It finally happened to me.

[Burning Petard]

I have heard about this stuff for a long time. A fellow worker had luggage stollen out of his rental car, supposedly by someone just driving around the parking lot, clicking a key fob until finally a trunk popped open.

I pulled into a parking space at a restaurant for the bargain breakfast for old geezers. After I got out I punched the button on the key fob for my 6-year-old Toyota--to lock it. As I did it, the horn on the Jeep next to me honked. I did it again and both cars beeped and flashed their lights. So finally I matched some other nearby car with the same electronic lock code. A first for me. But After I finished my breakfast my car was still there and I had no problems.

snailgate.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Put me in mind of this: (and even a non-Afrikaans speaker should have no problem understanding)

Hint: 'ek' = I

[Burning Petard]

Well, Maj Gen'l sir, that does sort of put it all in a different perspective. Thank You. Snailgate

[ex-khobar Andy]

A friend of mine had his baggage stolen from his car in London. As he left the car he locked it with the fob. Some car thieves nearby had some sort of radio device which picked up the signal from his fob and could duplicate it. They waited until he had gone into his office or whatever; opened the car by duplicating the signal; and walked off with his stuff. The cops told him this was a common technique. This must have been 10+ years ago and I think technology has advanced.

[ex-khobar Andy]

And BTW for a similar reason I never put 'home' into my GPS. (I put in a supermarket a mile or so away.). If the car is ever stolen they have your home address on the GPS and a garage door opener.

[Big RR]

Andy--do you keep your registration in the car (mine is in the glove box)? It should also have your address (I didn't check, but i think an insurance card should have your address also). I know they say you shouldn't keep it in the car, but when it can be driven by more than one person, it is inevitable.

[Crackpot]

I love me some stollen

[BoSoxGal]

Does that have a scone like texture, or more like pound cake, or what? In any case I would nosh on it.

[Big RR]

I'm not sure of that one, but stollen is more like a sweet bread, kind of like a scone. Different countries/people spice them differently.

[ex-khobar Andy]

Andy--do you keep your registration in the car (mine is in the glove box)? It should also have your address (I didn't check, but i think an insurance card should have your address also). I know they say you shouldn't keep it in the car, but when it can be driven by more than one person, it is inevitable.

Well yes and no. If they look in the glove box they won't find it.

Do they tell you not to keep these in the car? Cops - any least on YouTube - always want license, registration and insurance.

[Bicycle Bill]

While it's true that with the information on the registration and insurance confirmation paperwork thieves could theoretically determine your home address — and if you have an automatic garage door opener (which I don't...  I don't even have a garage!) they COULD use that to access your garage and from there your house.   But in Wisconsin (and probably most other states) one can enter the license plate number in the DMV website online and get the same information...

And besides, as Iago said in Shakespeare's play, Othello —

"Who steals my purse steals trash;  'tis something, nothing;  'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands."

-"BB"-

[BoSoxGal]

Just yesterday I got around to putting the accordion leatherette folder with all the books and stuff for my Corolla into the glovebox.

I forgot that I'd also put the spare keyfob in there and today my car refused to lock it kept sending me messages the doors are unlocked but when I tried to lock them remotely from my phone it sent me messages telling me it detected a key fob in the car. So yay I guess this means I'll never lock my keys in the car again?

Also have always kept my registration in the vehicle. Cops don't like it when you don't have it with you, I think it is technically a status offense in most jurisdictions?

[Big RR]

It can even be worse; I had a client who was at a pool party and went out to get ice in his suit and a t shirt; he got stopped by the police and had nothing--no license since he didn't have his wallet--only some cash in his pocket--or the registration/insurance (it was someone else's (who kept these in a wallet or purse) car and the car matched the description of a stolen one. He had trouble getting hold of anyone and spent several hours in lockup before someone came to post bond. It was eventually dismissed, but if he had the registration he probably would have gotten a ticket fro driving without his license and been on his way.