From: hhtra@usho21.hou281.chevron.com (T.M.Haddock)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.car
Subject: Re: help: how to replace $600 stolen radio ?
Keywords: insurance value $600, suggestions ?
Date: 2 Oct 92 16:50:52 GMT
Organization: Chevron

In article <1992Oct1.182730@is.morgan.com>, sergei@is.morgan.com (Sergei Poliakoff) writes:
|> |>  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

  Yeah, okay, Sergei.

  Bad neighborhood, bad situation.  Ya got my sympathies.  :(

  If it's really that bad, again, why bother replacing the radio.

  Just get a good portable and use the leftover $300 to party on.


  TRAVIS