Auto Immune

 My lady, Miss Jeanne, went shopping one day. She was driving a KIA Soul. Since there was an ongoing rage of thefts of this model by mostly joy-riding teens, who were well versed in the flaw in the ignition system that allowed the car to be started without the key quite easily, Jeanne reinforced her defenses by using the 'club' to immobilize her steering wheel.

After a trip to the grocery store, Jeanne took time to put away her groceries, thinking her car was safe in the driveway outside her kitchen window. It was when she saw the blinking of her hazard lights that she went out the door to investigate. She saw only the car with the driver's side door open and evidence that the ignition wires had been tampered with. The thief had failed and ran. 

Flabbergasted by the audacity of the assailant, she mentally kicked her own ass for not placing the club on the steering wheel. Surely, the attempt would have been quilled, knowing there was no way to steer the car even if they started it.

What was the damage? First, the car had to be towed to the dealer. Then, an ignition system had to be ordered. ($2500.00) Since there was a national shortage of replacement parts because of well-known vulnerability, the time it took to get the parts nudged Jeanne past her allotment of days her insurance company would pay for a rental car.

Jeanne began shopping for another car. She made up her mind. When the Kia was returned, Carmax delivered her Buick Encore GX and picked up the flawed KIA.

Moving ahead:

It was not a dark and stormy night. It was a pleasant September night. Jeanne double-parked in front of my apartment building to drop me off. I had, however, a couple of things that I needed help getting into the lobby of my building so I could get them up to my apartment. Namely, my four-wheel walker and a load of laundry Jeanne had washed for me.

Jeanne clicked on the hazard lights, and we moved the walker and the basket of laundry to the curb. Another car pulled up from the opposite direction and double-parked next to hers.  Jeanne remarked that it was rude of them to block the entire street when they could have pulled forward and left a path. I went up to open the entry door to the building, and Jeanne began moving the laundry basket. When she turned to get the walker, she said, "Where's my car?" We looked. It was gone.

What we knew. She had left the car running, and the doors weren't locked. It was an easy steal. It was obviously a crime of opportunity. They couldn't have planned it. We also knew since they did not have the key if they turned off the engine for any reason, they could not restart it.

Here's some helpful information. 911 does not deal with stolen cars. You have to call the non-emergency number. They refer you to the district office where the theft occurs. If you want to file a report of the theft, You must go in person to that district office and file the complaint. 

The question that haunts me is if your car has been stolen and you don't have a friend you can call at 10:00 pm. Who do you call, Uber or Lyft? Jeanne has an Uber account. She rode to District One from mine and then from District One to hers.

During this timeline, Jeanne remembered putting a location chip in the car. The chip was the same type she used on her inside/outside cat, Milli. It's short range (A couple hundred feet) and works well for finding said cat at night.

The following day, another system feature worked to Jeanne's advantage. Anyone else who has the app and gets near the chip can receive a signal. The location of the chip is sent automatically to the owner of the chip. Jeanne forwarded the location to the police and ordered an Uber.

When Jeanne arrived at the address, she saw her car, two police officers, and a tech fingerprinting the car's interior. Once she IDed herself, the police officer told her she could take the car home.

Here's what was missing. The license plates (ASU6211) and my handicap mirror flag (PA22569). Both have been reported stolen, and replacements have been ordered. The attachments on the windshield have been vandalized. Apparently, the joy-riders felt they maybe were being videotaped or photographed. Also missing is a portable screen tent.

I'd like to say no harm, no foul, but the grief this ridiculous act caused is unforgivable. My hope is that my handicap sticker they gift their grandfather is discovered and results in their inconvenience, embarrassment, and grief.