Thefts of Portable GPS Units on the Rise Near NYC
Sales of portable GPS units for use in cars "have skyrocketed," and according to a CNN video, so have the number of thefts. Portable navigation units bring "about $100 on the black market," and in 2007, about 800 of them were stolen from cars in Nassau County near New York City- and while it's still early in 2008, about 450 have already been stolen. Removing the device from your windshield and locking it up in the car may seem an easy way to prevent theft, but Detective Sergeant Anthony Repalone says leaving the mount in place indicates a GPS unit is likely stashed in the center console, glove compartment, or under the seat. He advises that you remove the mount and wipe off the telltale ring its suction cup can leave on your windshield. If your car does get broken into by a thief looking for your GPS unit, Detective Repalone ticks off the potential costs: "The damage to the windshield, couple hundred dollars, stolen device, several hundred dollars, so the person who owns it is now out maybe seven- eight hundred dollars." While you might question his math skills, it's difficult to argue with his logic.
Glenn is a baby-boomer, born in 1954. Along with his wife, he makes his home in Connecticut. Employed in the public sector as an Information Tedchnology Specialist, Glenn has long been a car fan. Past rides have included heavy iron such as a 1967 GTO, to a V8 T-Bird. In between those high-horsepower cars, he's owned a pair of BMW 320i's. Now, with a daily commute of 40 miles, his concession to MPG dictates the ownership of a 2006 Honda Civic coupe which, while fun to drive, is a modest car for a pistonhead. As an avid reader, Glenn enjoys TTAC, along with many other auto-realated sites, and the occasional good book. As an avid electronic junkie, Glenn holds an Advanced Class amateur ("ham") radio license, and is into many things electronic. From a satellite radio and portable GPS unit in the cars, to a modest home theater system and radio-intercom in his home, if it's run by the movement of electrons, he's interested. :-)
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I LOVE my GPS. It's flat out, one of the most useful devices you can buy. Where ever I travel in the USA, I always bring it along. What I love most about it (besides actually finding my way anywhere) is the absolute confidence I have driving with it on unfamiliar roads. You can not get lost. If you miss your exit or maybe traffic moving at a crawl and you have to get off this road, NO PROBLEM..."Recalulating". It's WONDERFUL!!! Where is there a Gas Station or a Hospital or a Chinese Take-out around here????? Just ask the GPS, it knows. I would NEVER buy one of those built in NAV units. First of all, most are $1,000 or MORE for the same thing you can buy for $200 to $300, and most importantly, you can not take it out of the car. I don't really need the GPS when I drive around my town, but I sure do need it when I'm away from home driving a rental car. If you think using a MAP is just as good, well I've got a real nice bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you cheap.....
What I suspect is that the GPS system providers will eventually sell out and that their "findings" of gas stations, hotels, restaurants, etc.,will be influenced by payola. For instance, instead of finding ALL Chinese takeouts in your vicinity or ALL gas stations, they'll "find" just the ones who paid to be "found".
@zenith - I assumed that was already the case.