Quote:
Originally Posted by Laker14
I thought it would be a useful conversation to have, to discuss various products designed to make one's golf cart less attractive for thieves. The theory being, of course, that we can't make it impossible, but a little deterrence will make it more likely that a thief will move on to someone else's cart.
I was going to post links to all of the products, but that's really a PITA, so anyone who is interested in finding more information online needs merely to GOOGLE a few keywords to educate themselves.
1. "unique" keys, vs. "common" keys, vs. "uncommon" keys. From what I've gleaned on searching "Buggiesgonewild" ( golf cart forum), an "uncommon" key might be what you have if you've had a headlight kit installed on your Yamaha. While it is harder to find than the "common" keys, it is more easily defeated than a "unique" key. As I understand it, to get a "unique" key ignition you have to buy a new one, so labelled, and have it installed.
I am not absolutely sure I understand all of the nuances of this, and would welcome more discussion from someone more knowledgeable. I think I do understand , however, that even such a system can be defeated by someone willing to put the cart in neutral and pull it onto a trailer. Certainly not as easy, and certainly more likely to arouse suspicion, than merely acting like you own the cart with a key that works and driving off in a matter of seconds.
Which leads me to another set of products that in one way or another immobilize the cart mechanically, such as:
1. A wheel boot.
2. A pedal to steering wheel lock bar (which can be used to fix the steering wheel to a part of the frame if the pedal hook doesn't fit the pedal for your particular cart).
3. A pedal lock, which fixes the gas pedal in one spot, and some of them fix the brake in the "set" position making rolling it onto a trailer even more difficult, if not impossible.
My inclination is to get a pedal-to-steering wheel lock bar. Simple, not too expensive (around $30-$40), and immediately obvious to the causal thief that there is easier prey available.
Thoughts?
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Bottom Line Up Front: Any thief who really wants your cart or what you have in it can steal it. Below is what I have done to make my cart
less likely to be targeted.
Several months back, I saw an article in the paper about some golf cart thefts in a particular Village (do not recall which one…does not matter anyway).
I wanted to address for myself what I thought were the two potential types of crime: those who may want to take something from my golf cart AND those looking to steal the golf cart itself.
I created a sticker to warn potential thieves my cart is now monitored by a motion-activated camera and tracked with an Apple AirTag.
I suspect most petty theft is based on opportunity and spur of the moment decision making when they see something in a cart and notice nobody is around the cart. Perhaps, they believe nobody will think it unusual to walk up to a cart and take something from a cart that does not belong to them. Either way, when they see the sticker I just wanted them to think twice about their actions.
Most people in TV are not going to mess with items left in our golf carts, but some folks see nothing wrong with taking advantage of an opportunity to help themselves to your stuff if they think nobody is looking.
The camera is a non-subscription, motion activated camera which records movement around my golf cart while I am away. When I am driving around, I have a small collapsable cover I place over the lens (no motion, no recording). When I park my cart and remove the key, I place the key inside the small collapsable camera cover which allows the motion sensor to record movement. When I return to my cart, I remove my key from the key pouch / camera cover and place it back over the lens. When I get home, the camera automatically uses my home WiFi network to let me see the activity it recorded around my cart. Note: Initially, I looked at the footage routinely, but now I don’t bother AS LONG AS NOTHING HAS BEEN “REMOVED” FROM MY CART. Sort of like convenience store video footage: no need to consult the video unless there is a robbery but the video is there if needed.
I will never know for sure, but I suspect the sticker and seeing the small video camera gives them a moment to reconsider their actions while looking the cart over as a potential opportunity. At the end of the day, I just want them to move on to a golf cart other than mine.
I have had some folks ask me about it and did put my phone number (352) 932-3958 on the sticker. I do not know if this could be a potential business opportunity or not. All I know is how much I detest the idea of someone taking something from me. It may seem like overkill to some folks to set something up like this and that is fine. Everyone is different and must do what is best for them. It took me a long time to find the right set up but it works great and does its job silently in the background as I go about my day in The Villages.