“Friendly reminder: never lock the doors.”
A Chicago woman says you shouldn’t lock your car doors when you park in sketchy neighborhoods.
This advice may sound counterintuitive, even foolhardy, but there may be a compelling reason to leave your vehicle unlocked, depending on what you drive.
In a TikTok, Michelle Bobak (@meeeshy_b) reveals why she believes it’s best to skip locking your car doors.
“Was anyone else taught that? To not lock your doors when you are parked outside? Like especially if you are in a sketchy neighborhood?” she asks.
“Just don’t leave anything valuable in the car,” she adds.
Bobak says that she used to lock her doors. Then her car sustained serious damage when someone broke in, damage that she was presumably on the hook for.
“You won’t have to pay for a broken window,” she advises.
A broken side window replacement costs on average around $275 to fix.
But is this actually good advice?
While dealing with a broken window is a hassle, it’s better than the experiences some have had after leaving their car unlocked.
One man commented on Bobak’s post to say that he left his car unlocked in Manhattan and returned to a highly unpleasant surprise.
“I actually forgot to lock it when I left and this dude climbed in to get out of the rain. Lock your door, because someone might be in your back seat and you might not see them,” one TikTok user shared.
Having your car doors unlocked also creates an opportunity for vandals and thieves alike.
On Reddit’s r/NoStupidQuestions, one person asked if they should leave their doors unlocked in a high-crime area. The majority of the users believe this is a terrible idea.
“Whoever told you to keep your door unlocked is wild lol. You might be saving your window, but you’ll lose your whole car. Lock it up,” one replied.
“Always doors locked. Your insurance should cover break-ins. Car thieves will always try the doors first and usually stop, as smashing a window is very attention drawing, along with a blaring car horn,” another added.
“Locked. Unless you want folks sleeping in your car. Take EVERYTHING out. I mean everything. Phone mount, water, loose change, coupons, trash, EVERYTHING,” a third replied.
General consensus is to always lock your car doors no matter where you are parked. However, there is one car that many drivers actually leave unlocked: Jeeps with soft tops. This may also apply to convertibles with soft tops. Both are easy targets for thieves to cut into the top.
“I know this is pretty common knowledge with people who own soft top jeeps,” one person wrote on TikTok.
“Friendly reminder: never lock the doors on a Jeep with a soft top,” a Reddit user wrote.
“The only time where leaving your doors unlocked is a good idea is if you own a Jeep with one of the soft canvas covers. I had a friend who left his jeep doors unlocked because he was sick and tired of paying $2,000 to replace the cover every time some idiot cut it to steal the $6 in change they had in the front seat,” another Reddit user said.
Replacing a soft top can range from $1,200 to $1,500 depending on location, users on a Jeep Wrangler forum note. All Motor Parts says it can cost upwards to $3,000 to replace a soft top.
Users on the r/wrangler Reddit forum agreed it’s best to leave the cars unlocked without valuables inside to avoid paying for a replacement top.
“No, because I’d rather not take the chance of having my top cut. I lock the glove compartment and center console even though there’s nothing in there,” one said.
According to the Texas Department of Insurance, here are five guidelines about locking your ride:
So if you’re not driving a soft top Jeep, it’s probably best to lock up your vehicle.
Motor1 has contacted Bobak via Instagram and TikTok direct message. We’ll update this if she responds.
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