bmwusa said:
Many good points and I toatally agree that if there is awill there is a way, I guess I am just more wondering like thescenerio you see on old tv shows where the theif breaks the window and then uses a screw driver to jimmie the ignition and then twists some wires and off he goes, just curious thats all
A few years ago when I lived in the US, I had a Suburban stolen from a parking lot in the middle of the day. Police showed me how nobody takes a screw driver to the ignition or twists a bunch of wires to drive away.
The majority of GM / Chrysler Products at the time had plastic housings to enclose the steering columns. Most good car thieves knew this, would gain entry from the passenger side by breaking a window, break the top of the steering column allowing them access to the mechanical parts of the ignition switch and would then simply rotate the switch internally to start the car. A good thief could walk up to your car, be in it and away in less time than you or I could do so with ignition keys.
Times may have changed and it may be harder to steal today but the basics are still the same.
The majority of cars stolen have already been identified in advance; most become a source of parts / components available for distribution that are difficult to obtain through normal sources. If ‘professionals’ are involved, (ones who do this routinely)
they know where you park and when it is best to take possession. While new high-end cars get stolen, it is the two or three year old car that is worth more as a source of parts than as a completely operational vehicle for someone else to drive.
Live near the border to another country or close by to another country/state that has easier registration requirements and the opposite may be true. Someone is already looking to become the new owner; someone is already on ‘contract’ to find them ‘new’ wheels.
As many Europeans can tell you, it isn’t even safe to take a rental to these regions and most rental agencies won’t rent you one if they know you are going there.
Every car can be stolen, some easier than others. The key to succeeding over crime is to make your car more difficult than another and to never give a thief a break. Rest assured that given the right break anyone with plans to take your car will do so when you offer them that chance.
Ken