You can be just as tricky, the tools are available to us all, the
question is, do you really want to stop a thief or are you just kidding
yourself.
It's not really that hard to prepare yourself against a thief, and you
don't have to spend a fortune doing it. There are lots of things that
you can do, some are expensive and some are cheap. It helps to
understand a few basic principles though-
The first, and the most important principle, is you need a good
backstop, and I do mean good, this is your last stand, the thing that
you have to rely on when everything else fails, if they get through it,
your history, or at least your property is. Your backstop needs to be
something that anchors your bike or whatever it is to the ground to stop
them from simply picking it up and walking away with it. Maximum
Security Lockdown
TM was designed specifically for this
purpose and I am happy to say that I have found nothing stronger than it
anywhere in the world. (
Note: Taffynackles Lock Down has ceased
production back in 2004.)
The next principle, is you need to put up as many obstacles as you can
to slow a thief down. Some of the more commonly known obstacles are
dogs, padlocks, garages and alarms etc. See below for more details.
Insurance is a good back-up too, but it won't stop your bike from being
stolen! You will get some of your money back, but don't forget your
excess, and you won't get the money back that you may have spent on
accessories. It's probably cheaper to spend the money on good security.
The main problem with insurance is it's an expensive habit, you have to
buy more again next year, and the year after that; and the year after
that. Good security will last you a lifetime, and you only have to buy
it once.
Cheap but effective obstacles, and some more hints and tips -
- I like things that you set-up yourself that a
thief can't predict, like trip wires. They are very easy to set-up and
are very cheap. It's what you connect them to that can be expensive. My
favorite is connecting the trip wire to about a dozen long neck beer
bottles high on a shelf. When it's tripped, they all come crashing down,
not on the thieves head, you could get into trouble for that, but on the
concrete floor. It makes a hell of a racket and your neighbors will come
running to see if you are alright. They would normally just roll over
and go back to sleep after hearing an alarm. You can connect the last
bottle of the dozen to another single bottle still on the shelf, so it's
pulled down just before the previous bottle hits the ground, and so on
and so on. Imagine a thief trying to stop all those bottles falling
while all the other bottles are exploding around him, and in comes the
neighbor, the thieves are off, or in dire straights, and it's time to
invite the neighbor and the boys around to empty some more beer bottles.
You can have fun not only emptying the bottles but coming up with ways
of stopping a thief.
- Movement sensing lights are cheap and effective. Thieves don't
like going into the light at night or being surprised by a light.
It just might be enough to make them go elsewhere.
- It's not a bad idea to have an electrical cut-off switch
inside your house that cuts off the electricity to your garage.
You don't want them using your own tools to steel your bike. Don't
laugh, it has
happened before.
- Let's not forget the good old faithful guard dog. They scare
off a lot of people however I wouldn't rely on them alone as
thieves do seem to get past them.
- Etching identification marks into your property is also a good
deterrent.
- If your on the street, use your padlock and chain or cable
lock to anchor your property to a tree, a streetlight or anything
solid. Parking meters are solid, but a bike can be lifted up and
over one, so I wouldn't recommend using them. Don't forget, the
idea is to outsmart a thief. You might think thieves aren't that
smart, but there's still a lot of stuff stolen, so they can't be
that dumb. Never underestimate your opponent.
- The more obstacles you have, the more chance you have that a
thief will look for an easier target.
- If your on the street, chain a couple of bikes together, it
will make it a lot harder to pick up and carry away.
- On the street at night, park in a well lit area.
- Whatever you do, don't just wrap your chain or cable through
the frame or wheel. The frame is very easy to hacksaw through and
the wheel is easily unbolted leaving the thief to take the rest of
your bike. It might seem obvious but there are a lot of very
secure wheels out there.
- Use extra security on your garage door. Most garage door locks
are really quite flimsy.
- I know you want to show off your new toy, but resist the
temptation, it won't be stolen if nobody knows it's there. It's
often your friend, or a friend of a friend that steals your
property. At the same time, do your real friends a favor and tell
them about Maximum Security LockdownTM, you might help them save
their own pride and joy.
- Be careful about being followed home, go out of your way if
you suspect someone is following you, if nothing else, it's a good
excuse to go for a ride.
The
choice is yours, you can stop a thief if you try
Above
content courtesy of Gary Taaffe
Maximum Security Lockdown
Australia
