Parking tip

[hogrod]

@bugsmasher69 wrote:

Also leaving personal information like phone numbers out where anyone can see them isnt the best idea either with all the identity theft that goes on.

Get a grand central phone number for free, you can forward the calls to any number. I have one and use it anytime I am asked for my phone number. It’s also really nice to screen/block unwanted calls. You get to choose where your number is from, so I got a number in another state so my family can make a local call when calling me.
http://www.grandcentral.com/

I only give out my real phone number to family and friends. 😀

[-cheeto-]

I find this story quite odd, unless there is a heavy snowfall and your car is blocking the roadway for snowplows, don’t most police tag a vehicle 24hrs before it gets towed?
Either The car was seen parked there a couple days in a row or the cop wasn’t following normal procedures.

Nope, wasn’t winter. Story is true. The cop had called my home # then apparently 5 minutes later called a towing company. Not sure what proper police procedure is in this case but he definitely was not interested in tagging the vehicle only towing.

You just never know what “procedure” a police officer will follow whether its regarding parking or anything else.

I agree, if you are carrying tons of high cost stuff in your vehicle then you should not advertise you’ll be gone. Alternative is not to carry high cost items in your vehicle! Then they can never get stolen! 🙂 If they steal your vehicle, well then that’s what you buy car insurance for and that will give the police something legitimate to be doing rather than ticketing and towing vehicles that may be parked in legit spots.

I still think if your out caching alone it looks like a good idea to leave one of these in your vehicle. Particularly from a safety standpoint which is what this looks like it was designed for, not necessarily from a “dont tow my car” perspective which is probably just a side benefit.

I think everyone will think what they want to think about the idea. Personally for someone who doesn’t carry much in my vehicle and I drive a vehicle that I bought for under 10 grand and I have car insurance and I have a cell phone owned by my employer that is not in my name all those things add up to thinking there’s not much that would persuade me not to utilize this in the future. If you carry tons of electronics in your car, own a 30 thousand dollar SUV, and live in a high crime area well all those things point to maybe skipping on this idea when you are caching.

-cheeto-

[TyeDyeSkyGuy]

I love the placard, thanks.

If anyone wants to try and break in either of the cars we use to cache, they’ll just hear our alarms, which should stop anyone. If not, I’m insured.

[EnergySaver]

Usually I’m the nervous sort … but I don’t get …

#1 How does someone having my cell phone number lead to identity theft? Sure maybe it leads to getting prank phone calls from some total stranger. In fact I’d rather a stranger have my cell phone number than my home phone number … can’t tell if I’m home or not by calling my cell phone, as I’ll answer it either way.

#2 If there’s a note in my car window that I’m geocaching … while would someone assume there’s a GPSr in the car … I would assume there’s NOT a GPSr in the car, as the dudes using it right now. Besides, who says the note has to saying I’m cachine, it could say I’m hiking.

#3 If you don’t put what time your returning on the note … the “bad guy” must assume you are going to return at any time. If I was wanting to break into someones car, having no note at all tells me the same thing as a note with no time limit saying I’m hiking. Either way it’s an empty car. At least with a note, it means I am coming back … no note could mean the car broke down and will be easy pickings until the guy comes back with gas in 3 hours. Think about it … no note = do I see a guy walking down the road, if no, then the coast is clear … with a note saying the owner is hiking = he/she could pop out of the woods any moment.

[hogrod]

@EnergySaver wrote:

Usually I’m the nervous sort … but I don’t get …

#1 How does someone having my cell phone number lead to identity theft?

#2 If there’s a note in my car window that I’m geocaching … while would someone assume there’s a GPSr in the car … I would assume there’s NOT a GPSr in the car, as the dudes using it right now.

#3 If you don’t put what time your returning on the note … the “bad guy” must assume you are going to return at any time. If I was wanting to break into someones car, having no note at all tells me the same thing as a note with no time limit saying I’m hiking. Either way it’s an empty car.

1. It’s just a small piece of the puzzle. They also have your Plate number, and probably your name/address off your vehicle registration once they get inside the car. Obviously you have never been harassed/stalked by anyone. Once the thief has your number, they can call and see if your home so they can also burglarize your house.

2. I would also assume there is no gps in the car, but I bet there’s a laptop or other “cool” gadgets. how many of you use one unit in the woods & another to navigate to the cache?

3. If someone wants into your car nothing is going to stop the thief. Leaving a note though is gives the thief more info about you so its like an open invite. Your right though, DON’T post the time you left your car if your leaving a note.

[kansas64]

Wow Hogrod,
If I wanted to steal somebodys ID, I wouldn’t take all the steps you are describing, that would be exhausting besides difficult. All they need is your name and a rough idea what city you live an in minutes a good one can have your social security..all much faster and easier. I deal with ID theft all the time in my line of work (and no I am not involved in police work or anything like that)

[-cheeto-]

I deal with ID theft all the time in my line of work

So what you’re sayin’ is don’t get on your bad side?

[lone_gunman]

@kansas64 wrote:

Wow Hogrod,
If I wanted to steal somebodys ID, I wouldn’t take all the steps you are describing, that would be exhausting besides difficult. All they need is your name and a rough idea what city you live an in minutes a good one can have your social security..all much faster and easier. I deal with ID theft all the time in my line of work (and no I am not involved in police work or anything like that)

The worst part is he’s right……the more information is made accessible to you, the more accessible it is to everyone else

[TyeDyeSkyGuy]

Wow has this strayed.

If you’re worried about idenity theft, I know State Farm has $1,000,000 of coverage for just $25 a year. Cheap insurance. I use it.

[Team Hemisphere Dancer]

Geez, I am even to poor to own an identity.

[ecorangers]

Close call for me. I had parked my car roadside (completely off the road) and did not see any “no parking signs” anywhere. I was gone approximately 5 minutes to hunt a nearby cache along a bike trail…when I returned the sheriff/police was at my car with lights on taking down my information. If I did not get there when I did, he said he was just about to call a tow truck to have my car towed since they did not want a car parked along the roadside during heavy traffic peak times. WHEW! It’s a good thing I found the cache quickly and jogged back to my car. Tami

[labrat_wr]

@ecorangers wrote:

since they did not want a car parked along the roadside during heavy traffic peak times

but was it their preference or was it a local statute?
This can all get kinda grey. I see the safety issue with this situation but does that make it illegal?

Disclaimer : Always answering to a higher power.

[gotta run]

It seems enough people have had situations where the police were jumping the gun…so to speak…and threatening to tow a vehicle despite the fact that the vehicle was parked legally.

So just based on that alone, the idea of having this type of sign in the window has serious merit.

As far as people breaking into your car, going to your house, stealing your identity–that seems tremendously overblown.

Think about it. Anyone parked in a park and ride, airport parking lot, etc., basically is saying “my car is going to be here for a while.” A car parked along the side of the road, not so much.

Is it a possibility? I suppose. But you have to leave the house sometime and not live in fear.

The only problem we have ever had while caching was when we were parked IN a parking lot, and local hoodlums did the baseball bat treatment to the back window of the van, to the tune of $400 (with a $250 deductible 😡 )

On the Left Side of the Road...

[Crockett3663]

I LOVE the laminated card idea!! I’m going to make sure I make a couple of them up before I head out caching next time.

[Timberline Echoes]

Didn’t take the papers advice. We were parked along a road near Menominee, MI yesterday. There were 3 caches in the area we were at. On the way back from the 3rd one an officer was walking down the trail to find us. He said he was concerned that we were having car trouble and needed help. We thought that was nice he hiked nearly half a mile to find us. We were really glad that our vehicle did not get towed. I asked him about the cell phone number in the window and he didn’t seem to think it mattered either way.

TE

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