Keeping gear from getting stolen...

[Frank Petronio]

I'm starting to think that we don't need to have anything worth stealing anymore... less valuable cameras, Kindles and Smart Phones instead of laptops, all the important stuff in one daypack....

[rguinter]

Sounds like you need a TrunkMonkey!

http://www.trunkmonkey.com/2005/01/1...an-auto-group/

Bob G.

[Vaughn]

I try keep it to one format so I can take it with me and not leave another unattended in the vehicle all day.

My bicycle is maybe 15 years old, and not top of the line back then. I keep it locked, but it is not the bike of choice amongst thieves.

[domaz]

None of these options protects against theft of the entire vehicle. You are actually more vunerable driving an older vehicle to theft because parts are in more demand for them and they have no theft deterrent systems (i.e. RFID/FOB keys etc..).

[Richard Mahoney]

It doesn't hurt to drive a vehicle that looks every bit of it's 250,000 miles. ...

Yes it's sometimes best to appear poor. An anecdote (from a country where conspicuous expenditure has often been frowned upon) ... I remember having been told of a fellow who quietly made his pile breaking in marginal blocks on the East Coast of the North Island. His approach was simple: he bought cheap, burnt off, sent in the goats, then sowed. Within a few years each block became a decent run. The thing that stuck in my mind though were his cars, or rather, how he treated them. ... Whenever he bought a new car he always smeared it with used bearing grease and axle oil. As most East Coast roads were still dirt and metal this meant that they were soon completely covered with dust and grime. Apparently he never washed them until it came time to sell. And then, with the thick film removed, they apparently looked like new. While he was driving them they didn't attract attention, and he could quietly go about his business, but when he wanted to sell them, they scrubbed up well. I don't think anyone thought he was an idiot



Best,

Richard

[Allen in Montreal]

The smash and grab problem in Montreal is so bad now that I am required by my insurance to drive a car with a separate trunk. No mini vans, no SUV, no wagons etc, or I am not insurable.

I have a trunk safe, I disconnect the trunk release cable and lock the split seats at all times. And of course, I have alarm, which does nothing for the quick hit but the insurance insists on an alarm thinking the thieves won't put the time into breaking the trunk safe while an alarm wails.

I am not insured for anything stolen from the back seat area of the car.

I never put gear in the trunk and walk away from the car. If I must move gear to the trunk, I do it a few blocks before I need to park. There have been a few guys here who put gear in the trunk, went to lunch and came back to find the trunk empty.

It has been a long while since my last loss, it is a pain in the ass but it seems to work.

[schafphoto]

With all due respect. Not putting a link to your address and what kind of car your driving, on the net.

Well the 5x7 format thieves on this forum are not the ones I'm worried about... But I know you're out there. That's why I didn't post that it's white

I must admit the duct tape on old cooler is a truism... maybe a biohazard stencil painted on the side.

–Stephen Schafer
I don't live in Ventura and I don't drive an SUV with equipment in it.

[Tim k]

[QUOTE

I don't live in Ventura and I don't drive an SUV with equipment in it.[/QUOTE]

That should do it.

[jp]

There are occasionally news articles showing what the most likely cars to get stolen are. Avoid anything on the list or anything like that on the list. I bet a 4-runner could be a popular target, but I haven't seen the list of favorite cars to steal in quite a while.

I drive an '89 Saab hatchback. Belies status in a serious way. Most people think they are ugly, they are almost never stolen. I have removed the radio and left a hole in the dash. Most people that drive such a car are high school kids or poor college kids with hand-me-down cars from cheap parents. I throw a jacket over what is valuable, and the whole interior tends to be messy.

I had someone break into it once; I don't know if it's called breaking in, but the car wasn't locked. They stole some CDs from the center console, half of which I didn't like, and left my Nikon 300mm lens (in padded case) right on the floor. Thieves are after stuff they can quickly and easily sell in return for their next fix of drugs. Things like CDs, radar detectors, stereos, and whole cars are prominent on their list. Focus on those temptations first, and keep the photo gear out of sight second.

I don't drive popular vehicles, but have often wondered if you put several antennas atop the car/suv if thieves might consider it a potential police vehicle. Maybe they don't look hard at those things, I don't know. The thin blue line stickers are an option, but it could come back to bite you when you get pulled over and get talking about it with the officer.

If someone wants to find you at home and steal your stuff, there are ways besides finding your name on here. They just have to see a photo credit somewhere, look you up with public information, and you're found without having to use internet forums like this. You might not want to post on facebook that you're going away for two weeks and nobody is home, that's just not wise Internet activity.

[tmastran]

Mine isn't a pitt, but a mix. She shows her part black labrador and can be very aggressive when on her leash. I prefer to answer "Will she bite?" with "She won't bite me. I'm the one that buys her food. If you've got insurance, I'll let you try to pet her."
So far, I've never had a stranger test their luck.

Mine are actually big babies, but it seems to keep the riff-raff away while inviting kids and boy scouts who I enjoy showing how that big strange camera works.