[Mr Clean]

Everyone,

You guys have to understand that we (as members of this public forum) have only words on a screen to draw our interpretations from. We don't know if the the creator of a post has written it with intent to cause offense, with a sarcastic undertone, in a jovial or playful manner or any other subtle inflection (not to discount the availability of emoticons, internet jargon and other "tools" in which we can use to project our intent) and as a result, these "words on a screen" leave a wide area for speculation and analysis. For this reason, I don't believe the members that felt a "tug" from the OP's posts were trying to label him as racist, they were simply highlighting the section of his post that caught their attention. Since this is a public forum and there is generally no prerequisite to comment, expect people with differing opinions to respond and share their perspectives on the given topic. We are living in a time in America where everyone is hyper-sensitive about this and that. I wish I could share my sentiments about this in detail but the nature of my discussion is not for public consumption (not that it is skewed towards this way or that, its just like what I said before, people are sensitive and its bad ettiqutte to discuss those things out of context). In keeping the forementioned in mind, I simply chose not to respond to certain threads/posts or discuss certain topics in hopes of "keeping the peace" so to speak. The reason for my comment on this thread is to share my perspective on what was written as well as to offer some advice to the OP. For what its worth, I have never seen a post from OP where he said something offensive or "out of character" during the time I've been a member here. He always seems to encourage others and most of his posts are written in a jovial tone, so I believe he should get the benefit of the doubt.

OP,

In regards to my advice to you, I would consider installing Lo jack. Even if the subscription expires, the police will still be able to track it thus increasing the odds of recovery, plus this device will save you some money for insurance since the recovery rate in case of theft has been augmented. Secondly, I would advise you to install tinted windows. Thieves simply cannot steal what they can't see. Most times, thieves who case cars out in the open (as in physically walking by it, making gestures as if they are peering inside ect) are "small time" or "rookies" as they have now given up their element of secrecy by exposing themselves. I have been able to surprise quite a few people who approached my car without knowing I was inside as the sides and windshield are very dark. Most times, these individuals are looking for a quick smash and grab as it presents too much of a liability for them to steal an entire car without having an adequate place to store it (chop shop where it can be disassembled quickly thus indicating a large scale operation, the opposite of low level smash and grab tactics). If they wanted the entire car, best believe, you or any other potential witness, would not be able to even give a description as they would have done all their research either remotely or covertly. The second element of having tinted windows is dealing with law enforcement. I can't get into that in detail here (pm), but in a nutshell, if stopped, simply remain calm, allow the officer to initiate the sequences of the stop and when given the opportunity explain your situation. If sincere and maintaining good eye contact, 8/10 they will give you a written or verbal warning and let you go about your way. If you happen to have a friend or contact in LE ask him/her about this in detail.

Overall, perhaps the best deterrent against car theft is having a good set of eyes (watchful neighbors). I've received many calls from my neighbors about people looking at or into my car with some of these curious onlookers encompassing children on their bikes to regular people walking on the street to motorists who stopped to check out the plate. If you and your neighbors are comfortable, exchange contact info and instruct them to contact the authorities in case of highly suspicious behavior. Good Luck.

[lsturbointeg]

Thanks Mr Clean! I appreciate your response!