Ask Slashdot: Protecting Tech Gear From Smash-and-Grab Theft? 514
rstory writes "I seem to be hearing about more smash and grab thefts lately, from low-tech purse snatching to thieves after laptops and cameras. Bold thieves are even snatching stuff in church/day-care parking lots in the 5 minute window while a parent goes in to pick up their child. I often drive around with my laptop, and want to find the best way to protect against theft. Besides the obvious 'don't leave equipment in the car' solution, what else are people doing? Right now I just use a regular backpack instead of a fancy laptop case. I don't have a trunk, so when I leave the car I put the backpack on the floor of the back seat, sometimes throwing other junk on top. The only interesting thing I've found while googling is a couple of 'anti-theft' backpacks which have wire mesh to prevent cutting them open and a (thin looking) cable for securing to a stationary object. What do you do to protect your gear?"
you can track your laptops (Score:5, Informative)
Re:you can track your laptops (Score:5, Funny)
I'm waiting to see someone combine these remote tracking and accessibility methods with semtex and finishing nails packed in the old optical drive bay.
Re:you can track your laptops (Score:5, Funny)
I'm waiting to see someone combine these remote tracking and accessibility methods with semtex and finishing nails packed in the old optical drive bay.
As a fun bonus, your vacations just became a lot more interesting.
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Re:you can track your laptops (Score:5, Insightful)
What happens when the perp wipes the hard drive? Barring some BIOS magic, your software just disappears. That's the first thing I do when I steal laptops.
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Re:you can track your laptops (Score:5, Insightful)
The location can be tracked as soon as your OS loads, you can wipe a laptop without ever loading the OS
Re:you can track your laptops (Score:5, Interesting)
The location can be tracked as soon as your OS loads, you can wipe a laptop without ever loading the OS
This is why theft tracking shouldn't be left to the OS (or any program ran by it). There should be a separate piece of hardware, hidden inside the computer that would leach power off the laptop's battery/power supply (or possibly have it's own). Ideally it should have GPS and a 3G radio to send such tracking information to "the cloud". It would be nice to see a DIY/"opensource" version done of this done so some a company wouldn't be able to track you (as easily). This way even if the original OS was never loaded after a theft you could still track your precious laptop.
Re:you can track your laptops (Score:5, Informative)
Well, the location can be tracked from the second it laptop is turned on and since wiping a laptop isn't instantaneous it gives you a (very) small window to track the culprit.
How does it do this with no Internet and booting from a system recovery disk? It is only helpful to catch the stupid criminals. Admittedly, that is most of them.
But it does nothing for the real problem. You now need a new window and backpack. The only good solution is to avoid the smash...
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There's a million ways to circumvent a system attempting to call home if it relies on a network to be available.
Re:you can track your laptops (Score:4, Insightful)
You're assuming the perp plugs in the laptop to his network. Why would he do that? Network access isn't needed when wiping laptops. Just pop in a bootable CD or USB flash drive, wait a few minutes, and laptop has been wiped.
Re:you can track your laptops (Score:5, Informative)
Unless you take the HD out and replace it with a clean one...
LoJack for Laptops has code in the firmware of most laptops that allows it to persist across a hard drive swap.
Re:you can track your laptops (Score:4, Informative)
Yes it is. Dell laptop "Bios lojack" is as easy to defeat as wiping the NVRAM settings. Been there done that. Watched a BIOS update reset it on a Dell Studio.
Re:you can track your laptops (Score:5, Informative)
What happens when the perp wipes the hard drive? Barring some BIOS magic, your software just disappears
LoJack for Laptops has code in the firmware of all of the major laptop manufacturers. The code is dormant, but wakes up when you install the product. Once activated, the code checks for the presence of the LoJack agent on the hard drive and replaces it if it's removed or if it's been tampered with. It will survived an OS re-install, hard drive wipe - Even a hard drive swap.
Re:you can track your laptops (Score:4, Informative)
But can it install to odd linux format types?
No, it only persists to windows - But the general thief use case that we've experienced is the re-installation of Windows so it can be sold on Craigslist. Re-installing Linux devalues the resale value of the asset.
Re:you can track your laptops (Score:5, Informative)
Ok, so the thief steals it, re-installs Windows but never directly connects it back to the internet. He then sells it on Craigslist, and when the person who bought it connects it to the internet, it leads back to a person who didn't steal it.
You still get your computer back.
Or if they really know what they are doing, modifies or flashes an already modified BIOS to the machine and takes out the LoJack completely.
This is extremely difficult to do, and is usually unsuccessful.
Or the most likely - victim tracks down the vicinity where it is reported the stolen laptop is. Gets the technically clueless police department involved who don't understand what you are trying to tell them, and are unwilling/unable to help. This has happened to several of my friends while tracking stolen cell phones.
This is why the LoJack for Laptops recovery team manages the recovery process, not the end user. This is what you're paying for when you buy the service - It's the team of professional ex-cops who work with law enforcement to get your stuff back.
Re:you can track your laptops (Score:5, Informative)
do you know anyone who has actually recovered a laptop successfully using LoJack?
Yes.
http://blog.absolute.com/20000-recoveries-and-counting/ [absolute.com]
They don't 'bend the law' - They just do all the legwork for the police. They basically say here's a stolen computer, here's all the forensic evidence proving who the thief is and here's what you need when you go in front of a judge. They do all the (legal) investigative work that holds up in court.
Re:you can track your laptops (Score:5, Informative)
You don't need to bend the law for a former professional to be useful. You just need to know how to report an issue so it becomes a priority. Also, they know what you need to give to the cops to make it easy enough for them to go take care of it with little hassle. If the ex-cops know how to make life easier on already overworked cops, it is much more likely that the cops will work your case in preference to another one.
On the other hand, they also know procedure and the law so that the cops they work with can't try and brush you off with an excuse or some paperwork. If a cop is lazy, the ex-cop will know to perhaps ask for a sergeant and then quote some line and verse at them which is technically available for any citizen to use, but only cops know that it is there and how to invoke it.
Finally, they realize that a company that handles dozens of these a day may well be one that they have to take seriously. As an individual, you're powerless against the police machinery, but a company with lawyers on retainer, ex-cops, and PR people are much more of a force to be reckoned with.
It's all about bureaucracy and how to navigate it. Technically it's nothing that you couldn't do yourself, but you wouldn't even know where to start.
Re:you can track your laptops (Score:5, Informative)
My work laptop drive is encrypted. We consider the data far more valuable than the hardware, and they can have it.
My personal tablet notebook has the TPC engaged, and without the drive (which is unique and expensive) it's worthless. If I'm at all competent as a thief, I know this and avoid that model and those similar. The meth heads aren't, so I would probably check CL and find it for sale in a day or so. Ring ring.
In fact, my work notebook, when it is replaced, is essentially scrap. We have to shred the drives, rendering the rest of it worth zilch. Kinda sad.
Personally, I would bolt an eye to a seat, use a Kensington cable, and if it is really that bad thread the cable through the bag onto the notebook. This is mostly to slow down a thief, and leave you with a broken window instead. First step is to camo the bag, either slipping it under a seat or behind something innocuous. In the convertible you can hardly see my bag. In the Explorer, slipping it under a rear seat makes it virtually invisible also. Anyone who sees me do that of course knows the trick, but that's an even smaller window of opportunity. A decent car alarm will help some, but your window is busted anyways. LoJack for laptops sounds good until you find out it's in India.
Re:you can track your laptops (Score:5, Interesting)
As another said, the OP has no trunk. Personally, I 'd suggest something like one of these [tuffyproducts.com]. This si just a quick result from a Google search but I have a buddy with a nice under-seat one. Myself, I have a padded carton inside my truck's diamond plate toolbox but these sorts of lockboxes can easily be placed behind a seat if there's no room underneath. The trick is to put the valuables in before your stop. If you're seen putting stuff in these, they know it's valuable and may either steal your car or simply pick the lock. Personally, I can pick a lock in about 10 seconds and my lockpick trainer in the Army could do it faster than I can use a freaking key. Not all thieves will have such skills but enough do.
Security is as much about not being stupid as anything else.
Re:you can track your laptops (Score:5, Informative)
According a Houston PD officer in the auto thefts division, the worst place you can put something is on the floor of passenger back seat. That's the first place someone looking to do a smash and grab looks.
Also be aware of someone walking around the parking lot (near cars) that appears to be talking on a cell phone. That's a definite "take it with me or leave" red flag.
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Also be aware of someone walking around the parking lot (near cars) that appears to be talking on a cell phone. That's a definite "take it with me or leave" red flag.
No kidding, I always panic when I see someone on a cell phone.
Re:you can track your laptops (Score:5, Insightful)
In your case, what would happen is the perp would break into your car to grab the fake laptop, discover it's a fake laptop, and then he'd notice the black cloth and you would be out the real laptop. :)
Jason
And probably a couple more windows because you just pissed him off.
I had my car broken into once, had my girlfriend's purse stolen and my new speakers stolen. They couldn't get the radio out so they just smashed it and much of the dash.
Best way to save your stuff is to not be a target. Don't give them a reason to even consider that there is something in the car. Keep everything clean, and dont make it look like you're hiding anything. My friend had his window smashed out for a pack of cigarettes once.
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Who steals a laptop and then opens it to check that it's real before running off?
Re:you can track your laptops (Score:5, Interesting)
I work for a Major Bank and we have BiOS "Magic" that will track the Wi-Fi Card MAC, HDD MAC and MB MAC regardless of how many times the HDD is wiped. We have made it so it would be more expensive to replace all of those parts than it would be buy a new laptop. It works as we have laptops stolen all the time and find them with the help of local law enforcement.
The Caveat is that it has to be on a the internet for us to track it. So if someone wants it to just be a local word processor to print to a local printer we will never know about it.
Re:you can track your laptops (Score:5, Informative)
Slightly more low-tech, but giving the same idea of 'make it trackable' is Stuffbak [stuffbak.com]. It's just a (hard to remove) sticker, but it means you can prove a specific device is yours.
But none of this is prevention. If you can't hide it and you can't lock it, take it with you.
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If you can't hide it and you can't lock it, take it with you.
This is the only real solution.
If you do have to hide it in your car, put it in the trunk before you leave, not when you arrive where you park.
I use an inconspicuous backpack and a kensington cable for my laptop and camera stuff whenever possible. I don't leave it behind unless I have to. Same thing with the front panel of my car stereo, I remove it and take it with me, even if just posting a letter or something like that.
The only thing people have ever tried to steal is my car itself. Fortunately that car
Re:you can track your laptops (Score:4, Insightful)
Your MB and HDD have MAC addresses?
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Re:you can track your laptops (Score:4, Insightful)
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>>may help once your laptop has been stolen, but it doesn't do anything to prevent the theft in the first place. It may not be a bad idea, but it isn't really what the submitter is asking about.
Yeah, and, worse, his strategy is to put his laptop into a backpack.
As someone who had his car's side passenger window smashed in to steal my ordinary-looking backpack, I can assure you the police say people do so exactly with the expectation to walk away with it with some high tech gear.
All they got were my Ma
Re:you can track your laptops (Score:5, Funny)
Take valuables with you. (Score:5, Insightful)
If I park somewhere that has a reasonable chance of a smash-and-grab, I take valuables with me.
Period.
Who cares if it's locked down to something, if it looks like there is something valuable in the car, it's going to get broken in to. And if they can't take the thing they really want, they'll likely do extra damage, just because.
Other than that, I try to avoid leaving my car in locations that I worry about its safety.
Re:Take valuables with you. (Score:5, Insightful)
I agree completely.
If you do have to leave the stuff in the car, seems to me that you should put it in whatever area of the car is safe and bury it *when you leave*, not when you arrive. In my mind nothing would say "there's valuables here" than futzing around with those things at the destination.
Re:Take valuables with you. (Score:5, Insightful)
Yup, just take it with you. If you can't take it with you, put it in the boot (trunk) - much harder to smash and grab from the boot, and the thief has to take a chance on there being something in there rather than scoping out the back seats of all the cars around yours.
The passenger compartment of both my cars is kept pretty spotless - there is nothing there for a thief to take a chance on, and you would be surprised just how low value something needs to be for the chance to be taken. Remove all temptation, don't just hide the high value stuff under low value temptation.
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Automotive window film is also a good solution in some occasions. It holds the window glass together when broken, making it more difficult to the robber to smash the window open.
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In my area tint = expensive stereo... I have had many friends whose tinted cars got smash-n-grabbed, my humble, tintless (albeit expensive stereo equipped) car never got touched. "Send the right signals", and all that.
Re:Take valuables with you. (Score:4, Informative)
If you can't take it with you, put it in the boot (trunk) - much harder to smash and grab from the boot,
I don't know where you got that idea.
Trunk locks are utter crap and trunk latches are just as bad.
Not to mention that they can just smash a window and pull the trunk release.
All things being equal, you should prefer someone smashing a window
and pulling the trunk release instead of prying open your trunk with a crowbar.
Re:Take valuables with you. (Score:5, Interesting)
Rather than a crowbar to pry open the trunk, instead they use a dent puller to remove the trunk lock.
Re:Take valuables with you. (Score:4, Informative)
Sounds like cars are better built for the European market... Boot locks on all cars I have owned have been secure, and very few cars I have owned have had a boot release in the passenger compartment (I'm not saying they don't exist, but out of my seven cars, only one has had one) - normally it's either a manual release on the boot itself, or you have to use the key to pop it.
The main thing about sticking stuff in the boot is that it's out of sight - how many thieves will attack the boot on the off chance when there's other cars...?
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I can't speak for outside the US, but most cars have a button in the glove box that when pushed open a locked trunk, if you smash a window to get in to grab something smashing the windows and pushing the button to open the trunk is not that much more difficult.
I get on my wife all the time for leaving things visible in her vehicle, to the point that I nearly yell at her for leaving a quarter visible. If they want it they will break a window, I'd hate to spend a hu
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If I park somewhere that has a reasonable chance of a smash-and-grab, I take valuables with me.
Agreed. I had a shifty landlord, and we were involved in legal process against him (temporary restraining order already obtained). We thought he might be stupid enough to do something stupid, (he had already grabbed a piece of evidence out of my hands and ripped it up IN THE COURTROOM HALLS) but I let my guard down, and he surprised me with how stupid he could be, when he broke into my place and stole my laptop and briefcase with all my legal stuff (including evidence).
My lesson learned? Don't give people o
Get a dog? (Score:5, Funny)
Get a dog and keep it in the car.
Re:Get a dog? (Score:5, Funny)
What you need is a trunk monkey.
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Re:Get a dog? (Score:5, Interesting)
This is not useful in hot weather. it may be illegal.
To fight the gas theft on the other hand, I keep two gas cans in the shed. I've had the shed broken into and stuff stolen. One nearly empty can has gas. It is a 5 gallon can with no more than 2 gallons in it. The other full can has sugar, water, and gas, lite on the gas. Just enough to provide the proper smell.
Not sure how to do this with a laptop though.
Re:Get a dog? (Score:4, Funny)
Solution for the laptop is Windows ME
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> Not sure how to do this with a laptop though.
"He stole my laptop. I stole his dignity" :-D
http://www.inquisitr.com/101482/mark-bao-laptop-stolen-revenge/ [inquisitr.com]
"Pwn3d by owner" http://www.gadgetsdna.com/defcon-zoz-got-his-stolen-computer-back/7640/ [gadgetsdna.com]
The moral of the story: if your personal entertainment is more valuable than your data or hardware, don't lock the OS down too tightly. Just give yourself remote access to the system, a way to sync files back to your server, some kind of DDNS app, and give the thief
Re:Get a dog? (Score:5, Insightful)
On the other hand, liquid bleach will do wonders over a period of a week
I just want to point out something that should be obvious, but deserves to be pointed out nonetheless: Don't be an idiot. If you don't know what you're doing, don't go around mixing random shit together. It's not very hard to win yourself a Darwin award by mixing oxygen bleach with gasoline or chlorine bleach with any of a long list of things that will release chlorine gas.
Re:Get a dog? (Score:5, Interesting)
At my old apartments we had a guy stealing gas out of peoples cars.
My old beater truck had no viable way to lock the gas tank (I had a locking cap and he just broke it off, damaging the fill spout in the process).
so, I went to a shop that had done work for me in the past and we put a new fill spout up through the truck bed into the tool box. The old fill spout was connected to a saddlebag tank filled with diesel.
Found out who was stealing gas when the guy with the camero started having engine trouble the day after the diesel was missing from my truck.
I smiled.
-nB
Re:Get a dog? (Score:5, Insightful)
Stated Obvious (Score:2)
I do have a trunk... so I throw it in there. Beyond that I minimize the impact of it getting stolen by using full disk encryption.
Does your car not have any kind of lockable storage (actually what kind of car is this anywayno trunk?). If so, put it in there, otherwise you could always buy a jewellery safe and have a friend who is good with tools weld it to the floor, roof, or remove one of the seats and put the safe there. You could also keep your laptop and GPS and other gear in a hardened suitcase handcuf
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Really, you want lockable and opaque storage. Many SUVs, minivans, pickup trucks, station wagons and hatchbacks have storage you can lock, but since it's in the cabin there are also windows on the area.
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As an example, I have a GMC Safari, no lockable storage in it.
Hatchbacks might have similar issues.
Simple (Score:3)
I don't leave it in my car. And when I leave it in my work vehicle, it's locked in a floor safe because it's work related and the company paid for it.
550 Amp Truck Battery connected to metal briefcase (Score:5, Funny)
...holding laptop, make sure to solder an unobtrusive on/off switch someplace you can reach but non-obvious on the briefcase (or connected to the briefcase by wire.
Fun! :)
(I had a friend who did something similar to the hood ornament of his Dad's Mercedes during the 80's when everyone was stealing them.)
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Re:550 Amp Truck Battery connected to metal briefc (Score:4, Informative)
A 12 volt battery will only deliver 550 amps through a 0.21 ohm load. Since the human body is around 50,000 or more, your "friend" would have delivered a whopping 0.00024 amps to the would-be thief, which you can't even feel. Sorry, but I used to be a truck mechanic and the batteries were rated a good bit higher than 550 CCA. I touched both terminals numerous times, and you really feel nothing. I started trucks by shorting across the starter numerous times which touching the frame. Nothing.
Now, the ignition coil at around 20kV, would be a very different thing. I never experienced that first hand since everything I worked on was diesel, but my mechanic friends told me it hurt like a s.o.b.
No technological solution for stupidity (Score:2, Insightful)
>>I don't have a trunk, so when I leave the car I put the backpack on the floor of the back seat, sometimes throwing other junk on top.
Seriously? You expect technology to solve this?
Sorry to be so blunt with the title, but that sums it up. If you don't want your shit stolen, don't leave it laying around for an opportunistic thief.
Take your stuff with you.
Use a secure storage vault (Score:2)
like to those used for firearms by people who carry concealed weapons when they're forced to leave their sidearm in their vehicle (e.g., when dropping by the post office or a bank).
http://www.google.com/?q=vehicle+firearms+safe [google.com]
William
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Why would you have to leave your gun in the car when going into a bank?
There are a patchwork of laws across the country, some at a state level, some at a city/county level. Just because it sounds ridiculous doesn't mean it isn't codified into law somewhere.
Does this regulation on a CCW permit really somehow protect banks from armed robberies carried out with stolen or unregistered firearms?
No. You will save yourself a lot of frustration if you quit trying to apply logic and reason to what is written into law. Doubly-so when the subject has anything to do with firearms and laws that are enacted against the law abiding in hopes of containing those intent on breaking the law either way.
The best solution (Score:2)
Get a Trunk Monkey..
http://youtu.be/geynA-JYDHE
Strong Box (Score:3)
Use a Diaper Bag (Score:5, Funny)
It's an old photographer's trick to keep gear in a diaper bag. Nobody wants to go near that (literal) shit.
my solution (Score:4, Interesting)
Nothing (Score:2, Insightful)
Make sure it is covered by auto/home-owner/renter insurance and back-up regularly.
Missing details (Score:5, Funny)
rstory, as the submitter of this question, you neglected to provide a link to yourself and your /. profile [slashdot.org] doesn't seem very informative.
Can you please give us a few details. Particularly, oh I dunno, maybe some info on where you like to park your car? Thanks!!
P.S. FYI, you can post stories as ac.
Before you get in the car (Score:5, Insightful)
If I'm going around with my laptop, I put it in the inconspicuous place in my car *before* I get in my car. Not after I've stopped and everyone nearby can see that I'm hiding something valuable.
NRA sticker on your back window (Score:3)
Not that I like the NRA but a GOA sticker doesn't have the same brand recognition.
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Put it right next to the Fraternal Order of Police sticker?
Apparently you are unaware that thieves are doing smash and grabs on police cars specifically to steal guns, uniforms, body armor, and radios.
Suppose a robber decides to take you up on your implied offer of violence? He has seen your stickers and decided he is ready for a lethal force encounter. Are you prepared to take him on?
Bait Car (Score:4, Funny)
Police department IT guy here. We've got a couple of "bait cars" rigged with a computer system and a private network 3G aircard for comms. Onboard are hidden cameras, mics and video recording system, remote controlled door closers and locks, remote control windows, GPS tracking, remote engine shutoff and brakes, all sorts of fun stuff. They're not only used to catch car thieves, but also we'll leave stuff laying in the back seat of floor to catch car burglars too. Lots of hilarity ensues on the videos we record inside these cars. Especially when a subject hops into the back seat and tries to grab a backpack that the strap is tied under the front seat rails so you can't grab it and run, and all of a sudden the door slams shut, the window rolls up and they can't get out of the car. By the time they try kicking out the window, a couple carloads full of uniforms arrive to greet them.
Personalize it (Score:4, Informative)
It is a lot harder to sell a laptop covered in stickers and scratches than it is to sell a laptop that is in mint condition.
It might not look professional, but that is kinda the point.
Is this a tech question? (Score:2)
This seems like a strange question. It seems like the best policy is to assume there's nothing special about your laptop or any other tech gear and just treat it as if it was a woman's purse. What do you do to keep anything from being stolen?
The bottom line is that most petty crimes are crimes of opportunity. "I was just standing there watching videos on my iPhone, not paying any attention to my surroundings, and a guy ran up and grabbed it out of my hand. Can you believe it? What's this country coming to?"
3 ways (Score:3)
1. Eliminate risk: Don't leave anything in the car or leave your vicious dog in there...
2. Mitigate risk: Encrypt drives, backup often, insure financial loss
3. Security theater: Put everything in the trunk or leave it under the seat
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4. Security by Obscurity: Put things where smash-and-grab thief won't think to look (such as with the spare tire in the trunk)
5. Security by Poverty: Don't own anything worth stealing and drive a junky car that probably won't have anything of worth inside anyway
6. Security by Deception: Put leave a case with a Compaq logo on it in a very visible spot, leave your car unlocked. Keep you laptop under the seat.
Remember... (Score:5, Interesting)
Most thieves are opportunists, and unless they've been watching you and really, really, REALLY want what you've got, then simply locking the car securely is your best bet.
The other night, I was walking home (about 11:30pm, through East London), and there was a guy walking toward me. He was testing the door handles of each car he passed, until finally one opened. He took the stuff out that he found, throwing some of it away and pocketing whatever else it was he got.
I stood staring at him as he did this, quite incredulous that he would do this right in front of me, and he just looked at me and said, "Well, should've locked their car, shouldn't they?" and walked off, carrying on.
I didn't do anything because this was a very tall bloke, and was probably carrying a knife. I didn't call the police either, since, this being East London, he was no doubt part of a gang and knowing my luck I'd walk into him the following week.
So, lock your car and don't keep anything of value on show. Thieves won't smash EVERY car they come to - only the ones they know they can get stuff out of.
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My car got "broken" in to in my driveway a couple of weeks ago. I feel foolish because I don't normally leave my car unlocked but likely happened in just the way you suggest.
They got everything of "value" alright! They missed my 300$ Eureka tent and my raybans and a few other goodies I could have fenced in less than 20 mins. As far as I can tell they took nothing just rifled through my car looking for an ipod or something. LOL. Suburbanites one mortgage payment away from robbing the local branch I su
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Most thieves are opportunists, and unless they've been watching you and really, really, REALLY want what you've got, then simply locking the car securely is your best bet.
It depends where you are. For instance, where I live locking your car is probably fine. Where my sister lives, if it looks like you have something worth stealing in your car the difference between a locked car and an unlocked car is whether you also have a smashed window.
Re:Remember... (Score:5, Insightful)
I didn't do anything because this was a very tall bloke, and was probably carrying a knife. I didn't call the police either, since, this being East London, he was no doubt part of a gang and knowing my luck I'd walk into him the following week.
I'm admittedly unfamiliar with London and it's culture but this irks the hell out of me. Maybe it's just the way of life there but here's a relevant movie quote:
"And I am reminded, on this holy day, of the sad story of Kitty Genovese. As you all may remember, a long time ago, almost thirty years ago, this poor soul cried out for help time and time again, but no person answered her calls. Though many saw, no one so much as called the police. They all just watched as Kitty was being stabbed to death in broad daylight. They watched as her assailant walked away. Now, we must all fear evil men. But there is another kind of evil which we must fear most, and that is the indifference of good men."
Creative booby traps (Score:3)
Come on Slashdot, I expected the comments to be full of ingenious booby trap ideas. I like "metal laptop wired to battery," but how about some other ideas? The main problem I've run into is that any booby traps also need to be safe for the driver and passengers in the event of a crash -- this rules out explosives, cyanide gas, and acid. Here's five to start us off:
1) Use some conductive glass to rig a circuit that will fill your whole car with spray foam insulation when a window is broken.
2) Put a really obvious fake laptop next to a rolled-down window. Sharpen that window to a razor-sharp edge. Rig a laser detection circuit so that if anything passes through the window opening, it will roll up quickly and sever the offender's hand. Make sure that this is disabled automatically when friendlies are in the vehicle.
3) Rig a circuit to spray pepper spray out of any windows that are shattered.
4) Hide a GPS tracking device in all of your valuables which will automatically alert you if they start moving when they should be still. Carry a long-range, scoped rifle and sit near the window.
5) Give your car a robust air-tight seal. Each time your car is parked, pressurize the inside so that if anyone breaks a window, the bits of glass will fly out into their face, disabling them and hopefully knocking them back several feet into oncoming traffic.
Any other ideas?
Back up your data and lock your car (Score:3)
Back up your data so if your laptop does get stolen it's an inconvenience rather than irreplaceable loss.
Make sure you always lock your car, so many people "jump out for just two minutes to buy something from a shop" and come back to find their car has been emptied. Always lock your car. This will put off opportunistic thieves who are looking for a quick easy target. How many of the break -ins were on unlocked rather than locked cars? If somebody has to break into your car, they might leave evidence, which means at least you might be able to claim on insurance.
Thieves aren't going to sit in your car and try and open locked bags, they will just walk off with them and open them at their leisure elsewhere. So wire mesh laptop bags? these seem like a waste of time for this situation, unless you are also D-locking your bag to a steel mounting point in your car. Easy enough for thieves to get some wire cutters when they've got your bag back at their house and take their time opening it up.
Mark your laptop so it can be traced.
Re: (Score:3)
Back up and encrypt your data. Then losing your laptop is just a monetary loss.
To save the annoyance and cost of broken glass and a laptop, I always keep it in an inconspicuous (somewhat old and worn) non-laptop-looking backpack, and throw it in the trunk so it's completely out of sight. I don't leave other expensive stuff laying out in the open either... A big cup of change is just asking for it.
The idea of the wire mesh bags is the cable lock prevents them from being easily carried away, and the mesh p
Prevent, but Insure (Score:4, Insightful)
Backups. Your laptop likely has data you can't live without. Backup your entire user folder, and any data outside of it. Remember how you had to keep reburning that mix CD you loved before you got your mp3 player? Don't be cheap, use external drives.
Finally, Insurance. I'm still pricing mine out, but make sure that whatever you get covers theft wherever you are. PPA.com (for those based in the US) is an option I'm looking at as a photographer. It's a trade association that includes insurance in your dues, and covers a variety of situations that may not be covered by a regular policy. Also seems to offer quite a few resources for photographers (I am not yet a member).
Prevent by keeping it out of sight, but insure with backups and an insurance policy.
Garbage is unappetizing. (Score:4, Informative)
I drive a Jeep Wrangler, which is as secure as a tent. Basically, it IS a tent.
So the passenger's side floor is pretty much always full of Dunkin Donuts trash. I slide my laptop bag under it all, throw a few empty coffee cups on top, and noone's going to think there's anything interesting to steal.
Out-of-sight, out-of-mind works very well.
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
It's all a cat and mouse game, but .... (Score:4, Informative)
having been the victim of a smash and grab myself (stole my GPS unit when I parked in a small public lot and went into a Qdoba Grill for about 5 minutes to pick up a meal to go), I'd say one of the best things you can do is make it appear there's absolutely nothing in your car or truck.
Most smash and grab thieves are looking through the windows of the vehicles they pass by for *anything* they think they might want to take and get a few dollars from. Spare coins sitting in an ashtray that's opened partially? Yep, enough reason to smash and grab! (They did it to my younger brother *3* times, stealing a total of about 79 cents, when he parked in his college's lot! If they even see a few pennies, they think maybe there's more than that in the tray they aren't seeing, and money's money.)
So as other people said, keep things in your trunk or even in the glove-box or center console, or under the seat if that's doable ... anything to keep stuff from being on display through your windows. Very few of these people would bother smashing your window just to take a guess that maybe you have something good in your glovebox or under a seat. They'd rather walk on to the next car or truck where they can see something definite inside.)
The exception to that rule is when someone watched you put something of value away in your vehicle. Years ago, I worked for a company that just purchased a new, high-end laptop for one of their salesmen. The day after I configured it for him and issued it to him, he went someplace to take a client to dinner and put the laptop, in its carrying bag, in the trunk of his car. Someone saw it, and when he got back, he found they had taken a crowbar to his trunk and pried it open to steal the machine. That's a different type of thief though, really.
Of course, people keep saying "Don't ever LEAVE anything in your car! Take it with you!" .... but I know this isn't always practical or realistic. Sometimes, you put an item at more risk taking it with you than leaving it in the vehicle -- or you really don't have a good place to put the thing if you take it with you. In the summer, I've had times I didn't even have any pockets in the clothes I happened to be wearing, so just taking my car keys with me was enough of a hassle. That's why I'd go with the idea of just ensuring the stuff is concealed outside of plain view, and try to do so in an inconspicuous manner, just in case someone IS watching you.
If, say, your only item(s) of value are locked in the trunk already, you might even want to just leave the windows rolled down or the car unlocked? I know a few people who do this regularly in high crime parts of town they live or work in, because all in all, replacing the broken window glass is more of a costly problem/risk than anything else. If the thief doesn't have your keys, they're not likely to steal the car itself unless they're enough of an expert that they were going to do it regardless of the doors being locked or windows being rolled up.
Don't leave stuff in the car. (Score:3)
Seriously, all those great ideas about hiding places you've had? Like under the driver's seat or in the spare wheel well?
You're not the first person to have those great ideas. In fact, you're probably about the 4,000,000th.
Act badass (Score:4, Interesting)
My solution is simple: I'm 5'11 and 330 lbs, and I look like a rocker/biker. I leave my laptop at the bar while I go take a piss, and sure enough, it's still there when I get back to my beer. If someone has the steel balls to grab it, I'll track them down via GPS/WiFi, apply various blunt objects to their vital organs, and burn their house down... with the lemons!
Or you could just carry your laptop with you. That's what them fancy $20 tote bags with the straps and handles are for.
When I was more of a road warrior (read: when I still had a valid driver's license), I bolted a steel cage under my seat, where I could slide in the laptop and lock it under key. Aside from keeping it out of sight, it also meant people who knew where to look would still have to break into the car without setting off the alarm, remove the seat and unbolt the cage from the floor. Or whip out the plasma cutter :P Even if I forgot to lock my door, that would slow them down enough that they'll either get caught, or move on to another target.
I did catch a thief once, he was clawing at it with a wrench, so I took his wrench and beat him with it. That was the last time anyone ever tried to steal my shit.
Desperately seeking badass (Score:3)
I'm 5'10" and built like a slim gymnast who has let himself go. I weigh 220 lbs but sometimes I bloat a bit and my love handles need more love.
I like long walks on the beach and jogging -- well, when you do it of course. I'll just enjoy a lemon spritzer and a steamed towel.
What are the chances of getting you to chase me if I steal your mouse? How angry will you be -- because I plan to be naughty. /// OK, just kidding -- I couldn't help it because it sounded like you were filling out a personals column and G
Re: (Score:2)
That's an excellent idea, but make sure your equipment is actually worth more than a wrecker call! Those can be a few hundred bucks nowadays.
People often leave their spare on TOP of the spare compartment, so you could do that too. Have a sloppy trunk and it won't look interesting.
Re: (Score:3)
seriously? Have you never ridden down the street forced to listen to the bass thump from a car 100+ feet away? Or was that you, already prematurely deaf.
Re: (Score:2)
That's a good point, and the spare tire well could easily be fitted with a locking cover plate. A hasp and padlock would do.
Cover with carpet, leave spare tire on top.
Re:Some ideas (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
Agreed. I don't even lock my "crack" car.
It also helps to live in a small town, where everyone knows your name. And if Bob down the street suddenly gets a Macbook Air the same week mine goes missing, then the whole town knows who did what.
Re: (Score:3)
Here in Texas we recommend closing the convertible roof as a deterrent. Some also resort to locking the doors and taking the keys, but that makes it hard to leave the AC on to keep the car cool.
Re: (Score:3)
Auto insurance does not cover valuables stolen from a vehicle. That is supposed to be covered by home/property insurance.
Funny thing is, however, at least in my experience, that property insurance doesn't usually cover valuables stolen in a vehicle either, unless the vehicle was parked on your own property at the time... and to actually get valuables insurance for stuff that could be stolen from the car, you need to pay much higher premiums.
Re:My take (Score:5, Funny)
Go too Goodwill, grab a ratty looking Barney the Dinosaur. Cut a hole and insert.
Wait, are we still talking about theft?