Stolen 914 recovered! Options

[SirAndy]

oh man what an emotional rollercoaster ... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif)

my 914 was recovered, i'll post more details as they emerge. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

it appears there's only minor damage, the drivers side door lock was "punched" and the steering column is trashed, but there's no other visual damage to the car. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hands.gif)

the police has a vague discription of the thieves from an eyewitness, but that's about all at this point. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ar15.gif)

apparently the car was dumped on the side of the road in oakland. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif)

i think i need a beer ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif) Andy

[davep]

I wonder what made the car so attractive in the first place?
If it was something like the engine, how would they know it was there?
Maybe they cruise this site looking for opportunities.

[Wes V]

Although it's possible that Andy got the car back due to the thiefs fearing a tracking system, people shouldn't just jump on the Lo-Jack band wagon due to it's having a couple serious "issues"!!!! Both are based on the fact that the actual tracking is done by the police.

The first issue is that you have to go to a police station to file a report before they will do anything. You can't call it in!! If your car is stolen, how do you get to the nearest police station and also there is the question where they are located. That amount of time allows the thief to get that much farther away.

The other issue is that it's up to the police to activate the system and then look for it. Now unless you know a cop (or are one), you may just not be a big priority!! They are under no obligation to jump on it.

Wes

[euro911]

Although it's possible that Andy got the car back due to the thiefs fearing a tracking system, people shouldn't just jump on the Lo-Jack band wagon due to it's having a couple serious "issues"!!!! Both are based on the fact that the actual tracking is done by the police.

The first issue is that you have to go to a police station to file a report before they will do anything. You can't call it in!! If your car is stolen, how do you get to the nearest police station and also there is the question where they are located. That amount of time allows the thief to get that much farther away.

The other issue is that it's up to the police to activate the system and then look for it. Now unless you know a cop (or are one), you may just not be a big priority!! They are under no obligation to jump on it.

Wes

'Someone' posted (elsewhere) the negatives of tracking:

So I happened to call my mobile carrier today to update my plan.
It turns out the guy I was talking to used to install car electronics.
He was was familiar with the idea and said that in theory, the mobile phone in the trunk is a good idea, but it has two flaws:
1) The phone hooked up to the battery will eventually shorten the life of the battery
2) If the would be thief parks the car in a remote area (where there is no phone service) or in an underground garage, the lack of service will effect the recovery.

... and I replied:

Just curious ... besides the criticisms, did your cellphone guy offer any good alternatives or recommendations?


No tracking system is completely fool-proof at the present time. LoJack has the same limitations in regards to coverage area, however, tracking data is stored and can be reviewed for several weeks or longer with most of the systems available. You should be able to retrace the path the thieves took and investigate the 'last known' location.

Many companies are installing antenna systems to extend cell coverage into large footprint office buildings and parking garages, using 'leaky-coax' technologies ... we've installed these at a few of our facilities over the past few years.

As for running down the vehicle's battery, cellphones draw a ridiculously low amount of current in the standby mode. If really concerned about a cellphone running down a car's battery, toss a 200mA solar charger on the dash to keep the drain low (uh, if you're parked outside).

If a tracking system only helps 75% of the time, you're still 75% better off, no? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

Just my :2cents: