my car break in

[lumberzac]

Could someone tell me which parking areas seem to have been having most of the break-ins? I’m hoping to make a trip to the Whites soon and would like to avoid those lots if possible.

 

[jbreen]

Thieves can unlock doors with no damage to the car...so it would really be impossible to know if it were unlocked or if if it was opened illegally.

True. As a kid, I worked in a parking lot. On any given day, I had to break into about 2 or 3 cars because the owner either locked them inside or lost them at the beach. After one summer, it took me about 5-10 seconds to get inside any car (except BMW). I can imagine that a true thief (as opposed to a vandal) could do the same today.

 

[David Metsky]

Could someone tell me which parking areas seem to have been having most of the break-ins? I’m hoping to make a trip to the Whites soon and would like to avoid those lots if possible.

The number of break-ins compared to number of cars parked in the Whites is extremely small. There's only a few lots that have been hit on anything resembling a regular basis (I think 19 Mile Brook would be tops). It's pretty random.

While it makes sense to take precautions (don't leave anything out in the open) I wouldn't change your plans based on the risk. For highest safety, something like Pinkham or Lowe's Store would probably be pretty good. Beyond that it's hard to say. While trailheads on major roads mean that there is lots of traffic going by, it also means that theives can be in and out in seconds. Isolated trailheads offer thieves solitude to act, but mean that they are essentially trapped if someone catches them.

I never worry about trailhead parking, other than to hide all valuables and leave nothing in the car that I can't live without. It is an unfortunate part of the world today, but in the 20+ years of hiking in the Whites I personally have never had a problem. I may be jinxing myself (considering the reports on this site) but I don't expect to have any issues. It may look like there are lots of breakins, but you probably don't notice the 100's of trip reports that have no problems, just the 3 that do.

-dave-

 

[Mike P.]

From what I read,

Crawford Path
Garfield
Gale River
19 Mile as mentioned
At one time Rocky Branch on 16 but have not heard anything for a few years

 

[Orsonab]

I would think there's two types of criminals involved: "smash & grab" kids who are doing it for the thrill and to grab something easily visible and valuable (wallet on the dashboard, etc); and, more rarely, a more professional thief who will break-in to the car non-violently and turn it over for a wallet with credit cards. I think the solutions in both cases are: don't bring a Rolls Royce to the trailhead (damn!); and stow everything valuable away, leaving the glovebox and centre console open. I remember on another thread somebody mentioning they left an old backpack on the bonnet of the car to make people think the owner was nearby - clever idea, though I've never tried it.

 

[Peakbagr]

There are no clauses that I'm aware of on USA auto insurance policies that require you to lock your car doors.
There would be a firestorm of complaints if companies turned down claims and the claimant stated that they forgot to lock their car.
Insurance companies hate to have to field complaints from the state Insurance Dept, which is where you should go if this happens to you.