‘Be Cool in your Blue Crusier’
courtesy of ‘Wayan Vota’
Crime is something that everyone in big cities deals with, but there are things you can do to avoid being a victim. One of my friends got her car broken into over the weekend, and the friendly policewoman who responded told her that there were three other break-ins within a couple of blocks of where she lives (Eastern Market) by people looking for one thing: GPSes. These devices are often used to protect your car or increase the value of its insurance, but in this case, the device cannot protect itself from intruders. In addition to this, always keep your car checked through just car checks. There are many different kinds of GPS for different applications as the guide on GeoSettr will tell you. They are certainly a valuable asset.
It’s easy to get lax after living in the city for a while without incident, but don’t forget to take all valuables out of your car– and wipe those suction marks off your windshield! Apparently, that’s one major tip-off that a GPS might be inside. If that strikes you as over the top, just remember: it’s a whole lot less of a hassle than getting your car broken into.
Yes, the policewoman said the circular markings on the window seemed to be a common theme in the break-ins. I didn’t even have my GPS in my car or anything of value, but they broke in because of the markings.
They ended up pulling my super old stereo out of the dashboard because they couldn’t find anything else to take. But it could have been a lot worse had I actually kept anything in my car. And believe me getting a new window and cleaning up glass is a much bigger pain then wiping off a smudge.