I am sure most of our readers have been the victims of theft, whether it was auto, home, or at their places of business. If you haven't been a victim, then more power to you, but I am sure you know others who have been victims. Well, today I, too, am once again a victim. When I woke up this morning, I turned on my blackberry and received an email that said our '99 Ford F-150, a company-owned truck, was broken into the previous night. The window had been broken and the head unit was stolen. The truck was parked in our open-air parking garage, somewhat hidden away from the general driving public, but still under a parking garage light. So, it took a rather brazen thief to actually break the window-although the alarm hadn't worked in years-pull the dash apart, then rip the head unit out, and do it all without being seen.
All I can say to the petty thief who took the extremely old Alpine head unit is: Enjoy it, you worthless POS! Obviously, you needed it far worse than I did. Also, good luck with actually getting it to work properly because one set of the pre-amp outputs didn't work and only one side of the speaker system actually worked, so ha, that will be my retribution to you.
While this was not the first time a vehicle of mine had been broken into, the sting was no less numbed. It seems that every time this has happened in the past, it always takes several days for the feeling of someone other than myself or a friend had been inside the vehicle. Anyone who has had this happen to them can attest to the same feelings. Anyway, what do you or I do about it?
The reality is nothing, really. If someone wants whatever you have bad enough, they will find a way to get it. It is simply a matter of time before you, too, are a victim of theft. All I can say is, protect yourself and your belongings as best you can. Park in well-lit spots such as I did, although hopefully the same fate will not meet you as it did me. Car alarms with a paging device, which are available from a variety of alarm manufacturers, can be a deterrent to some thieves. A crudely fashioned kill switch may work, but only if the thief is actually stealing the entire vehicle. Or, if your aftermarket head unit has a detachable faceplate, remove it and take it with you. Do not simply remove it and place it in the center console like most of us have in the past. With a little luck and not living in a large city, your time may pass where you can avoid becoming a victim. Good luck.