Stolen due to sheer stupidity
20 December 2001, 11:54 AM
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As reported in our local rag:-
Headline is Car Warning.
Police are warning drivers not to leave their keys in the ignition after a man stole a car while its owner was loading the shopping.
The offender grabbed the opportunity to jump into a Subaru Impreza on Sainsburys car park in Oldham Street in Denton.
When the female owner saw what was happening she tried to get the culprit out but he opened the door on her, knocking her over, before driving off.
Police are looking for a white male, in his early 20s shaved mousy hair, a round pale face, wearing dark clothing.
Now i dont know if that owner is on here or not but there is stupid and there is stupid [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] just giving the thief the chance to take a car so easily is sickening to say the least.
What really gets me though is that there was no need to put the keys in the ignition in the first place, ok the owner may be upset at the loss of her car but its due to her own fault IMHO and its a warning to all those out there that do the same (hopefully none of you).
Be warned, they may say this is the season of good will but its the best xmas this guys had for years [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]
Tony
[Edited by TonyBurns - 12/20/2001 11:56:05 AM]
Headline is Car Warning.
Police are warning drivers not to leave their keys in the ignition after a man stole a car while its owner was loading the shopping.
The offender grabbed the opportunity to jump into a Subaru Impreza on Sainsburys car park in Oldham Street in Denton.
When the female owner saw what was happening she tried to get the culprit out but he opened the door on her, knocking her over, before driving off.
Police are looking for a white male, in his early 20s shaved mousy hair, a round pale face, wearing dark clothing.
Now i dont know if that owner is on here or not but there is stupid and there is stupid [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] just giving the thief the chance to take a car so easily is sickening to say the least.
What really gets me though is that there was no need to put the keys in the ignition in the first place, ok the owner may be upset at the loss of her car but its due to her own fault IMHO and its a warning to all those out there that do the same (hopefully none of you).
Be warned, they may say this is the season of good will but its the best xmas this guys had for years [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]
Tony
[Edited by TonyBurns - 12/20/2001 11:56:05 AM]
20 December 2001, 12:01 PM
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I'm also shocked by the number of people who...
1. Leave there car running to warm up in the moring to melt the frost. No sign of the owners (sitting warmly in their house).
2. Keys left in car ignition while they fill up and pay at the petrol station.
On a few occassions I have been tempted to "nick" the car, drive it 100 yds down the road just to give them a scare. IIRC insurace will not pay up when your car is stolen if you left the keys in the ingitition.
1. Leave there car running to warm up in the moring to melt the frost. No sign of the owners (sitting warmly in their house).
2. Keys left in car ignition while they fill up and pay at the petrol station.
On a few occassions I have been tempted to "nick" the car, drive it 100 yds down the road just to give them a scare. IIRC insurace will not pay up when your car is stolen if you left the keys in the ingitition.
20 December 2001, 12:10 PM
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It just makes you wonder how many idiots there are out there [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] ok you can have remote start but your engine warms up quicker when your car is on the move than sitting on the drive/road.
Even if these people had a brain cell between them i dont think they would even consider an anti hijack device to stop the car being driven off too far [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] looks like my insurance is going through the roof next year now [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]
Tony[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]
Even if these people had a brain cell between them i dont think they would even consider an anti hijack device to stop the car being driven off too far [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] looks like my insurance is going through the roof next year now [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]
Tony[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]
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20 December 2001, 01:06 PM
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My ex-brother-in-law left the keys in his 5 series BMW when paying for his petrol. Needless to say his car was nicked (served him right). It was a company car and the company's insurance refused to pay out. His (very unimpressed) company asked him for £17,000. He was lucky it was soon up for replacement hence the "low" value of the car. He was super lucky that the car was found at a docks in London before being shipped abroad. His passport, checkbook, briefcase etc weren't found...
Moral of the story is, if your bum isn't touching the drivers seat, have the keys in your hand.
[Edited by Jerome - 12/20/2001 1:18:34 PM]
Moral of the story is, if your bum isn't touching the drivers seat, have the keys in your hand.
[Edited by Jerome - 12/20/2001 1:18:34 PM]
20 December 2001, 01:20 PM
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You wouldn't believe the number of people who park outside my local newsagents, leave the car running, then go inside to buy their papers.
20 December 2001, 01:22 PM
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Oldham Street in Denton
Sure is stupid to leave the keys in the ignition, but then it's a shame we are in a society where you have to be on your guard continually for this sort of thing happening.
20 December 2001, 01:38 PM
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Saw a similar kind of thing a few weeks back when filling up. Woman in 5 door scooby pulls up near pay point at petrol station, gets out, car still running (albeit with kiddies in it) and goes in for pint of milk. I was very tempted to a) say something, or b) take the keys out and point out her error to her, or c) move the car to prove the point.
in the end I did nothing. Dunno whether she thought having the kids in the car was a deterrant or not. But I doubt she realised that the car she was driving was/is very nickable and as such she was putting her kids in real danger by leaving it running with the keys in it.
Wonder what the insurance company would say about this. Wonder if they have a 'were you a complete idiot and left the keys in the car' option on thier claim form/computer system??
Puff has a very valid point, get a tracker fitted. Was against them for a long time, but now I have one I've never looked back. Peace of mind, plus I know it works, also eases the insurance as well
[Edited by Markus - 12/20/2001 1:43:37 PM]
in the end I did nothing. Dunno whether she thought having the kids in the car was a deterrant or not. But I doubt she realised that the car she was driving was/is very nickable and as such she was putting her kids in real danger by leaving it running with the keys in it.
Wonder what the insurance company would say about this. Wonder if they have a 'were you a complete idiot and left the keys in the car' option on thier claim form/computer system??
Puff has a very valid point, get a tracker fitted. Was against them for a long time, but now I have one I've never looked back. Peace of mind, plus I know it works, also eases the insurance as well
[Edited by Markus - 12/20/2001 1:43:37 PM]
20 December 2001, 01:49 PM
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A friend of mine had an RS Turbo and he left the car running to warm up in the morning and somebody came by and took the keys out. Not only that but they included the house keys and the theif obviously knew where he lived so he had to have car and house locks changed. Saw a Suzuki 4 x 4 thing driving off.
Guess it would be quite easy for a thief to wonder around a housing estate at around 7 am in Winter and find a few nice cars left running to warm up.
I use the turbo timer if I want to do this.
Guess it would be quite easy for a thief to wonder around a housing estate at around 7 am in Winter and find a few nice cars left running to warm up.
I use the turbo timer if I want to do this.
20 December 2001, 02:01 PM
#17
Reminds me of what happened once when I was delivering a largish package in the middle of the night. Found the place, but couldn't post the package through the door as instructed as it was too big 
Wondering what to do & I had a look at the bloke's new 5 series BMW, sitting outside. Doors unlocked
Problem solved. Put package on the footwell, locked doors and went home.
Would love to have seen his face when he came out in the morning and found the parcel inside his locked car
Lucky it was me & not some deviant ****** tea-leaf
Wondering what to do & I had a look at the bloke's new 5 series BMW, sitting outside. Doors unlocked
Problem solved. Put package on the footwell, locked doors and went home.Would love to have seen his face when he came out in the morning and found the parcel inside his locked car
Lucky it was me & not some deviant ****** tea-leaf
20 December 2001, 02:11 PM
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personally i always lock my car when going in to pay for petrol (unless wife is in car obviously), i would never consider leaving keys in the car, as jerome says, whenever my bum leaves the seat the keys leave the ignition!!
chris
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20 December 2001, 02:32 PM
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I guess living near Pooh bridge you can get away with the Pooh talk Markus!! :0
Perhaps the woman in the petrol station with the kids in the scooby was hoping "Please someone take them"
Joking aside... I was fitting some bulbs to my car in a carpark and was wondering how to secure the rest of the car because I was under the bonnet anyone could open a door and take what ever they wanted.. Alarm not an use as it goes off with the bonnet up...
in the end I locked the car with the key... haven't used it for so long I'd almost forgotten you could do that... doh!
ho ho JGM
Perhaps the woman in the petrol station with the kids in the scooby was hoping "Please someone take them"
Joking aside... I was fitting some bulbs to my car in a carpark and was wondering how to secure the rest of the car because I was under the bonnet anyone could open a door and take what ever they wanted.. Alarm not an use as it goes off with the bonnet up...
in the end I locked the car with the key... haven't used it for so long I'd almost forgotten you could do that... doh!
ho ho JGM
20 December 2001, 02:38 PM
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are people thick or what?! 
*always* lock the car when you go anywhere, I would never dream of leaving it unattended with the engine running, they get what they deserve ihmo...
sigh
M
*always* lock the car when you go anywhere, I would never dream of leaving it unattended with the engine running, they get what they deserve ihmo...
sigh
M
20 December 2001, 07:13 PM
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Just a thought for the "defrost brigade".
If you open the car normally then start the engine with a spare key (without the immobiliser) and leave a disklok on the steering wheel, then lock the door (manually) with the normal key (the one with the immobiliser) - is this a relatively safe way of doing the defrost thing (on a driveway, and not the Queen's highway of course)????
- If they smash the window, they can't steer anyway.
- If they nick the "spare" key, you can de-activate the transducer.
- If they nick your laptop from the passenger seat, then you were a moron in the first place!
mb
p.s. Puff - the middle of no-where hey
If you open the car normally then start the engine with a spare key (without the immobiliser) and leave a disklok on the steering wheel, then lock the door (manually) with the normal key (the one with the immobiliser) - is this a relatively safe way of doing the defrost thing (on a driveway, and not the Queen's highway of course)????
- If they smash the window, they can't steer anyway.
- If they nick the "spare" key, you can de-activate the transducer.
- If they nick your laptop from the passenger seat, then you were a moron in the first place!
mb
p.s. Puff - the middle of no-where hey
20 December 2001, 07:53 PM
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Let's take this as a warning and try not to add insult to injury (quite literally - she was knocked over and now the original post is calling her stupid)
She's lost her car for assuming that people weren't complete opportunistic scum.
She's lost her car for assuming that people weren't complete opportunistic scum.
20 December 2001, 08:25 PM
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It is sad but god she is STUPID!!!! [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]
i dont know how many subaru's have been attempted to be stolen/stolen in this area (they tried kicking my door down, they stole John Felsteads tyres and we dont live that far from where this happened) also 2 other attempted scoob thefts, my next door neighbours car was broken into and attempted to be stolen so IMHO she deserves all she got for being a complete idiot [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]
I would have thought that this area being in the top 30 in this country for car crime she would have had some common sense, but what really gets me is why the hell she had the keys in the ignition!!!! she was loading the boot with the shopping, i think id have my keys on me (except ive got remote boot opening) and the only thing thats probably bruised is her **** and pride and ill say thanks to her now for putting my already extortionate insurance up even more [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]
Tony[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]
i dont know how many subaru's have been attempted to be stolen/stolen in this area (they tried kicking my door down, they stole John Felsteads tyres and we dont live that far from where this happened) also 2 other attempted scoob thefts, my next door neighbours car was broken into and attempted to be stolen so IMHO she deserves all she got for being a complete idiot [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]
I would have thought that this area being in the top 30 in this country for car crime she would have had some common sense, but what really gets me is why the hell she had the keys in the ignition!!!! she was loading the boot with the shopping, i think id have my keys on me (except ive got remote boot opening
) and the only thing thats probably bruised is her **** and pride and ill say thanks to her now for putting my already extortionate insurance up even more [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]Tony[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]
20 December 2001, 11:06 PM
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I start my car up in the mornings, and then go inside and watch Snap, Cackle and Pop.
I recon I would be able to hear if someone was about to drive off in it, and I could run outside and stand in front of the car, thereby foiling the attempted theft.
See, if you have a solid, workable plan, you can quite safely start the car and walk away.
I recon I would be able to hear if someone was about to drive off in it, and I could run outside and stand in front of the car, thereby foiling the attempted theft.
See, if you have a solid, workable plan, you can quite safely start the car and walk away.
21 December 2001, 08:14 AM
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Tony,
I kind of agree with you but:
1. She probably isn't a member of Scoobynet so probably isn't aware how nickable they have become. I know that other than reading about it all the time on SN, I wouldn't know that Scoobs have become a real target
2. She *may* usually keep the keys with her but you don't know whether or not she may have slipped up just this once. Don't tell me you *never ever* popped the boot whilst the engine is running just to put something in it quickly. This may have been all it was....
3. Some people are less "street wise" or you could call them naive. I know a lot of people who just don't think about things like this, it's not in their nature. Doesn't make them stupid!!!
4. And finally, how do you know the guy who nicked the car wasn't planning on taking it by force anyway? That's certainly not uncommon these days either [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] She may have done herself a favour by getting out, the point is, we just don't know.......
Matt
I kind of agree with you but:
1. She probably isn't a member of Scoobynet so probably isn't aware how nickable they have become. I know that other than reading about it all the time on SN, I wouldn't know that Scoobs have become a real target
2. She *may* usually keep the keys with her but you don't know whether or not she may have slipped up just this once. Don't tell me you *never ever* popped the boot whilst the engine is running just to put something in it quickly. This may have been all it was....
3. Some people are less "street wise" or you could call them naive. I know a lot of people who just don't think about things like this, it's not in their nature. Doesn't make them stupid!!!
4. And finally, how do you know the guy who nicked the car wasn't planning on taking it by force anyway? That's certainly not uncommon these days either [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img][img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] She may have done herself a favour by getting out, the point is, we just don't know.......
Matt
21 December 2001, 08:20 AM
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If you defrost the car by running the engine...the reason your're doing this is you can't see out the windows.....thieves can't see out either, so they can't make much of a getaway, can they>?
Richie
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21 December 2001, 08:41 AM
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Hmm, not sure I agree that she's stupid. Naive, maybe, and unlucky, but not stupid. We just don't know why she put the keys in the ignition...
It seems a little, erm, "self centred" to feel aggrieved that this may affect your insurance. But you're right though
We'll have to agree to differ
Whatever - moral of the story: don't leave your keys in the ignition ever
It seems a little, erm, "self centred" to feel aggrieved that this may affect your insurance. But you're right though
We'll have to agree to differ
Whatever - moral of the story: don't leave your keys in the ignition ever
21 December 2001, 09:18 AM
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Yeah - maybe she put the keys in the ignition so she could listen to the radio.... .
I always lock my car when I pay for petrol. I could swear sometimes I get the quizzacal look of "Why is he doing that?". And I've got a Tracker, but prevention's better than cure!
Lunchie
. I always lock my car when I pay for petrol. I could swear sometimes I get the quizzacal look of "Why is he doing that?". And I've got a Tracker, but prevention's better than cure!
Lunchie