Posted on 09/06/2012 8:26:45 AM PDT by fishtank
This is a true story. The names have been changed because, well, a guy ended up getting charged with a felony, something he’s probably not thrilled about. Call me cautious.
"Have you ever had something stolen? Your heart sinks, your mind races, and you become increasingly paranoid about the vulnerability of your personal property. I know because this is a picture of my coworker’s (let’s call him Steve) rental car, a Chevy Impala, after lunch at Slow’s Bar-B-Q in Detroit (amazing food, don’t park on a side street), the Monday after Maker Faire Detriot. There was nothing significant in the front of the car to entice thieves to break in, but we both had computers in backpacks in the trunk. One quick jab from a screwdriver unlocked the car, allowing the thief to pop the trunk and liberate the bags."
more at link...
Bump!
Well worth a read!
The perps probably watched the victims place their bags in the trunk before heading off for BBQ.
Yep, interesting read.
Glad you got your stuff back, Great story, Thanks!
Lessons Learned:
•Be mindful about security and what would happen if your data fell into the wrong hands. Very mindful.
•Install a remote backup system (I like Backblaze).
•Take lots of pictures in case you want to make a post later.
•Take pictures of all your stuff before you go on a trip (just in case).
•Get a car alarm.
•Renting an American car in Detroit doesn’t grant you immunity from having your stuff stolen.
•Don’t park on side streets in Detroit!
•Don’t keep important items in your car.
•Be really nice to police officers. They have a very hard job.
•Batman in IMAX is amazing.
in some places rentals have license plates that are a dead giveaway they are rentals... crooks look for them
I recall Florida changed that after tourists kept getting bumped off.
yup... i think they all started with Z something something
It wasn’t my story.
I didn’t build that story!
Someone else did that!
Haha.
Foreign tourists mostly but some citizens, too, in and around Miami and on the Interstates at rest areas. It began to spread to locals in owned cars about the time creative enforcement and tag changes made the phenomenon go away. About that time I started keeping a gun in my car.
I’d guess that foreign tourists are relatively over-represented in car rentals, as close to 100% fly in from abroad while citizen tourists drive in at least to some degree - and the foreign tourists lack “situational awareness” (or just plain orientation) as to what parts of town are better avoided...
PING for your tech list. Great story.
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