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dvbl
Guest
Most people probably have seen some or all of these things, but it doesn't hurt to repeat them. Not perfect by any means, nothing is, just a simple list of various things I sometimes do. If nothing else it at least makes me feel like I've done what I can to prevent my car from being broken into at a trailhead. Some of these things are not possible or practical in all cases. Again, it's just a list. Take a few, leave a few.
--Leave glove compartment empty and open.
--Leave center console empty and open.
--Leave front seats and back seats and floors totally bare. A jacket or blanket on the back seat looks like it's hiding something, even if it isn't.
--Don't make it obvious about stashing stuff into your trunk at the trailhead; do that at your last stop before the trailhead.
--Park with the trunk facing the middle of the lot or wherever there is the most "eyeball traffic".
--Upon arriving at the trailhead, walk around the lot and look at the cars and the plates. If you see someone just sitting in a car, make it obvious you're looking at all the cars and the plates. This can be uncomfortable for some people to do. Your call.
--Take a few pictures of the parking lot. Once again, some folks might be squeamish about doing this. Your call.
--If it's a self-pay lot, and you're doing an over-nighter, well that stinks, because now you have a ticket stub on your windshield with the chads punched out (sorry, Mr. Gore) showing what day you'll return to your car. This is when it's nice to have an annual parking pass. Or maybe call the local ranger station and tell them you're parking over-night and you've payed, but you don't want to display your ticket stub because of the break-in reason.
--Place a sign on the front seat of your car with the following phrase: "PLEASE SMILE FOR THE CAMERA."
Criminals, like other lower forms of animal life, are not driven by complex thought patterns. They take when the taking is easy. The goal isn't to stop them, that's pie-in-the-sky dreaming, and will never happen. The goal is to not make it so easy for them. If breaking into cars at Lafayette and other WMNF trailheads stops being profitable, the break-ins will decrease. They'll never stop, but they'll decrease.
--Leave glove compartment empty and open.
--Leave center console empty and open.
--Leave front seats and back seats and floors totally bare. A jacket or blanket on the back seat looks like it's hiding something, even if it isn't.
--Don't make it obvious about stashing stuff into your trunk at the trailhead; do that at your last stop before the trailhead.
--Park with the trunk facing the middle of the lot or wherever there is the most "eyeball traffic".
--Upon arriving at the trailhead, walk around the lot and look at the cars and the plates. If you see someone just sitting in a car, make it obvious you're looking at all the cars and the plates. This can be uncomfortable for some people to do. Your call.
--Take a few pictures of the parking lot. Once again, some folks might be squeamish about doing this. Your call.
--If it's a self-pay lot, and you're doing an over-nighter, well that stinks, because now you have a ticket stub on your windshield with the chads punched out (sorry, Mr. Gore) showing what day you'll return to your car. This is when it's nice to have an annual parking pass. Or maybe call the local ranger station and tell them you're parking over-night and you've payed, but you don't want to display your ticket stub because of the break-in reason.
--Place a sign on the front seat of your car with the following phrase: "PLEASE SMILE FOR THE CAMERA."
Criminals, like other lower forms of animal life, are not driven by complex thought patterns. They take when the taking is easy. The goal isn't to stop them, that's pie-in-the-sky dreaming, and will never happen. The goal is to not make it so easy for them. If breaking into cars at Lafayette and other WMNF trailheads stops being profitable, the break-ins will decrease. They'll never stop, but they'll decrease.
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