Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2009 23:17:09 -0800
Reply-To: Roger Whittaker <rogerwhitt1@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Roger Whittaker <rogerwhitt1@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: [WetWesties] secure storage?
In-Reply-To: <4A212238E9E943598C14052B6680E9ED@Bohemian>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
dear secure
i have already commented on this once and feel the need to weigh in again --
The common thing seems to be use your head when on the road or at home--
1. vw bus is not high on the list of hot steeling vehicles --
so keys in the ignition might well be one way of simply being cool with it
all --
certainly dogs and fire arms are deterrents to some ...
but by the time the thieve is engaged with either your dog or your gun he
has already gained far to much access --
2. looking doors and closing windows is #1 best way to detour thief --
they are seeking easy mark not a time consuming set of decisions --
unless of course your Vanagon is gold plated and then they will likely tow
and chop --
3. keep stuff of value out of sight --
extra locks and other "secret " places are once again only useful if the
perp is in your vanagon--
already your compromised --
but the best words seem to come from michael tonight when he said ...
never leave your van out of your site if at all possible ---
park in well lighted areas ...
Two years ago i was in a large arizona city visiting friends of my wife ...
she had not seen them for many years and every one was very excited (read
emotional)
so we pull up in the parking lot of the apartment and using the cell phone
call our friend and inquire where it is we should park
as there are NO PARKING ... CALL 123-4567 TO RETRIEVE VEHICLE if Towed signs
everywhere --
the friend says just pick an empty place on the apartment lot and park there
in fact there is an empty spot right beside her boy friends car right now --
and he always just takes what ever spot is available --- never any hassle
(car is a 25 year old chev product of some kind ... full size ---four doors
... like an x taxi )
I refuse to even park in the parking lot...
the street around the apartment has even more signs
and the church across the street has sins at the gate -- in the lot
and on the building ...
all saying if i park there i will be towed ---
needless to say my paranoia was not appreciated by anyone ...
after much tears and a small agressive discussion between my beloved and i
--- we arrive at a dennys ...
where we all meet ...
i park the vanagon under lights and beside the window near our seat --
i sent my wife in first to show me which seat they had --
we have a really cool vanagon with a 5 speed diesel
at the time it was loaded with my wifes wordly posessions as we were
relocating her to canada
we slept in the parking lot at walmart that night --
one of my canadian pals chastised me and said i was being way too paranoid--
so i asked him a simple question ...
who did he think liked to live in arizona --
he responded ... Motor vehicle enthusiasts who prefer two wheeled vehicles
--
exactly says i --
and how many junk yards and tow truck operations did he think these
enthusiasts owned
he paused ... chuckled --
nuff said ...
i had no desire to leave my vehicle even for a moment
under a sign that loudly declares No PARKING
i stll sometimes have nightmarish thoughts about having to go to the tow lot
to fetch our canadian patched vanagon
now empty of everything but the curtain hooks --
hearing the story of how the tow truck driver found her that way --
It took a couple of days for my wife to settle down ...
and it wasnt til we were in Albuquercue in the middle of a snow storm --
and our host came out to meet us in the parking lot --
she admonished us to bring all of our valuables in ...
to make sure it was locked securely and to go out before bed to do a
security check --
my wife says to our host ... but why ...
seems the thieves in that area never rest even for snow storms --
and there had been a lot of police activity at the house at the end of the
parking lot the night before --
thanks for reading --
park under lights --place valuables out of site or carry into your rest
place if you can ... close up access to your van
simple as that ...
oh yes i pray too --
yours
--
roger w
From Proverbs:
Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: a
servant who becomes king ...
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