
One of the most useful places you can use a GPS system is in your car. How many times have we all gotten lost and wish we had someone or something to tell us exactly where to go? How much time would we save if we never got lost again? Unfortunately, there is a dark side to using a GPS system in your car: theft! Leaving your GPS in your car after you park makes you a prime target for car prowls. In these tough economic times, thieves are more desperate for quick cash, and smash-and-grab crimes are on the rise. They often take less than 60 seconds to complete, and since most prowls occur between midnight and 6 a.m., most people don’t discover their car window smashed and GPS gone until they go to work in the morning.
My friend was recently the victim of a car prowl. She left her Garmin dash mount GPS in her car, in full view of any passerby. One morning she discovered that it was missing, and her driver’s side window was shattered. Not only did she have to buy a new GPS, but she had to have her window replaced. If you invest in a high-quality system, recovering from a car prowl is especially costly. Do yourself a favor to prevent this crime and never leave your GPS or any other valuables in your car – even hiding it in a glove box or the trunk isn’t a guarantee that it will be safe.
