Is car radio theft even a thing anymore?

[Ming the Merciless]

and frequent Cyclechat...

Well you’re here

 

[vickster]

Well you’re here

I was still rather young in the 80s however and not really capable of stealing anything however

 

[fossyant]

Well you’re here

What's this Radio 4 ?

 

[Cycleops]

What's this Radio 4 ?

No, I'd suggest members of the Ken Bruce fan club.

 

[bobzmyunkle]

and frequent Cyclechat...

In the 80s, I had a car window broken, presumably to steal the radio. The radio was already long gone, so that was doubly annoying.
Anyone on here want to own up?

 

[MichaelW2]

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co...swagen-golf-stereos-stolen-allerton-yob-cctv/

This enterprising young man is creating a market for Golf car stereos that he can supply.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

No, I'd suggest members of the Ken Bruce fan club.

None of us will compare to you as number one fan.

 

[Chap sur le velo]

Just been to the supermarket in my old Landrover and against my better judgement decided to leave the removeable radio front on rather than walk around the shops with it bulging in my pocket while I did my shopping. Just to put this into perspective, see the picture below. While the side canvas isn't currently rolled up, the rear is open and there is nothing to stop someone climbing in via the back and getting into the drivers seat. With that in mind, I rarely lock the doors, what would be the point?
View attachment 680726

Anyway, having grown up in the outskirts of a large city (Manchester) through the late 80s and 90s, I have experienced first hand the hurt of having a locked car disappear and also the mess made from broken glass and roughly damaged dashboard when radios are taken. Probably lost radios that way 3 or 4 times at least, and not high end stuff either, just reasonable 'entry level' budget stuff.

Car crime seems to have moved on once the 90s 'Joy Riding' boom died off and most cars started having integrated ICE that was less easily refitted or sold on. Car theft seems to be purely targeted at complete car removal with keys so it can be used for other crimes or passed through a hi-tech (or maybe not) system of ringing/cloning/resale meaning only high value or performance cars are targeted?

I guess my question is, do I really need to be worried about someone ripping my dash apart to get the radio in this day and age? It's a £100 radio but now several years old. I know you can never say never, but is the fear of the crime now worse than the crime and is it time I need to adjust my old school urban security instincts?

Recalling Lee Hirst(sp?), back in the 90's he used to have a section of his stand-up routine on car theft. By that he meant things going missing from cars.
,"Where I live we call someone an optimist if they bother to pre-tune the buttons on the radio".

 

[cougie uk]

We had a night last month where two scumbags went round the area opening up cars. Huge amount weren't locked. The keyless cars that had keys in range were opened.
They went through the glove boxes of dozens of cars. They took any bags there out to check through.
They didn't bother with nicking any radios though.

Lots of recordings of them but they didn't seem to care.

 

[biggs682]

Can you imagine how unfashionable a single din fitting stereo would be in an ultra modern ev

 

[Drago]

Certain makes of keyless car - like Mrs D's Mini Electric - have the keys go to sleep if they are not moved for 30 seconds, so this remote signal boosting and relaying doesn't work.