Hi. In a few months, I will most likely have to park my car overnight in a semi-shady area. I can do street parking, but there really are no lots or garages.

My plan is to ask/ pay a local business owner if I can park overnight (say 7PM to 7AM) in their lot. I figure that may be safer than random street parking, but who knows.

So, I have a 2009 Fit Sport Auto in BBP. What would you all do to dissuade would-be-thieves? The things I can think of so far are:
-Keep the car dirty
-Keep the car empty
-Put a club on the steering wheel
-Put a sticker of an alarm tracking company (I do have the Honda Alarm)
-Maybe put another set of wheel locks on (I already have 1 set).

Anything else? Anyone in a similar situation (parking overnight in a shady part of town)? Thanks!

 

-Increase your comprehensive insurance coverage (slightly more per year, but lower deductible, whatever you can afford). I too street park. My comp is set at $200 vs. the typical $500. In case anybody breaks into my car, vandalizes, tree falls on it, etc. I'll only be out $200 to get everything fixed. It's unfortunate my collision is $500 and people keep running into me while parallel parking.
-Keep it stock.
-Tint windows.
-Keep the car empty.
-Wheel locks.
-I used to have an Autolock and I preferred that over The Club.
-Keep it dirty? I feel that this is psychologically true. Haters gonna hate. And when they see a freshly detailed car vs. a dirty one, they migh just want to mess with it.

Good luck!

 

Honestly, I think have tinting and alarm sticker are going to ATTRACT thieves.

Those things might make some folks wonder, what's in there, that's worth putting those things on.

Sure, you can leave your car "empty," but a thief can never be sure it is... when you leave your glove compartments and spare tire area (not cargo, the actual space for the spare) covered. And even then... some thieves may think you hid valuable items directly under the seats.

People have had their cars broken into for spare change. Just shows how desperate some thieves are. There's not much to stop one from breaking in "just in case you hid something worth protecting with alarms, etc."

Things like wheel locks (steering wheel and tire wheel) are a different matter... the wheel lock protects the wheel itself. The thief knows EXACTLY what it is, and then decides whether it's worth it.

 

Buy one of these and install it when you park. Thieves will think you have no money to pay your parking tickets so probably nothing of value inside either. And they know if they steal it they are very vunerable to any LEO because your tags would come back with a warrant to tow even if not reported stolen yet. haha

Wheel boot

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NOT a good idea! (in case anyone would actually try this.) In some cities tow companies have city contracts to impound cars...and troll looking for vehicles that have been booted and haul them to their lot. I imagine one could fight the towing and storage fees...but it would be a bigger hassle than replacing a thief's broken out window...

 

1. Rent a German Shepard or Doberman. They work cheap.

2. Get someone one to drop you off and pick you up later.

 

paid garage parking and take a cab wherever you want to go... that should give you more peace of mind.

 

Well I was kinda joking because the cost and inconvenience of the boot but what you said cannot happen. Booted vehicles cannot be towed until the boot is removed. Parking authority calls and coordinates boot removal while towing company is present.

_

 

put a bunch of primer marks and no one will take it

 

Thanks everyone. One of my lug nuts is a wheel lock on each wheel. Do you think I should make it 2? I guess that's cheap.

Unfortunately, there are no garages (or lots) close. I have only looked via the internet (google, bing maps), but will double check in person before I actually need to park there.

My rear windshield and rear windows are already tinted b/c I have a baby (he doesn't ride in the Fit anymore, so that's not an issue, no car seat even). I'll look into the auto lock.

I'm hesitant in lowering my deductible, because I feel like insurance companies will just raise rates to make up for they cash payments out. Who knows.

 

Basically the less attention your car gets, the better. Tinted windows, and a dose of aftermarket exterior parts tells thieves that it probably has expensive pieces inside the car as well. Keep it close to stock.

Does anyone turn their front wheels when they park at the street overnight?

 

Its just a stock Honda Fit.

Just keep it empty of valuables/anything that can be used to trace back to your home address (beyond license plates)/etc.

 

I used to see a car nearby that had a sign on the window that looked pretty effective. It said, "No valuables inside. And you can't take a radio that's already been stolen."

 

The advice to review your insurance coverage is a good one.
You may find it's relatively inexpensive to significantly drop your deductible.

Think over the reason you signed up for it is that you think you're going to use it in the future right? So if you're going to use it, don't get frustrated later when you realize your deductible didn't cover what you wanted it to cover. (This also helps with the with glass damage, including the windshield which tends to crack due to it's geometry)

 

In certain areas, they even add on, "door is unlocked, please don't break my windows."

 

It is just a stock Honda Fit, with the exception of the tinting (I don't have a cargo cover, though).

 

I just don't leave anything inside. I mean anything. No tint, no cargo cover. It's obvious there's nothing worth stealing.

Despite this, I had my back window broken out by some douchbag in Vegas parked at the self-park at the Luxor. The one time I don't use valet nevar again. Nothing stolen though lol

 

Just don't eave anything in it.

You have to worry more about stuff getting stolen out of the car than the car itself.

If the thieves posses the technology to steal a car with a chipped key, its not going to matter where its parked.

 

Collision rates and deductible are different than Comprehensive rates and deductible.

Comprehensive rates which pay for theft and vandalism losses are based on where you normally park you car. Usually this is your home address. This had nothing to do with your driving record.

Mine are so cheap that I run zero deductible comprehensive and 250 deductible collision.

Check with your insurance company.

 

I'll attest to that! Living in the New Orleans metro area, which is known for its high crime rates, I've had cars broken into on more than one occasion. In one case, the thief broke out a $250 window, but only stole a $1 Bic lighter! In all cases, the thieves only stole items that were visible from outside the vehicle; they didn't bother searching for hidden goodies. Uusually, the items stolen were things to big to be hidden away, or things not valuable enough to bother hiding away, or so I thought.

These days, being older and hopefully wiser, I'd (1) park in a well-traveled and well-lit area. Thieves hate an audience. (2) Leave no contents visible from outside the vehicle. A few brave thieves will break into a car and search it while the alarm is blaring, but smash-and-grab thieves won't bother searching; they'll grab whatever caught their eye and then they're gone. (3) Whatever alarm you have, use it every time you park. (4) Make sure there are stickers on your car advertising the alarm system, and make a point of "accidentally" setting off the alarm once it a while to demonstrate you've got it. Most auto burglaries are perpetrated by people who live in or near the neighborhood, not by outsiders.

It's not foolproof. It's not miscreant-proof. But it's doable, and reasonable without dipping into paranoia.