Security

[R_wannabe_owner]

7 minutes ago, DustyBones said:

OP - if you are lucky enough to have a garage - clear it out and put the car away - and even better spend about 1k and get an electric door. Then you can put it away during the day as well, as its drive up, drive in.

 

The oldest adage of all.....Out of sight, out of mind.

I think that the size of a modern day car and the size of many garages is often the issue. For those lucky enough to have a garage, many cars have outgrown the ‘standard’ sized garage, and the number of cars per household also often exceeds the garage space, so some of a family’s cars need to be parked outside. However, where I live it’s also down to apathy of some people whose cars worth many thousands will fit their garage but those people would rather store a load of rubbish worth virtually nothing in the garage and leave their car outside to tempt would be perpetrators.
 

Fortunately, I live in a low crime area, but even in a low crime area, vehicle thefts can, and do, happen. In my street, I think I’m virtually the only person who bothers to garage their car, and it’s garaged unless I’m cleaning it or using it. Having a garage - or space for one - was a priority for me when I bought my house.

[NRW]

10 minutes ago, R_wannabe_owner said:

However, where I live it’s also down to apathy of some people whose cars worth many thousands will fit their garage but those people would rather store a load of rubbish worth virtually nothing in the garage and leave their car outside to tempt would be perpetrators.

An S3 is never garaged behind us.  Plenty BMW, Porsche, Audi, Range Rovers and Mercs left on drives too. 
And yes, I’m one of the very few who uses garage/garages for car parking, along with a near neighbour with an F Type convertible.   Private owners might care a bit more perhaps?

[Martin2]

2 hours ago, DustyBones said:

OP - if you are lucky enough to have a garage - clear it out and put the car away - and even better spend about 1k and get an electric door. Then you can put it away during the day as well, as its drive up, drive in.

 

The oldest adage of all.....Out of sight, out of mind.

We’re lucky to have that option and it it does give great piece of mind, especially now we’ve had a pair of high security electric roller doors fitted.  It also keeps a clean car that way, which feels better on a day to day basis than the security aspect!

[Chris7.5R]

Yes, I fully agree with all this. My only problem with my electric/secure garage is that it was built 35 years ago, when cars were about 3ft wide. I had to abandon BMWs after 22 years, as they're now only made for fat people, and the R was the only qualifying car that would fit. Apart from my neighbour opposite, with a very infantile noisy Focus, everyone around here uses their drive, or what used to be their front garden, or the kerb or the pavement. I dream of painting double yellow lines along the road one night.

[Martin2]

2 hours ago, Chris7.5R said:

Yes, I fully agree with all this. My only problem with my electric/secure garage is that it was built 35 years ago, when cars were about 3ft wide. I had to abandon BMWs after 22 years, as they're now only made for fat people, and the R was the only qualifying car that would fit. Apart from my neighbour opposite, with a very infantile noisy Focus, everyone around here uses their drive, or what used to be their front garden, or the kerb or the pavement. I dream of painting double yellow lines along the road one night.

I was only thinking about double yellows alongside my house last night!   Nearly all my neighbours park their cars in the road, the ones with garages generally use their drives but our house was built at the time when planners thought it would be nice for parking spaces and garages to be behind the houses, but people are too lazy.  The only near neighbour who uses his garage all the time has a 650S Spyder.
 

Annoyingly, the opening on the right hand garage door is fractionally wider than the one on the left which we use, but the left hand door opening is 2.1m wide, so no issues until you get past a 3 series size car even with the mirrors out.

 

 

[Chris7.5R]

1 hour ago, Martin2 said:

I was only thinking about double yellows alongside my house last night!   Nearly all my neighbours park their cars in the road, the ones with garages generally use their drives but our house was built at the time when planners thought it would be nice for parking spaces and garages to be behind the houses, but people are too lazy.  The only near neighbour who uses his garage all the time has a 650S Spyder.
 

Annoyingly, the opening on the right hand garage door is fractionally wider than the one on the left which we use, but the left hand door opening is 2.1m wide, so no issues until you get past a 3 series size car even with the mirrors out.

 

 

Just up the road from us is a reasonably busy bus route. All the houses along that road were planned with garages/parking at the rear. For a long time there was one stupid F###### who always parked on the road immediately opposite the bus stop. When a bus arrived no traffic could pass in either direction. Whenever I used the bus I would stand and hope for an HGV to wipe his car out. Eventually it did acquire a small dent but nothing changed until he moved house. Nobody these days cares about the law against parking near junctions or on blind bends and I don't look forward to the days of all-electric when we get mains leads trailed across the footpath. Insulated wire cutters will be in demand.

 

[NRW]

17 minutes ago, Chris7.5R said:

Insulated wire cutters will be in demand.

Future generations of kids will have fun disconnecting all the cars changing nearby. 😂

[Chris7.5R]

6 minutes ago, NRW said:

Future generations of kids will have fun disconnecting all the cars changing nearby. 😂

 

What about the current generation of grumpy old men? I'm thinking of wheeled Zimmer frames with Boadicea knives on the wheels. Would also do a good job of keying cars obstructing the footpath.

[NRW]

1 minute ago, Chris7.5R said:

Boadicea knives on the wheels

😂😂😂such items have often been suggested(recommended) for fitment to my Wheelchair....

 

still at the considering stage at the moment. 😂😂

I have wondered what would happen if I accidentally scraped a vehicle parked partly on the road, partly on the pavement in my attempt to negotiate the footpath.   Plenty park thus. Fortunately I havepublic liability insurance on my Powerchair should this ever happen - which is something I personally think Cyclists would do well to consider.    
Insurance might he’ll get the thread back to the original topic of Security!
Apologies for the diversion..😀

[R_wannabe_owner]

1 hour ago, NRW said:

Future generations of kids will have fun disconnecting all the cars changing nearby. 😂

And for those people who have to use street side charging facilities because they don’t have off street parking, they can look forward to kids - and drunken revellers after a night out - snapping off the open charging port flaps (currently aka petrol filler flaps) because they think it’s a fun thing to do 🤔.

[Martin2]

1 hour ago, NRW said:

😂😂😂such items have often been suggested(recommended) for fitment to my Wheelchair....

 

still at the considering stage at the moment. 😂😂

I have wondered what would happen if I accidentally scraped a vehicle parked partly on the road, partly on the pavement in my attempt to negotiate the footpath.   Plenty park thus. Fortunately I havepublic liability insurance on my Powerchair should this ever happen - which is something I personally think Cyclists would do well to consider.    
Insurance might he’ll get the thread back to the original topic of Security!
Apologies for the diversion..😀

I hate the idea of anyone deliberately damaging a car, but I don’t blame you at all for thinking it!   It’s bad enough when you have pram. 

[BernieMat]

So … three travellers (I know because I heard the camera audio) tried to steal my new mk8 golf on Friday at 5pm!!! I have a driveway, 3 rhino security bollards (all up), cctv and a house alarm. I am fuming as my 16yr old son was the only one in at the time and they smashed the front window - whilst he was panicking on the phone to me, terrifying for him.  Have I made a mistake buying an R or am I just unlucky? I can’t put my kids lives at risk - I had a good GTi mk7 performance for 6 years with not a sniff and no security bollards etc. Should I get a ghost immobiliser? Any advice on car security appreciated, i can post the video (filmed from my blackvue rear cam) which they weren’t aware of - they moved the other cctv cameras and it was a well planned job. My neighbours were on their driveway Too - they have no fear and I’m sure that’s why they come in numbers. I live in a nice area😬

[ExSkoda]

get a ghost it saved my last car and my new ones getting one fitted the day i get it,  also means you don't have to worry about faraday bags as they might unlock it but it they won't be able to start it.

[NRW]

6 hours ago, BernieMat said:

three travellers

 

I am Truly Sorry to hear of this ordeal.  An Awful thing to happen.  Hope your Lad quickly  feels better- so I’d be thinking the same way as you.  About it all.  My repertoire of Swear words won’t help here, but I”m guessing you anticipated this with added security measures needed above a GTI. 

 

Got to say, honestly, I would be un-nerved by this.   I am fortunate that my Car is only rarely “on display” on the drive, languishing in our garage behind a remote door, - and in any case we too live in a decent area where there are far richer pickings nearby for such Scrotes.  I’m not so hung-Ho now as I was in earlier years. 

 

The Ghost is worth considering carefully. They’d only get your R by winching it onto a trailer, without the code.  But that’s a concern too, as they’d likely want the code from you/yours.   A tracker might interest you, but so might comprehensive GAP cover - so if the worst happens you get put back to square one, financially at least, over your ownership.

 

It’s down to different personality / mind set.  Is it “this car isn’t worth this sort of stress & hassle” which we’d all respect.   Or is it “ Ive worked hard, saved, sacrificed to get this car and I’m going to get my enjoyment from it” which would be readily understood too, along with the attached risks.   

I can’t decide for you, and you might feel differently once the shock, fear and anger subside over time.    But the idea of other family getting caught up in it is the hardest aspect and most difficult to resolve.  I couldn’t put a car in front of family.

if I think seriously of the same events unfolding for me, even tho Lovely wife would be saying for me to keep it as long as I wanted…..honestly, I’d be 100% looking at new  car adverts and getting valuations from Trade sources to get out of the R.   Your unlikely to lose much, if anything. Get a lesser model. You can always return in a few years if you still have the itch.  

My views & thoughts only here.  All you can do is what you feel is right and best - so whatever you decide is fine with me.  Good luck, and better days ahead for all of you. 👍

[Booth11]

@BernieMat What a truly awful ordeal. I do hope your son is ok, it must have been terrifying for him, and for the whole family.  It’s difficult but family comes first.