# Making it more difficult for thieves to take your property **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 10, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945 "2010-05-10T18:35:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PokerAKQJT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b5ac83/32.png) [@PokerAKQJT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PokerAKQJT)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945/1 "2010-05-10T18:35:15Z")
I hate thieves. Is there anything you do to make it harder for them to steal your property? For example, after I put my license registration sticker on my license plate, I use a razor blade to make vertical and horizontal cuts on it so that if a thief tries to steal it, it will come off in many pieces. The idea here is for them to not even try to take it. What things do you do to make it harder for thieves to take your property? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945/2 "2010-05-10T18:43:27Z")
What a timely thread - I was out measuring for my new hedge, and I noticed that some assholes have stolen my pretty ornamental solar lights from beside my house. What I am _going_ to do is not put anything worth stealing in my front yard - it will all go in my fenced back yard. I am also considering a lock for the gate into my backyard. I hate the idea that anything not bolted down walks away - if it’s not yours, keep your goddamned hands off of it! My husband also lost a magnetic ribbon from the back bumper of his car that said, “Support Farting.” It was his pride and joy, and he still hasn’t been able to replace it. If he is able to replace it, he said he’ll take it with him every time he gets out of the car or else glue it onto the bumper. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945/3 "2010-05-10T18:47:17Z")
I use one of those vibrating engraving pens to write my Driver’s License info on things of value; power tools, electronics (carefully!), etc. I keep things around the house well lit and locked tight. Valuables in the house are kept in a heavy gun safe. I’ve developed relationships with my neighbors and inform them when I’ll be gone. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945/4 "2010-05-10T18:56:44Z")
Last year I had my portable GPS unit stolen from my car, in my driveway. Yes, I forgot to lock my car that night, but it was theft nonetheless. Now I make sure the car is locked and I take the GPS indoors at night. We have had other problems in the area with cars being broken into, and haven’t figured out what to do about it short of assigning people to rotate staying up at night patrolling the neighborhood. The best way to prevent theft is to remove the temptation, either by not displaying something that might be desirable to steal, or by providing some level of security. But if you’ve got something that someone wants, if properly motivated they can find a way around any obstacle you might put in their path. There was a rash of crimes not far from here last year by thieves who realized that even houses with security systems rarely put alarms on second-floor windows. All they needed was a ladder. > [@PokerAKQJT](#): > > …I put my license registration sticker on my license plate, I use a razor blade to make vertical and horizontal cuts on it so that if a thief tries to steal it, it will come off in many pieces. The idea here is for them to not even try to take it. Interesting that you’d be worried about someone taking the stickers. Usually they just take the whole plate. > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > My husband also lost a magnetic ribbon from the back bumper of his car that said, “Support Farting.” It was his pride and joy… Look, I know that you don’t want to tell your _husband_ that you threw it away out of embarrassment, but you’re among friends here. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![PokerAKQJT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b5ac83/32.png) [@PokerAKQJT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PokerAKQJT)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945/5 "2010-05-10T18:59:15Z")
Cat Whisperer, go to [http://www.goneblue.com/sufama.html](http://www.goneblue.com/sufama.html) Is that the Support Farting magnet you want? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945/6 "2010-05-10T19:05:27Z")
> [@PokerAKQJT](#): > > For example, after I put my license registration sticker on my license plate, I use a razor blade to make vertical and horizontal cuts on it so that if a thief tries to steal it, it will come off in many pieces. The idea here is for them to not even try to take it. mine come with the slits in it. fore thought or a high crime state. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945/7 "2010-05-10T19:25:38Z")
When I was a starving college student I used to drive my ubber junky car to middle of the nowhere places and park for the day/weekend to go hiking and camping. I always made sure that the gas tank was as close to empty as safely possible when I parked it in case local rednecks stole it or set fire to it. They werent going to get my last 10 to 20 dollars of gasoline damit 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945/8 "2010-05-10T20:07:13Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > \ > Look, I know that you don’t want to tell your _husband_ that you threw it away out of embarrassment, but you’re among friends here. 😉 But I _also_ support farting! 😃 > [@PokerAKQJT](#): > > Cat Whisperer, go to [http://www.goneblue.com/sufama.html](http://www.goneblue.com/sufama.html) > Is that the Support Farting magnet you want? YES! That’s the one! $3 for the magnet, and $15 shipping - have to think about that. > [@johnpost](#): > > mine come with the slits in it. fore thought or a high crime state. Our stickers just come apart if you try to take them off (so you place them carefully in the first place - where you stick it is where it stays). ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945/9 "2010-05-10T21:36:21Z")
Our stickers are virtually impossible to remove. When they first went to the system, tehre were stories on the news about “don’t do this!” Guys peeled off the backing, then stuck it to the fridge until they were ready to go out to the garage. Could not get it off without scrapingt it to shreds, had to buy a new sticker for $20. Ha ha… I recall an article many many years ago about NYC tenants who would do things like remove the case of their TV. If someone broke it to the apartment, they would not steal it since the primary reason was to fence it for drug money, and even aworking TV with all the components exposed was not worth the effort to carry it away. I remember the signs in the car windows “No Radio”. OTOH, they said the best way to ensure nobody stole the car radio was to have the factory original equipment, also no value. The cleverest was the program someone dreamed up when the internet became big, to have your PC (or Mac, IIRC) "report in when it was booted and connected to the internet. Something like LogMeIn will do a similar thing today… ---
**Author:** ![Tio\_Gringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@Tio\_Gringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tio_Gringo)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945/10 "2010-05-10T21:43:52Z")
**Cat Whisperer** , [this site](http://www.bewild.com/supportfarting.html) has shipping to Alberta for 11.95, bringing the total to $15. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945/11 "2010-05-10T22:02:44Z")
I just bought one of [these](http://www.amazon.com/SentrySafe-AS-1-Autosafe-Security-Cable/dp/B001G5ZSE6) for my truck this past weekend. Lowes had them on sale for 17 bucks. It’s a little mini safe that locks to a cable looped around the seat mounts. I leave my wallet and house keys in the truck when I go kayaking and this might keep a smash-and-grab thief from taking them. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945/12 "2010-05-10T22:05:28Z")
I just put tags on my car. The old one was harder than hell to peel off (I hate the stacked look so I remove them yearly). I also have a fancy license plate frame, so I take that off with a screwdriver, put the sticker on my plate, then screw the plate frame back on. No one can get at my whole sticker unless they have the right screwdriver with them. And the plate even came with fancy screw covers. With my GPS, I don’t leave any sign that I have one when I park. In my car, I stick the mount on my speedo and I hang my baseball cap over the mount when I leave - if I’m in the city, at a mall or at other places I don’t feel comfortable leaving my car, I take the whole mount down. Not so much for my GPS, which is an older, basic model, but because breaking my car window to get it out would cost a lot more in damage than what the GPS is worth. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945/13 "2010-05-10T22:08:11Z")
> [@PokerAKQJT](#): > > Is there anything you do to make it harder for them to steal your property? Move to a place where theft is rare. In Dubai the front door to the house has never been locked, even when I’ve been away for holiday. A friend in Bahrain leaves his Mercedes parked in his carport with the keys in the ignition. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945/14 "2010-05-10T22:18:33Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > I use one of those vibrating engraving pens to write my Driver’s License info on things of value; power tools, electronics (carefully!), etc. IIRC the method suggested by police here in the U.K. is to write your postcode on the item, preferably in UV marker. If you move, you put an X at the end. Over here, your driver’s license info is of use to identity thieves. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945/15 "2010-05-11T01:44:59Z")
Since the OP is asking for personal experiences, this is better suited to IMHO than GQ. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945/16 "2010-05-11T02:12:22Z")
> [@Hanna](#): > > In my car, I stick the mount on my speedo and I hang my baseball cap over the mount when I leave. This has got to be one of the funniest things I have ever read on the Dope. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945/17 "2010-05-11T02:56:26Z")
> [@Desert\_Nomad](#): > > Move to a place where theft is rare. > > In Dubai the front door to the house has never been locked, even when I’ve been away for holiday. A friend in Bahrain leaves his Mercedes parked in his carport with the keys in the ignition. What do they do to thieves in Dubai if they catch them stealing? I heard they cut your finger or hand off. Is that true? ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945/18 "2010-05-11T04:26:22Z")
This is odd, but for my 2003 and 2007 Mustang GT’s, I left my key in the cupholder, unlocked in the carport. For my 2010 Ranger, I lock it and take the key in. You would think flashy muscle cars would attract more people than a small 4x4, but it’s just something I started doing. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945/19 "2010-05-11T04:53:34Z")
I put things in my purse that are useful to me, but not to a thief, like tissues or my book. I keep my wallet in there too, but I never keep anything all that important in there (except maybe a few bucks in cash). I keep my debit card, license, insurance card, etc., in a separate lanyard that I keep in my pocket. My phone goes in there too. If the thief forces me to empty my pockets, then I’m screwed, but I figure it’d be pretty useful against purse snatchers. They’ll get their cash (much rather lose that than credit cards), and I don’t have to go through all the hassle of calling my bank to cancel my cards. (I suppose it’s also useless against pick-pockets, but I don’t live in an area where we get a lot of those. I’d probably keep important stuff tucked down my shirt if I did.) ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945/20 "2010-05-11T05:07:38Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > IIRC the method suggested by police here in the U.K. is to write your postcode on the item, preferably in UV marker. If you move, you put an X at the end. Over here, your driver’s license info is of use to identity thieves. That method may only work in the UK, where postcodes identify your house to a reasonably high degree of precision. I don’t know how many households would be included in a typical US postcode - a few thousand? Tens of thousands? I would think that the best thing these days to permanently mark your valuable property would be a throwaway mail address of some sort - “[givemebackmystolenstuff@yahoo.com](mailto:givemebackmystolenstuff@yahoo.com)” or something like that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-it-more-difficult-for-thieves-to-take-your-property/538945.md?page=2)