Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

popularmechanics.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

171–180 of 535 posts

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#171

Post by unit_circle »

thelean12 wrote: post #75

Anyone with a car alarm enabled in a city is just straight up rude and inconsiderate. I can't imagine the mindset involved for someone to put a device outside someone's bedroom window that will somewhat randomly start blasting loud sounds at all hours of the night. I'd support legislation making it illegal. Why are car alarms exempt from noise ordinances?

I live in a city and also own a converted van. The van typically has little of value inside it unless I am traveling. This van has an aftermarket alarm. I had this alarm installed after a nasty break-in in Vancouver BC which reminded me never to leave nice things in a vehicle. It makes some noise itself, but also comes with a fob and app that both also make noise. It has served me on at least one occasion where someone opened a door to nose around. I was alerted and ran outside to check on the vehicle but they had taken off. This alarm also caused someone who was walking their dog to walk over to investigate, though the potential thief took off even before they got there.

They could have taken my registration papers or the cheap / second hand cookware, stove etc. Which would have been a pain and cost not a lot, but some money to replace. I don't have room in my apartment for all of these items, so I rely on the alarm to keep my things safe. Especially when I am out of town without my van.

The article does mention valuables as a special case, but I would like to highlight this case and argue that these "valuables" are part and parcel to the function of this vehicle and that it's not practical for me to remove them, making the alarm essential to the vehicle's operation.

However, I do agree with the sentiment that most shock/vibration/etc. Sensors should not trigger an audible alarm. The only really useful trigger is a door opening. I'm not sure this is necessarily true, but is definitely true of the aftermarket alarm options on the market when I wash shopping for an alarm.

I'll also add as a final note that the police (both in Vancouver and where I live) will simply not help you recover stolen property and are 100% useless as far as property crime goes. They are either too busy or too apathetic. For items like what I have in my van it is of course not really worth their time, but I've also had a motorcycle stolen _which was driving around with my plates for over a year before it was *crashed*_. As a citizen I am definitely on my own with this stuff which is a good lesson to learn while you have insurance.

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#172

Post by pengaru »

fortran77 wrote: post #143
chrisseaton wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't get what people are stealing from parked cars? You can't remove radios anymore. What are they taking? Surely nobody's leaving a laptop or a purse in a car?

They will not hesitate in San Francisco to break a $300 window to steal the change out of your ashtray.

Can confirm.

On one occasion a homeless person smashed passenger windows on ~8 cars parked on La Playa @ Judah in front of Java Beach. My mx-5 happened to be one of them. When I confronted him about it, he claimed some passers by called him a faggot and that's why he broke all the windows. No ashtray incentive needed when you've got Crazy to make up for it.

On another occasion a homeless person reached into my mx-5 and broke the center console door's latch while I was in Safeway in San Mateo. I had left the back window zipped down with the rag top up as I was going to be quick, nothing was left visibly out. I came out of the store to see her crawling out from the back window and run away.

These happened > 7 years ago, I'm sure it's worse now.

Not that I think car alarms would have made any difference here. People commit petty crimes in broad daylight throughout SF with impunity. It's surreal. We watched a bicycle chop shop operate in broad daylight for over a month from the CoreOS office windows, SFPD drove past constantly without doing anything about it.

Edit: Just remembered my ex's mx-5 had its new rag top cut into for the contents of its center console months after she moved to the inner sunset, parking on the street around 7th and Judah. That'd be about 10 years ago. I'd just installed that top, still raises my blood pressure to think about it.

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#173

Post by analog31 »

chrisseaton wrote: post #134
anonymousiam wrote: post #112

If the author had a Ring doorbell (and looked at their crime reports), or participated on NextDoor, they would know that theft from parked cars is the number one problem in most neighborhoods. An alarm is still a good deterrent for people who do not park their cars in a garage.

I don't get what people are stealing from parked cars? You can't remove radios anymore. What are they taking? Surely nobody's leaving a laptop or a purse in a car?

Once upon a time thieves took my battery. I believe at the time they could get 5 bucks for it at a car parts store. Likewise thieves steal relatively minor parts from bikes. It was in the late 80s in South Bend.

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#174

Post by hathawsh »

kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #161
spiritplumber wrote: post #100

I have an older RV that people sometimes try to steal (it's usually meth heads wanting to live on it; I've taken to leaving a plaque on the dash saying that if they want a hot meal instead, just knock on my door). The alarm is aftermarket, and silent. All it does is make the fuel pump go in reverse. (The fuel pump is also aftermarket) It's been hilarious a couple times.

That can end up pulling air through the fuel pump. That isn't safe or healthy for the pump.

This is the first time I've heard of intentionally running a fuel pump backwards and I wonder whether you're right. The fuel pump in modern vehicles is normally submerged in the fuel tank. My guess is that air drawn in by the pump would just make harmless bubbles; the pump would still be fully lubricated. Does anyone know for sure?

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#175

Post by slashink »

kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #161
spiritplumber wrote: post #100

I have an older RV that people sometimes try to steal (it's usually meth heads wanting to live on it; I've taken to leaving a plaque on the dash saying that if they want a hot meal instead, just knock on my door). The alarm is aftermarket, and silent. All it does is make the fuel pump go in reverse. (The fuel pump is also aftermarket) It's been hilarious a couple times.

That can end up pulling air through the fuel pump. That isn't safe or healthy for the pump.

Compared to losing the RV it seems like a negligible cost for what the commenter describes as “older RV”.

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#176

Post by lmilcin »

I think the main issue is that the alarms themselves are piece of shit. They get activated when you look at it the wrong way and sometimes not even that is necessary.

Good alarm is something unique. You need something that the thief sees for the first time and not something that is mass produced and installed in millions of cars. When a thief sees something for the first time, they are going to pass for an easier target that is not going to surprise them.

I have a plaque on my driver side door. It says "I am electronics engineer and I designed the alarm myself."

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#177

Post by cyberlurker »

mmmBacon wrote: post #139
thelean12 wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The best and only important deterrent is to not have anything to steal, especially in plain view. If everyone did this then theft from parked cars would drop to zero, and break-ins to near zero. Smash and grabbers don't care about alarms. They'll be gone in a few seconds anyway.

Unfortunately your suggestion is only a half measure and a significant number of break ins are to steal parts off the car itself. Theft of airbags is very common as is theft of catalytic converters. Airbag theft: https://wjla.com/news/local/the-dc-area-has-become-a-hot-spo... Catalytic Converter theft impacting Prius owners. https://www.torquenews.com/8113/toyota-prius-owners-are-aski...

Can confirm and was going to make this exact comment.

My entire life I made sure my car was spotless and nothing of value was visible to make it a less attractive target. The one time it got smashed into was to steal the airbag. It was infuriating.

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#178

Post by chrisseaton »

anonymousiam wrote: post #157
chrisseaton wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't get what people are stealing from parked cars? You can't remove radios anymore. What are they taking? Surely nobody's leaving a laptop or a purse in a car?

In my neighborhood, I've seen multiple reports of guns being stolen from vehicles. Anything of value should be hidden, such as dash cams, radar detectors, coins for parking meters, etc. People post videos all the time of hoodlums looking into car windows deciding whether or not it's worthwhile to break in.

Leaving your gun in your car and having it stolen sounds like a way to get framed for a murder!

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#179

Post by ghaff »

98codes wrote: post #158
ghaff wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I sometimes wonder about the ratio of assaults, etc. the panic button has ever curtailed to the number of loud horn blares that have awoken people, distracted people to the point where they've had an accident, etc.

It's definitely a "find your car in the giant lot" button if you ask me

I've actually wondered. Is there a super-easy "here's where I've parked my card app"? As in push a couple of buttons after you park your car and you're set? Super low friction. Not sure I've seen it.

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#180

Post by dawnerd »

BuildTheRobots wrote: post #154
chrisseaton wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> In the UK this is disabled in the ECU, as using your horn while stationary isn't allowed Huh my car app has a 'honk' button that works when stationary, for finding it in car parks. Is that against regulation?

Technically a car park would be ok, but the regulations state: A horn should not be sounded when stationary on a road at any time, other than at times of danger due to another vehicle on or near the road. A horn should not be used on a moving vehicle on a restricted road (basically a road that has street lights and a 30mph limit) between the times of 11:30 pm and 7:00 am.

Some (all?) US states have similar wordings in their laws as well but I've never heard of it being enforced.
Post reply on HN