car security Archives - Comedy Defensive Driving®

An Unattended Car – A Thief’s Dream

Daun Thompson — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 15:09:18 +0000

It is so crazy cold outside that many of us are warming up our cars in the driveway before we head out to drop the kids at school and/or drive to work. After all, we don’t want to put an infant in a freezing car seat now, do we? So we leave the keys in the ignition and oftentimes the doors unlocked. Apparently automobile thieves are scouring neighborhoods, looking for that little puff of exhaust fog coming out of the car’s tail pipe. And, those crooks move in fast. Some say they only left the car running for a minute. And now they have your car and the keys to your home! We all know that you should never leave an unattended car running (unless, of course, there’s a body in the trunk that you need to dispose of, and someone to pin the blame on).

My parents live in a small town in the Midwest. They’re very cavalier about leaving their car parked in the driveway with their keys in the ignition and the windows down. Incidentally, they always know where to find their keys. I live in a large city where we would never even dream of leaving the keys in the ignition. Or would we? I do recall, in the past, running to the 7-11 to get milk. I left my dog in the car with it running and the air kicked on high, but the doors were locked. I thought I would only be in there for a minute, but someone wrote a check and I was in there forever! Who the heck writes checks anymore?

That’s why it is against the law to leave an unattended car running. If it is stolen, thieves will take crazy risks in it, damaging other property and putting other people in harm’s way. Police may be dispatched to chase down the crooks, putting their lives in danger and damaging their own vehicles in the pursuit. So, it just makes sense why not only leaving the car running, but just leaving your keys in the ignition are both against the law. And insurance companies may not cover any damages to your vehicle and the property that your vehicle damages in the pursuit.

Most cars come with a keyless remote for this reason. If someone does try to drive away in your car, unless the put the key into the ignition, it will stall when put into gear. If you have an older model car that does not have this feature, just save yourself some grief by never leaving your car running while it is unattended. Again, in the end, it may cost you more than just your car.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

An Unattended Car – Comedy Defensive Driving

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Car Cameras

Daun Thompson — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 06:19:20 +0000

Apparently everything that happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. So, what about everything that happens in and around your car? Car Cameras – ComedyDefensiveDriving.com or dash cams are a great way of providing evidence in case of an accident or insurance dispute. They are excellent for a hit and run and been used in Russia for years. Russia is famous for YouTube videos recorded with dash cams since nearly every driver in Russia has a dash-mounted video camera in their car. Aren’t you curious why? Well, I’m gonna tell you! Apparently, Russia reported a total of 35,972 road deaths in 2007 alone. Since Russians are apparently accident prone, along with their corrupt law enforcement and a faulty legal system, some say this is the best and least expensive form of legal protection.

Here in the states, you can purchase a dash-cam for as little as $70 and as much as thousands of dollars, depending on the features you require. Some have a number of functions, such as dual lens security cameras that face inside and outside of the car, as well as in-car video systems with night vision recording (just like Ghost Hunters, everything will be in a lovely glowing green). Some offer accident sensors that will turn the camera on in an impact or with a glass breaking sensor and built in GPS software to log the time of the incident (I would say “alleged” incident, but camera proof would confirm any wrong doing). The pricey ones even record at all angles, inside and outside of the car so you can film your own Paparazzi. “Take that you pesky Paparazzi.” (My sister called me when Princess Di was killed and told me she just didn’t understand why that big Italian opera singer would want to kill Princess Di. Ugh! I wish I was kidding.)

It would be terribly convenient to have a dash cam to catch someone breaking into your car. Or to make sure your teen driver or employee is doing the right thing behind the wheel. If they knew they were on camera, it may just spark a sense of accountability. Perhaps a dash cam would come in handy to prove a spouse’s affairs and indiscretions in court. Yikes! That’s it! I’m totally getting one!

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Dash Cam – Comedy Defensive Driving

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TRUE CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL DRIVER

Daun Thompson — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:34:29 +0000

I read an article claiming that women can’t keep a secret for longer than 32 minutes (or was it 32 seconds…I can’t recall…I was too busy talking). Maybe its just that some of us like to hear ourselves talk. I had a guy about my age in my class who wrote on the teacher evaluation of me “She’s a talker.” What the heck?? I’m supposed to talk. I was teaching! What does he prefer to do? Give him the silent treatment for six hours…like every other girl he knows?? Another kid in the class wrote “She’s funny (looking). The brat!
So I’m a talker and I can’t keep a secret. Oi! At my age, I’d be lucky to remember a secret for longer than 32 minutes (or seconds). So, as far as I am concerned, I had better get to passing that sucker on while it’s still fresh in my head. Actually, did they really mean secret or confession? Offhand, I can’t think of any juicy secrets of my own. But confessions? Now that’s another story. I suppose my biggest secret (or perhaps it’s more of a confession), I haven’t changed my oil since 2008. Another? Whenever there’s a knocking, pinging or grinding sound while I’m driving, I just turn up the radio to drown it out. Voila!
You can’t think of anything to confess? How about this? When was the last time you read that car manual? You know, the one that came with your car. The one in that pristine factory-sealed plastic bag that has never been opened. The only thing in your car that still looks new? If you ask around, a majority of people have never even perused their manual. That’s surprising, since there are some uber important tidbits of information within your car manual. Such as how your ABS (anti-lock brake system) works. How to disengage/engage your air bags. Where that fuse box is located. Where your spare tire is stored, as well as the ever-so-crucial “jack”. Oh well, that’s what roadside assistance is for, eh? There’s usually an 800 number on the back of your drivers license for that. And, in most cases, it’s free (you’re already paying for it with your tax dollars anyway). But don’t drop your AAA or auto insurance roadside assistance. It won’t pay to have you towed when you can’t find that jack!
Until next week…crack open that manual. Take a peek at it. Make a holiday trivia game out of the information within it. And for cying out loud, have a happy holiday.
Daun Thompson

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