Protecting your Yaris from Car Thieves ?

[MadMax]

As folks say around here, "Don't mess with Texas!"

Not saying the police react any better here for vehicle thefts, but given the right to defend ones self and property, it's not the police the thieves have to worry about!

Some people say it's just a car, but it's not, it's MY car! And if some knucklehead wants to try and steal it from me, the risk their life doing so. Trust me, it's a deterrent!

Honestly, I would expect a security system would work better than a club given the latter's ease of defeating.

Either way, it sucks that anyone would have to worry about their property like that...

[attrapereves]

^^ Same here in Missouri. Attempted car theft is grounds for catching a bullet from my Glock.

That being said, I usually leave my door unlocked overnight. There is nothing valuable in my car, so I'd rather them poke around without having to break a window.

[edmscan]

I found a solution to my problem.

A car alarm is over $500 so that is not going to happen, as it would only piss off my neighbors when it goes off ... and will not wake me up.

So .. I am a ham (amateur) radio operator and I am going to do what I do best. Yes ... a discrete very covert FM transmitter which will transmit any audio from the area / inside my car. Not sure how I will do it. But I will work out the details.

I only need a range of like 75-100 feet if that, so I should be fine. I have lots of radios, so this is an easy one.

Sleeping with a radio beside my bed at night ... loud so that I may wake up. Being on the phone with police while I go and investigate.

I live in Canada so no shooting them, but I can always make their lives miserable when I catch them in the act.

[Yaristeve]

Originally Posted by edmscan

A car alarm is over $500 so that is not going to happen, as it would only piss off my neighbors when it goes off ... and will not wake me up.

I haven't felt the need to install an alarm in my cars for years now but if I ever feel it is necessary, I plan to install the siren inside the car. Perhaps even one of those "pain generator" sirens...

[Kar98]

Originally Posted by attrapereves

^^ Same here in Missouri. Attempted car theft is grounds for catching a bullet from my Glock.

That being said, I usually leave my door unlocked overnight. There is nothing valuable in my car, so I'd rather them poke around without having to break a window.

I had a 84 Rabbit GTI once, and for months I parked it on the street with the driver's door unlocked because the lock was broken. I finally got around fixing that and sure enough the next damn day somebody had busted out the window to steal the Kenwood deck I got for $40 from a pawn shop. The deck that had been in there unprotected for months.

[Idahotom]

Wow..... I haven't locked any of my cars in the last 30 years, ever. About 95% of the time, like running into a grocery store in town, the windows are partially rolled down and the key is in the ignition. If I'm feeling paranoid I may take the key out of the ignition, and drop it on the floor, maybe once a month if that. All I do relative to this thread, is keep my man purse (?) on the floor, with something over it if possible. Big difference is at night/all night my car is home, not parked on a big city street. Lot's of concealed gun owners around here also, people think twice before poking around in someones car, my main security choice when running errands in town is a small loud extremely alert dog with a bad attitude.

[edmscan]

Originally Posted by Idahotom

Wow..... I haven't locked any of my cars in the last 30 years, ever. About 95% of the time, like running into a grocery store in town, the windows are partially rolled down and the key is in the ignition. If I'm feeling paranoid I may take the key out of the ignition, and drop it on the floor, maybe once a month if that. All I do relative to this thread, is keep my man purse (?) on the floor, with something over it if possible. Big difference is at night/all night my car is home, not parked on a big city street. Lot's of concealed gun owners around here also, people think twice before poking around in someones car, my main security choice when running errands in town is a small loud extremely alert dog with a bad attitude.

Would never happen here, unless you were looking to lose your car.

I live in Canada we cannot harm the criminals. They have more rights than we do. So .. leaving my car unlocked or anything else is not an option. That is just looking for trouble, and my insurance would likely deny my claim if I was to leave my car unlocked.

My insurance company required me to "keep my theft prevention device (aka Club) on my car when I am not in it .. 100% of the time. That includes going to 7/11 for 2 min"

The reason .. if you do not protect your car, it will disappear. People leaving their cars running in the winter unattended is a huge issue, and they do disappear.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by edmscan

I live in Canada we cannot harm the criminals. They have more rights than we do.

IMO, it's too bad that more states aren't like Texas, and to some extent Arizona, Idaho, etc. I've heard a few people in Texas, in the past, refer to the difference between the Castle Doctrine in Texas vs. the California equivalent as "The California Apology" .

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

IMO, it's too bad that more states aren't like Texas, and to some extent Arizona, Idaho, etc.

Including Missouri (see post #20).

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Idahotom

Wow..... I haven't locked any of my cars in the last 30 years, ever. About 95% of the time, like running into a grocery store in town, the windows are partially rolled down and the key is in the ignition. If I'm feeling paranoid I may take the key out of the ignition, and drop it on the floor, maybe once a month if that. All I do relative to this thread, is keep my man purse (?) on the floor, with something over it if possible. Big difference is at night/all night my car is home, not parked on a big city street. Lot's of concealed gun owners around here also, people think twice before poking around in someones car, my main security choice when running errands in town is a small loud extremely alert dog with a bad attitude.

I love Idaho. I stayed in Spirit Lake for about a week last summer. Explored CDA, Spirit Lake, Athol, Sandpoint, Hayden, Newport WA, etc. My previous visit was way back in 1999 (Southern Idaho on the way to Yellowstone and then Montana...then CDA, then Spokane, and then a week visiting friends in Lewiston, ID. There are only 10 U.S. counties (other than the one I live in) that I'd likely consider living in (two more in TX, two in FL, two in TN, two in WA, and two in NV) and Spokane is one of them, re proximity to Idaho.

[NEexpat]

I saw you mentioned the interior motion sensor alarm already. (you can use a wireless driveway alert alarm for $20, so i've been told, don't know if it really works or not, seems like it might.)

The only things I can think of are ARMED ALARM decals, Optional Image-of highly poisonous reptile poised to strike. and dummy flashing interior LED as potential deterrents. I'd still get the motion sensor alarm.

Curious though, are you more concerned about them breaking in and stealing stuff or breaking in and stealing your car? Get a kill switch. Perhaps your insurance company will ease up on the club business then. Again get the motion sensor alarm.

Good luck, let us know what you do.

[edmscan]

Originally Posted by NEexpat

I saw you mentioned the interior motion sensor alarm already. (you can use a wireless driveway alert alarm for $20, so i've been told, don't know if it really works or not, seems like it might.)

The only things I can think of are ARMED ALARM decals, Optional Image-of highly poisonous reptile poised to strike. and dummy flashing interior LED as potential deterrents. I'd still get the motion sensor alarm.

Curious though, are you more concerned about them breaking in and stealing stuff or breaking in and stealing your car? Get a kill switch. Perhaps your insurance company will ease up on the club business then. Again get the motion sensor alarm.

Good luck, let us know what you do.

I am not that worried about them stealing my car .. it is a Yaris and there are many more desirable cars out there. That is what insurance is for. The only benefit if they steal a Yaris .. they may not have to stop for gas.

But .. in a criminal flight when police start chasing them, that 0-100 km/s (0-60 mph) in about 11 seconds will not get them too far.

[sheekeebut]

Clean, empty car keeps most opportunity thieves away. Not too clean, or he'll wonder what that Yaris is hiding. Leave something like a half-full (empty?) soft drink cup in the holder, or a pine tree air stinkener hanging on the mirror. Maybe some fast food napkins stuffed in some pockets.

But nothing more. No loose change, no aftermarket stereo faceplates of ANY value, no brand name clothing, backpacks of any size full or empty, no electronics. That includes no wires, no car chargers and no stereo accessories, like remotes and (shouldn't be) exposed wire, especially if it runs to the trunk. Thieves LOVE that. Etc.

I always thought of the club as an invitation for getting picked on, like that kid who wore the blurry printed "sight for sore eyes" shirt in school.

[edmscan]

I found this interesting ...

http://www.fool.com/investing/genera...love-most.aspx

In summary ...

The most-stolen new car: Toyota Yaris, 11.93 thefts per 1,000 vehicles
Toyota's (NYSE: TM ) Yaris is so popular with car thieves that it's pilfered at nearly twice the rate of the second-place Mazda 6, but you might be shocked to learn that Toyota's new car is stolen at twice the rate of older Camrys -- the 365 Yaris thefts in 2012 were over 1% of the model's annual sales of 30,590, but Camrys from 1989 through 1991 (the most commonly stolen model years) only disappeared at the rate of 5.63 cars per 1,000. The Yaris has also topped British car-theft lists, with one out of every 244 Yaris models insured through Confused.com reported stolen between 2004 and 2011.

Unlike the third- and second-place finishers, the Yaris does not come standard with anti-theft features such as keyless remote starters or immobilizer systems that might impede less-savvy thieves. Toyota's overall popularity makes this comparatively low-tech car an easy target for its components, which can be hacked off and sold to dodgy repair shops for use in fixing other Toyota models.

[bronsin]

Hmm interesting!

But is that 300odd thefts of 2012s or 300odd thefts of ALL the Yari ever sold?

[edmscan]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Hmm interesting!

But is that 300odd thefts of 2012s or 300odd thefts of ALL the Yari ever sold?

It says ... 1% of annual sales. So 1% of the 30,590 (this is probably averaged). The math adds up.

[bronsin]

Wow I wouldn't have believed it. I think what it really comes down to is do you live in a high crime area...

[edmscan]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Wow I wouldn't have believed it. I think what it really comes down to is do you live in a high crime area...

Those are American statistics, not where I live. I live in Canada.

And yes .. myself I do live in a high crime area. That is cause ... my city is the gateway to the oilsands in Alberta. Well with the price of oil in the toilet, the poor are well desperate, and looking to steal whatever they need to .. to get their next meal etc.

I am not worried about the real professional car thief, you will not stop those people. It is the "desperate other ones" that you have to worry about.