Today some parts arrived a few days earlier than expected, so I decided to get started on my current project a few days ahead of schedule. I was so excited that I burst out of the front door headed toward the driveway with a bunch of parts in hand... and then I realized that I had startled a punk kid who was lurking between two of my cars.

I knew that he was up to nothing good, as when he saw me he was startled and immediately started heading in the opposite direction to escape. One of his friends was suspiciously standing down the block, in the middle of the street, watching him as if he was a look-out.

I tried to be friendly and ask what's up, just to see what kind of information I could get out of him. He told me that he was looking for work. I didn't believe him for a second. But I remained friendly, told him that I didn't have anything for him right now -- unless he could do brake work. I told him that I might have some yard work for him in the future, so I asked for his name and where he lived.

How do you feel about this? He was clearly trespassing, as he had no business standing between my cars in my driveway, and he was displaying WAY too much specific interest in my cars for someone who claimed to be looking for work. I honestly think that he was on a dare from one his friends, perhaps looking to abscond with any tools that I might have left outside while I went inside for parts. You know how it is with young kids -- they don't have cars or money, and they want an easy way to get one or the other. In this case the kid was clearly checking out the cars, if not casing the joint for tools that could be snatched and hocked for spending money.

Now that I've got kids that are "too interested" in what's in my driveway, I need to think about theft deterrence, surveillance, etc.

 

Even if he was innocently looking at your car, he could have been startled and embarrassed.

 

Don't be too quick. When I was a kid, I ventured onto other people's property to look at interesting old cars any number of times. I never touched them, but I sure took a good look. I don't remember getting caught but if I had, I'm sure I would have come up with some equally cockamamie excuse.

 

I met a guy on here that way sort of just seen his car in the drive way after a couple days of drive byes I stopped and rang his bell told him I was auto stalking him . ended up we worked in the same field and talk from time to time.
I had a Pontiac at the time he has a Chevelle now

 

I got caught one time looking at a guys car! I told him i couldn't help myself. It was a 1970 forrest green gtx four speed with a slap stick duel fours. He had just bought the car new had window sticker.

 

Since I live in the city on occasion I have seen people walking down my driveway and looking in house windows. When asked what they wanted they would say oh am looking for house number (senseless number) and move on. I knew on these occasions they were "window shopping" for free items. What can you do but keep alert and dont leave anything around that may "walk".

 

I was washing my 72' in the driveway one day and a rather looking scuzzy guy was riding by on his bike. He stopped and was oohing & ahhing about the car. He then started asking questions like where I keep it, do I drive it often and stuff that made me leary. From that point forward the car stays in the garage with the door closed and if I do anything to it, it's in the back of the house by the garage (garage is behind the house). Too many creeps out there.

 

I had midnight visits from the local "yutes" who looked at my ashtray change as theirs... and the POS camera, and a radar detector...

I put the driveway alert motion sensor IN the vehicle and the noisemaker in the house, and trained the dog that when that sound happens we go to the vehicle to get a treat.

3am one day the little thieves set off the detector.
I happened to be awake.

They took off running... turns out I can't run like an 18 yr old anymore.
The dog [pit bull] caught him at the road, but is not trained to take down a person.

But, he stumbled, and dropped all my change, change holder, dollars, and HIS PHONE

Oh man I had fun with that.

 

Nothing innocent when you have a lookout standing down the road.

 

If he was admiring your car he would have immediately said so. The little turd was looking to rip you off.

 

This^^^^^

A little background may help as well where I live anyone in my driveway looking at stuff is several hundred feet from the road and clearly doesn't belong there. Also approximate age, if it's a couple 10 yo I wouldn't think to much of it, a couple 16 yo or older you may want to take some additional preventative measures.

 

I wouldnt sweat it, there is no way to know for sure what they were up to maybe no good maybe not....but whatever, you walked in on them and identified them so if they were up to no good they probably will pick another target

 

These 16-year-old kids didn't have any interest in my classic Oldsmobile. Maybe they would have cared if I had a late '60s 442, but they have zero interest in my grandpa-looking sedan.

Every kid in the neighborhood knows about the car. They know that I started working on it while the snow was still melting and that I've been outside working on it every day that it hasn't been raining for the past 2 months. They see me working on it when they walk home from school. What's not too surprising is that the kid was was totally disinterested in my Olds and was spending his time coveting my little German sport sedan. Those are just the kind of cars that young kids like, not my 50 year old 4-door Rocket.

> I put driveway alert motion sensor IN the vehicle and the noisemaker in the house

I've been thinking that it's time to stop being lazy, and to put the steering wheel "club" on the cars to deter people who like to peer into windows. And to block them into the driveway by parking a rusty old pickup at the end of the driveway.

I really like the idea of a "driveway alert motion sensor" but I'm not sure what they are or where to find one. If you could give me any direction in that regard I'd appreciate it. I don't have a garage at the house, I have to park the "special" cars in an off-site garage. So I need an outdoor solution for the driveway.

I like the way you think. Giving a treat at the car is the right way to condition a dog to alert you to outside noises. Dogs bark for a reason. It doesn't make sense to tell them to be quiet until after you find out why they're barking. Otherwise you'll end up training them not to bark.

 

Ya removed the attachment, before it could be seen, musta had second thoughts.

 

Nope cant get the dam thing to up load too many rules! I got it to up load pdf style but that forced us to click on the link verses just showing it...new computer HATE IT!

 

Thats better

 

I agree that if the kid were interested in the car from an enthusiast's perspective, then he would have said so, and he would have asked more questions. I think he immediately wanted to flee because he felt guilty -- he was caught in the act of thinking about doing something dishonest. That look-out down the street really makes me doubt his innocence.

I definitely need an active theft deterrent. Maybe something like this?

 

Watch the Clint Eastwood movie "Gran Torino".

 

Easy way ... take a picture. The knowledge that I've got his face ready to show a cop if there's so much as a blade of grass missing from my yard has kept my property safe for a good while now.

 

That is a great movie. It was good enough that I bought the DVD after I saw the movie.

 

Drive way alerts can be had for cheap at Harbor Freight+/- $15.00? or I saw some at the Rural King today for about $10.00.

 

This is exactly what I was thinking.

 

I think you did good. I would say that they were up to no good.

 

if it happens again have ur phone ready and take a pic of him then call the cops

 

sorry I thought everyone has seen these

http://www.harborfreight.com/wireles...tem-93068.html

two or 3 mods I made
I put a switch in the sender so I can turn it on and off as needed

I painted the sender black except for the window over the heat sensor. It blends. Added a steel hook backside to hang it from the headliner trim if I want. Often I just set it in the dash, aimed at the seat. Unless the door is opened, it will not trip. At that point, the yute is for sure violating my property.

I put a momentary speaker kill switch on the receiver- because it executes a light and sound self test when you turn it on, and the sound gets the dog excited. So, I push the sound kill button, turn it on, observe the light show, then release the button. Also good for testing the sender w/o the sound slash dog issue.

Oh and the sender can be put ANYWHERE
driveway
garage
shed
backyard
etc.

 

My thought are he was looking for something to steal to sell for money for beer/drugs/smokes/playboys/ etc.

My driveway is a bit different. I have an alley/common driveway that runs behind all the houses on my street and the next street over. I do live in Philly, but it's the really nice part of town where people have a little bit of money.

There is a little pothead punk that scopes out the neigbhood and tries to open every car on both sides of the driveway around 2-3am maybe lilke every 6 weeks or so. A lot of people have 2 cars in the driveway. One guy has 3, and I have 4 when the Alero has to be parked outside

I tell my g/f to lock her car every night. She does. This kid will jimmy every handle on the block. He tripped the Alero's alarm one night (the only car of the 4 that the alarm is triggered by pulling the handel).

They don't want to break the glass, too much noise. If the door is unlocked, they will toss the car. Glove box, center consol, and probably pop the trunk if they can.

This happened to my ex-wife's Altima right before we got married. She never locked her doors because "People don't break into cars in Newtown, PA. It's too nice of an area" (okay stop laughing and read) but the thing is, where there are people that have a little bit of money, these things do happen. They know people have this train of thought, and there's usually something good in the car, like my ex's GPS.

He's not instersted in the car, he's interseted aboout what's inside the car.

 

Oh and they won't hit cars on the street, too well lit at night

 

Stuff them in the trunk of a 98.

 

Thanks.

 

Man, sure makes me glad that I live in the neighborhood I live. The other night I had the keyfob in my pocket and accidentally held the 'unlock' button for several seconds, which causes all the doors to unlock and the windows to roll down. Only noticed it in the next morning when I was gonna go to work and the car was there *wide open*. Nothing missing, nothing misplaced. Even with a $400 radar detector on the windshield.

--
Dante