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Today during broad daylight 3 thieves tried to steal my car luckily I was in and scared them off. Really big problem in the UK. Not sure if the same is the case in the US?
mate , sorry to see the clowns at it in broad daylight. there simply isn't much one can do if they can't be identified . those guys were well covered up too. Google was nice enough to alert me to a similar post on the m3 forum earlier this evening.
in that forum it was mentioned that the main fob was disabled. worth also checking the spare key is disabled with a double press of the lock button. I also take the keyless entry button out. I'm now so used to driving without the start button that I don't miss it in the slightest. some people talk about the thieves being able to clone the key through the port but I personally think a degree of sophistication is required to do that.
when I was about to pick my new car up , for some reason my insurance company insisted on me getting a cat 5 or 6 tracker. was going to get a cat 5 but the installer talked me out of it as only the police have the ability to immobilize it when moving based on the cobra tracker I had installed . Worse , once they've ragged it , it might have a fair amount of damage. so, cat 6 it was but I'd rather prevent a theft if possible
since then I pondered various other technologies such as having both my driveway entrances fitted with retractable bollards , either manual or automatic, a better car alarm and in the end I went with an autowatch ghost. There's another company called pandora security which seems impressive too if you can't ve bothered with a ghost but want an aftermarket system nonetheless.
The ghost gives me peace of mind but I may have to start shutting my front gates as a further deterrent . we recently had a spate of breakins in our very quiet neighborhood and loads of folks had their stuff looted from their garages. Luckily no cars were nicked but that could be next.
Today during broad daylight 3 thieves tried to steal my car luckily I was in and scared them off. Really big problem in the UK. Not sure if the same is the case in the US?
Not as much a problem in my state. We can shoot burglars if they break into vehicles on personal property via Castle Doctrine: "He reasonably believes using the force is immediately necessary to prevent arson, burglary, or robbery and he reasonably believes that the land or property cannot be protected or recovered by any other means." Pretty good way to deter theft.
Not as much a problem in my state. We can shoot burglars if they break into vehicles on personal property via Castle Doctrine: "He reasonably believes using the force is immediately necessary to prevent arson, burglary, or robbery and he reasonably believes that the land or property cannot be protected or recovered by any other means." Pretty good way to deter theft.
I'm assuming from your name that you are from Houston. I know over the last few months this there have been several cars stolen up on the NW side of town using this keyless scanner.
I have family that lives in the Champions area, and sometime within the last month both a Mercedes and BMW were stolen out of someone's driveway. I haven't personally seen the video, but it supposedly shows a group of people doing exactly this.
Also, you almost got me in trouble. I have history with a girl named Amy and when that whatsapp popped up my girl was like “What is Amy doing texting you?!” My heart literally stopped. Haha.
I'm assuming from your name that you are from Houston. I know over the last few months this there have been several cars stolen up on the NW side of town using this keyless scanner.
I have family that lives in the Champions area, and sometime within the last month both a Mercedes and BMW were stolen out of someone's driveway. I haven't personally seen the video, but it supposedly shows a group of people doing exactly this.
Like most cities, just depends on your location. In my area, thieves break into cars parked on the street, but my parking is gated and we have an off duty officer on location every night. We also have security cameras, flood lighting, and most of us have dash cams. Haven’t seen a single break-in for many months.
When you are parked on the street, Castle Doctrine not apply, as your vehicle is not parked on your property.
Last edited by HTXgearhead; Sep 4, 2018 at 12:04 PM.
Today during broad daylight 3 thieves tried to steal my car luckily I was in and scared them off. Really big problem in the UK. Not sure if the same is the case in the US?
Glad you are safe though. A member in the UK on another forum had himself and his family threatened,
and had to hand over the keys through the letter box.
Like most cities, just depends on your location. In my area, thieves break into cars parked on the street, but my parking is gated and we have an off duty officer on location every night. We also have security cameras, flood lighting, and most of us have dash cams. Haven’t seen a single break-in for many months.
When you are parked on the street, Castle Doctrine not apply, as your vehicle is not parked on your property.
People said the same thing about the area my family lives in, that people only break into cars on the street and that the state laws protect them when on their own property. And then cars started being stolen out of driveways with cameras using the technique described above. Things change and change quickly. Even if you're on the opposite side of town from this, you're still only a short drive away.
The vast majority of car thieves (those looking to take the car, not those looking to steal belongings inside the car) don't know what the Castle Doctrine says, and even if they did they wouldn't care. They'll try to take your car regardless.
Glad you are safe though. A member in the UK on another forum had himself and his family threatened,
and had to hand over the keys through the letter box.
In the U.S. they might likely see the barrel of a pistol sticking through the letter box. The last thing they would see before being blown away.
Ex-pat who relocated to the US just over 5 years ago. AMG owner for a year now.
I have to say that car theft is not nearly as bad here as it is in the UK! Ok, so its not a fair or straight comparison and managed to not have a car stolen in the UK, but had multiple broken into. Eventually got priced out of something as reasonable as a Golf GTI due to huge insurance costs (not crashing). Did manage to get back into faster cars again and even with a locked garage, still struggled with insurance even though we lived in a quiet and sleepy provincial town. Too many people I know had their semi-exotic cars stolen though. Everything from Golf R's to RS4's are the target. Even my wife's ex-boss lost his X5 TWICE!!!
Theft from cars is a problem here in the US, but thankfully its pretty rare. Leave your valuables open in a large car park and it could go. Most destinations (malls, central city areas etc) tend to have security and patrols, but it can happen. Theft of cars is rare though. Yes, drive an older Honda Accord (was the most stolen car in the US) and it will go due to crappy locks and a simple to hot-wire ignition system. But anything else is pretty unusual to be stolen. The idea of theft by burglary here is almost unheard of. It does happen and I did see a video of some Lambo getting stolen this way in LA. But the punishment for breaking and entering and then stealing a car is very harsh compared to the UK, so its either got to be something well worth it or you are an hardened criminal. Opportunistic theft doesnt happen. Yes, live in a downtown area on the wrong side of the tracks and its not great. But I would argue that its no way as bad as the UK.
I was paranoid about my AMG to start with (famous last words, I know), but I dont really fear it getting stolen. I have a blocking case for the key and I never leave it lying around. But so far I havent had any attention and no issues. Ok, I live in a quiet part of California, but I dont see it as a problem and I am much more confident about using it than I would ever have had in the UK. Oh and insurance is waaay cheaper here too! Quick pricing things up shows that I pay about 1/2 of what I would have done in the UK, and I dont cut back on my policy here. I have it pretty much loaded up on comprehensive cover, medical coverage etc.
Glad to see that they didnt get away with it and all is good. Been burgled in the past and its a terrible experience - glad you havent had anything stolen. Unnerving though.
People said the same thing about the area my family lives in, that people only break into cars on the street and that the state laws protect them when on their own property. And then cars started being stolen out of driveways with cameras using the technique described above. Things change and change quickly. Even if you're on the opposite side of town from this, you're still only a short drive away.
The vast majority of car thieves (those looking to take the car, not those looking to steal belongings inside the car) don't know what the Castle Doctrine says, and even if they did they wouldn't care. They'll try to take your car regardless.
I'm in Pearland just south of Houston. We take theft of our cars seriously here. It's like stealing a cowboy's horse. We shoot people like that here...
Glad you are safe though. A member in the UK on another forum had himself and his family threatened,
and had to hand over the keys through the letter box.
Good luck doing that here! Get the wrong state, house or person and that will not end well!
I am no big gun fan or anything, but I do respect the rights that Americans have. And while it comes with a lot of responsibility, this type of thing is really going to be common here. Anyone taking a weapon to commit a crime is massively escalating the response that will occur; be it the homeowner, person or law enforcement!
Yeah, this kind of theft has become rampant in Europe, and Mercedes and others have finally taken steps to eliminate this attack vector. The new key fobs for 2019+ stop sending out a signal after 2 minutes if they don't sense any motion, so if you leave your key by the front door etc., thieves like these can try scanning for a signal all they want.
Good luck doing that here! Get the wrong state, house or person and that will not end well!
I am no big gun fan or anything, but I do respect the rights that Americans have. And while it comes with a lot of responsibility, this type of thing is really going to be common here. Anyone taking a weapon to commit a crime is massively escalating the response that will occur; be it the homeowner, person or law enforcement!
I hear you. I do. I'm not a fan of guns either. Eight years served in the military with four long years deployed and 100% VA disabled due to my service time. I know weapons and what they are capable of doing. But, in Texas we have laws on the books THAT ARE UPHELD. They allow the right to defend one's self, family and property. That sir, is the law here. Would I pull the trigger if I saw someone attempting to steal either of my vehicles? The answer is initially, no. I would not. I would hold them for the police to show up and then press charges. If they pulled a weapon on me or mine during the commission of that crime would I pull the trigger? Absolutely I would. No hesitation on my part. Would I feel guilty? Nope. My simpathies would go out to the family members for having to use deadly force to defend myself.
I know it might sound cold and probably is for some people. I can only speak for myself. I've worked too damned hard for what I have. Someone wants what I have, let them get a f'g job, work for it and earn it like I did.
2017 Mercedes-Benz AMG C63 Cabriolet, 2014 Ducati Multistrada 1200 S
Glad those scumbags didn’t get your car.
Kind of off topic but I’m into collecting and shooting cowboy guns. I picked up this master engraved Colt Single Action Army a few weeks ago. I will not shoot this one though. I have other guns for shooting. This is true to the original design of 150 years ago, black powder frame and color case-hardened. I’d like to pick up a nice 1st generation Colt at some point. A local shop actually has a gun that is lettered as having been issued to the 7th Cavalry, it isn’t for sale though.
As a defense against high tech, my second line of defense is low tech with a steering wheel lock. Most high tech thieves will not have the patience and risk the extra time for this. They want a quick target, not one that has unexpected difficulties to defeat.
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