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Ever been ripped off while caching?


Macro

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OK, here is a first for me. Went out to place a new cache today. Everything went really well and the team had a very successful mission. Without going into all the details....by the time we had returned to my car, that was parked in a remote lot in a very rural setting out in the woods no where near civilization....my door lock had been punched out, cash and credit cards had disapeared from a wallet left in a backpack on the floor, and the credit card company confirmed that there was already at least one charge before we could report the cards stolen. My car is an old ford, nothing worth even breaking into...so I thought. Now I have a broken lock, a car that only opens from one side, and a team member who is missing some substantial $$$.

 

Anyone else ever have this happen to them while off trying to enjoy themselves for the afternoon?

 

~macro~ icon_mad.gificon_mad.gificon_mad.gificon_mad.gificon_mad.gificon_mad.gif

 

[This message was edited by Jeremy Irish on March 13, 2002 at 12:02 PM.]

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Ohhh boy that sucks! I've worried before the way that I leave my purse behind when I cache..I guess I'll worry more now. When I first started caching I'd convert to my fanny pack for the journey but nowadays I usually have my caching pack loaded and leave the purse behind in the car... should go back to old methods I guess. But man... getting ready to get out the door to go caching can be as cumbersome as packing a diaper bag for a 9 month old to spend a couple hours at the mall.

 

Truly sorry for your experience... thanks for sharing it with us so we can think twice before it's us. As the wise Kitchen Magnet Fairy says "Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want

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Ttepee,

 

Thanks...I see you are from NY..we were doing a cache up in Sussex NJ, not far from the NY line. I guess I never expected this type of thing in that area. I suppose its all part of the experience. If you find yourself seeking a cache on Allamuchy Mountain...TAKE YOUR WALLET WITH YOU!

 

icon_frown.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by Hawk-eye:

How about a word up on where this happened ... maybe the coordinates of the parking spot ... might help out the next guy!

 


 

Parked at the visitors kiosk for Allamuchy Mountain State Park, Sussex, NJ

 

N 40 55.332

W 074 44.335

 

I have a car alarm...it obviously meant nothing.

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We were talking about this today. I personally felt violated when someone bashed in my driver side window right outside my house a couple years back. For the speed at which your card was used, it was probably a true criminal that targeted your vehicle.

 

I have heard that in many parks, car prowling is a serious problem. Many of the areas here in Western Washington have warning signs telling you that the area is popular for this kind of activity.

 

The only real solution is to leave your vehicle as unappetizing as you can, such as removing any and all visible items of value or perceived value (like a backpack or bag). Fortunately I haven't been targeted, but I think it has been more because of luck than anything else.

 

Sorry to hear that it happened to you. Unfortunately when you get targeted by a professional, things like car alarms don't make much of a difference. And unfortunately, Mad Max style alarm systems are illegal.

 

Jeremy

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Dang, those things probably aren't legal in California.

 

Yeah, sometimes I'm worried that somebody's going to break into my car when I leave it in an empty parking lot and go off on a hunt. Other times, I get back to my car only to realize I was so busy getting my geojunk together that I forgot to lock it.

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As Cachemere said it hasnt happened to us ....yet

Being as how we travel in a Jeep Wrangler SOFT TOP that has no trunk Ive always worried about the things we leave behind when we take off on foot. We use a laptop to live track and usually have a digital camera along as well as who knows what else that gets left behind.....Guess its time to build that locking steel box for behind the rear seat...

Thanks for the motivation...sorry its at your expense

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quote:
Originally posted by Mopar:

Macro, sorry about your car, especially since your right around the corner from me. You have the right idea by having an alarm, you just need the right attention getting device hooked up to it.

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/africa/9812/11/flame.thrower.car/ usually gets my attention...........

 

+ _Illegitimus non carborundum!_


 

That really would have come in handy. What blows my mind is that I should even have to consider all these ideas just to keep what is already mine.

 

Thanks to everyone who posted here...it helps to know I am not the only one that has dealt with this. It just sucks for all of us that this type of thing is a reality. Hopefully it is the exception to the rule for a long time, and it doesnt get more popular.

 

Just a thought. Yesterday when we parked, it would have been real obvious to anyone watching that we were going to be away from the vehicle for a long time. (filling back packs, entering coordinates into our GPSR's, getting our walkie-talkies synced up all on the same channel, etc)

 

In the future, I am going to try to have everything I plan to take with me already packed in a bag...and keep an eye on whoever might be watching from their car as I make my way out into the woods.

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quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Irish:

Mad Max style alarm systems are illegal.


 

Good 'ol Mad Max (they made parts of that movie about 20kms away from my home)

 

...He's an aussie...maybe we can volunteer a few of us "crocodile men" to protect your vehicles while you cache. I just need a plane ticket, a place to stay, food and an occasional day off to go caching!

 

embi

 

It's out there...let's go get it!

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Sorry to hear about your situation. There's been a couple of times, I've looked at the truck as we start to hike to a cache and wonder if it's going to be in the same condition when we return.

 

The funny (ironic) thing is you can occassionally read logs when Geocachers have expressed concern over particular urban locales, but not rural/State Park locales. Occassionally, we catch a "hidden video" show on Discovery or TLC and they sometimes show hidden video stings at parks.

 

Richard and Tracy

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Make up this sign and put it a highly visible place inside before you leave your car/truck:

 

"THERE IS NOTHING INSIDE THIS VEHICLE

WORTH DYING FOR. I AM ALWAYS ARMED."

 

I'd think twice if I saw it.

 

Cheers ...

 

~Rich in NEPA~

 

1132_1200.jpg

 

=== A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===

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quote:
Originally posted by macro:

OK, here is a first for me. Went out to place a new cache today. Everything went really well and the team had a very successful mission. Without going into all the details....by the time we had returned to my car, that was parked in a remote lot in a very rural setting out in the woods no where near civilization....my door lock had been punched out, cash and credit cards had disapeared

...snip...

Anyone else ever have this happen to them while off trying to enjoy themselves for the afternoon?

 

~macro~ icon_mad.gificon_mad.gificon_mad.gificon_mad.gificon_mad.gificon_mad.gif


 

Aw, Man! I know what a drag that can be. Last year while disc golfing some fine citizen knocked the window out of my brand-new (4day old) Saturn LS. Pretty sick feeling, I know. I live here in Indy and there are many urban parks that have some great spots for caches, but I won't hide any in most for fiear of putting others' stuff at risk. Too bad.

 

Of course, rural and park areas aren't exempt, either. There's a great SRA in S. Indiana that had two guys that made it a practice for months of breaking into parked cars and carrying off everything.

 

Solution? Drive junk, leave it unlocked, and no valuables in it. Not a guarantee, but maybe a start.

 

Sorry about your bad experience, don't let it make you paranoid, just careful.

 

Bluespreacher

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Somebody smashed the window in on my sedan a couple months back while I was placing a cache.

 

The thing that really upset me (other than it was cold that day and the open window made life miserable) was that they *didn't* take anything.

 

I had scratch-off lottery tickets in the glove box I'd bought for cache bait. Plus a few items that were worth $20 or so each that would have beeneasy to carry off. They smashed but didn't steal. Not even the lunch I'd left on my passanger seat had been disturbed (I hope).

 

It was just over a C-note to have the window repaired, but that was cheaper than I thought it'd be so it's hard to complain about that.

 

About a decade ago I had this buddy who lived in what rhymes with "kitty stayforgood".

 

After his car had been robbed a half dozen times he used a gagrage spring and a machete mounted underneath his car as a make-shift deterrent.

 

It was triggered one morning with signs of blood, and he never had his car broken into again after that... Not that I approve (too much) of his tactics.

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Sorry to hear about that Macro. I parked my car on a deadend road out in the woods and I worried the whole time I was away. Luckly nothing happend. Some of the places I've been out in the woods have given me concern too. I do have a 45 and Rich I love that sign I think I'll make one for myself.

Bob

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I had my car broken into at a boat launch while fishing. Another time while fishing with a friend, someone stole his boat trailer! It could have been a geocache hunt just as well. Other than a case of an honest person breaking in for some emergency, I'd just as soon lay a trap. Fish hooks in strategic places work nicely.

 

Steve Bukosky N9BGH

Waukesha Wisconsin

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Being a Jeep owner, I've gotten into the habit of only taking with me what I can carry and never leaving anything in the vehicle as it isn't capable of being secured (soft top and doors don't lock). I have noticed upon return from being away that it's space has been violated. I highly recommend you never leave valuables of any kind in the vehicle. If you don't want to carry them into the forest, you can carry a small ammo can in which to place your valuables, then stash it in the weeds nearby - just don't forget it when you leave icon_smile.gif

 

5505_600.gif

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Never had anything happen while Geocaching yet. My truck got broken into once while parked at work. They took great pains to make it look undisturbed (I'd leave it there for several days at a time as I had a company truck) so it was probably an inside job. I hope I never have to deal with anything worse than eggs on haloween and the kamakazi birds that attacked a short while back.

 

On the other hand I have ALWAYS worked under the assumption that whatever I leave in the rig may never been seen again, so I generally take only what I can cary. Plus I keep out of site what I can't. With my latest rig the prior owner put Limo tinting on it. You can't see in. I'm wondering if that won't mean that someone will break in because clearly I'm 'hiding' something worth taking. You could go nuts worrying about all this.

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Sorry to hear about your plight, macro. I don't want to come off as one of those grammer freaks, but when I first read the subject of your post, I was even more worried about your safety because "robbed" means that something was taken from you by force under threat of violence (usually use of a gun or knife). However, since you were not there at the time, what actually happened was your vehicle was burglarized, or you were ripped off. In other words it was a theft, not a robbery. Again, I don't mean to imply that it was not a serious event. It was. I'm just glad you were not personally in danger.

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quote:
Originally posted by Ken & Robin:

Sorry to hear about your plight, macro. I don't want to come off as one of those grammer freaks, but when I first read the subject of your post, I was even more worried about your safety because "robbed" means that something was taken from you by force under threat of violence (usually use of a gun or knife). However, since you were not there at the time, what actually happened was your vehicle was burglarized, or you were ripped off. In other words it was a theft, not a robbery. Again, I don't mean to imply that it was not a serious event. It was. I'm just glad you were not personally in danger.


 

Semantics...good ol' semantics. I suppose you are correct. I wasn't robbed, rather, I was the victim of a crime. Tell me, do you teach english, or do you simply fancy it?

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living in miami all my life i've become car theife unfriendly.

 

my vehicle has a rolling code alarm with ignition kill, fuel pump kill and starter kill. the wiring harness on the alarm is all black so bring the tow truck or a helicopter. the windows are tinted with shatter resistant tint. it protects against flying objects and is meant for commercial/home applications. the car horn and the siren are both hooked to the alarm. the siren and the alarm brain have there own battery backups in case they get wise and try to cut the battery cable.

 

whats this buy me? peace of mind that protects my ham radio gear and high end audio system.

 

the biggest mistake people make is were they park, how they park and whats in sight in the car.

 

park out in the open or under a streetlamp if possible, they want the hidden car, not the one that says "hey look at me" all over it.

 

for gods sake, hide you stuff! an empty car is not as interesting as one with a bookbag or some other container of personal gear in plain view. you know its just youre lunch and some books or whatever but the crook may think theres something good like a laptop, a palmpilot, a cd player, etc.. got alot of change in your cupholder?? you wouldnt leave a $10 on your dash right?? well get the change pile out of sight or cut it down to a buck or two. got a cd book laying in the back seat? how much are cd's?? about $10-15 each? that book may bring $20 or more on the street.

 

dont leave personal electronics in sight. stash the portable cd player or walkman in the glovebox or under the seat when you park. when you park and stash your stuff make sure you are not beng watched by some hood rat teen punk. if its good enough for you to hide, its good enough for them to want to know what it is.

 

a peice of spark plug ceramic from a smashed up spark plug can take out a car window with minimal noise. they dont need to bang and pry.

 

those of you with cherokees and saturns.. the early saturn body styles and some grand cherokees could be started with a pair a scissors. get a CLUB (the real one not the imitation crap) and try to lock it into the smallest hole in the steering wheel that you can use. ususally the holes on the bottom side of the wheel are smaller than the top. the way the crooks remove the club is by bending the wheel back and forth violently in an effort to break the metal ring under the plastic cover. having the club on the bottom of the wheel makes this very difficult. hacksawing is an option but that takes time.

 

this may seem a bit on the overkill side to some of you but i have NEVER had any of my vehicles "violated" and have always had elaborate audio systems in them.

 

hope this helps some of you guys and gals

 

URBO

miami fl

 

home of the worlds first "cache me if you can" internet connected mobile geocach

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Technically, if someone breaks in to your car, it's not a robbery unless you're in the car at the time. ... or if someone stopped you in the woods and took something from you by force. While you were still violated, be glad you weren't "robbed" ... that would leave you with a much worse ... feeling. When I leave my car parked, I leave nothing inside worth taking and I leave the doors unlocked. If someone's going to steal the car, the locks won't stop them anyway.

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quote:

for gods sake, hide you stuff!


 

I just cleared out my car yesterday because I was taking it in for service and didn't want the mechanics to know I'm a slob. Mostly, it's a bunch of junk, napkins, miscellaneous park trail maps, some empty see-through rubbermaid containers. I guess I've been lucky enough that the burglars have guessed it's all junk so far.

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urbo: I almost choked when I saw you were in Miami. That is the ONLY city that we've ever had a problem in! Our car was parked in broad daylight in a commercial parking lot across the street from the public library downtown. Our car was a Aerostar minivan, and the only thing visible was a cooler in the back. They broke through a window & had some home-made subs & sodas on us. We called the police and they gave us a case number without so much as sending an officer out to investigate. We figured that break-ins were so common down there that they just didn't have enough police available for such trivial matters. If they hadn't been so pre-occupied with their free meal, they would have had time to break into my sister's sports car, right next to us, which had a video cam in the back seat! icon_confused.gif

 

quote:
park out in the open or under a streetlamp if possible, they want the hidden car,
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quote:
Originally posted by ApK:

Man, how can I join Team Macroscopic? Sounds like fun!

 

quote:

(filling back packs, entering coordinates into our GPSR's, getting our walkie-talkies synced up all on the same channel, etc)



 

Well, for starters it seems a car alarm may help!

icon_smile.gif

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I modified the title of the topic.

 

I have a '96 Saturn. Wonder if what you're saying affects me?

 

What I do with my club is turn it around and attach it backwards on the steering wheel. It's harder to get to the key but I've heard it is better than positioning it in front.

 

Here's a good suggestion. Park your vehicle as close to a nicer more expensive car with valuables visible. That way the criminal will choose what is behind door #2. (Just tic, but sorta).

 

Jeremy

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quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Irish:

 

Here's a good suggestion. Park your vehicle as close to a nicer more expensive car with valuables visible. That way the criminal will choose what is behind door #2. (Just tic, but sorta).

 

Jeremy


 

I park in NYC all the time. I usually park on the street near Lincoln Center, which is a pretty good part of town. Back when I was a student, I drove an old Pinto, with nothing of value inside. It was broken into 6 times. icon_frown.gif When my daughter was very small, I drove a Hyundai Excel. Parallel parked between a BMW and Mercedes, guess which car got broken into? icon_eek.gif The thief got an umbrella stroller from the trunk and a couple of cassettes I had left on the floor. (I wonder if the thief enjoyed Mahler's 3rd? Ha!)

 

Now I drive an Escort wagon; I've finally found a car the thieves have absolutely no interest in! icon_rolleyes.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by Rich in NEPA:

Make up this sign and put it a highly visible place inside before you leave your car/truck:

 

_"THERE IS NOTHING INSIDE THIS VEHICLE

WORTH DYING FOR. I AM ALWAYS ARMED."_

 

I'd think twice if I saw it.


 

I think that in many areas, such a challenge would be accepted.

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I can sympathize with you macro, I've had a car broken into before and understand your anger. A long time ago I heard about a guy that was constantly getting ripped off. He got tired of it and decided to put a pint of whiskey in his glovebox that was laced with rat poison. The kid that stole it was hospitalized, almost died, and the guy was arrested for something like attemted murder. While I wouldn't go to such extremes, I have thought about using syrup of epecac or some strong laxative. Not enough to cause any real damage but enough to put the scum through some of the pain that you are currently going through. I never have gotten the nerve up to do this but I wonder if I'll wish I had the next time I'm broken into. I know how mad I was the last time!

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quote:
Originally posted by BassoonPilot:

I think that in many areas, such a challenge would be accepted.


 

That's funny. But, honestly, would you? I can say for a fact that when I am out in the boonies, I would NOT mess with anyone's vehicle 'cuz I'd have no idea if the owner is close by and might also be hunting or is "carrying". I'll grant you that a sign or even the typical vehicle alarm warning decals may not be very effective. Perhaps in central Jersey these are actually considered invitations!?!?! icon_eek.gif (Who pays attention to car alarms going off anymore?) Cheers ...

 

~Rich in NEPA~

 

1132_1200.jpg

 

=== A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ===

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quote:
Originally posted by Rich in NEPA:

 

That's funny. But, honestly, would you? I can say for a fact that when I am out in the boonies, I would NOT mess with anyone's vehicle 'cuz I'd have no idea if the owner is close by and might also be hunting or is "carrying".


 

I don't think it's funny; I think it's a sad commentary on how little regard a small number of individuals has not just for property, but also for human life. Don't deceive yourself for one second; there are individuals like that in Allentown, Scranton or Wilkes-Barre as well as Paterson, the south Bronx or Newark.

 

If your question was, would I personally be seen anywhere near a car with such a sign, the answer is "no way."

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Originally posted by Rich in NEPA:

Make up this sign and put it a highly visible place inside before you leave your car/truck:

 

_"THERE IS NOTHING INSIDE THIS VEHICLE

WORTH DYING FOR. I AM ALWAYS ARMED."_

 

I'd think twice if I saw it.

 

Cheers ...

 

_~Rich in NEPA~_

 

While I refuse to give up my NRA decal, I have been advised by experts NOT to advertise that I may own a gun, either on my home or car. The sign may not be taken as a 'challenge' , but to many, the chance of stealing a gun is worth a risk and could easily make your car or home more of a target for robbery.

 

ApK

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Well, I had my NRA hat sitting in the window and that meant nothing to the thief. I tend to agree that advertising that you own a weapon is just an invite to have it stolen, at least around here. (unless of course you are carrying it, then advertising it work just fine!)

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quote:
Originally posted by macro:

Well, I had my NRA hat sitting in the window and that meant nothing to the thief. I tend to agree that advertising that you own a weapon is just an invite to have it stolen, at least around here. (unless of course you are carrying it, then advertising it work just fine!)


Yes, but did they steal the hat too?

 

Illegitimus non carborundum!

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quote:
urbo said...

...get a CLUB...

 

...the way the crooks remove the club is by bending the wheel back and forth violently in an effort to break the metal ring under the plastic cover...

 

...having the club on the bottom of the wheel makes this very difficult. hacksawing is an option but that takes time.


 

Don't get me wrong Urbo, your rolling code alarm, ignition/fuel pump kill etc. and the club are all good deterrents. I just wanted to share what I've heard (and seen) is the main weakness of The Club and why I believe they are of little benefit against a professional car thief.

 

Anyone can defeat The Club in a minute or two with nothing but a hacksaw, 15 seconds with a cordless reciprocating saw. How? Forget the club, just cut through the steering wheel, pry it open a bit and slip the club off. No matter where or how you install The Club the weakness is in the steering wheel it is attached to. Kinda like locking up your bicycle by putting the lock around a single spoke in the wheel.

 

If your steering wheel does have some openings that are smaller than others, your suggestion of using those smaller openings is a good one. It may mean the theif has to cut the steering wheel twice to get The Club off, but again, it's the steering wheel they cut, not the lock itself.

 

Hope no up-and-coming-wanna-be car thiefs are lurking here! icon_eek.gif

 

Regards,

Tedoca

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Even a hacksaw is overkill..small bolt cutters or those $20 cut-all snippers with extended handles that you get at Sears work fine, in about a second and can be carried in a back pocket.

 

The Club may encourage a thief to steal the identical car next to yours, if there is is one, but that's about it.

 

quote:
Originally posted by Tedoca:

_Anyone_ can defeat The Club in a minute or two with nothing but a hacksaw, 15 seconds with a cordless reciprocating saw. How? Forget the club, just cut through the steering wheel, pry it open a bit and slip the club off. No matter where or how you install The Club the weakness is in the steering wheel it is attached to. Kinda like locking up your bicycle by putting the lock around a single spoke in the wheel.

Regards,

Tedoca


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I recently had some time on my hands and took a blue highway trip from Georgia to Massachusetts, geocaching along the way. If you don't know the blue highways, they're the ones printed in blue on your road map. The back roads, off interstate highways. The planning for the trip was complicated, and the trip too a long time, but I saw many really neat things, and had a great time.

 

Until I went to look for a cache in Spartanburg, SC, that is. The cache was placed in an urban park, and wasn't hard to get to. Unfortunately, I didn't find it. icon_frown.gif Taken? Hard to say, as there was a find posted after I did my search. When I returned to my car that was parked in the open, near people, and with no valuables in site, I found the antenna torn off. Grrrr! There were some "gentlemen" nearby who were kinda chuckling to themselves, but I just took off.

 

I said all that to say this. Which is also a lot of verbage.

 

I used to live in Arlington, VA, and drove a Jeep CJ7. Cloth doors, no locks. I had a real problem keeping a radio in the car. About every two months I would find it gone. I finally got ticked off enough and when I installed the next one, I also wired some treble-barbed fishhooks to the interior firewall and taped them to the top of the radio.

 

The next morning, the thief was still there. After that, I never had to get a new radio again in that vehicle.

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quote:
Originally posted by ApK:

Even a hacksaw is overkill..small bolt cutters or those $20 cut-all snippers with extended handles that you get at Sears work fine, in about a second and can be carried in a back pocket.


 

Good point ApK, I hadn't even considered that. Faster even than a cordless reciprocating saw.

 

Regards,

Tedoca

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