Stolen GPSr and TomTom

[+Matrix]

 

If you are offered a nearly new GPS 60Csx serial number 118244946 or TomTom 720 serial number M64337B05506 they were stolen from a vehicle in Fforestfach Swansea today , Please let either me know via PM or Swansea Police on 01792 456999 quoting crime ref 62080098840

 

Thanks

Edited March 18, 2008 by Matrix

[+Tiger-Eyes]

 

If you are offered a nearly new GPS 60Csx serial number 118244946 or TomTom 720 serial number M64337B05506 they were stolen from a vehicle in Fforestfach Swansea today , Please let either me know via PM or Swansea Police on 01792 456999

 

Thanks

 

Thats a double whammy sorry to here about that matrix, My GPS was stolen from me last year (it was left on the dash getting a signal whilst I went to the boot to get my caching bag, when I when to get my gps it was gone) . I hope they find the ####### and you get them back.

[The Cartooners]

 

If you are offered a nearly new GPS 60Csx serial number 118244946 or TomTom 720 serial number M64337B05506 they were stolen from a vehicle in Fforestfach Swansea today , Please let either me know via PM or Swansea Police on 01792 456999

 

Thanks

 

Sorry to hear that. Will keep eyes and ears open for you. Society today stinks!!

[+Simply Paul]

Sorry to hear about that and good luck getting them back. Keep an eye on eBay and wait for both items to get listed by the same person?

[+Matrix]

Thanks for the advice and sympathy , one thing that has just occured to me is that there are 200 caches on the CSx and I am worried the scrotes will go looking

[+Simply Paul]

As those waypoints link it to you (the serial number will be off by now, no doubt), the chances are they'll blank the memory as soon as they can work out how to. That's if they have half a brain...

[+keehotee]

As those waypoints link it to you (the serial number will be off by now, no doubt), the chances are they'll blank the memory as soon as they can work out how to. That's if they have half a brain...

Unfortunately it'll probably end up in a bin as soon as the scrotes realise there's no credit on it to dial out.......

[Moss Trooper]

I just had the single whammy.. snot gobblin bog rats got my TT 910 whilst I visited a company in Manchester this lunch time. I took TT and mount off the windscreen and put it in the door pocket.

 

Seems they hang about the area and if some one parks up in a company car park they do the car.. just in case you didnt put it in your pocket. At best bust window.. at worst window and sat nav.

 

Next one gets a slight mod.. I belive the military call them an IED..

 

Moss T

Edited March 18, 2008 by Moss Trooper

[+Beds Clangers]

Thanks for the advice and sympathy , one thing that has just occured to me is that there are 200 caches on the CSx and I am worried the scrotes will go looking

 

Hi Matrix,

 

Know the feeling very well!!!

 

Drive a van and have been broken into four times in less than two years

 

Have lost 3 x Laptops 2 x GPS, 1 x iPaq, don't worry about the "c*!%s" who nicked the gear they wont go cache hunting, too stoned or pissed to worry about a tubberware box.

 

I lost some test equipment out of the back of my van, value £30,000 (yes £30K) it was found in a layby about one week later BUT,a few days in the rain and it was total scrap

 

I know it is of NO help, but don't leave ANYTHING on display, I say this as my wife's car was broken into and they stole the cat's worming tablets, they were on the passenger seat. Just have a vision of some junky trying to inject himself with them, you have to laugh

 

Keep smiling

 

Cheers

 

Nick

[wolfshead57]

Sorry to hear all those tales, I guess we all get our cars etc. smashed so some scrote can get a bottle of cider or a quick fix.

 

I was told by a boy in blue that they look out for a sucker mark on the windscreen or a spot that is cleaner than the rest, where you have tried to rub the mark off.

So he told me to go to everythings apound and buy those stick on lizard/dolphin etc. air freshners (you know the ones that dont work) and stick those to the screen when you remove the sat nav or drop it next to the screen so it looks like it has dropped off. Then theymay just figure its that thats left the mark and not the sat nav.

 

Good luck all

[+alma]

sorry to hear about your misfourtune.dont let the b,s get you down.some people make you wonder

[+careygang]

Won't help after the event, but in the USA there are at least 2 states where it it illegal to have sucker mounts on the windscreen. people in those states still do it, but there is an alternative.

 

These weighted mats are available, fix your window mount to the centre, place it on the dash and it stays there. Shove it in the glovebox or under the seat, and no mark on the windscreen.

 

They go on fleabay for about £18 in UK or $15 in USA on fleabay.com and some US companies will ship to UK.

[+walkergeoff and wife]

Won't help after the event, but in the USA there are at least 2 states where it it illegal to have sucker mounts on the windscreen. people in those states still do it, but there is an alternative.

 

These weighted mats are available, fix your window mount to the centre, place it on the dash and it stays there. Shove it in the glovebox or under the seat, and no mark on the windscreen.

 

They go on fleabay for about £18 in UK or $15 in USA on fleabay.com and some US companies will ship to UK.

 

This looks good, but I have one question:

 

How easily do these things slide around - say under emergency braking?

[+scottpa100]

Won't help after the event, but in the USA there are at least 2 states where it it illegal to have sucker mounts on the windscreen. people in those states still do it, but there is an alternative.

 

These weighted mats are available, fix your window mount to the centre, place it on the dash and it stays there. Shove it in the glovebox or under the seat, and no mark on the windscreen.

 

They go on fleabay for about £18 in UK or $15 in USA on fleabay.com and some US companies will ship to UK.

 

First of all, Matrix, sorry to hear that the filthy robbing scumbags have taken without your permission your items. I've had my car broken into a couple of years ago outside my home (along with another 20 or so in the neighbourhood) and I remember the anger I felt.

 

Anyhow, I do remove my GPS from my car at all times, and I am aware of the sucker mark. What my concern is, is that the scum will see sucker mark, assume GPS is glovebox, break in and find nothing but OS maps! I'm not clean and tidy so I'm not proposing cleaning my windscreen each and every time I remove the GPS but can't we take a lead from the construction industry? I have looked in the past for visible signs to place on nearside dashboard and on my rear windscreen to say something along the lines of

 

"No tools or consumer electrical items stored in this vehicle when unattended."

 

I've had a look on fleabay (great name! ) and nothing coming and I only find the big van sized ones. Anyone have any ideas?

[+Write and Mane]

Sorry to learn about the theft, don't suppose there is much chance of catching the thieves

 

Does that mean you won't be able to find the Gower Event in May

[+walkergeoff and wife]

Won't help after the event, but in the USA there are at least 2 states where it it illegal to have sucker mounts on the windscreen. people in those states still do it, but there is an alternative.

 

These weighted mats are available, fix your window mount to the centre, place it on the dash and it stays there. Shove it in the glovebox or under the seat, and no mark on the windscreen.

 

They go on fleabay for about £18 in UK or $15 in USA on fleabay.com and some US companies will ship to UK.

 

 

I've had a look on fleabay (great name! ) and nothing coming and I only find the big van sized ones. Anyone have any ideas?

What did you search under? I have tried various words and can't find them!

[+scottpa100]

 

What did you search under? I have tried various words and can't find them!

 

I typed

 

no tools sign

 

into e-bays search engine, and got results like the following

this and that

 

I've tried searches of items unattended etc, not getting anything.

 

Scott

[+Stuey]

garmin beanbag

 

 

I used one of these things for a while and it was pretty good. Mine was a Garmin specific one with the proper eTrex mount attached to it. These ones are universal as you just attach the sucker to the plate and place it on your dash.

Edited March 19, 2008 by Stuey

[+careygang]

Won't help after the event, but in the USA there are at least 2 states where it it illegal to have sucker mounts on the windscreen. people in those states still do it, but there is an alternative.

 

These weighted mats are available, fix your window mount to the centre, place it on the dash and it stays there. Shove it in the glovebox or under the seat, and no mark on the windscreen.

 

They go on fleabay for about £18 in UK or $15 in USA on fleabay.com and some US companies will ship to UK.

 

 

I've had a look on fleabay (great name! ) and nothing coming and I only find the big van sized ones. Anyone have any ideas?

What did you search under? I have tried various words and can't find them!

 

Search for nav mat They're weighted with Sand or something in the edging and have a gripping surface on the bottom. Ours stays in place quite happily even on sharp bends. In an emergency breaking, the most it's going to do is slide a bit into the windscreen. More reason to worry about all the other debris you might have in the car than this thing.

scottpa100 seems to have confused matters a little by quoting my remarks about this device when writing about his sign idea.

[+Beds Clangers]

One police force, I think it was Thames Valley, use to do checks on car parking areas and put a sign on the windscreen saying "Nothing of value, has been left in the vehicle".

 

They were yellow with black lettering and made quite well, for you to leave on the dashboard. Police force in question would have covered Ashridge/Ivenhoe so not sure if it was Thames Valley or Beds, sure a culprit from Berko would know

 

I use to have one but cannot lay my hands on it at the moment.

 

Cheers

 

Nick

[+Bear and Ragged]

I have looked in the past for visible signs to place on nearside dashboard and on my rear windscreen to say something along the lines of

 

"No tools or consumer electrical items stored in this vehicle when unattended."

 

I've had a look on fleabay (great name! ) and nothing coming and I only find the big van sized ones. Anyone have any ideas?

 

Warwickshire Police had a batch of 'beer mats' made with "Take it with you" on one side as a reminder to you,

and "No Sat-Nav in this vehicle" on the other, for placing in the windscreen.

 

G

[+maxkim]

Won't help after the event, but in the USA there are at least 2 states where it it illegal to have sucker mounts on the windscreen. people in those states still do it, but there is an alternative.

 

These weighted mats are available, fix your window mount to the centre, place it on the dash and it stays there. Shove it in the glovebox or under the seat, and no mark on the windscreen.

 

They go on fleabay for about £18 in UK or $15 in USA on fleabay.com and some US companies will ship to UK.

 

This looks good, but I have one question:

 

How easily do these things slide around - say under emergency braking?

There is an issue with unattached TomTom's etc in crash situations. There are reports of people being injured / killed by the device flying around inside the vehicle... just for info.

[+FollowMeChaps]

................................ can't we take a lead from the construction industry? I have looked in the past for visible signs to place on nearside dashboard and on my rear windscreen to say something along the lines of

 

"No tools or consumer electrical items stored in this vehicle when unattended."

 

I've had a look on fleabay (great name! ) and nothing coming and I only find the big van sized ones. Anyone have any ideas?

 

Bear in mind that these signs say to a thief 'this vehicle usually carries valuable items!'

 

Add that to a certain knowledge that most folk don't remove stuff even if they say they do and it's a sure recipe for getting the window broken just to check on the off chance - it just takes them seconds. How many of these vans/lorries do you pass and think to yourself "Yeah, sure you've removed all that heavy stuff and are going to get up even earlier before work to replace it before setting off!"

 

1) remove anything valuable and 2) make sure you have good insurance - the media currently is selling cheap insurance, not necessarily good insurance - check the small print.

 

PS Your local constabulary should issue the "I've cleared everything of value" signs for the dashboard with a vehicle security advice pack - try their website.

[+Von-Horst]

 

There is an issue with unattached TomTom's etc in crash situations. There are reports of people being injured / killed by the device flying around inside the vehicle... just for info.

 

 

I'd have thought that in such circumstances having the device fixed to your winscreen by a suction cup or to an air vent by a clip proably wouldn't stop it flying around either!

 

This sounds like the Mythbusters 'will a box of tissues kill you?' episode

Edited March 21, 2008 by Von-Horst

[+careygang]

Won't help after the event, but in the USA there are at least 2 states where it it illegal to have sucker mounts on the windscreen. people in those states still do it, but there is an alternative.

 

These weighted mats are available, fix your window mount to the centre, place it on the dash and it stays there. Shove it in the glovebox or under the seat, and no mark on the windscreen.

 

They go on fleabay for about £18 in UK or $15 in USA on fleabay.com and some US companies will ship to UK.

 

This looks good, but I have one question:

 

How easily do these things slide around - say under emergency braking?

There is an issue with unattached TomTom's etc in crash situations. There are reports of people being injured / killed by the device flying around inside the vehicle... just for info.

There's issues with all sorts of things that are unsecured during a crash. It used to be the rear passengers but we seem to be getting over that one, now it's just the briefcase, shopping, gym kit, The Caching Bag, kids toys, in fact all the stuff that gets thrown into the back of the car.

Let's not forget the risk of having a device affixed to the inside of the windscreen, which no doubt transgresses the designers safety zone.

Ours is a Nav-Mat and weighs about 850gms, or just under 2lb. It's all about common sense and Risk Assessment. The safety of not having a ring mark on the windscreen, vs the risk of a random item, that is already in front of you, causing any form of injury during a random accident that may cause it to move...