YYZ Employee parking lot

[cp fa]

Make sure you lock your vehicle doors, and don't leave anything in your vehicle that you don't want to donate to the intentionally unemployed. They've been making the rounds.

[Guest rozar s'macco]

Not usually a problem with pilot cars, you know chev, ford, Mazda, Honda. FA cars probably more of a target, BMW, Benz, Audi. Every time I think this is a stereotype I am proved wrong as another FA drives by me in her X5.

Don't take my wood $2 crappy tire ice scraper!

[blues deville]

Make sure you lock your vehicle doors, and don't leave anything in your vehicle that you don't want to donate to the intentionally unemployed. They've been making the rounds.

Thanks for the warning. The 5th level seems to have the only empty spaces when I show up. Hopefully the IU'd lose interest somewhere on the lower levels.

[cp fa]

Not usually a problem with pilot cars, you know chev, ford, Mazda, Honda. FA cars probably more of a target, BMW, Benz, Audi. Every time I think this is a stereotype I am proved wrong as another FA drives by me in her X5.

Interesting stereotype. I can only assume that these flight attendants married up. I, on the other hand, settled for a pilot, and our vehicles fit your profile.

Unfortunately our thief wasn't the slightest bit deterred by the rust spots on the hood.

BTW, this also applies to airport hotel parking garages as well. Our son, also a pilot, also not driving a luxury vehicle, had a similar incident last summer.

After you think you've locked your car, before you walk away, grab the handle and make sure it's locked.

[DEFCON]

If this sort of 'activity' is rampant and common; it doesn't leave one with the 'warm & fuzzies' with respect to one’s 'personal security', does it?

[cp fa]

Actually, you hit the nail on the head with respect to personal security. For me that's the bigger issue than the actual value of the articles which were taken.

Here's the list - I'd be interested in your comments:

Cellphone, bluetooth and charger

Parking lot pass

2 Spare keys for other vehicles, with clickers attached

Vehicle registration paper

Insurance paper

[Seeker]

Actually, you hit the nail on the head with respect to personal security. For me that's the bigger issue than the actual value of the articles which were taken.

Here's the list - I'd be interested in your comments:

Cellphone, bluetooth and charger

Parking lot pass

2 Spare keys for other vehicles, with clickers attached

Vehicle registration paper

Insurance paper

I do not leave spare keys, insurance papers or cellphone in my car at any time. i have a friend who is so worried that someone will break in to his car and find out his home address that he keeps his registration and insurance paperwork tucked behind the spare tire - his rationale is that this keeps those important papers with the vehicle but away from some nefarious person who might grab the garage door opener and, knowing the address from the paperwork, come over to the house and clean it out too. My wife insistes that we take the garage door opener into the house if we intend to leave the car in the driveway over night in case someone breaks the car window and then uses the opener to get access to all the expensive stuff inside the garage while we sleep. Anyway, the cellphone, charger and parking pass are easily dealt with, you're probably already on that. I'd be concerned about the keys and clickers though, especially since your address might be known from the papers - probably can't easily re-key the cars but a call to the dealer regarding changing the car-door openers/codes would be a good idea.

[cp fa]

I'd be concerned about the keys and clickers though, especially since your address might be known from the papers - probably can't easily re-key the cars but a call to the dealer regarding changing the car-door openers/codes would be a good idea.

That was my thought too, except that we live 3 hours from the airport, our address is rural, and the spare keys were for cars that don't live here.

If I lived in the city, I'd probably be a little more freaked out, but as it is, I'm just pi$$ed off.

BTW, there is a different procedure for a stolen parking pass than for a lost one. If your pass is stolen, you go to a different office to replace it, and it's free of charge. Unfortunately, that office was closed for their Christmas party yesterday, so we had to go for the $56 lost pass replacement fee.

Also, if you need to make a police report, you have to do it in person, and there is an office conveniently located in T1.

Anyway, lesson learned.

[Kip Powick]

Actually, you hit the nail on the head with respect to personal security. For me that's the bigger issue than the actual value of the articles which were taken.

Here's the list - I'd be interested in your comments:

Cellphone, bluetooth and charger

Your cellphone provider may be able to locate the phone if it has GPS enabled...and is on.

[blues deville]

I've personally had my onwn vehicle broken into a total of five times. Every place from underground condo garages, school and shopping center parking lots to finally my own driveway. Two of those times at home were a result of me being an idiot and leaving a door unlocked. A couple of CD players and GPS's later I've finally learned my lesson about locking my ride.

My wife's car was broken into this past summer while she attended a fund raiser at Richmomd Street church in Toronto. (No good deed goes unpunished) They did substantial damage to the car in an attempt to steal it but left behind several of the already mentioned items. According to the Metro police, this crack head area of TO is a serous car theft zone and the contents are of little interest. If there is a funny part of this story it was the sign on the parking meter that said "Security protected 24/7". We still cannot find out who owns this GTA outdoor lot.

I have recently seen security vehicles patrolling the garage levels on Viscount Dr. opposite YYZ's T3. I suppose its not that hard to jump those concrete barriers and gain access to hundreds of parked vehicles at any time of the day. I don't see how else you can get inside because I know the street level doors are locked.

So I will keep my eyes open and hopefully you will do the same for me if/when you're parking your car at the GTAA lots.

bd

[J.O.]

With what they are charging for employee parking, the GTAA can bloody well afford to put some security in place.

[Spinnaker]

In YYC they have been removing the whole vehicle. Ford F series trucks are the latest flavour.

[mo32a]

I just cut all my addresses off any forms in the car.

If thieves gain access to your cars registration and VIN they can go to a dealership and get duplicate keys made for - so that they can come back later and steal your entire car if you are parking in an employee lot or regular spot where they know you will return to.

In Vancouver a few years ago flight crew goes to employee lot late at night and finds three of their cars up on blocks and all their expensive wheels and tires missing. (I wont say if they were pilots or fa's )

[cp fa]

Your cellphone provider may be able to locate the phone if it has GPS enabled...and is on.

I don't think our cellphone had GPS, but since you mentioned it, I just realized I haven't seen our TomTom in a while... Oh crap.

[conehead]

Did you have your "home" programmed into it? If you did, the thieves now have directions to your house...

[cp fa]

Well, isn't this turning into a bad episode of "Home Alone"?

As I mentioned, we're 3 hours from the airport, and the keys they have are for a couple of 6 year old economy cars with high mileage that don't live here (gee, I hope they don't steal those!). Also, because we're in cottage country, the roads aren't accurately mapped out on some of these GPS devices, so before they get here, the roads are going to just disappear from the display.

And if they're really geniuses, and manage to find their way here, they'd best be careful where they step because we have a trapper coming in to lay traps to get rid of the beaver that's been deforesting our property and building a dam under our dock.

If they were that smart, and that motivated, they'd be working for a living.

[Thebean]

I just cut all my addresses off any forms in the car.

If thieves gain access to your cars registration and VIN they can go to a dealership and get duplicate keys made for - so that they can come back later and steal your entire car if you are parking in an employee lot or regular spot where they know you will return to.

In Vancouver a few years ago flight crew goes to employee lot late at night and finds three of their cars up on blocks and all their expensive wheels and tires missing. (I wont say if they were pilots or fa's )

Wheel locks will all but resolve that issue.

[Ex 9A Guy]

Wheel locks will all but resolve that issue.

Not she you can buy these cheap on eBay

Wheel Lock Master Set

[Kip Powick]

If you put on wheel locks

If you put you valuables away..out of sight

If the perp has internet access and if he/she really wants in your vehicle, there is nothing short of a motion detected/ activated explosive device that will keep him/her out.

There is little that can not be learned about B and E by Googling or You-Tubing....unfortunately

All you can do is make it less desireable for him/her to have a good reason to get in your wheels...so sad really.

[DEFCON]

cp fa

I think everyone's presented some pretty good, albeit after the fact suggestions. I’m guilty too, but this discussion has motivated me to get off my butt and remove anything with my name, address, etc, from my vehicle.

To say, petty thieves and worse, are destructive & costly critters might be an understatement? Presently, there is no effective ‘deterrent’ available at law that even remotely serves the ‘needs’ of the good people. The time for change; that is, the kind of change that provides an adequate demonstration in 'civil responsibility' to the offender (young or old), is long overdue?

[Seeker]

All you can do is make it less desireable for him/her to have a good reason to get in your wheels...so sad really.

Yup, all you can really do is make your car or your house less attractive to the thieves than the others around you. I was having a discussion about house locks with my building contractor and he told me a story about one of his clients who had spent the money to put in good solid doors with high quality locks - the thieves used a chainsaw to cut a hole in the wall beside the door! Obviously you should still make an effort to protect your stuff but if someone wants to get into your house or your car and they are determined.....it's pretty hard to guarantee that they won't.

[Kip Powick]

'course you could rent a trunk monkey.....

[manwest]

'course you could rent a trunk monkey.....

Thanks for jogging my memory, my favourite:

[blues deville]

Thanks for jogging my memory, my favourite:

Hilarious.

[boestar]

That's excellent.... I want one..

Locking your car is only a deterrent to amateurs. Getting into a locked car is relatively easy even in modern cars.

We had an FA who misplaced her keys years back. When I showed up there wer 5 guys and a coat hangar trying to break into the car. The case of slim Jim's was on the roof. I grabbed the slim Jim kit and took a blade. Went to the passenger door and had it open in about 30 seconds. I am far from a car thief but with some knowledge breaking into cars is not all that hard. Most thefts are smash and grabs or crimes of opportunity when a door is unlocked. Don't leave anything in your car.