Honey, Go Warm The Car Up, Please

"Honey, can you warm the car up please!"

You grab your fuzzy slippers, make a mad dash to the car to start it up, and run back inside to finish filling your coffee cup up. As you try to decide which tie to grab out of the back closet, your car is leaving the driveway. The car thief's inside are thinking how nice it was for you to warm up their new ride. Gone in 60 seconds? Try about 20!

As we experience these wonderful little frigid spells we are having, it is all too tempting to use the "car warm up time" to get those last minute tasks done in our hurry to get out the door. Criminals know this will happen, and frequently cruise the streets to watch for that telltale wisp of smoke coming out of the tailpipe like it was yesterday around this time of morning. Some of you try to assuage your fear of this by locking the door on the car. You didn't put a stop sign up, you installed a small speed bump.

So to all you guys and gals out there that are feeling a little guilty reading this, lets work on a new routine for the new year and at the same time help curb car thefts by a major percentage.

* Ideally, just embrace the different weather, think of August in MS, and shiver it out inside the car until it gets warm and all the ice melts off the windshield

but, thats probably not going to happen so:

* If your car is running, keep your eyes on it or be inside of it! <---numero uno rule

* Do not let yourself get distracted from watching the vehicle/area if you are inside the house

* Scan the street for unusual vehicles when running outside to crank it. If you were going back inside to stand at the window watching, do so but randomly come right back outside, as if you forgot something, and scan street again. Exercise the peripheral vision. Report any suspicious vehicles.

* Lock the doors (make sure you have another key!). Yes it is a speed bump, but it may be enough of one to stop a theft, since you WILL be watching.

* If you warm up your car inside the garage, make sure the door is cracked open a bit, but not enough for a person to slip through. Fumes...gah!...choke.....!!

* Only use the ignition key for the car while running. Do not use your key ring with your house, business, other car sitting in driveway, and mom's house keys on it

* Do not leave your briefcase, purse, laptop bag, or Iphone all sitting out on the front seat. As a matter of fact, NEVER have any of that stuff sitting on the front seat in view unless you are sitting beside them. Ever. Never.

Just by modifying our actions a bit on these cold mornings, we can possibly save ourselves a nightmare of problems, drive down the Comstat numbers a bit, and generally make our neighborhoods a safer place. Criminals rely on peoples routines, and will strike at the first opportunity. If you break your routine now, and they notice you watching the vehicle and area, they will most likely move on to easier pickings or hopefully go home and sulk.

Be safe in 2010!

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