Theft Deterrent

["Thomas J. Harais" <tharais@domain.elided>]

Ladies & Gentleman:

I've read with great amusement all the ideas recently about "electric"
theft deterrents.

Just two months ago, some low life broke the passenger window out of my
Honda while it was parked at BART (mass transit rail system) and leaned
in and removed my Alpine CD player with a screwdriver or crow bar.

The Alpine had a removable face and I had the face off and locked in the
glove box. The creep pried open the glove box and got the face and
released my trunk and got my CD case and twelve CDs out of the trunk.
Hit three other cars in the same parking lot that day.

Damage to my car, in excess of $1,000. I had to have the window replaced
and most of the dash.

Street value of Alpine CD player; about $100. But the cop assured me
that "crack heads" don't care about dollar value only when they can get
their next "fix". He also assured me that, even though I had taken the
face off of the deck, "they would steal it anyway because they can go
down to The Good Guys and buy a new face for less than $50, no questions
asked."

The CDs taken is what really kills me. I am an afficianado of
traditional jazz. The CDs I had in the case are not generally available
in record stores. I had purchased them at various jazz festivals I have
attended. And, being of limited printings, they were usually $20 apiece
compared the the $6.99 or so I spend on mail order "common" CDs. The
ones taken are difficult and expensive to replace.

Worst of all, as you can tell by this post, I haven't quite gotten over
this yet. I want vengence; I want my pound of flesh; and I know I'm not
going to get it.

I purchased a new Alpine deck just before New Years. I was going to
install a 12 gauge shell behind it wired so the the next b*****d that
layed across the seat an pulled the unit out of the dash with a screw
driver would get the requisite face full of lead. But, my fiance', like
many of you was all upset saying I would go to jail, etc., etc.

And I guess that's my point. There is something wrong when someone goes
to jail because they prevented a criminal from taking their property!
Look how many people mentioned that on the Digest. Sure, we don't want
people setting up foolish traps where some innocent gets hurt. But what
jury of my 12 peers (digest members) is going to convict me of a crime
if some crook gets hurt while trying to steal my Scout?

If anyone figures out how to rig up the electric fence charger, please
let me know. I've been entertaining myself with fantasies of doing so
ever since my car was broken into. I just couldn't figure out how I was
going to turn it on and off without the theif being able to do the same.

Oh, and Tom, I thought your catch-them-in-the-act-while-toting-a-.45 was
one of the best. Sure, I know you wouldn't kill them but, could you
imagine the lesson the little low-life could learn when you turned to
Julie and said, "Maybe we should just shoot this one and bury 'em in the
compost pile. The last one made so much noise when we tortured him out
in the barn."

I guess that's why some of my freinds call me a redneck,

Tom Harais
'76 Terra 304/727/20