In the height of the bacchanal season, revelry sometimes consumes the fete fanatic to the extent that their prized, pimped out ride, parked on the curb of the venue, often gets neglected. Now, mind you, this isn't the case for every reveller. As we know, there are some gas-heads that would lock their rides in a metal box outside a fete, if they could. Nevertheless, as the season draws to its peak, so do the efforts of car thieves, who lie in wait for the perfect opportunity to shatter windows to get to car decks, speakers, cameras and cell phones–and even to hot wire your car, and leave the scene without a trace.
This Carnival, play it safe. It's not a great feeling to find that your ride has disappeared after you've had the time of your life. That big grin you walk out the fete with could, in mere seconds be turned upside down. To avoid the anguish, take a look at some tips that could ensure you get home with your car, and not in the back seat of someone else's.
?Car safety tips
?1. Leave your house with the understanding that there will be other people, like you, who'll want to park their cars in the best possible spot, i.e. in a secure car park, beneath a street light or in close proximity to the fete's location. Get to any fete no later than 10 pm to secure a good spot.
2. Remove all items, even plastic bags, from view. Place anything that would attract the attention of a passer-by in your vehicle's trunk or remove them before you leave your house.
3. If the face of your car's deck can be removed, do so. Place it in the glove compartment or somewhere else where it cannot be seen.
4. Ensure your car's alarm system is working properly. Check your alarm's batteries during the season. Improve your car's security by having an immobiliser or a state-of-the-art alarm system fitted.
5. Secure those 17" rims by purchasing a set of lock nuts. Although modern-day thieves have done their research and possibly thought up sophisticated carjacking methods, lock nuts and other similar items can prove to be great deterrents.
6. Do not walk away from your car without activating your alarm. Sometimes, in the heat of the action, we forget simple things. While, in most instances, the alarm will activate by itself, the doors sometimes remain open, so that an intruder may be able to open the doors effortlessly, even with the blaring sound of the triggered alarm. He can simply pretend to be having problems with the alarm and get away with the act!
It's Carnival in T&T. Jump, wine, wave and palance but remember that after the season, it all goes back to normal. Secure your ride, you'll need it beyond Carnival 2010!