Don't Leave Your Car Running and Unlocked

[minirottie]

or you'll watch a thief drive off in it

I turn mine on in the winter and leave the keys in it. Won't fit in our garage (I have a Sequoia and we have an older home with double garage doors-it's too wide to get in). This morning I did it as I always do, so I can de-ice the windows before taking my 4 year old to school. I came back inside and a few minutes (less than 5) I heard the sound of tires and went to see who was having car issues. I see my car being driven up my street.

Thankfully my daughter and I weren't in the car, and I don't leave my housekeys with my car keys..but I've lost my car..hoping they find it, in one piece, etc.

So all those stories on the news you see about people leaving their cars running and get them stolen? Listen to them and don't do it! The officer who took my report told me if you've got a second set of keys, you can re-lock the car while it's running to prevent this from happening. Wish I'd known that 4 hours ago!

 

[gailz2]

How awful--you always want to think it won't happen where you live, but it obviously does. Yes, thankfully you and your dtr. weren't in the car. I hope your car will be safely returned to you.

 

[ShelbyMichalek]

Oh that's terrible! And I live somewhat close to you and I do the same thing!! Except I live in a military community so while it's still accessible by the public, if someone did that to us they wouldn't just be in trouble with they local police, it would be a military/federal matter!Hopefully they'll find your car!! If you need any travel help in the meantime, let me know!

 

[Kjurich]

That is horrible I am so sorry.

 

[Sheila]

Good thing Elizabeth wasn't strapped in her car seat when you ran back in the house!

 

[minirottie]

Good thing Elizabeth wasn't strapped in her car seat when you ran back in the house!

That is what is keeping me sane. You never know if they just saw the car running and went for it, or if they wanted THAT car. It's got super (illegal according to the state trooper who pulled me over 2 weeks ago) dark tint, and with the frost on the glass you'd be hard pressed to see someone in the car..so if they'd been carjackers and we'd been in it, it could be worse. Scary to think perhaps they've been watching though and know I do this a couple days a week

 

[Sheila]

Just remember, if someone ever tries to carjack you ... NEVER let them take you to a 2nd crime scene. Once they have you secluded they can do more & are less likely to get caught. Make them do what they are going to do at Crime Scene #1. Odds are, they'll leave behind evidence that will help the police catch them.

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

Oh my! My keys have been off my main ring for 2 weeks since I took my car in to be serviced.I can't find my spare key so I think I am going to make another one and do what I did last year: Start my car and let it warm up AND LOCK IT. I can use my extra key to unlock the car when I am ready to go. I do this at work, since we share the alley with homeless dudes and drunks, but not so much in my quiet residential neighborhood. Guess I should, there have been cars broken into on my street before!

 

[NooraK]

DH used to do this (he now has a company car/truck), and also still never locks his car doors. I'm paranoid that one night I'll be laying in bed and hear the squeal of tires as someone makes off with his car. That, or empties out whatever might be in it.

 

[babywings76]

I'm so glad that you and your daughter are safe. That is so scary! Lots of us do the same thing and think we're safe in our neighborhoods. That's a big wake-up call to many of us. I'm glad I have my car parked in our garage so I don't need to do this, but my husband parks outside and runs his while he finishes getting ready for work. And there have been times when I'd be parked in my parents' driveway and I'd run the car to get it warmed up for the kids before heading back home.

 

[esavvymom]

Or check into getting remote start systems on your car! My parents have had it for years, and we just got it with our new truck. It is great because you can start your car and it runs to warm up but STAYS locked, plus, if they did manage to get in it, without the key in the ignition, if you try to put it in park, it will shut off.I think you can get them for a few hundred as an add on....if you live in a cold state, might be worth it as a late Christmas present to yourself!

 

[lt1jane]

my old Saturn would NOT let you lock the car if it was running. My current car I dont think would allow me to use a remote start because you have to be pressing the brake in order to start it.

I do have the advantage that if someone did that to me, they'd be stuck as soon as they turned the car off. I have a Toyota Prius with Smart Start. It's push-button start and I DON'T have to have my key fob in the dash to start my car. My keys stay attached to my purse or belt. I can start the car and go back into the house with the keys. Only having to have my keys on me someplace was a godsend when Matt was an infant. I didn't have to fumble for keys to unlock the car, all I had to do was grab the handle. All of my cars will have this technology in the future I can guarantee that much.

 

[NooraK]

my old Saturn would NOT let you lock the car if it was running. My current car I dont think would allow me to use a remote start because you have to be pressing the brake in order to start it.

My car won't let you lock the doors with the car running, if the door is open. I haven't tried with the doors closed and no one in the car. With mine, you have to press the brake to shift out of Park, but not to start it (though I do, out of habit).

 

[esavvymom]

Most cars now won't let you lock the car using the Key Fob- if the keys are in the ignition. But you CAN lock it with the locks on the door itself.....so that's why having the second set works. The cars aren't quite smart enough to know if you are actually IN the driver seat. YET

 

[NooraK]

Most cars now won't let you lock the car using the Key Fob- if the keys are in the ignition. But you CAN lock it with the locks on the door itself.....so that's why having the second set works. The cars aren't quite smart enough to know if you are actually IN the driver seat. YET

Actually, my car has some sort of sensors at least in the passenger seat. It will turn off the passenger side airbag if I put something heavy enough on the seat but don't buckle the seatbelt.

I have power door locks, and if I hit the button to lock the doors while the door is open and the car is running, they'll lock and immediately pop back open.

 

[imloopner]

This happened to a consultant at one of our cluster meetings. The car was found but it had some damage.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Most cars now won't let you lock the car using the Key Fob- if the keys are in the ignition. But you CAN lock it with the locks on the door itself.....so that's why having the second set works. The cars aren't quite smart enough to know if you are actually IN the driver seat. YET

That's to prevent dumb people from locking their keys in the car.

Not that I'd know about that from experience or anything like that.

 

[Sheila]

Oh, come on KG! Admit that you are old enough to remember cars BEFORE that feature was available. LOLNoora, it's been a while since I played with a new car in the US, but I'm assuming this still works ... manually lock it (not the automatic locks or the key fob), then hold up the handle on the outside as you close the door. That should override the automatic unlock feature when the car is running. Not that I recommend leaving your car running unattended even with the doors locked. Criminals who steal cars usually know how to break the window to gain entry too.

 

[NooraK]

Criminals who steal cars usually know how to break the window to gain entry too.

Dang, they're getting smarter every day! http://www.atlantaareamommies.com/forum/images/smiles/SEGM_rofl.gif

 

[chefheidi2003]

So sorry that this happened to you. I had been thinking about getting a spare key for my car just for this purpose. When a girl that I work with was standing out on the parking lot..AT HER CAR with it running and this guy walks up and tells her to step away from her car and then gets in and drives off..I definately got a spare key. Oh yeah..did I mention that I work at a police station. The girl is a dispatcher and a small girl. Nothing she could do to fight the guy. So now he is in jail and she is waiting for her car to get fixed since he wrecked it into a parked car.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

That's pretty brazen.Or pretty stupid.Or both.Another brilliant super-criminal in action.

 

[chefheidi2003]

That's pretty brazen.

Or pretty stupid.

Or both.

Another brilliant super-criminal in action.

Yeah..that is what I kept saying _________ of Steel

 

[Sheila]

My ex-step-sister fought off an assailant once. She was 5'5" but super thin (size 0/size 1). She had already buckled her 2 little ones in her SUV & noticed a man making a b-line for her. She jumped in the driver's door but before she could get it closed & locked he had the exterior handle. She fought & screamed as loud as she could trying to close the door. She said she didn't care what he did to her or the car but there was no way in ____ that he was getting her babies. She made enough noise that another man noticed what was happening & screamed at the assailant to leave her alone. He got scared & ran. She never know what he wanted, but she was smart enough to fight him and lucky enough that another customer at the mall was heroic enough to try & do something vs just watching. Sometimes a fight is definitely worth the effort. With no kids in the car, I'd have handed over the keys. No car is worth my life.

 

[PamperedK]

my old Saturn would NOT let you lock the car if it was running. My current car I dont think would allow me to use a remote start because you have to be pressing the brake in order to start it.

They would be able to by-pass that system. We have command start on our car (doesn't everyone in Canada? lol) and you have to have your foot on the brake to start it.

They can even install it in manual transmission vehicles.

Command start is a wonderful, wonderful thing.