Near Theft of my S3

[smarty156]

Presumably they could still track it and switch it off remotely?

[Evanivitch]

smarty156 said:

Presumably they could still track it and switch it off remotely?

Worth bearing in mind after having a knife held to your wife's throat.

It's also not unknown for stolen cars to be left to stand for a few days whilst they check it's not been tracked.

Or parked in a shipping container.

[xjay1337]

andrewparker said:

Precisely the reason I’d never have Autowatch installed, or take my keys upstairs with me.

PS any link to the thread?

Edited by andrewparker on Thursday 11th January 11:41

Do NOT just bend over and give up so easily.

I'm not saying the chap should have gotten his wife cut because of a car, but do not just leave your keys about dangling by the back door just so it's easier for a thief!!

We should be making it as hard as practically possible for them to steal cars.

[TooMany2cvs]

xjay1337 said:

andrewparker said:

Precisely the reason I’d never have Autowatch installed, or take my keys upstairs with me.

Do NOT just bend over and give up so easily.

I'm not saying the chap should have gotten his wife cut because of a car, but do not just leave your keys about dangling by the back door just so it's easier for a thief!!

We should be making it as hard as practically possible for them to steal cars.

Stair domination in 5... 4... 3... 2...

[andrewparker]

xjay1337 said:

andrewparker said:

Precisely the reason I’d never have Autowatch installed, or take my keys upstairs with me.

PS any link to the thread?

Edited by andrewparker on Thursday 11th January 11:41

Do NOT just bend over and give up so easily.

I'm not saying the chap should have gotten his wife cut because of a car, but do not just leave your keys about dangling by the back door just so it's easier for a thief!!

We should be making it as hard as practically possible for them to steal cars.

With respect mate, we're going to have to agree to disagree. Once they're in my house they'll find the keys on my kitchen island. Under no circumstances am I going to create a situation that invites any confrontation. My stand, if you could call it that, is that my cars have trackers, and I'd hope that if they do get taken the tracker goes some way to either retrieving the car, or leading the Police to them. I've also secured my house as much as I am comfortable with, so I'm not making it easy for anyone, but if someone gets inside I'm not one of these people who is going to take the risk that they might not come upstairs to forcibly remove the keys from my hands.

[J4CKO]

What are the penalties these kind of thieves face if caught ?

[xjay1337]

Of course we can disagree.

But refusing to fit additional security to your car just because?

Seems like you are giving up.

I wonder how many thefts the gang will simply give up when car fails to start.

[andrewparker]

xjay1337 said:

Of course we can disagree.

But refusing to fit additional security to your car just because?

Seems like you are giving up.

Just because? Just because what has been said above might happen? Yes, exactly that, and as far as I'm concerned the Autowatch system invites exactly that sort of situation.

[Some Gump]

xjay1337 said:

Of course we can disagree.

But refusing to fit additional security to your car just because?

Seems like you are giving up.

I wonder how many thefts the gang will simply give up when car fails to start.

Easy to act the hard man hen the person you love most doesn't have a sharp knife held at her throat.

[Evanivitch]

xjay1337 said:

Of course we can disagree.

But refusing to fit additional security to your car just because?

Seems like you are giving up.

I wonder how many thefts the gang will simply give up when car fails to start.

So the mental harm to your family (and yourself) is the better option instead of allowing people that have already broken into your home to get away without causing more harm?

You've got to choose your battles. Laminated glass in doors, well secured locks, good general home security is where your priorities should be. Even considering making it a physical confrontation is absurd.

[TooMany2cvs]

J4CKO said:

What are the penalties these kind of thieves face if caught ?

On top of the car theft?

If they brought the knife with 'em, then potentially up to Aggravated Burglary - maximum sentence life...?

[xjay1337]

Did I say I would fight the guy?

No. Idiots. Infact I said I specifically said that it was just in relation to leaving your keys about, etc. I would also do the same as the bloke and give up the code.

I just said that not fitting additional security seems like giving up to me.

Secure your home and your car. The same could be said for those big Disklok things. Not going to put one on incase the baddies come back and ask for the key to that too?

[Evanivitch]

xjay1337 said:

Did I say I would fight the guy?

No. Idiots. Infact I said I specifically said that it was just in relation to leaving your keys about, etc. I would also do the same as the bloke and give up the code.

I just said that not fitting additional security seems like giving up to me.

Secure your home and your car. The same could be said for those big Disklok things. Not going to put one on incase the baddies come back and ask for the key to that too?

Did I say fight? Read it again. Knife to wife definitely qualifies.

Again, how would a disklock make a difference in this instance? Would you keep the key seperate?

Disklocks are great in cars with poor security already (MX5, Ford's etc).

[Andy OH]

xjay1337 said:

Of course we can disagree.

But refusing to fit additional security to your car just because?

Seems like you are giving up.

I wonder how many thefts the gang will simply give up when car fails to start.

My friend you are talking bs. If three large guys in balaclavas broke into my house and demanded the keys to my car or to put a PIN into an immobiliser device whilst holding a knife to my wife's throat I would not sit back and challenge. They can have the bloody car it's replaceable my wife isn't.

[TooMany2cvs]

xjay1337 said:

Did I say I would fight the guy?

Somebody was about to you, whether you or somebody else...

xjay1337 said:

Infact I said I specifically said that it was just in relation to leaving your keys about, etc. I would also do the same as the bloke and give up the code.

I just said that not fitting additional security seems like giving up to me.

Secure your home and your car. The same could be said for those big Disklok things. Not going to put one on incase the baddies come back and ask for the key to that too?

And isn't that precisely the point? The additional security was what caused the threat of violence to ramp up a notch.

[J4CKO]

TooMany2cvs said:

J4CKO said:

What are the penalties these kind of thieves face if caught ?

On top of the car theft?

If they brought the knife with 'em, then potentially up to Aggravated Burglary - maximum sentence life...?

So the stakes are very high for them, normal car theft is pretty low grade petty crime in comparison, I wouldn't be trying to negotiate over a bloody car.

Just need to try and make it so they go elsewhere, first step is not owning fast 4WD VAG cars, even though my old TT fits the description, dont think they are that interested if they did I would give them my VAG COM laptop and see if they can sort a few bits out.

[sjg]

All these extra security measures are fine for making things difficult when the car is parked up somewhere away from home - particularly ones that are vulnerable to methods to bypass electronics or if you're paranoid about someone obtaining duplicate keys.

At home - anyone willing to break in when they know we're home, with a weapon; I'm not going to make it hard for them to find the keys or have reason to harm me or my family. I secure the house as best I can (within sensible limits, bearing in mind you can always smash a window to get in) but the car is a standard insured thing, it's not something I've put thousands of hours into building or something of great sentimental value. It's theft would be an inconvenience so not worth the risk of physical harm to protect it.

Without the Autowatch thing and keys downstairs, the guy would be posting about an annoying break-in and a car missing. Spending all that money and taking those "precautions" just got them threatened with violence.

[andrewparker]

sjg said:

Without the Autowatch thing and keys downstairs, the guy would be posting about an annoying break-in and a car missing. Spending all that money and taking those "precautions" just got them threatened with violence.

Exactly, Wife is mentally scarred, he'll never have another performance car in his life, just not worth it.

[xjay1337]

Andy OH said:

xjay1337 said:

Of course we can disagree.

But refusing to fit additional security to your car just because?

Seems like you are giving up.

I wonder how many thefts the gang will simply give up when car fails to start.

My friend you are talking bs. If three large guys in balaclavas broke into my house and demanded the keys to my car or to put a PIN into an immobiliser device whilst holding a knife to my wife's throat I would not sit back and challenge. They can have the bloody car it's replaceable my wife isn't.

Jeez, is it school holidays?

I also specifically asked the question, I wonder how many cars are not stolen simply due to inability to find the key, immobiliser, disklock or similar.
The point is MOST of the time the thieves don't want a confrontation as much as you.
So if their initial theft doesn't go to plan, MOST will just leave it.

Where do you draw the line?
Won't leave the doors locked incase they smash the glass and I stand on it next morning and cut my foot.
Won't bother locking my car next time either incase they break in to my house to begin with.

I am agreeing with what you are saying. Given the scenario I would also give them the keys / PIN. FFS.

I am simply saying that by refusing to use security to your own advantage you are simply playing into the hands of the assholes that do this.


I can see why you may not want a Ghost immobilisor. That's your choice.
But to not have one simply because they may threaten you seems, like I said, like giving up. As I also said, most of the time I very much doubt the thiefs would want to get into a confrontation about it.

Or just own a Hyundai i20 1.6 instead of a Golf R.

[Krikkit]

xjay1337 said:

Where do you draw the line?
Won't leave the doors locked incase they smash the glass and I stand on it next morning and cut my foot.
Won't bother locking my car next time either incase they break in to my house to begin with.

I am agreeing with what you are saying. Given the scenario I would also give them the keys / PIN. FFS.

I am simply saying that by refusing to use security to your own advantage you are simply playing into the hands of the assholes that do this.

I think you're taking this a bit far.

They're saying that with a reasonably secure home you'd leave the keys somewhere sensibly accessible rather than hidden somewhere odd. Once someone is prepared to break in to get keys stored out of plain sight they've crossed a line of determination that's significant imo.