Beware Out There

[contender]

cas,,, I too know how to pick a handcuff lock. BUT,,,,,,,, as noted,, the "smash & grab" thieves won't want to spend too much time trying that. Usually. As mentioned, a determined & prepared thief can overcome a lot. If you can call it "lucky" we can get lucky in that many of these types of thefts & crimes are done by the quick smash & grab thugs.

Dick is right though. We have a dialogue going on.

Todays world is full of too many thugs doing too many things without the fear of serious repercussions. IF,, IF,, they get caught, they don't get severely punished,, if punished at all. The system is overloaded, over worked, and w/o the facilities to house all the thugs. And the facilities,, they aren't a deterrent anymore. They've made jail, prisons "soft" to where thugs carry their jail time like a badge of honor. Plus,, they learn MORE illegal skills while there.

We as honest folks,, need to determine what measures we can take to prevent the loss of our property, that works for our uses, in our areas, as best as we can.

One of my friends has a dog he takes with him to a lot of places. The dog is not friendly to strangers. He lets the dog be his security while he does his errands around town. Works for him, but extended periods,, not as much. But he rarely goes very far or away from his vehicle for long periods. Just another option to consider.

[rufus]

I love the hand cuff idea
Cheap and easy

[bigbore5]

My blue pit loves to ride and is very protective of the truck, but we're in the South. She'll cook if left in the truck!

[brant]

I had a cur dog that went with me everywhere but work and church. In the summer, I would leave him in the jeep with it running and the a/c on. Locked the door and had a 2nd key with me. You would have had to kill him if you tried to get in that jeep. My wife had a blood hound that wasn’t aggressive at all. She would also leave her in her truck locked with the a/c on.

I have been using a cable and lock for years when forced to leave it in the car.

[dougader]

Jun 22, 2023 20:28:31 GMT -5 cas said:

Jun 22, 2023 16:37:44 GMT -5 contender said:

using handcuffs.

Oooof. Meaning I would have been able to steal it with a paper clip when I was still in elementary school.

Not trying to pick on you, most locking consoles and auto lock boxes people use for these can be opened in seconds by even a novice.
Security is an illusion. People will say they're looking for easy targets of opportunity and won't bother. Perhaps. But if they have the ability and equipment to unlock modern cars electronically, they can rake a wafer lock.

I have a thin piece of tin about 1/8" wide that disengages the teeth on handcuffs faster than I can open them up with the key(s) that came with the cuffs.

[sixshot]

I remember back when I was in the military & stationed in Texas that a lot of guys used a small belt & wrapped it around the steering wheel 2-3 times & then attached it to their holster & pulled it up tight, you would be amazed how concealed it was. Of course it wasn't locked but you could sure get to it in a hurry & when I started doing it I don't remember anyone ever seeing it until I pulled it out or told them about it. Try one & see what I mean.

Dick

[kevshell]

Jun 23, 2023 22:07:52 GMT -5 bigbore5 said:

My blue pit loves to ride and is very protective of the truck, but we're in the South. She'll cook if left in the truck!

That's exactly how we got one of our pit bulls. An officer broke the window out of a vehicle about this time of year but 7 years ago. It was a hot steamy day and they left the dogs in the car with the windows rolled up and no air conditioning. The officer gave him a choice of getting some hefty tickets or surrendering the dogs. She was a small puppy at that time.

[cas]

Jun 25, 2023 11:44:08 GMT -5 dougader said:

I have a thin piece of tin about 1/8" wide that disengages the teeth on handcuffs faster than I can open them up with the key(s) that came with the cuffs.

My brother in law was a LEO,. used to lock his service revolver up in camp with his cuffs. Then I opened them with a paper clip (even double locked) Single locked I really shocked him by doing it with a thumb tack. When I was little I had plastic cuffs and would always break them. So they bought me real ones. That started on the lock picking trail very early.

[nicholst55]

Jun 25, 2023 8:57:00 GMT -5 brant said:

I had a cur dog that went with me everywhere but work and church. In the summer, I would leave him in the jeep with it running and the a/c on. Locked the door and had a 2nd key with me. You would have had to kill him if you tried to get in that jeep. My wife had a blood hound that wasn’t aggressive at all. She would also leave her in her truck locked with the a/c on.

I have been using a cable and lock for years when forced to leave it in the car.

Here in Houston a local K9 officer had his dog die recently while locked in the car.  The engine died for whatever reason, and the backup safety system that's supposed to blow multiple fans on the dog, roll the windows down, and activate the lights and siren to alert the LEO failed.  He was attending training, and had been checking on the dog during every break.  Everything was fine right up until it wasn't.

And speaking of handcuffs, I would think that a cable lock and one of those round, hardened padlocks intended for U-Haul trailers might be a better alternative.  You could run the cable through the seat frame, then through the trigger guard of the gun, and hang the padlock on it.