Actually the parking lot is at a an elementary school that is multi purpose on Sundays. There is a farmers market at this location and both shoppers and people attending church across the street use this parking lot. There are lots of people around. But you are correct in saying thieves know no boundaries...this scenario is proof.
Crime of opportunity is just that... The opportunity presents itself, someone will take advantage of it. When I was looking at stuff about Lojack after I asked for it on my car, I ran across this video: In that video, the guy is in a shopping mall parking lot, with a guy carrying a small hand camera. They are dressed in red shirts lingering around people's cars and pointing out flaws people are doing, and the thing is, you see people walking by in the camera shot too. While it could have been edited, he points out that several there were a lot of opportunities, including some where people didn't bother locking the door. Thieves will strike at any given time, it is just a matter of opportunity and also simply because people just being apathetic in the parking lot, there will be those opportunities. Hence why a car alarm or a blinking light won't matter that much, because of what the video points out. Things easy to grab in a place such as that, or even in a parking garage, most people would not do much about it. I know where I worked, I didn't notice someone breaking into someone's car across the street, but a co-worker who happen to be sitting by the window with the window open heard it and called out, but the thing is, the kid could have stolen what he wanted before we had a chance to catch him. Again, opportunity.
