A fight to protect my catalytic converter

[BCam]

Originally Posted by rt66paul

It is illegal to put a used cat on a vehicle(at least here in Ca), so be sure you have insurance for theft and damage. Even $500 deductable will help a $1300 bill.

I'm fully insured through Progressive and, due to their "disappearing deductible" my current deductible is $0 so that's not of concern to me. On the other hand, this yard has now been hit twice so I don't want to be hit over and over. If there's a device that will make other vehicles in the yard more attractive I'll consider it.

[rt66paul]

I suggest both. A fenced lot with a couple of Rotts and/or Pitts would be a good start. Nothing like them chewing a foot to break concentration and give you ideas of a career change.

[ScrapIron]

https://www.npr.org/2022/11/03/11337...ng-federal-fbi

[JWA]

^^^Until or unless law enforcement begins holding the scrap yards and other receivers of stolen cats even that action will do little to stop or even slow this from happening into the future.

[ScrapIron]

The article named the scrap yard involved and they are prosecuting them. They speculate that they made $545 million dollars gutting and selling stolen cats.

[JWA]

^^^That's a good first but small step---I'd bet overall that bust is but a small trickle of how big this is nationwide.

Seizing the assessts as laid out is mighty impressive but its still just a drop in the bucket.

Boy ain't I a rainbow of good news huh?

[rt66paul]

If the government wants catalytic converters on most vehicles, they should issue them and replace them when they go bad. Forcing us to leave precious metals around so the unwashed masses can steal them would stop that(yeah, right). Make the converters the property of the government and put the problem on them. That way no one could sell them.

[BCam]

I wonder how many of these rings there are nationwide. Plus, someone is buying the precious metals once the theft ring has extracted it from the converters. Nonetheless, it's a step in the right direction and maybe the investigation model they used will be fruitful elsewhere.

[simplesez]

The government now owns those stolen cats, and all the proceeds from their sales including cash, cars, and properties. They are stoked because they get to buy more tactical gear and no victim will see a dime.

And you want the government to do what now? Give us free catalytic converters? Aren't folks upset about free handouts for other purposes? Get it straight. I'll take my free electric car now, just get the oil and gas industry lobbyists out of the way. I'd be fine if we all drove the same government mandated vehicle, I don't NEED the freedom to choose. See that's a random creative idea as well. Has it's downsides though.

[rt66paul]

I am just pointing out that if the government had to equip the cars with cats, the laws would change. Making people pay $2000 to come into compliance with a $1500 car is just crazy. This is just keeping cars from the poor. How are people supposed to hold down a job when they have to rely on public transportation?