Locks on cars

[ReganAndCarter]

Working freelance in Africa I borrowed a lump of dog for a while. I don't know what breed it was but it filled the back seat of the Land Cruiser. Lazy old thing, but it knew if it curled its lip and growled a bit, people would go away. It suited me fine, but I heard later that it had been clubbed by burglars in its owners' house. The woman of the house slept with a gun under the pillow after that.

Lots of people out there keep dogs for protection. Friends in Pretoria got 3 - one called Goliath, the size of a small pony. However the one the natives were most wary of was their border collie because he had odd coloured eyes. Something to do with superstition - but he wouldn't harm a fly.

 

[crystal ball]

We used to house sit for a couple, pool, tennis court, it was hard life, first night we were there, woke about 4am by dogs barking including ours, then we heard a thud, and silence, Mrs CB said "they've got the dog" I was creeping about in the dark, heart pounding, twitching the curtains and saw the dog sniffing at a rolled up newspaper

 

[mattylad]

A crooklock won't stop them, it only takes them a few seconds to remove it.
Ditto all other steering wheel anti theft add-ons.

Perhaps disable the car with a hidden keyswitch or change the immobiliser code and recode the existing keys - they may be able to get into it but cannot drive it off then.

 

[Seafarer1966]

Reminds me of a situation some years ago; I'd gone to watch a film at a multiplex cinema.

A local civil contractor owner had parked his very smart Merc in the bay directly facing the main entrance steps.

I knew it was his, as he had his name as his registration number.

Dozens and dozens of people walking in and out of the cinema constantly, so his car should have been safe there, of all places?

When I left the place, I saw that it clearly wasn't:car jacked up, and all four wheels gone. "Bemused" security guards standing around.

Had someone bunged them a few quid to go on a tea break? Had someone just pulled up, looked official, and no one batted an eyelid? Insurance fiddle?

Nothing's safe though, if the crims really want it.

If he was parked opposite the steps to the entrance it was probably a disabled space he was parked in. My pet hate. If that was the case then good on the car thieves.

 

[Brigadier]

If he was parked opposite the steps to the entrance it was probably a disabled space he was parked in. My pet hate. If that was the case then good on the car thieves.

I didn't give that a thought; I was just surprised / suspicious that such an audacious crime could have been committed.

 

[crystal ball]

If he was parked opposite the steps to the entrance it was probably a disabled space he was parked in. My pet hate. If that was the case then good on the car thieves.

Quite an assumption, supporting theft is not good, it affects us all in some way.

 

[Bodgedbuild]

You need a decent auto locksmith, one that can recode and clone ECU's. As well as physically replacing locks, they can program the cars ECU to forget any keys that currently have their transponder coded to it. They can then code the ecu to re-learn new transponder keys. A main dealer will also be able to do this but the cost will be higher. The old key will then not only not fit the locks but it will also have an incompatible code in it's transponder so it will not start the car. I would finally buy the cheapest "cherished" registration mark and get that changed so that the car is not targeted locally by a thief remembering the VRM.
best of luck and I hope all are ok and can forget all that has happened

 

[Seafarer1966]

Quite an assumption, supporting theft is not good, it affects us all in some way.

I said 'if' twice you muppet

 

[crystal ball]

I said 'if' twice you muppet

Please desist from childish name calling, it does you no favours, you also said "it was probably a disabled space he was parked in" then went on to approve theft, justified by the possibility of something in your imagination, why would the disabled space be close to steps?

 

[JohnD]

If he was parked opposite the steps to the entrance it was probably a disabled space he was parked in. My pet hate. If that was the case then good on the car thieves.

You approve of thefts from disabled people who park in disabled spaces?

 

[Seafarer1966]

You approve of thefts from disabled people who park in disabled spaces?

Doh...No John I approve of thefts from people WHO ARE NOT disabled hogging disabled persons spaces. Please un-peel your tongue from the window.

 

[ReganAndCarter]

Please un-peel your tongue from the window.

 

[JohnD]

Doh...No John I approve of thefts from people WHO ARE NOT disabled hogging disabled persons spaces. Please un-peel your tongue from the window.

I'm puzzled by the idea that either a thief, or the doormen, would have checked for the presence of a disabled badge before deciding on their action.

I see nothing to approve in thieves who target disabled spaces.

 

[Bod ...]

I'm puzzled by the idea that either a thief, or the doormen, would have checked for the presence of a disabled badge before deciding on their action.

I see nothing to approve in thieves who target disabled spaces.

Maybe he was a car Park attendant who couldn't drive. So he started removing the car from the disabled bay piece by piece