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Toyota's SOS saved/found my stolen V-ATP!

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by R2Pre2, Nov 8, 2009.

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  1. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    It was a simple car theft. If it had happened in Mayberry the whole town would have been involved but since you're in Richmond it was just business as usual. LOL

    Good to hear everything went smoothly and your baby wasn't harmed. :)
     
    #21 F8L, Nov 9, 2009
  2. bighouse

    bighouse Active Member

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    Actually, from watching many episodes of COPS, it's probably good that the thief pulled over and parked to make their escape instead of having a cop pull up behind them and turn on the lights. Last thing you'd want is to have them speading through town in your Prius trying to outrun a cop car...those scenarios rarely end up well for the car. Still, I can't help but think they were looking down from an upstairs window in a nearby building and watching you as you retrieved your car....
     
    #22 bighouse, Nov 9, 2009
  3. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    The thief(s) may have simply left the car there, to see if it'd "cool". sometimes cops will stake the area for a couple days to see if/when they come for it. Anyway, if you had registration in the car, the bad boys have the beginning bits of info on you and your address for potential other bad deeds. That's a bummer.
     
    #23 hill, Nov 9, 2009
  4. R2Pre2

    R2Pre2 Feel the Force!

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    So right! A no-damage happy ending car theft doesn't even register with much more important things happening (i.e., prom rapes from the recent news). And then there's the "car-sonist" activities over the weekend similar to San Francisco a few weeks ago.

    Yikes! Okay...I'm going back behind the barricade now!
     
    #24 R2Pre2, Nov 9, 2009
  5. MaggieMay

    MaggieMay Active Member

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    Great story! Thanks for sharing and congratulations on your new Prius and on its speedy recovery!
     
    #25 MaggieMay, Nov 9, 2009
    1 person likes this.
  6. R2Pre2

    R2Pre2 Feel the Force!

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    Luckily, there was only generic paperwork in the car, no names. But yes, I do feel like there's a big TARGET on our house. Always be careful!!

     
    #26 R2Pre2, Nov 9, 2009
  7. Rhino

    Rhino New Member

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    Not trying to get you paranoid or anything.

    Search for these words from the web "burglars often live within a half-mile of the target home and that they may have been in the house as a delivery person, worker or even a friend of the family."
     
    #27 Rhino, Nov 9, 2009
  8. R2Pre2

    R2Pre2 Feel the Force!

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    Another creepy thing was the thief/thieves smoked a cigarette in the minivan. So they were there for bit of time...trying to figure out how to work the car probably. However, a bit of Fabreeze and all is fine.

    The whole experience underlies what can happen even though we live in a "safe" watchful neighborhood, we are vigilant and rarely careless. Guess the next step is to install a laser-triggered driveway alarm! :laser:

    My BIG THANKS to everyone at PC. It's wonderful to have such an active, knowledgeable community to support our cars and each other! :wave:
     
    #28 R2Pre2, Nov 9, 2009
  9. Danny

    Danny Admin/Founder
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    #29 Danny, Nov 9, 2009
    2 people like this.
  10. R2Pre2

    R2Pre2 Feel the Force!

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    #30 R2Pre2, Nov 9, 2009
  11. PriusDreamer

    PriusDreamer Member

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    I have a Prius V with no options. Built in Sept. (will check the date )
    No safety connect that I am aware of.


     
    #31 PriusDreamer, Nov 9, 2009
  12. bedrock8x

    bedrock8x Senior Member

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    Watch Craigslist for SKS fob sale in your area. You may be lucky to catch the thief.
     
    #32 bedrock8x, Nov 9, 2009
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  13. R2Pre2

    R2Pre2 Feel the Force!

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    Such a great idea!
     
    #33 R2Pre2, Nov 9, 2009
  14. TalkingMuffin

    TalkingMuffin New Member

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    wow.
     
    #34 TalkingMuffin, Nov 9, 2009
  15. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    wow. Amazing story! Glad Safety Connect helped and you got the car back unscathed. Of course like hill said, the question is whether they've got any information (e.g. from the nav or phonebook).
     
    #35 Tideland Prius, Nov 9, 2009
  16. R2Pre2

    R2Pre2 Feel the Force!

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    Luckily, no information was entered into the Nav or Phonebook as we had just taken delivery of the car.
     
    #36 R2Pre2, Nov 9, 2009
  17. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    You'd figured there'll be a lock option for the phonebook.
     
    #37 Tideland Prius, Nov 10, 2009
  18. Sandy

    Sandy Hippi Chick

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    so does your car smell different?
     
    #38 Sandy, Nov 10, 2009
  19. Soylent

    Soylent The v isn't a station wagon! It's just big boned

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    Guys, this is probably not a case of "stupid thieves" or kids joyriding.

    Professional thieves nowadays will steal a car, and park it somewhere for a couple days. If the car is still there when they return, that means it had no GPS, and it's good to go. Then it gets packed up and sent overseas.

    This is why there will be a lack of damage, as it needs to be resold.
     
    #39 Soylent, Nov 10, 2009
  20. R2Pre2

    R2Pre2 Feel the Force!

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    UPDATE:

    New keys and lock cylinder ordered, so the barricading can stop in a few days once the parts are installed. But I think it will be a while before I stop looking out the window first thing in the morning to make sure R2Pre2 is still there!

    :phone: Spoke with Toyota's Safety Connect people yesterday and learned that my experience was now an interesting [but good] statistic: this was the 1st time SOS / Safety Connect had been used in a Prius!

    (This of course appealed to my desire to be at the forefront of things - a very "prius" state of being don't you think?) :cool:

    Additionally, PC's blog/facebook/twitter coverage about "the Prius that lived" had made it into Toyota USA and was bringing some much needed smiles and good Prius news after the runaway tragedy.

    And in response to a few comments:

    Thankfully no. Considering the thief/thieves smoked in the minivan, this was a big concern for me. But there was no smell and no evidence of any damage at all.

    Soylent, you and Hill mentioned this and I think both of you are spot on. When our car was stolen, I immediately thought R2Pre2 was going to end up in a container load at the Port of Oakland bound for parts unknown.

    Thanks again for all the support and great info! :)
     
    #40 R2Pre2, Nov 10, 2009
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