A great date can quickly be ruined if someone steals from you. This happened to my girl a few months back. We had a wonderful date but when she walked out to her truck she discovered that someone broke into it and stole her things.

To avoid this unfortunate problem, follow these tips:

1. Lock your car doors. Keeping your doors locked, even when you are in the car, is an excellent habit to get in. Leaving your doors unlocked almost guarantees eventual theft.
2. Put valuables in your trunk. Don’t keep valuables where people can see them. If you know you are going to be driving somewhere and parking your car, put your valuables in the trunk before you leave. If you have to put them in the trunk once you get where you are going, then people might see you doing this and break into your car once you are gone.
3. Don’t keep a spare key in the car. Thieves know where people generally keep their spare keys, and most insurance companies won’t accept a claim if the car doesn’t look like it was broken into. Instead, keep a spare key with a trusted friend that you can call in an emergency.
4. Keep your spare keys in a safe spot at home. If you keep a spare key at home (as you should) make sure that it is in a safe spot. If your house is burglarize you don’t want the thieves having a key to your car.
5. Keep your garage door opener out of sight. A garage door opener is as good as a key to your house. Thieves know this and will break into your car to get to it if they can see it.
6. Park in a garage if possible. Try to park in a garage whenever possible, even if it costs a little more than parking on the street. Your vehicle will be better protected from bad drivers/parkers and will be less likely to be broken into.
7. Park in a well lit area. If a garage isn’t an option, park in the brightest area you can find. Thieves naturally want to avoid being identified and will choose a car parked in a dark spot over a car parked in a bright spot.
8. Don’t carry cash. It is okay to have a little bit of money on you, but carry as little cash as possible. If your credit cards are stolen, then you aren’t liable for the fraudulent charges, but if they take your cash then you are just out of luck.
9. Keep your wallet in your front pocket. If you are in a big city or high crime area, keep your wallet in your front pocket. It is much harder to lift from the front pocket than from the back.