Pelican Pete

I live in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, where parking is notoriously difficult. I usually park my car in the nearby municipal garage, where I have a monthly pass.

Tonight when I parked my car in the garage I parked next to a late model BMW 3-series. When I got out of my car, I noticed that the BMW had a broken passengers side window. Glass was shattered all over the ground -- but strangely no glass had fallen IN the car.
The BMW was also keyed on the driver's side, but I don't know if it happened at the same time, or if it was preexisting.

I asked the security guard what happened, and he told me that SIX cars were vandalized during the DAY. Broken glass was all around the BMW, and also more right near the exit. (Fortunately I was out during the day, although I left the garage only slightly before this incident allegedly happened.)
The garage has 5 levels. The BMW was parked on the first level. The guard told me that the other cars were all parked on other levels -- including one on the roof.

I usually like to park on the first level. Even though it is the busiest level, I like it because it is the closest to the guard booth, and still one floor up from street level. I like to think that the area with the busy traffic is theoretically safer than the more remote sections of the garage. Usually I end up parking on the second or third level though, because I prefer to park in a corner spot so I don't get dinged. My car sat all week long while I was out of town, and it was on the second level. Other than a layer of NYC grime and dust, it was fine when I returned to it today.

But I will admit, that I am now quite concerned about leaving my car in the garage. I don't know if this was a freak thing, or a crime wave going on.
Should I leave my car in the garage? Should I keep it on the first level -- next to the vandalized BMW? Should I move it to another level? Should I leave it at my mom's house on Staten Island, where I only have a driveway?

If something should happen (God forbid!) do you think that my insurance company would give me a hard time with a claim? The car is registered on Staten Island, but I have it in Brooklyn a lot of the time. Even though I split my time pretty evenly between Staten Island and Brooklyn, having a monthly pass to the garage in Brooklyn would not help my case very much.

What do you guys think?
(At the very least, I'll be checking my car every day this week.)

Thanks,
Peter

James R.

I used to do that at the college and never had any issues, I'd park on the end when I could find one and cover it with the OEM cover...not a ding...not a scratch on the car.

Evan (Vogon)

your car is covered where ever you are. period

Bill In SoCal

good idea. They have those ones with a lock on the cover to pete

Pelican Pete

The issue is that the car is "garaged" in Brooklyn, even though I am paying Staten Island rates. And I told my insurance company that the car is "garaged" on Staten Island. Technically it would be a case of insurance fraud.

I used to insure my car at my family's summer home in Saratoga Springs. But then I decided to do the "legal thing" and insure it home in NYC.
Now that I've moved to Brooklyn I am concerned again. Even though I do still spend a lot of time on Staten Island (where the insurance is about half the cost than Brooklyn.)

-- P.

Zed 2.0

Some people are sick enough to figure that if you take steps to protect your ride, they'd better mess it up.

James R.

guess you could always ride your bike to work. It's a shame people can't leave cars the F#$K alone. I used to get sooo pissed when my parents would tell me to chill because I got a dent in my car from some stupid *** neighbor kids playing baseball in the street.

My arguement was as follows...you live in a 300~400 dollar house, my car is with mods about 40,000 that's 1/10th the value of this entire property..the house the land the EVERYTHING except the **** in side. Some dumb *** kit throws some paint on it...or a rock thru your window and the whole neighborhood is up in arms...but a car...which ain't exactly cheap gets defiled and they all tell me to pipe down...man that was a bad week for me :-/ Got fixed in the end...on my buck, I still start to fume every time I think about that week...grrr.

Regards,

James R.

Zed 2.0

Like 95% of my actual usable money right now is in my car (college student). Yet, I don't even want to take it on campus for fear of some dumbasses breaking it. Kinda frustrating, seeing as how it's at my house, about a 3 hour drive away, but I can't really use it.

Skene @ PES Tuning

as long as where it is.. is proper address and where they they can bill you.. its your property no matter what.. bill it to a house in westbubblefuQ N.M. and its still the same thing. just as long as the car is insured.

Toronto B6 -OnEighty

It's obviously a risk keeping it there but if you must take the precautions, they can break in a steal parts of the car but more personal stuff is harder to replace.

Sometimes you can't let the robbers win a simply hide and never drive or park your car anywhere.

Just to keep things like that in mind.
Most people would play it safe though and simply not park there.