(Rant part2) why break in a hyundai?

[pandus13]

Guys,
sorry, i'm not looking necessary for attention but just got another one (wife got car hit yesterday with kiddo inside, that's rant part1):
got into car this morning and content of gloves compartment is somewhere between passenger seat and floor. start putting it back, then realize there are things missing. did some inventory, checked wife's car (left outside over night to check "follow too close in a 20mph" damage)and the total is:
-wife's car left open (by mysterious visitor), no sign of forced entry, missing a car air refresher
-mine (elantra hyundai 2004) left closed (again by the same mysterious visitor), only a small scratch next to driver's outside handle, left hand glove missing (had them for 7 years), 6 packs of chewing gum missing, 4 to 8 bucks in quarters missing.

Question now is not to pursue them (Total lost around ... 5-10 bucks?), but what should I do to make sure my family is safe?

had no keys to the house in the cars. but this is the same neighborhood where I forgot my garage door open multiple times and same with cars.

Thanks, Bitogers,
and guys and girls,
YES, THIS IS NO JOKE AND IS SERIOUS TO ME!

 

[chubbs1]

There are 12 year olds out causing trouble, I would suggest you lock your cars at night and forget about it. They won't go back to where they got nothing. You need to chill my brother.

 

[Brons2]

My Kia got the passenger front window smashed when I'd only had it about 2 or 3 months. It was sitting in a line of cars that all had their windows smashed. They grabbed the contents of my glove box including my owner's manual. Nothing real valuable, but it's a PITA to not have the original owner's manual. I have a big version I downloaded that I have printed out on 8x11 paper and held together with a binder clip.

The window cost $212 to replace, IIRC. Grrrrr.

 

[hypervish]

^ I have to agree.

Think of this as a reminder to lock your car. This time they only got away with gum, don't let there be a next time.

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: hypervish
^ I have to agree.
Think of this as a reminder to lock your car. This time they only got away with gum, don't let there be a next time.

this time both cars where locked actually.
I verified twice since I had to asses the damage to wife's car.

 

[Smokescreen]

Wow that is a lot of chewing gum. Looks like they were rooting around looking for stuff. Mischief hit from boredom almost considering items taken. Locking the door is pretty much a given in any neck of the woods these days.

Are you keeping everything in the vehicle out of sight? If crooks are bored and see an item that interests them they will hit the car to see what else there is. Put everything away out of site.

 

[BAJA_05]

I live in a suburban area myself. Friend of mine said she seen two young kids walk into her "open" garage in the middle of the day last week out her kitchen window. Walked out to investigate, kids must have heard her comin, walked out, one turnded around and called her a jerk??? If I would have been there I told her I would have grabbed them--or--at least one until the police arrived who are right next door. It can happen "anywhere" to "anybody!!!" Keep your doors & windows locked--PERIOD!!!!

 

[stephen9666]

I find it hard to believe the cars were locked and breaking in caused no damage except for one small scratch to one of the cars.

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: Smokescreen
Wow that is a lot of chewing gum. Looks like they were rooting around looking for stuff. Mischief hit from boredom almost considering items taken. Locking the door is pretty much a given in any neck of the woods these days.
Are you keeping everything in the vehicle out of sight? If crooks are bored and see an item that interests them they will hit the car to see what else there is. Put everything away out of site.

Yes, everything missing was out of sight (glove and chewing gum in the glove compartment, missing quarters in a compartment with lid by drivers side)

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: stephen9666
I find it hard to believe the cars were locked and breaking in caused no damage except for one small scratch to one of the cars.

me too, but it was in the morning leaving to work, so I had a full walkaround of both cars, underhood and trunk included to see if cars had anything else missing.
I was late but was trying to make sure no sabotage/crazy joke took place.

 

[GearheadTool]

Originally Posted By: stephen9666
I find it hard to believe the cars were locked and breaking in caused no damage except for one small scratch to one of the cars.


Its not that hard to believe for me. These Repo guys, and any pro current or ex-car thief, can steal [censored] near anything. Shoot, they may even have a key.

Some people have incredible "Slim jim" skills

And I once had a car in an urban environment that had such a small precision cut, right under the latch, that my friend swore it looked like a laser. And I have to agree.

I am more surprised they didnt just go ahead and take the car.

 

[stephen9666]

Originally Posted By: GearheadTool

Some people have incredible "Slim jim" skills


So evidently, a criminal with "incredible 'Slim jim' skills" is breaking into cars for handfuls of change and chewing gum?

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: GearheadTool
Originally Posted By: stephen9666
I find it hard to believe the cars were locked and breaking in caused no damage except for one small scratch to one of the cars.

Its not that hard to believe for me. These Repo guys, and any pro current or ex-car thief, can steal [censored] near anything. Shoot, they may even have a key.
Some people have incredible "Slim jim" skills
And I once had a car in an urban environment that had such a small precision cut, right under the latch, that my friend swore it looked like a laser. And I have to agree.
I am more surprised they didnt just go ahead and take the car.

so you think both cars got "slim jim"-ed and I got the impatient scratch, or did I got tennis balled?

 

[GearheadTool]

Originally Posted By: stephen9666
Originally Posted By: GearheadTool

Some people have incredible "Slim jim" skills


So evidently, a criminal with "incredible 'Slim jim' skills" is breaking into cars for handfuls of change and chewing gum?


Yes. And im surprised they arent using their incredible "car boosting" skills to chew the gum and drive away with it.

Might not have been a Slim Jim but rather however the Pop-a-lock guys get into a car. They have difficulty with the tight cars that hav never been opened up.

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: stephen9666
Originally Posted By: GearheadTool

Some people have incredible "Slim jim" skills

So evidently, a criminal with "incredible 'Slim jim' skills" is breaking into cars for handfuls of change and chewing gum?

stephen9666,
please read the title of the post.
we are talking about an 8 years old hyundai with scratches on all 4 sides from good city neighbors not washed in at least 2 months.
wife's Yota is 4 years old with the same good city neighbors scratches.
both cars are the base models.
with 2 exceptions, my cars are the lowest looking in the neighborhood
who thinks you live things in a base car???

 

[Spazdog]

When my Chrysler convertible was broken into, they didn't smash a window that I could replace with a wrecking yard unit for minimal cash. They cut the convertible top.

Chrysler wanted $4000.00 for a new top. The cheapest I could find was a vinyl top with a vinyl window for $2000.00.

I sewed it up with matching color heavy gauge thread and attempted to seal the stitches with a thin clear silicone. It looked hideous. Seriously. Looked like Frankenstein. I then glued on some near matching color fabric patch material and that made it look worse.

What did they steal? My battery. A Continental that was already near the end of it's useable service life. It was at least 3 years old and batteries just don't last that long here. They had to know I had an amplifier. They cut the power supply from the battery to it.

Maybe they yanked the battery out before they hit the trunk release.

 

[azjake]

Originally Posted By: pandus13
Guys,
sorry, i'm not looking necessary for attention but just got another one (wife got car hit yesterday with kiddo inside, that's rant part1):
got into car this morning and content of gloves compartment is somewhere between passenger seat and floor. start putting it back, then realize there are things missing. did some inventory, checked wife's car (left outside over night to check "follow too close in a 20mph" damage)and the total is:
-wife's car left open (by mysterious visitor), no sign of forced entry, missing a car air refresher
-mine (elantra hyundai 2004) left closed (again by the same mysterious visitor), only a small scratch next to driver's outside handle, left hand glove missing (had them for 7 years), 6 packs of chewing gum missing, 4 to 8 bucks in quarters missing.

Question now is not to pursue them (Total lost around ... 5-10 bucks?), but what should I do to make sure my family is safe?

had no keys to the house in the cars. but this is the same neighborhood where I forgot my garage door open multiple times and same with cars.

Thanks, Bitogers,
and guys and girls,
YES, THIS IS NO JOKE AND IS SERIOUS TO ME!

Leave yourself a note on the kitchen table or other obvious place reminding yourself to lock cars, close garage door before going to bed. I leave notes all the time to remind me of things like check oil, tire pressure in morning, put garbage can out, etc. We all get distracted and forget things. I find having a notepad and pen by the kitchen table to write notes when I think of things that need doing works great.

 

[Indydriver]

I'm going to assume you don't have a garage. I live in a nice suburban neighborhood where every house has an attached garage. As the old folks move out and the young folks move in, I've noticed that many of them never bother to organize their garage space, use it as a junk room and park their cars in the driveway every night.

VERY POOR FORM. GROW UP. CLEAN OUT YOUR GARAGE. PARK YOUR CARS IN THE GARAGE!

 

[Bladecutter]

Originally Posted By: Indydriver
VERY POOR FORM. GROW UP. CLEAN OUT YOUR GARAGE. PARK YOUR CARS IN THE GARAGE!


I already have two cars, two motorcycles, and a lawnmower taking up space in my garage. Car #3 gets to sleep outside.

Its a car, its not going to melt if rain hits it.

BC.

 

[spasm3]

Are your garage door remotes gone? if so keep the interior door from the garage to the house locked, otherwise you have a home burglary.