# Why would these car-robbers have taken such unusual things? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 1, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220 "2010-09-01T02:00:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220/21 "2010-09-02T20:59:15Z")
> [@Patch](#): > > A few weeks ago I had someone come into my front yard, remove the $18 nozzle from my hose, and cut off the male hose end along with 6" of hose which they took. > > Cost to the thief for the fitting to splice two hoses together? $3. Cost of the fitting to install a new male hose end? $3. > > At least they left the expensive nozzle behind. Wait, so they took 6 inches of hose with a fitting on one end and a bare, cut end? Is it possible they took more than 6 inches; like, a foot or two? It sounds like someone wanted a tool to siphon some gas. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220/22 "2010-09-02T23:45:45Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > > [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > > > A friend of mine had thieves get into her car on the way to the clinic, and steal a large, secure bag on the front seat. It contained carefully labeled individual fecal samples from each member of her large family! > > > > (Seems funny, but it was actually quite a nuisance for her. She had to get new containers at the clinic, have everyone in the family go through the unpleasantness of collecting another sample, and deliver all the samples to the clinic the next day. Then having an additional days delay in getting the results and appropriate medical treatment.) > > Still, I’d love to have seen the look on the thief’s face when he saw what was in the bag. They were each in a small, closed cardboard container, with the person’s name written on top. Probably looked like take-home fast food containers. So the thief couldn’t see what was in the bag – they would have had to open one (or more) of the containers before realizing this! ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220/23 "2010-09-03T00:03:58Z")
Years ago, my car was stolen. It was eventually recovered, parked behind an apartment building, missing the rear wheels. I never figured out why the took what they did from it - my riding chaps - brown suede and stinking of horses, originally found in the garbage by a friend and modified with velcro to fit me, and the brass pestle from a mortar and pestle set, also found in the garbage. It was an interesting object, but completely useless. Left behind about $20 in change. ---
**Author:** ![NOLA\_Cajun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea666f/32.png) [@NOLA\_Cajun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NOLA_Cajun)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220/24 "2010-09-03T04:14:58Z")
[quote=“Patch, post:18, topic:552220”] > [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](#): > > Cost to the thief for the fitting to splice two hoses together? $3. Cost of the fitting to install a new male hose end? $3. Cost of trying to figure out “WTF”? Priceless! Mastercard it’s… oh to hell with it… ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220/25 "2010-09-03T17:52:16Z")
> [@](#): > > # Mom’s gym bag > > # Mom’s gym shoes If this were the 70s or 80s, I would think that David Banner had come along and helped himself to some new clothes again… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220/26 "2010-09-03T18:46:57Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > A friend of mine had thieves get into her car on the way to the clinic, and steal a large, secure bag on the front seat. It contained carefully labeled individual fecal samples from each member of her large family! So, ironically it was a bad thing for your family to have their shit together. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220/27 "2010-09-03T18:49:50Z")
I had a car stolen (and finally recovered). Besides some usual things stolen (stereo deck, CDs, wheel jacks [$75 apiece]), they also took the prints from several rolls of film I’d just had developed. Nothing on them but pictures of white people they wouldn’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220/28 "2010-09-03T19:01:58Z")
> [@AWB](#): > > > [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > > > A friend of mine had thieves get into her car on the way to the clinic, and steal a large, secure bag on the front seat. It contained carefully labeled individual fecal samples from each member of her large family! > > So, ironically it was a bad thing for your family to have their shit together. 😃 Not a real problem – there’s plenty more where that came from! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220/29 "2010-09-03T19:49:20Z")
> [@constanze](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > # Mom’s gym bag > > > > # Mom’s gym shoes > > If this were the 70s or 80s, I would think that David Banner had come along and helped himself to some new clothes again… 🙂 Including those extraordinarily stretchy purple pants. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220/30 "2010-09-03T22:55:20Z")
I had someone break into my apartment one day when I was gone and take… a shower. Nothing was gone; just my shower stuff was moved and the window screen was askew. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220/31 "2010-09-04T01:26:14Z")
My first guess was, as someone else noted, the thieves took ALL the stuff and got startled and dropped some of it and took off. If the cash was undisturbed perhaps they didn’t get to it yet. Clothes aren’t usually stolen as you can get them from the Salvos or Catholic Charities with a hard luck story. Perhaps someone broke out of a jail and needed a swap of clothes to evade the cops? As others said, people get high and steal and aren’t totally aware of what they’re taking. They aren’t intending to steal but come up short when they’re buying their next fix and just hit a random car. They take what they think is valuable but obviously they’re stoned or out of it trying to grab anything. These aren’t professional theives but people desperate for a fix and just grabbing things. Or it could’ve been a bunch of kids you chased off your lawn or some other thing like that and they are “teaching” you a lesson ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220/32 "2010-09-04T01:39:02Z")
My aunt left her car unlocked, with her purse in it, and someone took a $5 bill, a roll of quarters, and her eyeglasses. WTF. What a mean, crappy thing to do - what on earth would someone want with somebody’s eyeglasses??? And why not take the whole purse??? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220/33 "2010-09-04T09:14:55Z")
Many years ago my car was broken into and my gym bag and clothing was stolen. None of my tapes (see how long ago?) or anything of real value, just my gym bag. The police couldn’t even be bothered to take a statement. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220/34 "2010-09-04T12:45:46Z")
Back in college, someone smashed one of the windows in my car, and took the _knobs_ of my stereo. Only the knobs, and nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220/35 "2010-09-04T15:10:17Z")
When I was burgled, they stole the children’s piggy banks. But the big fat envelope that had “cash for car” written on it containing $4,000 had been tossed on to the floor. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220/36 "2010-09-07T05:45:01Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > > [@Patch](#): > > > > A few weeks ago I had someone come into my front yard, remove the $18 nozzle from my hose, and cut off the male hose end along with 6" of hose which they took. > > > > Cost to the thief for the fitting to splice two hoses together? $3. Cost of the fitting to install a new male hose end? $3. > > > > At least they left the expensive nozzle behind. > > Wait, so they took 6 inches of hose with a fitting on one end and a bare, cut end? > > Is it possible they took more than 6 inches; like, a foot or two? It sounds like someone wanted a tool to siphon some gas. Ayup. Very little hose was nabbed. Best guess I have is one of the landscaping crews had a broken hose end, but a spare coupler, and just liberated the end of my hose to get their stuff running again. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220/37 "2010-09-07T05:46:02Z")
> [@CutterJohn](#): > > > [@Patch](#): > > > > A friend of mine had her car broken into one night. They took several CDs, and left behind a large, scented candle. > > This strikes you as odd? Damn straight. When my truck was broken into, all they left behind was broken glass. Where’s **my** damn candle? :mad: ---
**Author:** ![mrpayday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@mrpayday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrpayday)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220/38 "2010-09-07T13:20:01Z")
> [@Patch](#): > > > [@Jenaroph](#): > > > > Wait, so they took 6 inches of hose with a fitting on one end and a bare, cut end? > > > > Is it possible they took more than 6 inches; like, a foot or two? It sounds like someone wanted a tool to siphon some gas. > > Ayup. Very little hose was nabbed. > > Best guess I have is one of the landscaping crews had a broken hose end, but a spare coupler, and just liberated the end of my hose to get their stuff running again. It was common to make a bong out of a plastic bottle and some garden hose, at least in Australia in the 1980s. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220/39 "2010-09-07T15:33:04Z")
I once had my (total POS) car broken into when I was in college. They stole my cheap wool seat covers (which really must have taken some time to dismantle) and a $1 watch that I had duct-taped to the dashboard to serve as a clock. They passed by the $5-6 worth of change that was sitting in the ashtray. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220/40 "2010-09-07T16:58:37Z")
> [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](#): > > When I first bought my Ranger (first brand new car) in 2003, I didn;t bother locking the doors on it when it was parked at my house. It’s a quiet area. I have never understood this. I’m from an awful neighborhood, we would just assume you want to give your things to people by not taking the 2 seconds to lock the doors. I’ve known people who don’t lock their HOUSE at night or when they leave. (They live in a suburb in Illinois) Not to hijack, but I can understand suicide bombers more than this behavior. 😕 (These same people who look at me like I’m weird when I lock my doors, picked up a stranger who asked them for a ride, who had them drive to a bad area and then get robbed by their gangmember buddies. :rolleyes: ) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-these-car-robbers-have-taken-such-unusual-things/552220.md?page=3)