Years ago I had an idea for an anti-theft patent where the drivers seat had a setting that moved it forward to a maximum point and bent it over so it touched the steering wheel blocking access to the steering wheel, controls and maybe ignition/push button start.
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Pay your parking tickets or get Barnacled.
- Thread starter MacDoc
- Start date
Years ago I had an idea for an anti-theft patent where the drivers seat had a setting that moved it forward to a maximum point and bent it over so it touched the steering wheel blocking access to the steering wheel, controls and maybe ignition/push button start.
Defrost on highest setting for ten minutes. Pry up the sides of the thing at 12, 3, 6, 9 o'clock positions with a charge card, when you get the corner up, slide in a drinking straw. Three straws on each side and you can pull it off. Leave it where you were parked, take a picture of it on the ground... or even better: have a picture of some YAHOO running away with it.
If you're going to sacrifice your windscreen: drill two holes in the glass in the center of the suction cups from the inside. A piece of copper tube in a hand drill will cut/drill the glass, that way you only have two small holes
If you damage the thing, you risk charges for destruction of property.
If you leave with the thing, theft charges
They have a GPS tracker installed, so if you leave with it, put it in a Faraday bag (there are people that will buy it, but it can be bricked remotely and if it's bricked it's worthless)
If the city was using these, I wouldn't screw around with it (that would be expensive), if it's on private property it's fair game.
If you're going to sacrifice your windscreen: drill two holes in the glass in the center of the suction cups from the inside. A piece of copper tube in a hand drill will cut/drill the glass, that way you only have two small holes
If you damage the thing, you risk charges for destruction of property.
If you leave with the thing, theft charges
They have a GPS tracker installed, so if you leave with it, put it in a Faraday bag (there are people that will buy it, but it can be bricked remotely and if it's bricked it's worthless)
If the city was using these, I wouldn't screw around with it (that would be expensive), if it's on private property it's fair game.
I haven't seen a vehicle that allowed seat to go that far forward. It can get close enough that it is awkward and uncomfortable but still enough room to physically fit. Now, it wouldn't be hard to construct in a way where your idea would work.
Call CAA and have your car towed away with the barnacle attached.
It would need new seat design. Pretty doable though. Also might need a sensor to make sure no one is sitting in it at the time but we have those already for airbags. Seat moves automatically on authorized door lock/unlock or even independent as an extra security measure.
And then what?
On "old school" two door cars (not many left out there these days), the seat fully forward and then tilted forward to allow for back seat access would do the job, if it could be locked in that position. Not too many (if any) four door cars have seats that could do that today.
That will stop "joy riders" but if a professional car thief wants your car, it's gone.
Solution IS: don't drive a car the professionals want... or don't take your eyes off it.
My aunt had a Chrysler that was easy to steal, it was stolen three times in two years... so I wired a hidden dead man switch.
It got scooped with a tow truck from her driveway.
Have a beer with your new friendly barnacle. Remove at leisure.
I wonder about the effectiveness of something like a kevlar strap between front and rear wheels. Quick to install, a key sets the length. Cutting kevlar fibres is a prick. It would also block access to the drivers door so you couldn't forget and drive away with it on. Some design work would be required on the wheel hooks and tension mechanism/lock so you couldn't defeat it easily by turning the wheels or similar.
And the barnacle's GPS will tell it's owner where you towed it to and they will have the local constabulary meet you there to discuss your theft charges.
... and I betcha there is a bounty on the barnacle... so the glass shop you tow your car to will narc you out MAN... if the CAA driver hasn't already. I REALLY doubt CAA will tow your car with a barnacle attached... but there are lots of tow truck operators that will... as long as you pay more than the bounty on the barnacle.
There’s tons of different ways of thinking about making a vehicle harder to steal but a lot of them also come with issues about “what if it deploys while driving” or similar etc. If it was me and I had a high theft target I’d assume I also have the means to install automatic bollards that disappear into the ground when not needed at the end of my driveway and the vehicle would be in a very secure garage.
Unless you are in the top 1% (or 0.1%), that's a steep price. Even manual retractable bollards will be many thousands of dollars. Many houses would also require additional changes like armor stone alone the side of the driveway to keep vehicles from escaping across a lawn or neighbouring property. Automatic bollards could easily cost more than most peoples vehicles.
KISS probably rules. A well hidden electrical kill switch will defeat most thieves. Sure, they could get you with a tow truck but those thefts seem to be far less frequent than drive aways.
I meant a Lambo or something like that but actually after writing that I realized car theft is getting to a place where run of the mill cars are in the high risk category.
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