Car stolen from my apartment complex

Norm Apter

I was just informed by the apartment manager that a car was stolen from our apartment complex rear parking port last night. Thank god it wasn't mine. The entire complex consists of only 18 units and there are about 12 spaces in the back. It is an open carport -- there is no gate.

I'm always careful to take all valuables (and just about everything else) out of the car and lock it. But I'm still concerned about a repeat "job"

Do any of you guys own "The Club?" Do you think its a useful deterrent (even assuming that a persistent and resourceful thief would know how to get around it). I'm afraid I can't afford a sophisticated alarm system at this point in time, so I'd like to know if The Club would be a useful investment or not. Of course online retailers have them, but if I do get one I'd want to pick it up pronto (as in tonight or tomorrow). Would most general stores like Target have them?

Talk about a bummer. Just thinking about this depresses the hell out of me.

exalted512

Depending on what kind of car you have, you can get a basic alarm for like $150. If you want to add keyless entry, $225. If you want something that'll page you, $325.

Alarms are cheap these days...and will protect more than just your car getting stolen like the club...and will do it better IMO.
-Cody

mrbigbluelight

You've taken the first, most important step in making sure that you take EVERYTHING out of your car at night.

The Club isn't really a crime deterrent except for 10 or 11 year-old kids. A car thief can cut through the steering wheel and defeat the Club in no time.

If you can't afford a car alarm at this time, buy a fake one: a car thief looks into the driver's compartment and sees a blinking red LED, he' s more prone to go on to another car.
They're cheap and work fairly nicely.

Off of Amazon (but you can probably get one at Best Buy or Rat Shack):

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=fake+car+alarms&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=4307566397&ref=pd_sl_3lpal06sa1_b

kawizx9r

exalted512 wrote: »

Depending on what kind of car you have, you can get a basic alarm for like $150. If you want to add keyless entry, $225. If you want something that'll page you, $325.

Alarms are cheap these days...and will protect more than just your car getting stolen like the club...and will do it better IMO.
-Cody

+1
If you shop around, I bet you can get one for even LESS than that!

Do the work yourself and save even more $$$ as opposed to paying for installation, it's what I did

Erik Tracy

I own a "Club" - I use it all the time - not so much because I think it is undefeatable, but if a thief is casing cars to steal - he'll pick one that is the easiest to take - so I figure I'm increasing my odds that a thief will pick the car next to mine that has no alarm or club.

fatchowmein

Norm Apter wrote: »

Talk about a bummer. Just thinking about this depresses the hell out of me.

Relax. Auto theft is just a part of apartment living unless you're living somewhere exclusive.

I've owned a club for probably 10 years now. It's highly visible and it tells thieves my vehicle isn't worth the trouble, try the next car, but it won't stop someone from smashing the glass just to steal my $10 radio and check to see if there's anything valuable in my glove compartment.

Biggest problem with the club: laziness or forgetting to put it on. I guess you could also make the argument that it causes you to sit in the car for a few seconds longer to mount/unmount it thereby increasing your odds of getting carjacked.

As for car alarms, there's probably one going off at our complex every night. No one pays attention to them.

DON'T LOSE THE KEY TO THE CLUB!

Dominion

mrbigbluelight wrote: »

You've taken the first, most important step in making sure that you take EVERYTHING out of your car at night.

The Club isn't really a crime deterrent except for 10 or 11 year-old kids. A car thief can cut through the steering wheel and defeat the Club in no time.

If you can't afford a car alarm at this time, buy a fake one: a car thief looks into the driver's compartment and sees a blinking red LED, he' s more prone to go on to another car.
They're cheap and work fairly nicely.

Off of Amazon (but you can probably get one at Best Buy or Rat Shack):

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=fake+car+alarms&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=4307566397&ref=pd_sl_3lpal06sa1_b

This worked for me when I lived in the DFW area in an apartment and one night a bunch of cars got broke into, when the police went back and looked at the security tape the thieves went to my car took a peek inside and saw it and moved onto the next one. Theres also a device like the club that goes under your brake so it wont even shift into drive and if its a manual and you put it on the clutch it wont even start, its also much harder to remove than the club. Good luck.

Polkersince85

Put a toggle switch in the fuel pump circuit. Hard to steal one if it won't crank.

cincycat13

OK, I had the same car stolen 4 times. 1 time from Merrilville, IN (found in Gary) and 3 times in Philadelphia. Yes, I had the club on it once. The deal is, for safety, stearing wheels are break away, so the theif cut the wheel with a hacksaw, pushed part out of the way, and slid it off. IN FACT, this was proven, when the police recovered the car with the club still "on" to make it look ligit. LMAO. Can't say it won't deter some, and the club (at least used to) pay part of the deductable as their guarentee... good luck!

I ended up installing a hidden toggle switch on the electrical fuel pump. Still had some busted steering columns, but no stolen car.

tonyb

Now see,if we combine threads, we can solve this problem.

Take that cat thats been stalking Mike,put him in your car at night. Problem solved...except for the litter box issue...might be a small problem.

janmike

Glad is was not your car Norm. Hope all works out for the owner.

sucks2beme

The real fix is to drive a car that NOBODY would want.
But just my luck they would just steal the gas out of it.

nduitch

Just booby-trap your car so that when an unauthorized user gets in they get electricuted or maybe their hands chopped off. I know, I'm sick.

lightman1

Shoot the Fu**er. Then place his/her body on the bonnet as a warning for other would be hooligans to steer clear of your vehicle.

decal

sucks2beme wrote: »

The real fix is to drive a car that NOBODY would want.
But just my luck they would just steal the gas out of it.

I agree,drive a POS car and you won't have to worry about it!!:D

quadzilla

lightman1 wrote: »

Shoot the Fu**er. Then place his/her body on the bonnet as a warning for other would be hooligans to steer clear of your vehicle.

No no no... you use the severed head as a hood ornament. That way, you don't get *that smell* inside the car. Believe me. I know that smell. You don't want it in the car.

hearingimpared

Norm Apter wrote: »

I was just informed by the apartment manager that a car was stolen from our apartment complex rear parking port last night. Thank god it wasn't mine. The entire complex consists of only 18 units and there are about 12 spaces in the back. It is an open carport -- there is no gate.

I'm always careful to take all valuables (and just about everything else) out of the car and lock it. But I'm still concerned about a repeat "job"

Do any of you guys own "The Club?" Do you think its a useful deterrent (even assuming that a persistent and resourceful thief would know how to get around it). I'm afraid I can't afford a sophisticated alarm system at this point in time, so I'd like to know if The Club would be a useful investment or not. Of course online retailers have them, but if I do get one I'd want to pick it up pronto (as in tonight or tomorrow). Would most general stores like Target have them?

Talk about a bummer. Just thinking about this depresses the hell out of me.

Sorry to hear Norm.

My wife use to use "The Club" when we were living in South Philly. One night some scumbag theives broke into her car, breaking the key slot in the drivers side door, then they messed with "The Club," without a hack saw, and managed to somehow loosen it to the point where they were able to drive the car about ten blocks where they left it. Apparently even though they were able to defeat it they couldn't get it completely off and couldn't make any turns . . . still they defeated it enough to get the car a mile away from where it was parked. I think what they did was jam a key into the Club's locking mechanism and kept at it until the lock loosened enough to collapes it enough to drive it. How the hell they got it out of the parking spot without being able to turn the wheel is still a mystery for the ages.

IMHO I think "the Club" has been out long enough now where theives have figured out a way to defeat it quickly.

Sorry I don't have encouraging words about it but I can't just let our experience with it go to waste.

I know how you feel about finding out this info. We were just informed that there has been an inordinate amount of house break-ins in our neighborhood. Even though I can't afford it, I'm getting an alarm system because every time we leave the house, even though we have a 90 lb dog, when I come back I'm crapping my pants because I'm thinking when I look into the living room I'm just going to see wires where the HT rig is and my heart really starts to race when I enter the two channel room! UGH!!! When we first moved in and had some money socked away, getting an alarm system was on our to-do list but something always came up so now being broke I have no choice but to rob Peter to pay Paul so we can get one. You can't put a price on peace of mind.

I think a kill switch on the gas line is much better in keeping your car in the parking lot. Just make sure it is in a place where the theives can't get to it . . . like in the trunk of the car hidden under the lining.