The Noble Thief - Glass half full?

[SCOOTACAR]

Gents,

Had a spot of bad luck. Could be worse but I keep a couple of my T&T'd Microcars in a rented garage which is basically secluded. It's all I can get so I've accepted the situation although it's not ideal.

Hadn't been round there for a week so popped over for a check. Doors were closed tight but both crappy padlocks were on the floor. (I thought I'd go the crappy route as good locks could mean the "what's inside" angle. Or not as the case may be..)

Horrible feeling crept over me as I opened the doors. Both machines utterly untouched save a door on it's latch. So the wrongn's had a look round and done the off.

Now the doris and I were discussing this over the vino and her angle is a thief's scum. Period. No ifs no buts. Whereas my angle is this little scrote could have got out a Stanley and vented his displeasure by carving an artistic job on the original perfect interiors. Or torched them. Obvioulsy they were of no interest to him (could be a she but unlikely..) as motors.


So I consider myself rather lucky. As in waiting a year for your new special wish spec'd £150k GT3 RS and sticking it round a tree at 100 plus mph five miles out the showroom. You get out with a bruised finger and the engine's 500 yards away from the tub....

However I welcome your thoughts...


Edit,

I have two proper Chubb 5 lever jobs on there now and very heavy duty hasps and staples. I think it was just a chancer. Not much I can do anyway.

Edited by SCOOTACAR on Sunday 2nd January 10:45

Edited by SCOOTACAR on Sunday 2nd January 10:47

[RobM83]

My concern would be that somebody, somewhere now knows what you keep locked away there. Word might get around and somebody else might take a more serious interest.

Happy New Year.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

I'd beef up the security. That look-see might have just been a recce, and he/she intends to come back properly tooled up?

[LuS1fer]

My experience is that thieves and vandals are different breeds. One is in it for the "I think I'm clever" and usually drunk for friends and the other is into turning a few quid. My guess would be he possibly thought you had motorbikes if he's heard them starting and they are very popular targets for juvenile thieves. I've also had a car completely stripped of interior , basically a shell with an engine and wheels and some "thief" opened all the doors and boot, not to steal anything but just to show how appalling the security was.

[Shelsleyf2]

Hi, Having just had a caravan stolen that had drop down posts a hitch lock and wheel clamp plus a gate, chained and locked and all this was removed and caravan towed away while next to my house and we were in at the time.....My thoughts are GPS tracker device motion activated with a text message alarm 3 month battery life. There are some on E bay they will text your mobile if they are motion activated, being portable you can put them in any property you may be concerned about.

Its sad to say but if they want it they will take it...Knowing they are taking it and where it is may be your best bet.

[EDLT]

LuS1fer said:

My experience is that thieves and vandals are different breeds. One is in it for the "I think I'm clever" and usually drunk for friends and the other is into turning a few quid.

I agree, a drug addict isn't going to waste time smashing your cars up when they've got more important things to be buying. You were lucky that a gang of drunk 14 year-olds didn't happen upon your empty garage.

[TheLurker]

I agree with you OP. I would be pleased in this situation that all is OK with the cars. Well, perhaps not pleased, but releived anyway. Would still be annoyed at the scum that did it though.

I think I would also be worried that someone may come back for them at a later date, although unlikley.

[Mr GrimNasty]

Move them or lose them. They (or someone they've told) will be back.

[BarnatosGhost]

There are various degrees of wrong.

A thief robbing a bank via computer is less wrong than a cat burglar robbing a poor family's toys on christmas eve.

Both wrong, but not the same.

Stalin was worse than Pol Pot, who was worse than Ceausesque. All bad, but not the same.

And (liberal viewpoint alert) you don't know the motives of the thief. If he's at deaths door and searching for food (unlikely), and upon not finding any, left you with only a bust lock, his actions are understandable.

In the end, you're lucky that what you had wasn't what he was after, and unlucky that there are people around who'll do this at all. Narrow escape, but move the cars - he might have found out what they're worth...

[Welshwonder]

Mr GrimNasty said:

Move them or lose them. They (or someone they've told) will be back.

+1 You've used your 'get out of jail for free' card.

[stuthemong]

On a mates birthday we went out in town.

A few of us gave him presents, which he opened, and put in his bag. A portable CD player, an A-team DVD and a Britney Spears live in concert DVD.

Sometime later that evening we realised that his bag had been pilfered.... save for the Britney DVD.

I like to think that the theif thought to himself as he rummaged:

"CD player! Neat.
A-Team DVD, winner!
Britney DVD? Whoaaaa. You just can't steal a man's Britney DVD. I'll leave that."

Theives with honour. You can't like them, but sometimes they garner a twinkle of bizarre respect.

Edited by stuthemong on Sunday 2nd January 13:38

[MarJay]

RobM83 said:

My concern would be that somebody, somewhere now knows what you keep locked away there. Word might get around and somebody else might take a more serious interest.

Happy New Year.

This exactly.

My garage got broken into on new years eve. They cropped three gate bolts and took off the padlocks. They took my compressor, my halfords professional socket set, my ball ended hex keys and my snapon screwdrivers. I'm a little concerned that being they didn't steal my motorcycles, that someone with more determination and more technical knowledge might get wind of them being there. I may have to rig up some CCTV or similar, just in case.

[John D.]

stuthemong said:

On a mates birthday we went out in town.

A few of us gave him presents, which he opened, and put in his bag. A portable CD player, an A-team DVD and a Britney Spears live in concert DVD.

Sometime later that evening we realised that his bag had been pilfered.... save for the Britney DVD.

I like to think that the theif thought to himself as he rummaged:

"CD player! Neat.
A-Team DVD, winner!
Britney DVD? Whoaaaa. You just can't steal a man's Britney DVD. I'll leave that."

Theives with honour. You can't like them, but sometimes they garner a twinkle of bizarre respect.

Edited by stuthemong on Sunday 2nd January 13:38

Maybe he just had some taste (A-Team DVD notwithstanding)

[EDLT]

MarJay said:

RobM83 said:

My concern would be that somebody, somewhere now knows what you keep locked away there. Word might get around and somebody else might take a more serious interest.

Happy New Year.

This exactly.

My garage got broken into on new years eve. They cropped three gate bolts and took off the padlocks. They took my compressor, my halfords professional socket set, my ball ended hex keys and my snapon screwdrivers. I'm a little concerned that being they didn't steal my motorcycles, that someone with more determination and more technical knowledge might get wind of them being there. I may have to rig up some CCTV or similar, just in case.

Your bikes are much harder to sell on, if they come back they'll just steal your tools again.

[terzo]

Mr GrimNasty said:

Move them or lose them. They (or someone they've told) will be back.

This. Personally I would move anything of value elsewhere for the forseeable. If there hasn't been a break-in within 6 months then I'd move the stuff back, but would also install a very loud alarm rather than allowing them as much time as they want perusing your items.