Hit where it counts.

Sunday night, Jason left work to find the window on the Insight wouldn't roll up. The weatherstripping was pulled out and hanging limply from the opening. Apparently someone had tried to break into my car. Now, the Insight is a pretty stripped down vehicle--it comes equipped with a tape deck, and I've never upgraded. So, either they were after the giant pack of Charmin toilet paper in the back, or they wanted to steal my car. (With gas at $3.79, its no surprise.) I'm outraged!
This is the 3rd time I've had a car broken into. The first time, I was 17 and my leather coat and my textbooks were stolen. I was really annoyed, and more so when I went to the bookstore to repurchase and actually bought my old copies back. Atleast my notes and highlights were still there. The next breakin happened in college when I lived downtown in a real hole. The window was broken and the stereo was stolen. Do petty thieves realize that the little vent window in the back is the most expensive? I actually filed a police report that time, and was told there was nothing they could do. The most vexing part of that incident was that the flashlight I kept in the glove compartment for emergencies was used in the crime.
Even though I still have my car and the damage was minor, I'm really upset about this attempted theft. Much more so than the other ones. In the past, I've taken the attitude that the thieves must've needed the stuff more than I did and books and stereos are small details with limited value. Stealing my car is completely different. That's stealing my transportation, and in today's world, transportation is priceless. (Plus, I love my car. I was just raving about it a few posts back.)
I've been thinking about this, and the swirl of emotions that's associated with it all week. I also took time to reflect on my brothers story. His car was stolen last year. He'd been driving my old '89 Toyota Tercel, and parked it in Central Ogden where he lived. One day, it just wasn't there. When my mom told me, I was shocked and concerned. But the details came out, and my concern melted into laughter. Apparently Morgan had left the keys in the car--not just that one time by accident. He actually stored the keys in the car for convenience. (I was stunned) I wouldn't do that here, and I did mention he lived in Central Ogden. Well, when he told my mom, she asked if he'd filed a police report and what he was doing to try to recover it. He said that he hadn't bothered, his dad had said that they'd just wait a couple of days, then drive around. He said that most likely whoever had taken it would just abandon it when it ran out of gas. (This is the part of the story that my shock turned into a smile). In the meantime, he was stranded. He usually used my father's truck as a backup vehicle. However, the key was on the same ring as the Toyota keys, so it would be stupid to let him park it in the same spot. 2 days later, they started driving around to look for the car. They drove all around town and didn't find it. So, Morgan was without transportation and had to call people and bum rides or bike. A few days later, the police called and told him to come retrieve his car from the onramp at 30th street. When he got there, he found the car had actually run out of gas and been left at the side of the road. (I know, I couldn't believe it either. It's like a fairytale. My brothers life plays out like a fairytale pretty often). My mom saw him the next Sunday. He told her he was never going to leave the keys in the car again. She asked where they were right then. They were in the car-well, no one would take it in her neighborhood.
So, I was feeling a little guilty about having laughed at Morgan's misfortune. But then I remembered that I was genuinely concerned at the start of the tale and didn't laugh until I heard how it had played out.
I don't know why I didn't lose my car. Was it actually that hard to jimmy the lock? Did the thieves notice the security cameras and flee? Did they get into the car and were thwarted by the security features on the ignition? Who knows. I won this one, I'm grateful, but I still feel a little violated.