How effective are auto anti-theft alarms, really?
My neighbor has an alarm feature on his car that goes off at all hours of the day and night. This thing is so sensitive that I swear it’s activated if a cat sneezes across the street.
If I looked out and saw someone standing by the car, I’d assume it was the owner again trying to shut the damned thing off and if it were a thief, all he’d have to do is give an apologetic wave and say “Sorry.”
So, if I feel this way about all the false activations I wonder if an alarm is really a deterrent to theft or does it exist solely to piss off the neighbors?
On a side note; how many 2 a.m. false alarms does it take before I’m justified in shooting out his car windows with my .22?
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8 Answers
They aren’t. That’s why newer cars don’t have them any longer.
@marinelife I’d say that’s a move in the right direction but my insurance co. still offers a discount for anti-theft alarms. I think the discount should be for not having one.
They’re certainly effective at frightening the shit out of me. I’ve rode past on my bike on a number of occasions when a truck passes me & sets the buggers off. I almost ended up as a novelty hood ornament on a VW Beetle the other day. Not good….not good :¬(
Maybe steal the car yourself, problem solved ;-)
I have never heard anybody stating that they went out of bed to have a look at what was going on.
Nobody seems bothered by it (the possible thieving that is…, the alarm itself is) and i am pretty sure that even the owners think that it’ll probably be the sneezing cat again.
Useless is my verdict.
I don’t think they are as effective as an electrocution system.
I want one bad… ;)
I strolled past a car a few weeks ago and its alarm went off. Scared the hell out of me. I just looked back and kept walking, albeit a tad faster. Must’ve been going too slow for its preference. Now whenever I pass it, I just walk on the other side of the road. So no, it appears not.
Giggling at the thought of @ucme as a VW hood ornament.
How many times do the rotten things go off and nobody responds? That’s how effective they are. Hate the damn things. Get that gun out @Blueroses. Shooting the dratted car to shut it up seems quite reasonable to me.
We only had it work in our favor once, when someone tried to break into our car at a motel while we were on vacation. We always park where we can see our car, and when the remote started blinking in our room, we looked out the window and saw someone running away. In front of the house or in a parking lot, no one pays any attention.
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