Does placing a 'no valuables inside' sign in a car window deter break-ins? [San Fran]

SF Gate ^ | October 20, 2017 | Mike Moffitt

[C19fan]

In San Francisco, where no automobile parked on the street is immune from glass-smashing thieves, some people have taken to posting signs on car windows announcing that there are no valuables inside. The hope, of course, is that a thief will read the notice and decide: "Huh. No valuables in this one.I guess I'll break into some other car." On Tuesday, a Reddit user posted a photo of such a sign and posed the question "Do you think it works?" to the Reddit community. A lively debate ensued.

[C19fan]

As someone who grew up in the NYC Metro area this is deja vu. During the dark Pre-Guilani days breaking into cars, especially for the radios, was rampant in NYC. NYers would place "No Radio" signs in their cars. Removable car radios was a must have.

[The_Media_never_lie]

How about “owner is armed to the teeth and will be back any minute”.

[Dr. Sivana]

My solution is to drive 20 year old cars with 20 year old stereos, and leave the doors unlocked. If I have valuables, they go in the trunk.

[bagster]

Here's a good sign to put on your car.

Will Munny: ... Any man I see out there, I'm gonna shoot him. Any sumbitch takes my car stero, I'm not only gonna kill him, but I'm gonna kill his wife, all his friends, and burn his damn house down.

[DoodleBob]

I like the South Africa solution to car jacking, as a way of deterring theft. Instead of "no valuables inside" how about "break in at your own risk" or "will that be rare or well-done"?

Yea, I know...you'd get sued. But I don't believe in rolling over and letting criminals win. There has to be an enterprising way to deter this criminal activity.

[teeman8r]

I saw one of these signs on Nancy pelosi’s forehead.

[oh8eleven]

NYers would place "No Radio" signs in their cars.
That's the first thing I thought of and I don't even live in NYC.

[teeman8r]

I saw one of these signs on Nancy pelosi’s forehead.

[kearnyirish2]

I remember that! We would go to NYC for fireworks and such on the PATH, and would see those notes in car windows. Giuliani’s election was certainly understandable...

[LottieDah]

“I saw one of these signs on Nancy pelosi’s forehead.”

Was that above or below the sign that reads 666?

[eXe]

Yup same here, I remember those signs on cars in NYC, and I remember the whole industry that evolved around those car radios you could yank out of your dashboard when you parked!

[PAR35]

Since a lot of the high end radios have anti-theft circuits, car radios aren’t as popular of a target as they used to be.

In some European locations, it used to be common to leave the glove box and other storage areas open so the thief could see for himself that it held nothing of value.

[zipper]

It’s a sanctuary state, so no, not unless it’s in Spanish.

[FatherofFive]

NYers would place "No Radio" signs in their cars. Removable car radios was a must have.

And because of the quality of their sound systems, BMW was known as "Break My Window"

[Gay State Conservative]

In a cesspool like San Fransicko I'll bet it doesn't.If a crack addict can get a dollar for the door handle of a ‘98 Honda he'll do it.

[Drew68]

If things are that bad in San Francisco, probably better to just leave your doors unlocked. Of course, this being San Fransisco, there’s a good chance one of the Bay Area’s finer denizens would open your car door and take a sh*t on the front seat.

I’m reminded of my poor brother who chose to buy the dirt-cheapest $49 POS receiver he could find just to have something to listen to and a thief still smashed his window and destroyed his dashboard stealing it.

[Gay State Conservative]

like the South Africa solution to car jacking, as a way of deterring theft. Instead of "no valuables inside" how about "break in at your own risk" or "will that be rare or well-done"?

We were in South Africa last year.The crime rate in,and near,major cities is breathtaking.Punks will rob you at an ATM machine...in daylight...with a pistol.Everywhere you look in the Johannesburg suburb where we stayed between trips to the parks you saw gates with signs saying stuff like "armed response".

[Mr. Jeeves]

When I lived there a few years ago, people who had to park on the street in Rincon Hill were just leaving their cars unlocked - figuring it was better to have the drug addicts rifle through their glove compartments than break their windows.

[DOC44]

I remember when guys would put a live snake in a gift wrapped box and place it on the side for the road and watch. A squirrel in a small suitcase works well also. Can you say driving distracted. Might work well to deter delivered packages being stolen off porches.

[maddog55]

In today’s world a “Smile you’re on a recorded Live Stream” might work better.