Tips to Avoid Car Thefts During the Holidays
EINSURANCE.comTMThanksgiving’s over. Let the holiday shopping begin! But take care. Nothing says Bah Humbug like finding that your car and all the Christmas gifts in it were stolen while you were sipping an Egg Nog latte at the mall. For you, ‘tis the season to be jolly. But for thieves, ‘tis the season to rip people off. Follow these tips and you won’t be their next victim. You won’t need to spend your holiday cheer time dealing with car and property insurance claims, either.
The bad guys count on you being rushed, preoccupied and otherwise distracted. But keep in mind that thieves are not over-achievers. They don’t want a challenge. They’re looking for an easy mark. Don’t be one.
Easy marks do stupid, thoughtless things because their minds are elsewhere. The easiest marks leave their keys in the car, while it’s running. So turn off the ignition and take your keys whenever you leave your car, even if it’s for a couple seconds. Plenty of cars are stolen from home driveways while the driver is unloading packages. And plenty of cars are stolen from gas stations while the driver goes inside to pay.
Easy marks don’t lock their cars. They leave valuables in plain sight. To a thief, that’s like shouting, “Hey, dude, look over here. Lots of expensive gear in this car.” Always lock your car and engage whatever alarm system you have. Put valuables and packages in the trunk. If you don’t have a trunk, keep an old blanket in your car that you can use to conceal packages. Thieves are less likely to bother breaking into a car on the chance they’ll find something good hiding under that blanket. They’ll look for a sure thing.
Lock all your doors and keep windows rolled up while you’re driving. Stow your purse, laptop or brief case on the floor. Lots of thieves open doors or reach through windows to grab valuable while cars are stopped at traffic lights. Don’t be that person.
Pay the extra few bucks to park in a secure, well-lit parking lot, preferably one with a real live human attendant. If you have to leave your keys, only leave the ignition key. It’s too easy to have house keys duplicated and to learn your address from the auto registration in your glove box. While you’re shopping, taking in a movie or enjoying a leisurely meal, a thief could be burglarizing your home. And that would be a very big BAH HUMBUG.
