So someone (or someones) broke into my HCH 2 days ago. Stole an ipod video, a digital camera and even went through my trunk. **banging head on the wall** In my trunk I had my messenger bag which had some money in there. I came back from Albertsons and left the messenger bag in there to carry up my groceries instead.
Replaced the window drivers side front for 220.00 which was pretty good. Not an OEM window but it look just as good.
I spent 324.00 on window tinting and an autopage alarm with pager which spans 2 city blocks (not neccessary considering from my apt I can see my car outside in the parking lot).
Whole ordeal including replaced window, stolen goods, tint and alarm about $2000.
What a way to start off Christmas. I'm gonna have to be cheap this year. There goes my tax credit for nothing.
Rex Pak
Lexus of Glendale
Internet/Fleet Sales Manager
AAA Acounts Manager
1221 S. Brand Blvd.
Glendale, CA 91204
818-507-1300 ext 353
818-253-5126 cell
818-863-1026 fax
This advice is a little late to have effect but I should share it anyways, maybe others can be more lucky in a situation like this.
Put everything over $20 in value in the trunk when you park, lock the trunk using your key (near the internal gas and trunk lever). If you can't put in the trunk at least make sure it is out of sight (in glove compartment, under floor mats, in center console, etc).
I know of two ways to defeat this method. First would involve stealing the whole car, sadly there is no way to avoid this if it's going to happen. Thieves will be thieves. Second would involve using a bottle jack or similarly shaped jack and placing it on the bumper and forcing the trunk open, this doesn't always work because the bumper may give before the trunk does and it's pretty obvious to everyone around what the person is doing (assuming there are people around).
I know of two ways to defeat this method. First would involve stealing the whole car, sadly there is no way to avoid this if it's going to happen. Thieves will be thieves. Second would involve using a bottle jack or similarly shaped jack and placing it on the bumper and forcing the trunk open, this doesn't always work because the bumper may give before the trunk does and it's pretty obvious to everyone around what the person is doing (assuming there are people around).
I've gotten my trunk open with it locked. All you need is a screwdriver to open the locking mechanism. It pops right out and the trunk is openable. It's still safer than nothing though. If you have something really valuable and it's small enough, you can hide it under the spare tire or in that compartment somewhere.
Yah. Plus the screw isn't directly visible. You have to remove a panel. It takes a little work and prior knowledge of the car. I think it's pretty safe.
A little over a month ago, my 06 HCH-II got broken into as well. This is the aftermath:
Total damage related repair bill: $1500+
Stolen stuff: $10 worth of coins for the car wash contained in a ZIP lock bag.
Oh, yeah: This was the lousiest, most clumsy thief ever. He had to scratch the car paint while breaking the window and the interior trim on the rear-right passenger door too.
Anyhow, guess what my current project is!!!
I'll be posting an article about my new upcoming mod. I guarantee that next time the crooks will get the notoriety that they deserve !!!
I will even be dedicating a web site to these losers which will include any prowler on the parking ramp (parkage here in Canada) that I park in.
That's life Colby. Unless things take a turn for the better, nothing and nobody is truly safe, anywhere at anytime.
The zip lock bag with the coins was inside the glove box along with a digital tire pressure gauge... so it was not visible at all. The crook pretty much ignored my TomTom bluetooth antenna and the Scangauge as well... which is somewhat puzzling because they would be worth more than the $10 in change he/they settled for. I guess they were tightly tethered and therefore unattractive?
The irony here is sad indeed: The punk caused $1500 in damages just to get $10. I hope the $10 he got was enough for him to buy the can of solvent he was looking for... maybe a really big can. This way the number of brain cells he's nuking is large enough so he wont do this type of stuff again.
Yeah not so pretty. I have some pictures but not digital cause my camera was stolen. The apt complex manager took pictures with a polaroid so I have a polaroid picture that I need to scan.
Looks pretty much the same broken glass everywhere. What I don't understand is that if he broke the drivers side front window, why the hell there was glass all over the front seats and the back seats.
Sucks to be a victim. The cops are checking the pawnshops for my ipod and I am looking to buy ipods on craigslist in the vicinity of my apts. God forbid I find my ipod that way they will have hell coming to them.
Rex Pak
Lexus of Glendale
Internet/Fleet Sales Manager
AAA Acounts Manager
1221 S. Brand Blvd.
Glendale, CA 91204
818-507-1300 ext 353
818-253-5126 cell
818-863-1026 fax
Sorry to hear about that. It sad how some people work hard to have what they have, while others take. I wish we had a stonger punishing system for people that do this things (or even worst).
Example: Everytime you get caught steeling something... CHOP A FINGER OFF!!!
As mentioned above, nobody is ever really safe. <--- quite sad!
These type of things make people want to get cameras to record what happens when you are not looking. Even with cameras sometimes, I have experienced that although you may have it recorded, the quality is not as great to make anything good out of it.... so now you have a video of you stuff being stolen.
HCH Broken Into.
