig. Believe it or not, you aren't the first person to think of putting your detachable stereo faceplate in your glovebox or under your seat, nor are you the genius that came up with hiding rods under blankets. How many times have you driven around with a blanket spread out under the canopy of your truck and weren't hiding anything under it?
2) Don't leave valuables unattended in your boat, no matter how busy the area is. It is more than likely that nobody is paying attention to who owns that boat (or who is there with the owner) so if someone comes along and grabs the rods like they know what they are doing then nobody will notice. Same with your kicker. If you have it setup so that it's easy for you to take off at home, then it's also easy for someone else to take it off.
3) The nicest car alarm on the market won't deter anyone from breaking into your rig if they know that you're hiking a half mile into a canyon to fish. Therefore, see #1 above.
4) If you have a nice rig, invest in a nice alarm system that will not allow it to be disabled so the vehicle can be driven off easily. Cheap factory alarms often can be disabled with a couple quick snips. Of course, this will not deter the thief with his own flatbed tow truck, but it will stop the rest of them.
5) By nature, thieves don't want to have to work at it. They're much happier stealing from someone who makes it easy for them. Therefore, park next to the idiot who has the blanket spread out under the canopy of his pickup.
I'm serious here, folks. Every year there are posts that come up on the boards that someone left a couple of their nice Lami rods and Shimano reels in the back of the truck under a blanket and they were stolen. Don't make it easy for them to rip you off, because they will. Let it be someone else who gets victimized.
In recognition of this annual event it's time to go over some suggestions as to how to help prevent losing valuable property to these vermin. I'll present the ones that I know of and the rest of you all can chime in with what works for you.
1) If you wanna keep it, don't leave it in your rig. Believe it or not, you aren't the first person to think of putting your detachable stereo faceplate in your glovebox or under your seat, nor are you the genius that came up with hiding rods under blankets. How many times have you driven around with a blanket spread out under the canopy of your truck and weren't hiding anything under it?
2) Don't leave valuables unattended in your boat, no matter how busy the area is. It is more than likely that nobody is paying attention to who owns that boat (or who is there with the owner) so if someone comes along and grabs the rods like they know what they are doing then nobody will notice. Same with your kicker. If you have it setup so that it's easy for you to take off at home, then it's also easy for someone else to take it off.
3) The nicest car alarm on the market won't deter anyone from breaking into your rig if they know that you're hiking a half mile into a canyon to fish. Therefore, see #1 above.
4) If you have a nice rig, invest in a nice alarm system that will not allow it to be disabled so the vehicle can be driven off easily. Cheap factory alarms often can be disabled with a couple quick snips. Of course, this will not deter the thief with his own flatbed tow truck, but it will stop the rest of them.
5) By nature, thieves don't want to have to work at it. They're much happier stealing from someone who makes it easy for them. Therefore, park next to the idiot who has the blanket spread out under the canopy of his pickup.
I'm serious here, folks. Every year there are posts that come up on the boards that someone left a couple of their nice Lami rods and Shimano reels in the back of the truck under a blanket and they were stolen. Don't make it easy for them to rip you off, because they will. Let it be someone else who gets victimized.