From: sergei@is.morgan.com (Sergei Poliakoff)
Subject: Re: help: how to replace $600 stolen radio ?
Keywords: insurance value $600, suggestions ?
Organization: Morgan Stanley - IS
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 22:27:30 GMT

|>  But, I recommend only $320 on the deck and $300 on a alarm! 

Alarms are useless around here. Nobody pays ANY attention to them, least
of all the thief. I would even hesitate to call them thiefs, since
lots of them do their job in a broad daylight in  full view
of passers-by, without any concealment. You don't see too many car
thieves in a classical sense here, mostly homeless /drug addicts
hunting for anything and not paying attention to the hazards of the
trade, including police.  In particular , they are not much interested
in radios : these are too difficult to extract.

|>  If not, the REAL question is:   WHY BOTHER!
|>  If ya leave your windows down, doors unlocked, and don't take preventive
|>  measures, you should just buy a BOOM BOX/GHETTO BLASTER!  That way you 
|>  If you replace that unit, and don't change your habits, he'll be back to
|>  get the new one too!
|>  Sheesh, sorry to flame on but ...

I knew some people wouldn't understand the predicament : doors, locks,
and windows are not deterrents in this city.  I had a window knocked
out on average every month until I stopped locking the doors.
I had windows knocked out when all the doors were unlocked. 
I had a window knocked out when all the doors were unlocked and
window on the other side was still missing from a previous break in :
whoever did it didn't bother to check, without looking  blew the window  ,
JUST LIKE THAT. This isn't pointless vandalism : they steal stuff,
like a pack of gum, or an audio cassete, or a cigarette lighter.
Never touched the radio , at least in my case : to much work.

Trunk locks do not survive a single night.  They are not picked, however :
why bother ? just stick a heavy-duty screwdriver in  and rip the thing out.

This all happens in a better part of town, BTW. 


|> |> On the third night, he succeded. Sounds weird, but what can you do ?)
|>  On the third night, I'd been there with my 12 ga!

I can't sit the whole night on a city street with an illegal firearm
waiting for a perpetrator.   Besides, any forcefull action against
these characters causes the uproar of concerned public; you generally
risking the "Bonfire of the Vanities" type of scenario.   

|>  Say ya'll didn't tell that little story to the insurance company did ya?
|>  They've got this thing called CONTRIBUTORY NEGLEGENCE.  If ya had, you
|>  probably wouldn't have gotten a dime!

In fact, I would think that insurance company would be sympathetic
in these circumstances : it saves the money for the windows to be
paid on TOP of other damage. 
Numerically, since I stopped locking the car, I'm doing much better
then people who do lock it in terms of damage and claims : these
is the first claim in 2 years , although the car is being "checked" by
thieves quite regularly: see, there is NOTHING to steal from it
anymore. There are already signs on some cars advertising the fact
that the doors are not locked : incidentally, signs are bilingual, in 
English and Spanish.
Most of the cars here can't be locked
anyway : they have no operational locks, if any.

and yes, I almost forgot : thanks for the advice !


Sergei

Newsgroups: rec.audio.car