high gas price = desire for prius at the five finger discount. High-tech thieves are becoming increasingly savvy when it comes to stealing automobiles equipped with keyless entry and ignition systems. While many computer-based security systems on automobiles require some type of key — mechanical or otherwise — to start the engine, so-called ‘keyless’ setups require only the presence of a key fob to start the engine. rest here http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/05/03/gon...-to-steal-cars/
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(flyboy09 @ May 6 2006, 08:01 PM) [snapback]250944[/snapback]</div> The halcyon days of key less entry may be coming to an end. Heavy sigh. It had to happen.
Anything can be stolen. We in Law Enforcement have a term...Hardening the target. Since the majority of car thefts are crimes of opportunity or for the purpose of joyriding/geeking for drugs...your odds of a sophisticated car beig stolen are very low....but they still exist. Insure your car...lose a car...get a check.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Schmika @ May 6 2006, 08:46 PM) [snapback]250958[/snapback]</div> That is a sad commentary, sad but true. Was there not a story of a car jacking ring that was hiking Prii on flat beds. A car "repair" (reads chop shop) had purchased a number of "totaled" Prii and was stealing Prii for parts to fix them and resell them. I think it was Georgia, or somewhere in the south but not at all sure.
Time to start thinking about that low-tech hidden cutoff switch again, maybe... although there are *numerous* wires such a thing could be inserted into and disable powering up the car, not just one or two ignition wires. It seems to me that in this environment, anything non-standard is likely to fool your average car thief who probably comes at a given target with a very canned procedure -- security through obscurity probably has high merit here. . Except that krazy-gluing down your tires to prevent towing every time you park would be sort of inconvenient. . _H*
How about an inflatable car cover that takes on the exterior shape of a gas-hog SUV? You could drive the Prius inside, zip the cover shut and passing thieves would just walk on by. Or buy a real SUV cheap, gut out the inside and park the Prius inside, kind of a heavy metal garage, or full metal jacket? My Prius does sit outside in the drive way. I would hate to worry more about it than my neighbor's Mercedas and SUV which also sit outside every night. Whoever thought scumbag thieves would steal sensible cars? What's the world coming to!
