I Think My Car Has Been Stolen

[zboot]

Wednesday morning I arrived at school and parked my car around 9:00am. I wasn't parked next to a meter, but I wasn't blocking anything and I thought worst case, I'd get a ticket.

I'm in school all day till about 8pm. I get out, walk to where I parked my car and it's gone. I'm thinking the school probably towed it (there's construction going on in that area - again, it didn't seem like I was impeding anything, but I though perhaps somehow I was).

I call the school on Thursday, and they tell me that not only have they not towed any cars recently, but they only tow cars from inside of school lots. . .and after leaving tickets on the cars over a couple days. Since I was parked on the street, they said likely my car was towed by the city.

So today I call the city of Pittsburgh pound. They look up my car, and say they haven't towed it. Not only that, but they don't even have any BMWs in the lot. Given that all four wheels have bmw badges, plus I've got the hood and trunk emblem, I have a hard time believing that someone could have misfiled my car as a make other than a bmw.

So, that leaves one conclusion. I'm still having a hard time believing it because I typically lock my car when I walk away. If I forget to do so, I usually realize it before I'm more than several feet away and just hit the lock button on the alarm until it chirps. Plus all my spare keys are distributed among friends in case I accidentally lock my primary key in the car. And my primary key, which is in my possession, is the only one with a chip that matches the 328 DME in the car.

As far as I can figure, to otherwise steal my car would require a lot of work - opening the hood, swapping DMEs, breaking the steering lock and all this would happen in broad daylight on a busy street (I was parked next to the engineering building and a teacher's college - that street always has people walking up and down).

But yet, my car is clearly not where I parked it. Even more strange, today I went by again to look (in case my mind was somehow addled Wednesday night) and I saw the same SUV I parked in front of on Wednesday roughly in the same spot. I can't be sure how long it's parked there, but it tends to diminish the probability that my car was towed. . . by the city at least.

I guess tonight once I find something with my license plate number written, I'll file a police report and contact geico.

[b.u.ti-ful]

Weird.

With that set-up it almost would have to have been towed.

Some thieves tow.

Your friends don't have the ignition key, right?

[zboot]

Originally Posted by b.u.ti-ful

Weird.

With that set-up it almost would have to have been towed.

Some thieves tow.

Your friends don't have the ignition key, right?

Nope, I have the only one.

[thesk8nmidget]

any possibility that you owe a creditor money or anythign that would cause a repo man to swing by and pick it up? i would try contacting local repo drivers or little lots, they sometimes tow without having the info entered with the city

[tiFreak]

damn, that sucks, I hope you find it in good condition if it has been stolen

[b.u.ti-ful]

Originally Posted by thesk8nmidget

any possibility that you owe a creditor money or anythign

Oh no! You got a title loan, right?

Or somebody snatched it and left you a Honda like happened to thesk8midget.

[elchicano]

is there any cameras around the buildings? Since it's a busy part of the school i think people would have noticed somebody trying to break in, most likely it was towed.

[Maverix]

Originally Posted by b.u.ti-ful

Or somebody snatched it and left you a Honda like happened to thesk8midget.

[milehigh96caliti]

It wasn't confiscated as a public nuisance was it?

[Maverix]

Originally Posted by nineironkitty

It wasn't confiscated as a public nuisance was it?

Naw, just indecent exposure.

[amancuso]

Any update?

[zboot]

Originally Posted by thesk8nmidget

any possibility that you owe a creditor money or anythign that would cause a repo man to swing by and pick it up? i would try contacting local repo drivers or little lots, they sometimes tow without having the info entered with the city

I own the car outright so it wouldn't be that, though we're trying to figure out if there's some other agency or something that would have reason to tow my car but not store it in the city pound.

Tomorrow I'll be able to find out if the construction guys would be able to have it towed. If not, then I'll just go ahead with a police report.

[wolferj-RIP]

Man, after all your hard work and saving to do this... now your car goes missing... this just sucks, plain and simple. Sorry this happened.. I hope you find it in some small tow lot and get it home safe and sound... all my best thoughts for you tonight.

[b.u.ti-ful]

I would call the cops ASAP.

[cooljess76]

Originally Posted by b.u.ti-ful

I would call the cops ASAP.

+1, cops are LAZY!!! The thought of actually having to file a police report might actually put a spark under their ass and make them check the impound lots. Plus it CYA if someone decides to use it to commit a crime.