Reminder for all

[LostKiwi]

Hmmm... too much collateral risk!

Unless you could rig it in each car, triggered by unauthorised starts...

I'll get my drawing board out.

Get lockable box with marked 'Keys' and screw to wall in obvious place.
Place dummy keys in box.
Paint dummy keys with agent of choice.
Shut box, lock and throw away key.

Hide real keys somewhere else.....

No risk of collateral damage

 

[LostKiwi]

Shocking Alex! Glad to hear the family are OK, thats the main thing.
Most of these break ins for keys were reported from around the Birmingham area where one member lost his E63 last year and will not get another AMG after his experience.
The Autowatch Ghost can stop the car leaving your driveway should they get the key, but what will the gang do when the car won't start? That is the scary thought.

All thats needed is a simple timer. Allow the car to start and run for 60 seconds. It then cuts out and leaves thieves stranded in the middle of the road. They won't hang about for long in case a passing patrol happens past and the fact its stuck in the middle of the road draws attention.

Another alternative is a remote operated kill switch - possibly using mobile phone style technology.

https://hackaday.com/2011/04/17/ip-based-engine-remote-enable-switch/

 

[Rotorhead500]

Get lockable box with marked 'Keys' and screw to wall in obvious place.
Place dummy keys in box.
Paint dummy keys with agent of choice.
Shut box, lock and throw away key.

Hide real keys somewhere else.....

No risk of collateral damage

Loving your work LK!

All thats needed is a simple timer. Allow the car to start and run for 60 seconds. It then cuts out and leaves thieves stranded in the middle of the road. They won't hang about for long in case a passing patrol happens past and the fact its stuck in the middle of the road draws attention.

Another alternative is a remote operated kill switch - possibly using mobile phone style technology.

https://hackaday.com/2011/04/17/ip-based-engine-remote-enable-switch/

Had exactly that on my Scooby, can't remember the make (one of the big names). Every time you opened the driver's door, you had to enter a combination code; if not entered car gave limited performance for 30 seconds before steadily ramping down, flashing hazards lights, then stopping with all lights and sirens going ape.

 

[daibevan]

Bast@rds, Glad you are both ok.

 

[McDonald]

I'm glad you're both safe. Why four armed men would arrive to steal a couple of cars is something of a mystery. I wonder if they wanted getaway vehicles and you were only the first part of their night's work.

Some years ago my wife had taken my two door BMW 318i to Derbyshire, where she was staying in a cottage. She came out next morning to find the car had gone and they'd left her laundry basket, piled high with washed clothes, ready for ironing. She phoned to tell me and I laughed saying, 'At least the thief had a sense of humour - he probably just wanted to get home and the police will find it next day.'
I told the story to my smarter brother, who said, 'Oh, there were four of them, they lifted the laundry basket out because they needed the seats.'
We learned later that it had been used in three local robberies. They filled the car with bricks and drove it over rough ground to destroy the interior so that forensics were useless. It wrote off a lovely little car.

 

[V6Matty]

Glad to hear your all okay Alex,

 

[ajlsl600]

in kenya we leave a bottle of well laced whiskey in the car .fairly easy to find it a few days later . i wish no one any harm .until they try to harm me or mine !

 

[mioba]

Sorry to hear this.

Most important that you are ok.

It really is sad that people of this notion exist and don't have the will or passion to earn a honest penny.
SAD SHAME ON THEM.
I personally am not sure the false keys are wise. 4 armed thugs with false keys. Imagine thier brainless response.

 

[Jim2]

Hi all

Early this morning, 4 armed people broke into my house with an attempt to steal the cars with the keys.

They gained access through a pvc door within 5 seconds. They set the alarm off which scared them off. Police arrived within 15 minutes and where provided with clear cctv footage from 3 angles.

I believe they did not succeed as the keys where locked away, however it does pose the question. If they where braver, they would have probably attempted to threaten the keys out of us.

Just a reminder, keys out of sight, alarm up to date and set and double lock every night!

Today we are enjoying a day at MB world for our anniversary celebrations, very impressed with my wife's driving of the c63s (very nice)

Glad that your Wife and yourself are unharmed Alex......that was one scary experience. As LK mentions, best thing is a device that allows them to start and drive the car away, but will cause it to stop after 15-20 mins, with lights flashing and horn blaring. Last thing you (or your Wife ) wants is to have these thieves anywhere near you for any length of time. But the bottom line is your health and safety and is the most important thing, cars ( even much loved ones) can be replaced.

 

[barnaclebill15]

Pleased to hear you are both ok, in 2012 we were living in a large rented house in a nice area before our final house move, I was at sea and wife had a broken wrist so was using taxi's. About 7pm two masked men burst in and went for my wife's handbag in which she had her jewelry and a wad of cash, she struggled with them injuring her back and they ran off with the bag which also had the keys to the Z4.
The next door couple parked one of their cars at the bottom of the drive in case they came back for the Z4, the police were very good but never caught anyone, I was in the South China Sea but the company flew me home from Japan as soon as possible.
The wife was sure it was a taxi driver who had helped her in with shopping and saw the wad of money in the bag when she paid him, we ended the lease and moved away from that area.
Wife still has some pain at times but we are much more careful about locking doors as soon as we get in.

 

[gramey]

Firstly I'm glad you're all ok, secondly you may already have these fitted but I presume they didn't smash the glass in the door but used the usual technique of snapping the lock in which case you may want to fit something like this - https://www.euro-secure.com/product-category/doors/cylinders/high-security/
or a Yale or whatever equivalent. It may not stop really determined burglars/thieves but it will make life harder for them and give you time to phone 999.

 

[Rotorhead500]

Is it permissible to rig a Saiga 12 just inside the door gramey?

(Just in case claymores are considered a half step too far!)

 

[m2287]

Firstly I'm glad you're all ok, secondly you may already have these fitted but I presume they didn't smash the glass in the door but used the usual technique of snapping the lock in which case you need to it something like this - https://www.euro-secure.com/product-category/doors/cylinders/high-security/
or a Yale or whatever equivalent. It may not stop really determined burglars/thieves but it will make life harder for them and give you time to phone 999.

I was going to suggest this also, it is scary how easy it is to snap a lock.

 

[silestanix]

Glad you're alright to tell the tale Alex, lock up and keep yourself and family safe bro!

It's getting out of hand now all this car crime... Absolutely mental.

 

[alexanderfoti]

Thanks all. Wife is shaken up. Our anniversary weekend that I had lots of things planned in so that took her mind off things.

Will be beefing up security on the driveway, changing a few things with the alarm and a few other bits.

I agree, the best idea is to slow them down as much as possible. Scary thing was that 999 took 11 minutes to answer the phone!!! After answering they arrived withing 15 minutes but that is a long time, especially at 3:am

 

[daibevan]

11 minutes is appalling.

 

[KennyN]

11 minutes is appalling.

Slightly off topic but my mum waited 7.5 hours on an ambulance a few weeks ago , no option to move her on our own as she was in agony with a knee problem. If we look out of her sitting room window we can actually see the hospital building that she was going to be taken to.

Emergency services in crisis , no way

Kenny.

 

[ZZZZ]

Scary thing was that 999 took 11 minutes to answer the phone!!!

I remember reading somewhere that, calls from mobiles to 112 might get priority over landline to 999, as they perceived as potentially more vulnerable situation.

 

[LostKiwi]

My stepson witnessed a girl being run down by a car last week. The girl had clearly suffered head injuries (nausea, sight faded whilst waiting) and it took 45 minutes to get an ambulance to the scene.

 

[ZZZZ]

That's just awful ...