GPS Theft

[+vwaldoguy]

Just curious how people handle leaving their GPS in their car. I use a Garmin 60CSX and use it for both geocaching and automotive use. I have a Ram Mount on the windshield, and have thought nothing of it to leave it in the cradle when I go into stores, etc. This is in heartland America, Omaha, NE. But, news reports lately have suggested an increase of car theft, with thiefs targeting GPS units. So, what's the norm out there? Do you remove/hide your GPSr every time you leave the car? Do you take a chance and hope Karma's on your side? Am thinking that perhaps I should be pulling it out everytime I leave the car, but that's a pain sometimes and it's often easier to just leave it alone. What do you do?

[+SkellyCA]

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, I never leave anything visible!

 

I have a dodge dakota truck 4X4, with a club cab; the back windows are tinted, so I can put stuff back there and people won't see.

 

But I don't leave my cell phone, a dollar bill and shopping type bag, a jacket, nothing visible!

 

Is it more of a pain to remove it or just replace it?

[+martybauer31]

I just got a Garmin Nuvi 265WT and bought one of those bean bag, non-skid holders for the dash. It's very easy to just throw in my center console and no one can tell I have a unit, which I do take with me when I leave the car. The problem with the suction cup on the windshield ones, is a thief will smash your window, assuming you have been lazy and stuck it in the glove box...

 

Either way, it's going to cost you some money if someone thinks you have a unit in the car.

 

I just ordered a PN-40 and it will go with me whenever I get out of my car as well.

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

Suction cups leave marks, tipping off thieves. Friction mounts are great. You can pull it off the dash before turning into a parking lot and no one sees you disassembling it.

 

In my small town, I sometimes will just throw the whole thing on the floor under a coat or shopping bag if I'm only going to be a few minutes. But I've got a half-dozen unit and, should one get stolen, it wouldn't be a huge loss for me either.

[+steve&crew/s.hamp]

The PIA is that someone will break a $200 car window to steal a $100 gps unit.

Even w/ insurance, your out the time to clean the car, get the window fixed and do a police report.

Leaving items of value out in sight invites knuckleheads to break in, sad but true.

[+hallycat]

I use a Tom Tom One to navigate in the car occasionally and it always gets put away when I go in somewhere. Thieves don't know that the unit cost me 99 bux. As far as the suction cup leaving marks there are black dots up near the rear view mirror where I mount it so you can't see the marks from the outside.

[BlueDamsel]

A few years ago I was living in a condominium complex in which we parked our cars under carport awnings... no enclosed garage. I usually took everything out, but that night, I was tired and didn't want to go to the trouble. The next morning, a thief broke into my car, as well as about 10 other cars in the complex. They didn't smash the windshield, because the car was older and it was easier to jimmy the door open. I didn't notice anything amiss until I got in and saw that the glove box was hanging open. To realize you've been robbed... Oh, that is the most sinking feeling ever!

 

Here's what they took: A big box of my fly tying fishhooks, my fly tying tools bag, a kids coat, and a book of checks. FLY HOOKS? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

 

There was my Garmin GPS, still sitting on the dashboard in its little cradle, completely untouched.

 

Of course, the Garmin was the thing I would have been most sorry about, but in taking my fly tying equipment, they got about $1000 worth of tying materials (each one of those necks, at the time, was about $80 apiece) and the fishhooks? My entire collection. Each package of fishhooks was about $5, but to replace the entire collection of sizes, shapes, etc. was about $500.

 

As for the checks? I just closed the account that day. I didn't lose any money, but I spent the next two months writing letters to bill collectors, as they'd passed bad checks in my name worth about $2000.

 

Moral of the story? I don't EVER leave anything in my car I want to keep.

[+TotemLake]

Here's my story.

[+qlenfg]

Just curious how people handle leaving their GPS in their car. I use a Garmin 60CSX and use it for both geocaching and automotive use. I have a Ram Mount on the windshield, and have thought nothing of it to leave it in the cradle when I go into stores, etc. This is in heartland America, Omaha, NE. But, news reports lately have suggested an increase of car theft, with thiefs targeting GPS units. So, what's the norm out there? Do you remove/hide your GPSr every time you leave the car? Do you take a chance and hope Karma's on your side? Am thinking that perhaps I should be pulling it out everytime I leave the car, but that's a pain sometimes and it's often easier to just leave it alone. What do you do?

 

Don't leave anything in your vehicle you don't want stolen. If they can see it, they will steal it. Dude at work lost a 60CSX and a R.A.M. mount right out in front of his house, and the car alarm didn't even stop them.

[+wkmccall]

Just curious how people handle leaving their GPS in their car. I use a Garmin 60CSX and use it for both geocaching and automotive use. I have a Ram Mount on the windshield, and have thought nothing of it to leave it in the cradle when I go into stores, etc. This is in heartland America, Omaha, NE. But, news reports lately have suggested an increase of car theft, with thiefs targeting GPS units. So, what's the norm out there? Do you remove/hide your GPSr every time you leave the car? Do you take a chance and hope Karma's on your side? Am thinking that perhaps I should be pulling it out everytime I leave the car, but that's a pain sometimes and it's often easier to just leave it alone. What do you do?

 

I use a suction cup dash mount for a QuestII and 60Csx and throw a ball cap over it when I leave it in the truck.

[+mchaos]

I always take my Mio off the cradle and put it in the center con. If its not seen, no one will try to take it.

 

If some one did take my mio, they wouldnt get much use out of it. I have it hacked to s***. They wouldn't know what to do with it.