52 replies to this topic

[MikeinFolsom]

I don't know why you guys keep responding to him. Ignore him. Maybe he'll go away?

[Bill Z]

I don't know why you guys keep responding to him. Ignore him. Maybe he'll go away?

While that may be true, he did have a good point on why do so many seem to leave their vehicles unlocked.

Fundamentally, the bad guy that is willing to break glass or cut your soft top, will, but the punk kids looking for the easy "mark", i.e. the unlocked car, locking your car will serve to keep them out.

I had a friend that used to leave his home unlocked cuz he lived way out in the sticks, he did this for years until some crankhead walked into his home while everyone was sleeping and stole money from his son's wallet. Simply locking the house would have prevented that theft. My friend has changed his mind about how safe it was to leave his house unlocked because he lived too far away from the big city bad guys.

I feel sorry for cw as she says she normally locks her car, but forgot that night. We are all human and make mistakes sometimes, and sometimes those mistakes bite us in the butt. But for those that want to follow the "hawaiian" logic, I'm sorry, if you get ripped off, I know I won't have any remorse for you.

[Dave Burrell]

BTW, there is an attitude that is prevalent in Hawai'i where you leave your car unlocked and your windows down as if to say "there isn't anything in here anyway". That is my way of doing it.

That's my attitude too, I leave my doors unlocked and (gasp) the windows rolled down too when I'm out running errands around town. I'm insured, if someone wants to steal it go ahead. I don't have an expensive car so I'm not too worried about anyone being after my vehicle nor its contents (nothing's in it except a stock stereo).

- cue the post from smart money now whigging out that everyone is leaving their cars open... with the keys in it, a full tank of gas and a written invitation "to take" note on the windshield

cw68, sorry to hear you got jacked, hopefully the rats will get caught

and to chipshot, if you keep stalking cw68 like you have been (which is kinda creepy) you're going to get banned again, just sayin'....

[Steve Heard]

While it is true that criminals can get on light rail as easily as law-abiding citizens, and it is also true that some criminals have taken light rail to town and shop-lifted at the Outlet mall and other places, most auto burglaries/break-ins are done by passers-by who see an unlocked door and take advantage of the opportunity, or by criminals in cars who hit a neighborhood and then take off.

On the subject of soft tops, about 30 years ago, I had a Triumph Spitfire many years ago. It burned oil, and being young and broke, rather than fixing the problem, I carried a can of oil in the car (yes, it used to come in cans) and a screwdriver to open it with.

I used to leave the doors unlocked so no one would cut the top to get in. One morning I
got in the car and noticed someone had stolen my can of oil and the screwdriver!

[mikat]

Oil doesn't come in cans anymore? ;-)

[Thinkingoutloud]

...so I have to assume they forgot to lock them.

Once we parked my car in the driveway for 2 days unlocked with the keys in the ignition! Both of us assumed the other had grabbed them before we left for the weekend. LOL!

It happens.

[wreathlady]

While it is true that criminals can get on light rail as easily as law-abiding citizens, and it is also true that some criminals have taken light rail to town and shop-lifted at the Outlet mall and other places, most auto burglaries/break-ins are done by passers-by who see an unlocked door and take advantage of the opportunity, or by criminals in cars who hit a neighborhood and then take off.

On the subject of soft tops, about 30 years ago, I had a Triumph Spitfire many years ago. It burned oil, and being young and broke, rather than fixing the problem, I carried a can of oil in the car (yes, it used to come in cans) and a screwdriver to open it with.

I used to leave the doors unlocked so no one would cut the top to get in. One morning I
got in the car and noticed someone had stolen my can of oil and the screwdriver!

Ahhhh, the good old days.......I, too, had a MGB and carried around a can of oil and can opener. It was so easy back then.....

Oil doesn't come in cans anymore? ;-)

They used too, but I am old and you are young. (:

[cw68]

Sorry to hear about that, cw68. That really stinks.

You are probably right about who did it. We've been having vandalism of vehicles on our street. We don't have rich kids in our neighborhood so much, but the weather is getting nice and they are bored and roaming around late at night.

"Rich" by Folsom standards isn't exactly "rich" by the rest of the area's standards. I guess when I mean "rich" I mean kids who have a fair amount of spending money, not a lot of worries or responsibilities, and who have not had to pay many consequences in their lifetimes.

Crimes of opportunities generally happen by locals looking for easy targets.

I'm still not freaked by lightrail and the officer with whom I spoke this morning had a similar view. It gets blamed for everything -- even by a ton of people today for a crime that happened when light rail wasn't even running.

As for Natoma Station having more crime than other areas (ChipShot, I mean SmartMoney) part of it probably is light rail, but that's daytime crime and is way off-set by the pros of having lightrail within walking distance (though for most Californians, and especially Folsomites, it's probably not considered walking distance). I bet a lot of the crime is that it's so close to the 50 and other areas. Easy in, easy out.

Still, I'm pretty darn happy that ours is an area that people drive to in order to commit crimes instead of it being a crime-ridden area, that I know my neighbors, and I feel quite safe. Part of that safety comes from the community members looking out for each other, which was the purpose of this thread.

It wasn't meant to bag on people who choose to keep their cars unlocked, to blame lightrail for more evils, or anything else negative. Just keep an eye out and don't automatically scapegoat gangs, lightrail or Rancho but assume that Little Johnnie Folsomite can't commit crimes or have a drug problem. They more aware we are, the better.

[ducky]

"Rich" by Folsom standards isn't exactly "rich" by the rest of the area's standards. I guess when I mean "rich" I mean kids who have a fair amount of spending money, not a lot of worries or responsibilities, and who have not had to pay many consequences in their lifetimes.

I still don't think your description above fits a lot of the kids in my area, except maybe the consequences part and not having respect for other people's property.

Do appreciate the reminder that no matter how safe we feel in Folsom we should all be sure to keep our homes and cars locked.

[cw68]

Do appreciate the reminder that no matter how safe we feel in Folsom we should all be sure to keep our homes and cars locked.

Thanks.

[Steve Heard]

Do appreciate the reminder that no matter how safe we feel in Folsom we should all be sure to keep our homes and cars locked.

My brother in law lives around the corner from me, and he always found humor in the fact that I keep my doors locked, telling me I'm not in the city anymore, and my wife and kids get mad when they try to come in through the garage and find the door to the house locked.

My brother in law is in the BMW parts biz, and he has several really nice BMW's in his garage. I often would come home at night and see his garage door open, and sometimes I'd see it open when I leave for work in the morning, and I know he isn't up yet. I'd call and remind him, and he'd laugh.

Coming home late one evening a few months back, he spotted a guy in the bushes across the street from his house, crouched down. He put the hood of his sweatshirt up when my bro in law came driving by. He called the cops, and the two of us went looking for the guy. Never found him, but he keeps his doors locked now.

We suspect it was the kid down the street who bought himself a heroin habit.

[cw68]

We suspect it was the kid down the street who bought himself a heroin habit.

Did the kid come to Folsom on light rail?

Ok, bad joke, I know. Just couldn't resist!

[ducky]

Did the kid come to Folsom on light rail?

Ok, bad joke, I know. Just couldn't resist!

No, the kid didn't, but his dealer probably did. (sorry couldn't stop myself.)

[supermom]

Would like to remind ya guys- north of folsom- would that be orangevale? Serious issues just up the block-in the last 2 years. Lots folsom pd arresting over there. So...not lightrail. More like walk-stolen vehicle or even drop off?