Day #3: I accidentally left my car unlocked last night and this is what happened.
In the middle of the night, I wondered whether or not I had locked it.
We moved recently and I don’t yet have quite the lay of the land. I’m very good about keeping car doors locked and everything out of view to help prevent car break-ins. But there was a lapse in my security systems and I left the car door unlocked.
I thought about what was in there:
- iPhone charger cables,
- A weird, old-school AV cable for the old-school audio system,
- Our brand new and high-tech hologram-induced automobile registration (probably a huge hassle and cost to replace),
- A few Euros in change,
- I couldn’t remember what I had left in view on the seats. Ouch.
It was almost what I couldn’t remember was on the seats that was the hardest part. But then again, I suppose I wouldn’t miss what I didn’t know I was missing!
This is part of a series from our move to another country with our family: Driebergen Life.
I went outside as soon as I woke up and checked the car. I almost wanted to bring a trash bag to clean up whatever was left of whatever mess they left in the car, but I thought I’d check first.
Day #3: I accidentally left my car unlocked last night and this is what happened.
I tried to keep a positive attitude and would just deal with the mess and ripped out stereo and get started replacing that fancy registration card. Where did we even get that? It just came in the mail. I’ll figure it out.
As I approached the car, I thought that it was nice of the thieves to close the doors again. Sometimes they’ll just leave them open which is an invitation for:
- Raccoons (or worse) to make a bed of your plush vinyl seats,
- More thieves to scavenge for whatever else was left,
- Rain to seep into the seats just enough to leave a musty smell no vanilla-scented Christmas tree can cure.
I opened the door and there was a newspaper on the back seat. I didn’t remember putting that there. Maybe they took their time and had a check of the news. I wonder if they drained the battery with the ceiling light on. The cables were in the middle console. The 3D-fantasmic hologram card was in the glove box. Empty water bottles were in the side door pockets. A Donald Duck comic book lay opened on the floor.
Then I came to the strange conclusion. An outcome I hadn’t even considered. What happened to my car because I left the door unlocked?
Nothing.
Nothing happened. Guys didn’t cruise by on bikes and use flashlights to see if there was anything worth breaking into your car for. Windows weren’t smashed and even possible bags of something weren’t taken just in case there was anything remotely of value in them. No scavenging, no scouring, no theft, no rearranging, no nothing. Nothing happened.
What happens to your car if you leave it on the street at night unlocked?
Love this ‘occasional’ series… This post strikes a chord because we’re currently trying to get this house in shape for selling and twice (yes, twice) in the past 10 days I have gone to bed leaving the garage door wide open with masses of stuff on full display including a very nice bicycle – my car in front was left unlocked once too! But nothing was taken, nothing was even disturbed… For all our fears and scares people are fundamentally honest (not that I don’t check twice now).
Thanks for the note, Simon. Re-reading my post here, I realize how fed up I was with the crime in San Francisco. It was really starting to affect daily (or at least nightly) life. It’s nice to be in a place now where I don’t have to think twice about it and have completely different “concerns” in our new environment, like … how in the world do we bike home from basketball practice at 7:30 pm when it’s dark and snowing outside!?
Hope you’re well and that the move goes smoothly! The funny thing I now feel about our move (which took us a solid 4 months of brutal work, is that it’s all just a distant memory now and I’m just glad to be rid of STUFF.