[Kat]

Car alarm at trailhead - can run your battery down and you come back to a dead car. I saw this at a lonely trailhead, the car was broken into and the alarm was still sort of dinging... faintly... the car had really been trashed, too - broken window, speakers ripped out, doors still open etc.. Also ran into hikers waiting with their car at Dingford for a tow, the thieves had popped their hood and cut their battery cable? I think it was, to shut the alarm off but also disabling their car. (Obviously deliberately vindictive) Finally, on the subject of trash deterrent, the best one I ever saw was also at Dingford. Old grungy car was full, and I mean full, front and back seats, of old trash like Mcdonald's wrappers etc, glovebox was open and full of trash, and all 4 windows were rolled down

[Malachai Constant]

[ranger rock]

My car alarm turns off on its own after a while, so it does not run the battery dead. Someone does not need to be around for an alarm to work. Just hearing the alarm can be enough to frighten off a thief. It sure works well in front of my house where we have frequent vehicle break ins. I've never had a problem at a trailhead. There is no way for me to lock my car with out arming the built in alarm anyway.

[Brucester]

What's the root of this problem? People not knowing better. What about talking? Talk to coworkers, friends, at church, at school, at a class at REI, soccer moms or newbies. Speak up and be heard. Leave nothing, but take your friends.

[Bedivere]

[Ringangleclaw]

[I'm Pysht]

[tigermn]

Or one of these...

For_Your_Eyes_Only_-_The_Lotus_explodes

[Brucester]

Do vehicles with tinted windows get broken into more often? Wagon rear cargo covers, good or bad?

[Bernardo]

[Randito]

Locking your car is a bit like locking up your bike. Smart thieves can defeat any bike lock or any car security system. Punk thieves can do a smash and grab to steal easy pickings from cars. More sophisticated thrives may smash and steal garage door openers + home address info from registration and steal items from your residence. Leaving the car empty, leaving the garage opener at home and obscuring address info on the registration will make smash and grab thievery less profitable and are all reasonable steps. Comprehensive insurance for the car and renters/homeowners insurance will replace stuff that thieves may occasionally steal. I keep the most important stuff in a safety deposit box where it is safe from thieves and fire.

[lostintheforest]

[wolffie]

Door lock and trunk lock puched-out on my very old car. I lost a useless gymn bang that had sentimental gift value, and the very expensive repair job. I always have 2 sets of keys, 1 tied inside my pack; a companion carries the other. I have a nifty way of disabling the engine. Heard a car alarm on the summit of Hidden Lake Peak once... and all the way down... only time I've been tempted to break into a car and steal the battery.

[H. Hound]

Depends. The POS Outback, yes. No good reason, just habit. The low rider, why bother. The Low Rider

[Blue Dome]

I lock up car, leave empty glove box open, leave empty center console open, and leave only a change of clothes in car out of sight. Nothing visible in car to remove -- not even a scrap piece of paper. I've carried my car registration tightly folded up to the size of a credit card in my wallet for about ten years, which works just fine.