My car was broken into last night

My car was broken into last night. This was the only time in 4 years that I'd left my GPS on the dash, so I accept that it's my fault. I was an idiot. In more ways than one, it turns out. But I submit that the thief is a bigger idiot.

Here is a list of the items in my car:
-GPS
-HP12c calculator
-Univ of MN Folio (blank & empty)
-Oakly X-metal sunglasses
-tootsie roll bank containing $1.26 in small coins
-12 chocolate chip cookies
-2 pair of winter gloves
-the vallet key TO MY CAR (oops!!)

Here is what I would have taken:
-GPS
-sunglasses
-calculator
-MY CAR

Here is what the thief took:
-GPS
-Gloves
-Bank
-folio
-1 cookie

WTF?!?

Don't know much about this GPS stuff... but is it separately addressable? Does it have a URL? Does it report its own location somehow in a manner other than simply displaying the data on its face?

Where is the nearest fence? Go get your GPS back.

Quote: FleaStiff

Don't know much about this GPS stuff... but is it separately addressable? Does it have a URL? Does it report its own location somehow in a manner other than simply displaying the data on its face?

Where is the nearest fence? Go get your GPS back.

The police now have the serial number. Apparently, they can track it when/if it gets turned on. And they'll circulate the model info and SN to area fences/pawn brokers. They were slightly optimistic that they'll find and return the GPS.

It occurs to me now that I left out the best part of the whole thing. The theif also left behind the wrench that he used to break my window. The police refuse to come out in person to collect the direct physical evidence related to the crime. But they took a very thorough report based on our phone interview. That was nice of them...

Sorry to hear that. That thief obviously doesn't know the second best calculator when he sees one. The best, by the way, is the 15C.' rel='nofollow' target='_blank'>http://cgi.ebay.com/HP-15c-Scientific-Calculator-/230524601770?pt=Calculators&hash=item35ac5645aa]15C. And the cookie?! I'm sorry to laugh at your misfortune, but just one? I guess it would have been bad manners to take more than that.

Quote: Wizard

Sorry to hear that. That thief obviously doesn't know the second best calculator when he sees one. The best, by the way, is the 15C.' rel='nofollow' target='_blank'>http://cgi.ebay.com/HP-15c-Scientific-Calculator-/230524601770?pt=Calculators&hash=item35ac5645aa]15C. And the cookie?! I'm sorry to laugh at your misfortune, but just one? I guess it would have been bad manners to take more than that.

The 15c is awesome, for sure. But the 12c does pretty much everything I need it to and costs less. And, actually, I think my TI BAIIplus is "better" from the standpoint that it's easier to use and teach on and almost as powerful.

As for the cookie, I don't know what happened there. Maybe they didn't want to take the tin and couldn't carry them all otherwise?

You must live in Oakland, CA if the cops won't come out to see you for a burglary.

Quote: Wizard

Sorry to hear that. That thief obviously doesn't know the second best calculator when he sees one. The best, by the way, is the 15C.' rel='nofollow' target='_blank'>http://cgi.ebay.com/HP-15c-Scientific-Calculator-/230524601770?pt=Calculators&hash=item35ac5645aa]15C. And the cookie?! I'm sorry to laugh at your misfortune, but just one? I guess it would have been bad manners to take more than that.

I just google imaged that calc, im sorry to see they stole your antique! I love my TI-89, it did all my work for me in high school/ college, I could never have passed math without it! Gotta love the algebra solver and calc integration/differentiation function!

I guess that makes my HP 11-C an antique also, eh?

However, it still runs strong and I use it pretty much every day!

AD

I didn't even know there was an 11-C. Widipedia has a page on the whole HP 10 series, which consists of the 10C, 11C, 12C, 13C, and 15c. I wonder why they skipped 14. One thing I love about the 15C is it can do combin and permut calculations. As far as I know, the 12C doesn't have those functions. Still, it is the reverse Polish notation that I can't live without.

I've had my same 15C since my father gave it to me as a high school graduation gift in 1983, and use it every day. My only problem with it has been several years ago it started giving goofy results. I was about ready to throw it away, but I checked the manual, and it showed a way to reset the register, or something like that, which made it good as new.

Quote: NicksGamingStuff

You must live in Oakland, CA if the cops won't come out to see you for a burglary.

When I called, they asked me the value of the items taken. Counting the cookie and the change, it's about $313. I guess they don't actively investigate anything under $1000. I was mad about that at first, but the more I think about it, the more I'm ok with it. I'm sure it would cost much more than $300 to investigate my claim, and I know there are serious budget problems involved.

Still, I'm sad that I need to pay to replace the GPS before my trip to Vegas next month, which will cut into my playing $$ for the trip. And the deductible on my insurance is $500, so it's basically worthless here.

May not have been his wrench, he might have just picked it up there or in some recent theft, but if there is dna on it, go for it!

The perp is not only a thief but also hostile to math. Clearly, he's no friend of the board.

My car was also burglarized this summer. I didn't lock it. The thief took my library card, the car charger for my cell phone and my passport, which I coincidentally had in my glove compartment. He also took the cap off my Tide-to-go. The passport was by far the most valuable thing taken, but I didn't file a police report and I'm ashamed to say have not reported the lost passport either. So there could be a guy traveling around using my identity as we speak...

Quote: NicksGamingStuff

You must live in Oakland, CA if the cops won't come out to see you for a burglary.

Once my car window was smashed in when parked in Long Beach, CA. So I called the Long Beach PD about it. As I recall, I didn't get to speak to a human being out it. Rather, their voice mail prompted me to report the crime on their answering machine. Of course nothing every became of it.

Quote: teddys

My car was also burglarized this summer. I didn't lock it. The thief took my library card, the car charger for my cell phone and my passport, which I coincidentally had in my glove compartment. He also took the cap off my Tide-to-go. The passport was by far the most valuable thing taken, but I didn't file a police report and I'm ashamed to say have not reported the lost passport either. So there could be a guy traveling around using my identity as we speak...

Filing the police report probably would have been a waste of time. However, I would report the passport stolen. I imagine you can indicate that as the reason for applying for a new one.

Quote: rdw4potus

This was the only time in 4 years that I'd left my GPS on the dash, so I accept that it's my fault.

I disagree that it's your fault. It's the fault of the person that stole your stuff. Fortunately I live in an area where not only don't we lock our vehicles, we most often leave the keys in them.

Mark

My house was broken into and burglarized about 10 years ago and the cop who came never got out of his car. He asked no questions, could care less. I did it for the police report he gave me, without one my insurance company wouldn't pay a dime.

Quote: Evenbob

My house was broken into and burglarized about 10 years ago and the cop who came never got out of his car. He asked no questions, could care less. I did it for the police report he gave me, without one my insurance company wouldn't pay a dime.

Wow, now that's a tough neighborhood when even the cops won't get out of their car.

Quote: marksolberg

I disagree that it's your fault. It's the fault of the person that stole your stuff. Fortunately I live in an area where not only don't we lock our vehicles, we most often leave the keys in them.

I agree. "Fault" is not the right word. Perhaps "causative agent" would be better.

Quote: EvenBob

My house was broken into and burglarized about 10 years ago and the cop who came never got out of his car. He asked no questions, could care less. I did it for the police report he gave me, without one my insurance company wouldn't pay a dime.

When my house was robbed here in Vegas a few years ago they sent over a cadet a few days later to do an initial report. She had someone come after that who dusted for prints. I've never heard a thing about it since.

Quote: Wizard

I've had my same 15C since my father gave it to me as a high school graduation gift in 1983, and use it every day. My only problem with it has been several years ago it started giving goofy results. I was about ready to throw it away, but I checked the manual, and it showed a way to reset the register, or something like that, which made it good as new.

I got mine in 1981. Don't use it every day any more but I'm sure it will outlive me. I think I've changed the batteries 3 times. Never a problem.

And Wizard - now that I have your attention, can I ask you to look at this thread and leave a comment?
https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/info/help/1473-messageboard-features-foe-a-newbie/2/#post27250

Quote: Wizard

When my house was robbed here in Vegas a few years ago they sent over a cadet a few days later to do an initial report. She had someone come after that who dusted for prints. I've never heard a thing about it since.

Cops don't care about burglaries. Something like 90% of them are unsolved. They're non violent, and the vast majority are covered by insurance. A smart burglar can get away with it for a very long time, until he gets shot by grandma or mauled by the Doberman. Cops are the least of his worries.

It used to be that cops would "clear" burglaries by happening to catch one guy and simply having him confess to several dozen burglaries. This helped with the statistics but had no relationship to reality at all. Most burglar alarms are false alarms. If its a real alarm the burglar has long since made tracks by the time the cops get there. Most municipalities give businesses and homeowners two free false alarms, after that they charge for a response.

From time to time one reads about burglars stealing active GPS systems or telephones that are GPS activated or laptops with GPS aware reporting programs that show the data everytime they are turned on or something. Some contractors at construction sites conceal GPS reporting devices inside of equipment or appliances.

High end luxury cars if stolen by Eastern European rings are often examined for GPS beacons and abandoned if anything suspicious is found upon either electronic or visual inspection. There are sometimes jurisdictional problems in getting police to respond to a low-ticket item that has been tracked to a different jurisdiction than the one it was stolen from but often one reads of entertaining incidents wherein the cops are given such precise geo-location data that they spend far more time getting the search warrant to look for additional stolen items in a home than they did to find that first item whose owner reported it as being fifteen feet inside the front door of a certain address.

Private detectives used to use cheap watches under a tire to let them know when someone had left his home, now GPS data logging is so much easier but courts are divided over spousal use of it and law enforcement use of it. California recently allowed police to attach a gps to a car in a driveway without any warrant at all. Colorado recently charged a private detective with stalking for using a GPS at the direction of a spouse.

I have no idea what a fence would pay for some of these stolen electronic devices but it may be that fences and therefore thieves will no longer take some items due to the risks involved.