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Comment by alkonaut | Hacker News Reader

Most likely thing to be stolen from my car is probably wheels, catalytic converter. Both of these require jacking up the car, shoving some bricks under it, and stripping the parts in a matter of minutes. All I need from an alarm is something that takes care of that scenario.

If someone steals it the car they have - as the article says - likely done it the easiest way: they walked in my unlocked front door and took my car keys when I wasn't looking.

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Definitely one reason is this. I was surprised to hear about the catalytic converters recently, the amount of palladium in them is worth the risk. SUVs and trucks targeted because of higher clearance, Hondas and certain manufacturers have more in them than others. Battery-operated reciprocating saw (Sawzall), easy and fast enough to do it while you're in the grocery store.

My next door neighbor's catalytic converter was in the process of being stolen when the neighbor on their other side came home a few weeks ago. Luckily that scared off the would-be thieves. Needless to say, he parks his truck inside their gate now.

Depends where you live. Where I’m living it’s also the Motor Vehicle Inspection Sticker. Here every 1/2/3 years (depending on the age) you need to get your car inspected and they give you a sticker if you pass.

People steal the stickers to drive cars that either rail inspector or know it won’t pass. Last year someone broke my driver side window and manage to remove my sticker.

Do the stickers not have identifying details like the car’s plate number?

Someone needs to look closer than they actually would to check that level of detail. If you have the right color for this year you are good unless they really want to get you for something else.

In Nova Scotia, Canada ours does have an identifying detail. It has the number of the relevant inspection. It’s suppose to be applied by the garage. You as the car owner are not suppose to be able to remove and reattach it.

The other guy is right. If the colour matches and the month is good they won’t catch it unless they are being super careful. It’s not 100% but like 95%.

I think modern car alarms would get triggered if the car got jacked up. Even on quite calm seas the alarm goes off on some cars parked on RORO ships, just from the vibrations.

Even if cars had such an alarm they would just start snipping the battery before doing anything else, which then means they can also open the doors without an alarm and steal more shit like airbags, battery, ect.

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