Sometimes...despite all you do

Last night I came out of the bookstore and, as I headed for my truck, noticed a car and driver that just didn't seem to fit in. The shopping center contained a book store, a men's clothing shop that sells suits for $3k and up, a nail salon, an art gallery and a planner store. The car was about ten years old with peeling paint, the guy driving was dressed like a thug (wife beater and bling) and he and the car just screamed "We do not belong here" as he drove past. I didn't think any more of it until I got to my truck, noticed the contents of the center console over the front seat and the glove box open.

I immediately assumed it was the guy mentioned above. Whether it was or not is a moot point but some mongrel had been in my car looking for something of value to swipe. I thought he/she must have been after cash as they'd left cds and sun glasses everywhere as well as a suit jacket and a training bag.

Now, readers of my blog know I always stress locking the car even if it's only for seconds so I began to beat myself up. No broken windows must have meant I left the door open inadvertently by not making sure my remote door lock actually engaged.

At this point, figuring nothing was stolen, and no windows etc broken, I put it down to lesson learned and headed for home.

I was about a 1/4 mile down the road when it suddenly hit me. I'd taken my briefcase to a meeting with some investors earlier and hidden it behind my driver's seat...I reached back, and sure enough it was gone.

I returned to the store and went through the motions of checking dumpsters (sometimes they'll ditch the contents), and bushes etc, asking store owners and customers if they'd seen anything and trying to ascertain whether or not any security cameras might have picked the bad guy(s) up.

After a fruitless fifteen minutes I called it in to the non-emergency number and filed my police report which would be necessary for any subsequent insurance claim.

During the call I discovered something frustrating and interesting at the same time. I was telling the officer I must have screwed up and not locked the door and she said "check the lock on the driver's side door hon, it's probably been poked in."

Sure enough to bright new scratches around the key hole and my lock is punched.

Now, I know all about car thieves and their lock punching tricks but, what I did not know, is that on most cars - especially domestics - that trick on the door DOESN'T TRIGGER THE ALARM. The car assumes when the lock turns it must be the owner with the key and disengages it. In other words, despite having an alarm, locking the door and hiding your valuables, the bad guys still might get your stuff.

Afterwards, I answered some voice mails and a good Samaritan called to let me know she found my briefcase about a mile away, broken open and the contents strewn for about a hundred yards down the road. She gathered it all up, found my name and phone number inside (never put your address by the way - reasons why tomorrow) and called to let me know she'd found it.

The morons who'd swiped it were apparently looking for lap tops which, according to the crime incident officer, is the hot ticket item right now. (So be hyper vigilant if you have one). Even more indicative of the fact these clowns had the IQ of a salad bar was that they took a screw driver to the latches which weren't even locked thus destroying the case.

So, lessons learned;

Locking the door and having an alarm may not be enough
Trucks are being hit at a disproportionate rate (apparently the assume there are guns and/or lap tops in trucks)
Domestics are targeted over foreign due to their pathetic alarm/security system
If you have a lap top be hyper vigilant (their are an array of devices for securing them and I may review some of them here some time)
Car insurance doesn't cover contents of the car (unless they're bolted in) Make sure your property such as lap tops, briefcases etc is on your home owner's policy which will cover it in such an event.
Dumb crooks dont' realize that Hartmann briefcases, Mont Blanc pens, and leather planners are actually worth more than your average lap top and/or gun.