Do you lock your car?

[ncc1701]

This time of year we get a lot of people posting on our neighborhood FB group about someone breaking into their car and rifling through it. They always say they'd left their car unlocked and they're warning others not to do so.

We had it on our neighborhood FB page a few months ago and every couple of months in our region on the local TV news. In 90%+ cases people had left their cars unlocked. Things taken ranged from wallets, backpacks and cell phones to loose change or nothing at all( outside camera recorded the event).
I always lock unless I forget .

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

If the garage doors had been forced open, do you think a locked car door is going to stop them?

I'm sorry did anything I say indicate that it would? It's just an added layer of protection. Do you think a locked car is going to stop all the thieves out there? Nope, just an added layer of protection.

 

[kdonnel]

I have absolutely nothing of value in my truck. I don't bother to lock it when out and about but usually remember to lock it overnight when parked in the driveway.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

I have absolutely nothing of value in my truck. I don't bother to lock it when out and about but usually remember to lock it overnight when parked in the driveway.

No garage door opener, no registration with your home address on it?

 

[kdonnel]

No garage door opener, no registration with your home address on it?

The registration is there but thanks to Anthem Blue Cross and their inability to secure their computers, my identity (name, address, birthdate, social security number) has already been stolen and used to register a company with the state and steal 60k from others.

A criminal stealing my name and address which is already part of the public tax records is not something I worry about.

 

[sam_gordon]

I'm sorry did anything I say indicate that it would? It's just an added layer of protection. Do you think a locked car is going to stop all the thieves out there? Nope, just an added layer of protection.

ummm... yes.
"it wouldn't be a bad idea to lock it in my garage because unfortunately it has happend where people's garage doors have been forced open and cars stolen. "
If you think it would be worth it to lock the car in the garage, then you must think it will stop someone. Otherwise why do it?

 

[mumto3girls]

I usually do when out and about. I almost never do in the driveway, but I am trying to get into the habit. DH keeps reminding me that with the automatic garage door opener anyone that can get into my car has access to the garage. We keep the house locked at night, but the lock between the house and garage is nothing special. That would be the biggest issue. Otherwise, there is really nothing of value in my car—spare change, gum, maybe a phone charger, umbrella, air freshener, etc.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

ummm... yes.
"it wouldn't be a bad idea to lock it in my garage because unfortunately it has happend where people's garage doors have been forced open and cars stolen. "
If you think it would be worth it to lock the car in the garage, then you must think it will stop someone. Otherwise why do it?

You're interpreting my comment incorrectly don't know what else to tell you

 

[sam_gordon]

You're interpreting my comment incorrectly don't know what else to tell you

So how should it be interpreted? People have had garage doors forced open and cars stolen, so you think it could be worth it to lock the car while it's in the garage (presumably so if someone does break into the garage, they'll find the car locked and then give up on stealing the car).

 

[tvguy]

No garage door opener, no registration with your home address on it?

LOL. If it's parked in my driveway.....I think they have my home address already.

 

[Kitty 34]

About once a week I have to go looking for equipment that someone forgot to put away and left in their car, usually to a car that there is no spare key to. So part of my job.
One of the company cars is a 2005, the rest are all 2011 or newer, so not a single 20 year old car in the bunch.

I don't know TV Guy, even if I left (back in the day) some school equipment in my car, I don't think any employee should be looking in my car for it unless I gave them permission. I would never open someone's car door to retrieve "work" equipment unless just stated they gave me permission to do so. Just saying......

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

So how should it be interpreted? People have had garage doors forced open and cars stolen, so you think it could be worth it to lock the car while it's in the garage (presumably so if someone does break into the garage, they'll find the car locked and then give up on stealing the car).

You're really overthinking it in all honesty. Normally I would be all for a more in depth discussion but it's the 4th and I'm personally though respectfully not inclined to go back and forth today on something like this

**No offense meant though

 

[snappy]

Heck yes, it’s automatic.

Not full proof though as we had a car stolen in uptown New Orleans about 30 years ago. The car was locked but that didn’t deter the thugs.
Loved that mint green Olds 88. Good road trip car. It was stripped by the jerks and had to be totaled.

 

[tvguy]

I don't know TV Guy, even if I left (back in the day) some school equipment in my car, I don't think any employee should be looking in my car for it unless I gave them permission. I would never open someone's car door to retrieve "work" equipment unless just stated they gave me permission to do so. Just saying......

These are company cars. I always tell the people assigned that I retrieved the equipment afterwards. I could go proper channels, but I don't want them getting in trouble with the boss.

 

[Kitty 34]

These are company cars. I always tell the people assigned that I retrieved the equipment afterwards. I could go proper channels, but I don't want them getting in trouble with the boss.

Thank you for the explanation.....must have missed that in your thread.

 

[gwynne]

These are company cars. I always tell the people assigned that I retrieved the equipment afterwards. I could go proper channels, but I don't want them getting in trouble with the boss.

Probably some adults would appreciate you keeping them out of trouble with the boss, others might not like a fellow employee rummaging around in their car.
Sounds like the company may need a parking lot monitor. Someone specifically authorized to keep up with all the forgotten equipment left in vehicles.

 

[tvguy]

Probably some adults would appreciate you keeping them out of trouble with the boss, others might not like a fellow employee rummaging around in their car.
Sounds like the company may need a parking lot monitor. Someone specifically authorized to keep up with all the forgotten equipment left in vehicles.

If the car is locked, and there is no spare key on the keyboard, I could also call them at home.....at 3 a.m........and have them come in and get the equipment for us. LOL, on the parking lot monitor. Not happening. $$$$
If you have not worked graveyard shift (25 years for me) or an early shift (3 am start the last 11 years), it is a different world, no matter what your industry. The rules kind of go by the wayside. As one of my bosses put it....." use your best judgement.....do what you have to do to handle a situation....if I want you to handle something differently in the future.....I will tell you afterwards". My mom worked graveyard for many years as an RN in surgery........was the same with her.

 

[Colleen27]

Rarely. I generally don't keep anything of value in my car, and when I was living in the city I learned pretty quickly that the only difference between locking the car and leaving it open was that those who locked their cars had to replace windows if someone decided they wanted to get in. That happened twice when I was in my first adult job, working in a rather sketchy part of Detroit - someone went through all of the parked cars in our work lot, opening those that were unlocked and breaking a window to get into those that weren't. After that, they finally fenced our lot and hired a guard.

Where I live now, that's not likely to happen but I still tend to leave the van unlocked and empty rather than counting on the locked door of what is essentially a rolling greenhouse to keep anyone out. I do lock it for the deterrent effect if we're out shopping or traveling or otherwise have packages or valuables in there.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I've always kept our cars locked. I even keep our doors locked even when I'm home.

2 days ago a car theft ring was working our area. Within a 5 block radius of us they took quite a few cars - even ones that were in a garage but had garage doors left open.

Our neighbor has a security light and camera and a dog. The dog started barking, the security light came on so she checked her camera and they had been trying to get into her cars that were in the driveway They had a black bar of some sort she said. She saw no sign of a car that they came in. She got a full front view of their faces on the camera so was able to give that to the police who she immediately called.

We keep our lights on outside and have a ring doorbell. Our ring doorbell didn't catch any sign of a car on the street even though it catches many throughout the day and it didn't catch anyone in our driveway. I figure they were dropped off at the front of the subdivision and walked in.

Every day I see comments on our neighborhood facebook page about how people need to remember to lock their cars because things were stolen out of someones car - Wallets, wedding rings, change ect....

Even my parents in rural MN have said they keep their cars locked because things have been stolen from their neighbors cars.

 

[DebbieB]

In public, yes. At home in my locked garage, no.