TaffyB

Hi,

I'm currently living in the birmingham area, just under spaghetti junction. I've just read "DIESELS" post about his car getting stolen (sorry for you). The reason i ask which is the worst place, is cos i suspect it is birmingham.

At the moment, my scooby stays on my drive at home in s.wales quite away from any cities or big towns on my drive. Although I pay quite a large sum for insurance (£1500), for a car that i love, but only get to drive once or twice a fortnight. I have been toying with the idea a couple of times as to bring it to brum and park it on my drive/street outside my house in birmingham, but havent through the worry of it going wanders. But on the other hand i not going to sell it cos i love it to much....

So, i guess the question is what do you think? Leave it at home or risk it?

Also as it does come up for the occasional day trip, could you recommend any places to seriously avoid in brum?

(i'm thinking of getting another car, if you have seen my post, as a cheap run around, then insure that to keep the no claims going, then insure the scooby when i go home for the odd weekend)

ANY HELP MUCH APPRECIATED....................................... .........................

thanks brent

TaffyB

......

MattOz

Taffy,

Leave it at home mate. It's not worth the hassle, especially where you're living in Brum. Too close to the "getaway" links of the M6, M42 etc. It's a shame that we cannot enjoy our cars and be happy in the knowledge that they're safe at night.

Matt

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

There are thieves out there specifically after certain cars...scoobs being on that list

I'm not sure if it's just one gang or several. Seem to like targeting large car parks and car jacking.

With parking in a residential street you maybe less likely to suffer from these gangs, but your still open to any scum that happens to pass by and see it. They are known to drive around residential areas to find cars to target.

The North and Eastern sides of the city seems to be worse IMO.

It's a risk either way. Personally, I'd leave my car in the sticks.

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Mate, if you're happy having the scooby as a weekend toy, and I hear ya on the insurance (I pay £1800), then I'd leave it at home. If you must bring it into town stay away from the long term car parks and get Blackjax, that way if the buggers do get past the alarm and immobiliser they might mistakenly interpret the cut out as the car having broken down and abandon it (working on a car in the middle of the road also looks dead suspicious).

A Disclock is also a good investment, it won't deter the pros who really want the car (as in poor Diesel's case), but it makes it a difficult operation for them and increases their visibility. Making the scum's life more difficult is what car security is all about....with a bit of luck, they'll just think it's not worth the hassle and move on.

Do you know anyone who'd let you use their drive/garage?

Best.

TaffyB

no unfortunately i dont know anyone with a garage. I think i'm just going to leave it at home buy myself a cheaper run around and enjoy it when i get home. It has 2 immobilsers running against one another + a cat 1 alarm + monitor tracker, but as you've said its just a case of if they want it they usually do, so why take the risk.

Oh well looks like she's staying at home then, here comes a cheap hatchback. Just gotta find one now!!!!!!!

Thanks for everyones input, and my heart goes out to all those who have had these problems.

WOULD STILL APPRECIATE ANYONE'S FURTHER INPUT THOUGH

Matt Classic

sorry to jump in on thread butthis does seem slightly worrying considering i'm stayiong in the city for a night in the next 2 weeks !
Must be some secure car parks around the Broad St area I hope ??

TaffyB

evening

jasonius

iTrader: (1)

Not many, if any!!!

If your loaded and stopping in one of the big hotels (Hyatt) they have secure carparks.

If your near the Arcadian centre (China town) then the Arcadian centre carpark (all be it next to the guards/payment office) is quite a good place.

A lot of thefts you hear about in Brum are from Airport/NEC carparks... NEVER leave your car there!!! I think if you take all reasonable precautions, leaving your car for only one night, I think you'd have to be very unlucky for anything to happen to it.

Depends on how worried your going to be?onder2:

Jason

mn_angrybeats

You will be suprised how reasonable the Hyatt is really and it's right on the start of Broadstreet so you where you need to be...

Mick

Matt Classic

Wilster, Jason and Mick.

Cheers for the replies fellas. My ony other option is to take my wifes Puma and leave her with the Scoob.......then that means I run the risk of coming home to kerbed alloys and her getting to drive my car for the only the 2nd time in 18 months......could be a recipe for disaster

Mr Sympathy

I agree with Willster about Birmingham, I live in Worcs where my scooby is kept but work in Birmingham and drive car in occasionally. Like all cities there are good and bad areas, I do leave my car outside my girlfriends place in Erdington but only when I cant avoid it, problems there with just damaging the cars not just stealing them.

The other threads about car thefts from airport and NEC etc are professionals without a doubt who probably watch you park!! Bit worrying that tracking sytems are getting such bad reports on this. Colleagues in the police inform me Scoobs are very high risk in this area and urge people to be on their guard, public transport aint so bad in Birmingham my advice is to use it.

Failing that fit blackjax, I have it and have the added advantage of facing any aggressor as a 19 stone 6ft 2in skinhead with a special surprise from in the car if I am ever threatened. PS I never let my girlfriend drive scoob solo...ever.

Dazza01

Now every scum sucking theiving toe rag knows where u REGULARLY leave ur scoob not the best thing to post really is it, i would delete it pronto

TaffyB

AAAHHHH I live in the erdington area !!!!!!!!

So thats one person that said its an area to avoid and another said they damage the cars ! ! !

Thats deifnately made my mind up, its staying at home.

P.S please be careful where you say you are cos you wouldnt want any thiefing BAST**D to get any bad ideas from where you live.

Thanks for the advice gents, keep it coming.

TaffyB

lunch

Wilster

Daza,

Thanks for your concern - you're right to point this out. On any given day I rotate from home, one of several car-parks in town, office basement car park, office open air car park, GF's house, shopping centre car-park, mum's house, leisure centre car park, to keep 'em guessing! Maybe the right word was "occasionally".

However, this thought did occur to me when I posted so I'm not surprised you pointed it out. When I think about it rationally the chances of it getting nicked are still likely no worse than parking in any other CC car park (or my front garden/garage and all the local ******* probably know its there). If its left overnight there are ways of minimising the risk, example as stated in my other post. There are car parks I wouldn't consider using.

I know of several other places where there are Porsches, Ferrari's, Scoobs and all sorts of exotica parked on a regular basis at night.

I do worry sometimes about parking it in the street in unfamiliar places, and would never leave it at an Airport.

Wilster.

Wilster

TaffyB,

To add to your dilemma, I used to park my car overnight on street in Erdington about 2-3 days a week for 3 months (GF lived there). ******* used to hang around outside the shop up the road at this particular location (Erdington being quite a big suburb ) I used to hate parking there, and never at the end of a row, always between cars. Never had any trouble though.

Before the Scoob I had a Ford Fiesta, which was keyed twice whilst parked outside ex GF flat in Walsall.

TaffyB

morning

markward

hi there i have lived in erdington for 15 years have purchased and sold at least 7 scoobys from L reg to 51 reg bug eye i park any where any time never had any probs i suppose its who you know and not what you know???? i think if any new car seen in any area will be a target of crime if the theives think they can get away with it and you are not from that area



just thought i say my bit about my area .>>>> yes its mine lol lol lol

TaffyB

bttt

Dazza01

Why not i work at one, and mines never been touched this is probably due to the fact that u need a security pass to get in

RRH

there is a school of thought that says 'don't let the b astards get you down', drive what you want and don't let the thieving scum ruin it.

I used to subsribe to this, but having both the Impreza and BMW nicked one night (broke in to house for keys) I take a slightly more defensive view.

Yes, I bought another Impreza, but now keep it well hidden away at night. Still use it most days though. The way I look at it now, if it gets nicked I'll just get another new one.

The insurance will eventually go up, but at the end of the day I ain't going to let them stop me doing what I want to do.

I leave the keys downstairs, not on show from the door, but apparent if they're serious enough to break in.

At the end of the day I'm in the priveledged position of being able to own one- a position I doubt the thieving scum will ever be in.

Dazza01

My sentiments excatly young man

supertouring

I lived in Erdington for a short period, but it was over 13 years ago. I had my XR2 stolen first night there. This was obviously before imobilisers/cat 1 etc was common, so it was dead easy to steal to be honest. In the end it was found about 50 yards up the street in a lock-up garage, minus wheels, ECU, etc.

At the end of the day it was not the fact that it was stolen that was a problem, it was the next 5 weeks of trying to sort out the insurance and repairs that was such a pain. And being without a car.

I think things have moved on somewhat since then, but if you have other options then I would certainly consider then first.

RRH

haven't been called that for a while

TaffyB

Decision made - - SHE'S STAYING IN THE STICKS ! !

going to buy a cheap runaround instead.

scooby-tc

iTrader: (2)

Anywhere up North is the worst place for scooby theft.Dont get any of that down here