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Stolen catalytic converter in london uk

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by Priusinlondon, Aug 24, 2018.

  1. Nozzavtr

    Nozzavtr Active Member

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    Catalytic converter theft: how to protect your car - Toyota

    A lot of people are commenting how useless the Catloc is on their Prius, as they're being stolen now with the lock on. Just shows how much extra you need to do to the car now to stop it being stolen.

    On a different note, I commented a few months ago about the wifes Grandfather having his Prius stolen, basically someone turned up in a low loader and towed it away. Neighbours saw some men in hi vis jackets tow it away.
     
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  2. Data Daedalus

    Data Daedalus Senior Member

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    The UK authorities are always eager to pitch the innocent into a “Fine” mess. Fines clawed off the innocent on a pure technicality are a UK specialty.

    I honestly would have expected the Mayor of London to pass legislation declaring theft of catalytic converters from any vehicles within the London environs - particularly hybrids, to be an eco-terrorism crime as it went against the ULEZ anti-pollution policy which he 110% supports - and levies charges for.

    Simply bumping up the level of punishment for this crime on charges proving they were trying to destroy the air quality in London might have raised eyebrows, but at the same time might have proved the Mayor was more interested in clean air for London, as against the lucrative Congestion Charge which is frightfully expensive and unaffordable for most ordinary motorists.

    In the event, HE clearly doesn’t care about the plight of several thousands of hybrid car owners who have been wilfully plundered with malice aforethought.

    The cost to the unfortunate victims, coupled with the crippling inconvenience and fear of a repeat crime is all cynically washed under ‘London Bridge’. You’d think they deserved to be punished with having their catalytic converters stolen - for just living in London (or indeed, the UK) as if this is the new normal.

    It’s allegedly ‘All part and parcel of living in London’.....that of course would be Mayor Khan’s London - he’s actually credited with those cringeworthy words......

    I bet, these thieving toads wouldn’t dare try the same thing in Moscow. They wouldn’t last a week carrying out this kind of crime there - if they didn’t get caught and liberally battered to within an inch of their lives by irate Muscovites, then they’d be lucky to be caught by the Moscow Police first.

    It’s a shame this is a low priority crime in the UK.
    And it’s shocking that this is STILL going on!


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  3. Data Daedalus

    Data Daedalus Senior Member

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    Sorry to hear that. It’s probably in bits now - and long transported out of the country as spare parts in some distant third world corner of the globe. The catalytic converter was probably completely removed and sold separately too.


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  4. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    Not trying to be alarmist here, but it occurred to me as I was reading your post above that the vandals on your side of the pond are also probably reading the posts here at PC. It's not always just a coincident when vandals strike.
    Just another reason why the newish Linux code of conduct {COC} is nothing but a farce, implemented with good intentions, although rarely if ever reduces the amount of bullying on the innerwebs.
     
  5. AlisonV

    AlisonV New Member

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    Wow. Catalytic converter theft is the reason I bought my new Prius. Someone tried to steal the Cat from my old beater Chevy truck parked unattended due to a snowstorm. Auto shop advised a complete replacement of the exhaust system for over 2K. Upon further examination, it was an attempted theft only -- they cut through the pipe but did not complete the theft before being scared off. So $120 later, Meineke welded my pipe and I'm good to go. But in the meantime I bought a 2016 Prius that I was planning to get in the next year or so, thinking my truck was for the scrap heap.

    Oh, and I WILL be looking for a new auto shop for the old truck. That formerly good shop was recently sold. How quickly they switch to try to scam their customers....

    I'm in rural Virginia. Catalytic converter theft has only become a "thing" here in the last 8 months or so. Lesson learned.
     
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    newer cats have less precious metals
     
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  7. Simtronic

    Simtronic Active Member

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    My sons gen 2 has just had the cat stolen at lunch time in Southend-on-sea. We have CCTV footage from his work with good footage of the gang with number plates but the police don't seem interested. :mad:
     
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  8. dave gilmour

    dave gilmour Junior Member

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    Almost had my cat stolen today in Weybridge, UK...wife came to drive the car away and the cat heat shield was dragging, all but one of the pop rivets were gone. Think they got distrubed in the act because another cars cat got taken today from same car park.

    Any opinions on this protective plate I am thinking of installing? Might it overheat the cat? Screenshot_20200124-182404.jpeg

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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  9. Nozzavtr

    Nozzavtr Active Member

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    Sorry to hear that about your sons Prius, I just think the police are overstretched, my case got written off in two days. Someone has had another go in trying to get my cat off, no point reporting it to the police.
     
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  10. Nozzavtr

    Nozzavtr Active Member

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    I don't think it would overheat, but I would get that fitted alongside a Catloc, and get the bolts welded shut also where it attaches to the manifold, and some additional bracing down the areas where the exhaust is exposed. Given time the bastards will cut through anything to get the cat, the more measures in place the better. That's why I think mine didn't get stolen again, as I have a catloc, bolts welded, security etching, steel bracing along the exhaust, and a tilt alarm fitted.
     
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  11. Mark6868

    Mark6868 Active Member

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  12. Data Daedalus

    Data Daedalus Senior Member

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    Oh no! What a terrible shame! I swear I was nowhere near the scene, and did not (use the force) to push that Vauxhall Astra on to him.

    Poor chap. Probably had enough time to reflect on the error of his ways before he finally stopped breathing. I wonder how many other vehicles he had cheerfully helped himself to over the last few months. And I wonder how many of them were innocent Prii sitting quietly in a shopping centre car park minding their own business before they were molested by the likes of him.

    Poor fellow. What a way to cash in your proverbial chips.
    Mind you, he did die doing something he was extremely passionate about. Gotta count for something I suppose.
    I mean, look at the level of equipment preparation that went into his rather ill-fated mission.

    What a shame. What a terrible way to kick the bucket. Literally bought the farm he did. Shame indeed.

    I’m trying very hard to shed some tears on his behalf......but somehow, they’re not appearing. I can’t imagine why though....

    Nobody deserves to have their life squashed out of them while trapped under an unsupported vehicle. It’s certainly not a nice way to shove this mortal coil.

    Still......if he hadn’t gone to extraordinary lengths to molest the Vauxhall Astra in the first place, chances are he’d still be alive and twitching. And still indulging in this lucrative pastime. Hmmm.

    I wonder if he’ll get an honourable mention in the 2019 Darwin Awards?

    What a waste of a life......


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  13. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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  14. yaun

    yaun Member

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  15. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Ah, a criminal retired from criminality without any room to pin any blame on anybody else whatsoever. No tears.

    At 38 years old, he is likely close to being aged out of the eligibility pool.

    Remember that Darwin Awards have some eligibility requirements, including (1) have not yet reproduced, and (2) not beyond likely reproduction age. This is why teens and twenty-somethings make the best candidates. Late-thirty-something dopers tend to either have already reproduced, or are well on track to never reproducing even without a premature demise. So while eligibility is still possible, it is also more questionable.
     
    #1095 fuzzy1, Feb 2, 2020
    Last edited: Feb 2, 2020
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  16. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

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    That’s one very painful way to go, having broken ribs when I was a kid....

    Still hoping someone sells a quick disconnect very soon, even sooner now with this story. Here the family of the deceased might decide to sue the owner of the vehicle, on top of whatever damage was done to the vehicle prior to death....
     
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  17. Data Daedalus

    Data Daedalus Senior Member

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    Thank you so much for The Guardián Online news link. Appreciated.

    Anyone reading it should pay attention to the comments section at the bottom of he article - there’s golden information right there - mostly from the latest victims of this crime.
    Very upsetting indeed, that this crime continues unabated and UK law enforcement continues to largely shrug its broad shoulders or otherwise offer cringeworthy platitudes and entirely useless advice.

    The thief who got “compressed” (read squashed out of existence) by the Vauxhall Astra he was stealing from, got his INSTANT KARMA.
    Lousy way to die, but don’t expect anyone who has had their catalytic converter nicked by similar low life scum to feel sorry for him.
    Many of us would gleefully release the jack on similar freeloaders trying to mooch off of our Prii (even if we’d feel guilty afterwards).
    The amount of worry, pain and unbridled inconvenience inflicted on we victims of this so called victimless crime really is unacceptable.

    The real miracle is that in the absence of any protection or indeed, justice from UK law enforcement, a band of vigilantes haven’t organised a sting to catch several of these criminals, and mete out a rather terrible instant justice that would scare the thieves straight into a permanent life of piety in a remote monastery.

    They deserve no less.

    (I guess I can expect plod to turn up on my doorstep and drag me off to the local nick for online hate speech against irredeemable cat theft criminals they paradoxically cannot catch).


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  18. Mark6868

    Mark6868 Active Member

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    No posts on here for nearly 4 months now.

    Am I to assume the criminals are all at home too scared to go out for fear of catching something?

    Or has this crime stopped once and for all?

    My guess is the former.
     
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  19. Data Daedalus

    Data Daedalus Senior Member

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    I’m afraid they’re still at it. Sporadic information occasionally in different local newspapers from around the country, especially before lockdown.

    I guess it’s easier to get caught stealing in the last 60 days, so they’re hiding away at home.

    Or hopefully Covid-19 infected the lot of them and they’ve all kicked the bucket!

    Karma!


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  20. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Are there enough unstolen units left near London to keep them in business? :(

    I have heard of a single Prius cat theft in my suburb during this pandemic stay-at-home order, from a car parked multiple days out on an minor arterial. But I hadn't heard of any in town prior to that, though am uncertain if I'd have heard about any priors.