Hole in the Door Theft

I get a lot of the ideas for my columns from the emails I receive from you, my readers and co-respondents,  This is one of those instances.

I got an email alert about a 'new' method of theft called, 'Hole in the Door'.  It is highly debatable how new it is -- the email message has been circulating since 2010 -- but the message itself is mixed with truth and garbage.  My biggest problem with it was that it didn't give any avoidance tips to prevent the theft happening to you.

If you care to read the message, I've provided the Snopes.com link, but even it doesn't do justice to the urban legend, and there are some nonsense statements in the telling, so I am going to augment the advice given.  I'll just summarize the 'Hole in the Door' alert here.

Essentially, the would-be thief either drills or punches a small hole just below the keyhole and then works a wire into the opening to manipulate the lock and open the door. After gaining access to the passenger compartment, he has free rein to take whatever you have left in there.  One juicy item is your GPS unit, because the thief can learn your home address and do a double theft while you're out shopping.

Here are my tips to avoid this type of crime:

1. Never put your actual home address into your GPS unit.  You know your way home, so the only reason you ever set the unit to take you there is to calculate the diving time and arrival estimate.  Why give a thief that valuable information by putting it in your GPS?

Instead, put in the address of a business on a street a couple of blocks short of, but on the way to, your home. 

The reason for the address on another street is that most of us also have a garage door opener remote on the visor.  The would-be thief can use it to open your garage door if you use an address close to yours. Make the address one that is far enough away from yours that this won't happen.  A business address is good, if there is one close to your home, but I prefer to use a non-existent number on the street that provides entry to my neighborhood.

2. Do not leave any valuables on seats or in visible locations inside the vehicle. Put any of these items in the trunk or glove box.  That includes your mobile GPS unit. In other words, don't put the prize in plain sight.  Anyone should know and practice this rule, but some of us do get lazy about stowing the obvious items away. Leaving a purse, or even a bag with a recent purchase, on or behind the seat is an invitation to the thief.  If no booty is visible to the thief, chances are he will skip your vehicle and try another.

3. Park in a well lighted and high traffic area.  people who park in areas where no other cars are around to avoid door dings, or for any other purpose, are more susceptible to theft.  Trying to be 'out of the way' provides more security for the thief to work on your vehicle without detection.  The more people who observe a person attempting to break into a vehicle, the more chance they will report it, or at least scare him off.

If you follow these three tips, I believe you'll have a much better chance that the 'Hole in the Door' trick, and any other vehicle theft attempts will never occur.  I know the last one goes against what many of us have practiced all our adult lives, but it really makes more sense.  I'll take a door ding any day in preference to the theft of my property.