Theft Deterrent

[kegly8]

Hi all, I'm looking for some advice.

Apart from a tracker do any of you use any other theft deterrent (e.g. a steering wheel lock) when leaving you car in a public car park (e.g. train station)

Thank you!

 

[mspiteri]

Hi all, I'm looking for some advice.

Apart from a tracker do any of you use any other theft deterrent (e.g. a steering wheel lock) when leaving you car in a public car park (e.g. train station)

Thank you!

nothing like that no, but at home I hang the key in one of those radio opaque pouches as I worry about keyless entry hacking.

Mark

 

[kegly8]

Thank you Mark, I do that too at home. I am greatfull for your reply.

Is there a Maltese connection "Spiteri" feel free to PM me

Have a good day.

 

[Schuey]

If I was to leave the car in a public car park in a not particularly nice area, then I would most definitely use a steering lock of some sort as a deterrent.

 

[richardfleming]

perhaps not entirely helpful but I have several friends with nice cars and none of them leave any of them all day in train station public car parks - too much likelihood of keying, flat tyres, and other low level vandalism, if not actually outright theft.

All of them own a POS (piece of S) they use for train car parks - they drive it to the station, travel/commute/whatever - and back home again. if it gets keyed, stolen, window smashed in, then they trade it for not much for another POS with no worries (they pay less for a POS than I do for my insurance so it's an entirely sensible economic proposition).
I am lucky enough to be able to walk to my train station so don't need a POS. Otherwise out shopping/whatever I leave my car in very visible spaces in well lit car parks or I find somewhere else. Yes, it's a bit of a nuisance, but not really that much - and no car for 2 weeks waiting for a keyed door to be fixed is worse.

some places I just don't take a nice car to - you'll know those when you see them - it's just not worth it - for me anyway.

 

[Porschaholic]

perhaps not entirely helpful but I have several friends with nice cars and none of them leave any of them all day in train station public car parks - too much likelihood of keying, flat tyres, and other low level vandalism, if not actually outright theft.

All of them own a POS (piece of S) they use for train car parks - they drive it to the station, travel/commute/whatever - and back home again. if it gets keyed, stolen, window smashed in, then they trade it for not much for another POS with no worries (they pay less for a POS than I do for my insurance so it's an entirely sensible economic proposition).
I am lucky enough to be able to walk to my train station so don't need a POS. Otherwise out shopping/whatever I leave my car in very visible spaces in well lit car parks or I find somewhere else. Yes, it's a bit of a nuisance, but not really that much - and no car for 2 weeks waiting for a keyed door to be fixed is worse.

some places I just don't take a nice car to - you'll know those when you see them - it's just not worth it - for me anyway.

There’s a lot of logic to that approach. A few years ago, I used to have an old 5-Series estate as my ‘POS’, and ended up using it 95% of the time. Ended up wondering if I had lost the plot - thinking, what is the point of having my ‘special’ car just locked away.

 

[Schuey]

perhaps not entirely helpful but I have several friends with nice cars and none of them leave any of them all day in train station public car parks - too much likelihood of keying, flat tyres, and other low level vandalism, if not actually outright theft.

All of them own a POS (piece of S) they use for train car parks - they drive it to the station, travel/commute/whatever - and back home again. if it gets keyed, stolen, window smashed in, then they trade it for not much for another POS with no worries (they pay less for a POS than I do for my insurance so it's an entirely sensible economic proposition).
I am lucky enough to be able to walk to my train station so don't need a POS. Otherwise out shopping/whatever I leave my car in very visible spaces in well lit car parks or I find somewhere else. Yes, it's a bit of a nuisance, but not really that much - and no car for 2 weeks waiting for a keyed door to be fixed is worse.

some places I just don't take a nice car to - you'll know those when you see them - it's just not worth it - for me anyway.

There’s a lot of logic to that approach. A few years ago, I used to have an old 5-Series estate as my ‘POS’, and ended up using it 95% of the time. Ended up wondering if I had lost the plot - thinking, what is the point of having my ‘special’ car just locked away.

My thinking too, we have a 2018 520d Touring M Sport, which to be fair is no 'POS'. But it is my wife's car and the family work horse, and we take it everywhere. Not worried about supermarket car parks or other public car parks.

 

[smithyithy]

I use a StopLock Pro on my steering wheel - it's more a deterrent than anything else and any serious thief could probably snap it off if they were determined, but combined with an alarm I suppose it might buy me a few seconds to chase them off..

Fortunately (in my opinion) I don't have keyless entry on the 987 so the keys are just kept out of sight. To be honest I don't think my car would fall into the highly-desirable category for thieves - I'd be more concerned with something like a Golf R, Audi S3, Fiesta ST, Range Rover - all of those seem to be regularly targeted.

Generally as with other posters, I'm far more concerned about petty vandalism, I don't live in a particularly fancy area and even just leaving the car parked at the shops or supermarket could potentially result in someone targeting it for no reason other than 'just because'...

If I had more space available I could definitely see the benefit of a 'shed' to use as a sacrificial car, there's something even quite enjoyable about driving something you don't particularly car for (cosmetically at least) - every grimace you make when your Porsche clatters a pot hole, or that nervous feeling you get when you lock the car after parking in a not-so-friendly looking area, simply doesn't register when you're driving a shed. I was recently looking semi-seriously at a Dacia Duster for just this purpose - white, unpainted bumpers, horrible steel wheels, ghastly interior that didn't even have a radio! There was something oddly endearing about it, especially for the £1500 asking price!