Keeping gear from getting stolen...

[Alan Gales]

A Carpenter I once worked with on a construction job had trouble with people taking his tools. He took a can of spray paint and painted everything hot pink. He claimed he never had a tool stolen again.

Can you all just picture a hot pink Deardorff?

[BrianShaw]

I worked for a capenter (many, many years ago) who did the same thing, except he used a can of red paint. He also went out of his way to let everyone know that he doesn't wash his hands after using the port-a-potty. That dissuaded many a thief, I'm sure.

[Corran]

My uncle is a contractor and he had some tools stolen at a job site. The site was right next to a Pawn Shop and of course they had just purchased them from some low-life. My uncle politely asked if they had asked where he got them from, and they said no...so he just picked them up and left. They knew they had made a shady deal with someone who obviously shouldn't be carrying around really expensive DeWalt professional-grade tools so they didn't protest. Probably only gave him a few bucks for crack money.

[Joseph Dickerson]

That actually seems a bit high, compared to other inland-marine policies. I use my membership in the Chamber Music Association to get discount rates from Clarion Insurance for an all-risk policy to cover my musical instruments. Clarion is an insurance reseller for musicians. It covers all possible losses except rot and vermin, in or out of the house. I have about twice the coverage you have for about a third the price. Maybe cameras are more stealable than musical instruments, but I wouldn't have thought it would be that much different.

About 35 or 40 years ago, I had cameras stolen out of my car, and my homeowner's policy covered it pretty reasonably, except for the deductible. But most homeowner's policies have exclusions for professional use.

Rick "preferring to be in remote places where thieves find little opportunity for escape" Denney

Hi Rick,

I'm comparing the price to what I had to pay when I was in a studio. It's definitely cheaper then back then. But I admit I didn't do any comparison shopping. Perhaps I should.

JD

[RichardSperry]

Probably only gave him a few bucks for crack money.

Funny. We spend money to fight a fake made up crime, which then causes real crime to happen.

It seems like one big jobs and welfare program scam.

Anyway, the answer to the OP's question is to get insurance with a low deductible. An OnStar type service which called or texted you when your vehicle is broken into would be ideal. But then what are you going to do when you go out there to confront them; kill them? /shrug.

[Brian C. Miller]

Two things jump to mind:
One, a fellow's car stereo kept getting stolen. He finally got tired of it and taped razor blades to the back edge. One night soon after that he found his car broken into again, and there was a lot of blood all over the floor and the dash. No more problems.
Two, a couple of women saw a kitty get hit on the freeway, and they pulled over out of sorrow and pity and picked the cat up and put it in a shopping bag. They then went to a restaurant, and decided to leave the bag containing the corpse outside the car. They then went inside the restaurant for lunch, and sat at a table where they could see their car. As they sat, they saw a car stop next to theirs, and the woman driving it got out, grabbed the bag, got back into her car, and drive off. A few minutes later, the same woman entered the restaurant, with the bag, sat down at a table and ordered her lunch. As she waited for lunch, she opened the bag to see what it contained. She then turned absolutely white, and fainted. The restaurant called an ambulance, which carted her off, along with the bag. (Yes, I did hear this through the grape vine, but I did hear it before it made the newspaper, and the newspaper verified at least 75% of the information.)

So: tape razor blades in thief-accessible places, and carry some roadkill in Nieman-Marcus shopping bags.

[Serge S]

The smash and grab problem in Montreal is so bad ...

I remember when I was living in Montreal when the production of Cats was playing in town. Thieves broke into the car and had stolen the script and all the stage documentation and the show was subsequently delayed if I recall correctly (it was in the late 80's) until things could be straitened out.

[Kirk Gittings]

Have you looked at the statistics on HUNGER in our country. "Lunch" may be the wrong word to put on the outside of a cooler.

I'm thinking a container with the words "Soiled Diapers" may be more off-putting for thieves.

[Bill_1856]

. (Yes, I did hear this through the grape vine, but I did hear it before it made the newspaper, and the newspaper verified at least 75% of the information.)

Well if you didn't see it on the Internet, then it's probably not true.

[rdenney]

The razor-blade trick is a story I heard 40 years ago and every few years since. I wonder if anyone has ever actually done it, and not just fantasized about it.

Problem is, booby traps that are intended to cause bodily injury or death are against the law. The crook might be liable for attempted theft, but he or his family could sue you. They'd win.

Rick "who'd rather lose the stereo than have to clean up the blood" Denney