r/UnethicalLifeProTips • u/PenGood • 1d ago
Automotive ULPT Request: How can I stop people from breaking into my truck?
In the past few months I've been broken into 5 times. They broke my window and instead of replacing it and having it broken again I just taped it up. Today I got to my car and someone stuck their arm through the tape. Didn't unlock the doors or take anything, I guess they just felt around?
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u/lazyesq 1d ago
Just leave it open and nothing in it. That's what my buddy had to do when it kept happening. Sucks, but beats replacing windows...
I mean, he even had an alarm. But the smash and grabs were so fast it was useless. And any satisfying booby-trap would probably result in either you going to jail, or revenge vandalism. So, unfortunately not a lot of options unless you can move to a better neighborhood.
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u/Quik-Sand 1d ago
Put a black trashbag over the window. Then, superglue razor blades at the slit for the window, at the location of the lock mechanism, the door handle, and one in the center between the two..
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u/Ok-Respond-9007 1d ago
Be careful with this. I knew a guy whose mailbox was getting smashed over and over, so he stuck bricks in there. A kid tried to hit it and managed to get paralyzed. Dude ended up doing a few years of prison for it.
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u/Nicholia2931 22h ago
I head the story of a guy in NYC who replaced his mailbox post with a 50ft steel I-beam. The snow plow hit it, totaled the truck, he was sued by the city, showed them the city signed off on the repair. The city couldn't determine if they were at fault for allowing him to replace his mailbox with stronger materials, or they were at fault for hiring a snow plow driver who was single handedly responsible for destroying over 300 residents mailboxes.
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u/Quik-Sand 1d ago
Im just saying, hypothetically, what if someone who was riding along left their dirty insulin needle loaded with insulin lying in an "inconvenient" location and had NO idea? Now, I know this is extreme, and I certainly don't advise this, and I definitely wouldn't resort to this.. As bad as it sounds, I believe I had rather get cut by the razors, then hit by that needle. Unless I misunderstand, how insulin works in a normal system. I wouldn't put this past someone who has become enraged with anger.. some people are not meant to be poked..
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u/spellboundartisan 16h ago
Someone local to me put a flashbang grenade in his center console. I know for a fact that one was triggered by a thief and the truck owner still baits his truck. Truck owner hasn't been caught because the thieves won't complain to law enforcement.
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u/Sentient_Spore 21h ago
Any way you can keep a camera on it? Even a fake camera can deter potential thieves. I used to get my packages stolen a lot, put an unplugged baby cam in an obvious spot and it stopped. (These days, I have real cams everywhere I can.)
If this doesn't work for you, obscure the windows, and just hang out in the vehicle with a bat. Good luck.
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u/Rude_aBapening 18h ago
I have a neighbor who has posted a sign on his truck that essentially reads "don't break into this truck, there are no valuable items and I've rigged it so you won't be able to even start it." Seems to work, but depending on your city, this may not work.
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u/Malfunction1972 1d ago
Glitter bombs strategically placed in glovebox, over visors, etc. Helps that I drive a beater and have no shame.
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u/somerandomidiot26 1d ago
leave something inexpensive in there for them to steal but plant a GPS tracker so you can find their home address, then start getting creative (spam mail, legal threats, napalm bombs, etc)