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Do you lock your car in your Garage?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by macreative, Dec 3, 2004.

  1. macreative

    macreative New Member

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    I live in a safe and good neighborhood but yet I still have the habit of locking my Prius in the garage, at my own house! I own my house and don't share it with anyone - I know this sounds odd but it's a habit.

    Do you lock your car in your own garage too?

    Don't you think it's unnecessary....?

    Old habits die hard....
     
  2. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    In my neighborhood yes, it's unnecessary under most conditions. First, if someone broke in intent on getting the car I don't think whether it was locked or not would affect that.

    Second, if they broke in the house and got the keys it wouldn't matter if it was locked or not since they have the key.

    Finally, it's just convenient. I often shue my kids outside to the car to get in and get buckled up while I gather last minute stuff, including my infant daughter. It would delay things often if they had to wait for me to come unlock it.

    If we're going to be away for a long time I sometimes lock up just to make getting in the car a little less convenient if someone were to break in.

    That's the long winded way of saying "no, I don't lock my car in the garage."
     
  3. flyingprius

    flyingprius New Member

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    Once my mom, stepdad and I were getting out of the Prius at a restaurant and my mom asked me if I locked the car... My stepdad laughed at my mom, "Are you kidding, he locks the car in the garage."
    Yes, I lock the car in the garage... :D
     
  4. FBear

    FBear Senior Member

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    Absolutely, my friend the insurance agent said that if the car gets stolen out of your garage when it was unlocked, it is almost like you left the keys in it. Your insurance company could then give you a much harder time about collecting the full amount because you were partially liable. The car is locked!!
     
  5. BobA

    BobA New Member

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    I don't lock the Prius and really can't lock the '51.. both garage doors and the man door leading into the garage are locked.. I have always thought the neighborhood to be safe..

    Bob Andersen
     
  6. Hytec

    Hytec New Member

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    Nope...no reason, just never have.

    Growing up in the woods of central New Hampshire the feeling throughout the area was always...WHY? Any thief probably needed the vehicle more than you, and he would do more damage if you locked it. Most folks got their vehicle back after a bit anyway. Didn't want too much damage, doncha know.

    You were more concerned about being shot by some idiot from Boston, Hartford, or New York who had just bought a five-day hunting license, and had never even seen a deer first hand, let alone a moose or bear! When we sold the place 15 years ago, there was still a 30-30 slug in the top half of the bright red front door...you go figure!
     
  7. wb9tyj

    wb9tyj 2017 Prius Prime Advanced

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    absolutely lock it...i will give no insurance co no excuse not to pay,...its a habit anyway...lock the plane,lock the car...
     
  8. seeh2o

    seeh2o Prius OG

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    I live in Los Angeles as well and I park on the street day and night, I have to as I live on a walkway. I use a club and have LoJack plus LoJack First Alert. I've got good insurance and just have to plan for the worst and hope for the best.
     
  9. skruse

    skruse Senior Member

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    I lock the Prius in the garage every night - clean, quiet, warm and secure. The 1991 4Runner (to be sold via Craig'slist.com soon) is now parked outside in the driveway, and is parked in the garage during the day.
     
  10. KathyY

    KathyY Member

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    I lock the garage but not the Prius in the garage. I realized that my fob was trying to "talk" to the car all the time when it was locked since I keep my purse (with the fob in it) too close to the garage it turns out.
     
  11. deh2k

    deh2k New Member

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    Like Hytec I grew up in the New Hampshire woods. But unlike him I live there still. When I was a kid my dad not only left the car unlocked, but left the key in it too. Times have changed somewhat since then and I locked my Corolla when I had something worth stealing in it.

    But I generally lock my Prius now because it's new and also because the SKS is so fun and easy. I wonder what my dad would do if he had it on his car...
     
  12. prius04

    prius04 New Member

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    Many years ago I worked for a hardware store and when they closed up at night, the made sure the cash register was left open. The reason was if someone broke in during the night, they might use a crow bar to get into the register to find maybe $5 in coins. So the store would lose the $500 register for $5. And they would still lose the $5.

    Many years later, I noticed a key sticking out of the trunk of a taxi cab lock. I went and told the driver and he said he leaves it there so thieves don't ruin his lock trying to steal his spare tire. You see, his trunk was totally empty, but this was to save his lock.

    The moral is, sometimes locking something is less wise than leaving it open.

    It seems to me that by the time they enter your garage, whatever is in your car, or even the car itself, is not apt to be protected by a locked door. So let them in the car so they can see that there is no key. And maybe they will just go next door, and you will save a window.
     
  13. Dianne

    Dianne New Member

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    Embarrassingly enough, I leave my keys in my car, unlocked, in my garage at night. That way I never have to look for them in the morning. In my SUV, it has a digital code to open the car up right on the door itself, so I jump out of the car wherever I am and drop the keys into the center console. I use the code to open the car when I get back to it.

    I'm so awful with key-finding... it works for me.

    Di
     
  14. V8Cobrakid

    V8Cobrakid Green Handyman

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    If i had a garage.. it would be heated.. with a car cover.. with bear traps around it :) ok.. maybe no bear traps. I would still lock the car and garage though... i think.

    I had a friend with a really nice chivelle... they broke into his locked garage and pieced out the car.

    I have a feeling not many will try to steal a prius. But.. i don't really feel all that bad leaving it unlocked.. as long as nothing valuable is in it. People can see there is no ignition. I think worse case scenario is pulling the Start button out trying to "hot wire" it.
     
  15. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Yep, I do. Although they could always break the window if they wanted to but I guess it's just a force of habit
     
  16. hdrygas

    hdrygas New Member

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    Only if I have a Christmas, Birthday or Anniversary present for my wife! She thinks the Prius is strange and mysterious and has not even driven it. It is the safest place in the house to hid presents and she is a unrepentant present peeker!
     
  17. Dilbert

    Dilbert Junior Member

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    I always lock the car in the garage, but only to keep my kids and all the kids from the neighborhood from playing in it! In fact, I built a short wall in the garage to keep the bikes and big wheels from crossing into the automotive side of the garage.
     
  18. Cyndrax

    Cyndrax New Member

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    I just found out that my parents used to hide our Christmas presents in the trunk of the family car when we were kids. It's a great idea!
     
  19. bruceha_2000

    bruceha_2000 Senior Member

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    I don't. Well, wouldn't, if I could put it in the garage. I figure if someone is willing to break a window to get into the garage, they'll do the same to a car even more quickly once they are not visible in the garage.
     
  20. m6scott

    m6scott Junior Member

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    Yes I do I have done this on all my cars I dont know really why but I do . I may have started locking the car because I would hide presents in my car and yes I am hiding some now ! ..Its also cool to walk by the car in the garage and see the lights go on .. I love gadget stuff.