Imagine waking up to find your car missing—again!
For one woman in Portland, Oregon, this wasn’t just a hypothetical scenario; it was her reality.
But instead of wallowing in despair, she hatched an ingenious plan that not only tickled the funny bone of the internet but also addressed her recurring problem in a unique way.
Meet “mfiasco,” the proud yet beleaguered owner of a 1995 Honda Civic.
Her car had become a magnet for local thieves, to the point where its frequent disappearances barely fazed her anymore.
It was as if her car had a revolving door, only for burglars!
When Tech Insider caught up with her, she revealed her first line of defense: never leaving anything valuable in the car.
She quipped, “…as long as it isn’t impounded, I just shake my fist at the sky and then go about my day.”
Clearly, she had come to terms with her car’s irresistible allure to the criminal element.
But accepting the problem didn’t mean she was ready to roll over and play victim.
Locking the car was obviously not a deterrent, so she needed a different strategy—one that would save her from the financial headache of impound fees.
Enter the glovebox note—a hilarious letter addressed to any would-be car thieves.
This wasn’t your typical “please don’t steal my car” plea; it was a practical guide for the thief, complete with do’s and don’ts.
The note read: “Hello! If you’re reading this, you are probably stealing my car.”
“I’m a nice person and likely would have given you a ride, but obviously we’re past that.
I would love to afford a car that doesn’t get stolen and burglarized all the time, but I’m broke and this is what I’m stuck with.
So, you got me. Again. You’re not going to get into trouble for stealing my car.
As long as you don’t mess around and kill a pedestrian, you’ll just leave this somewhere and go about your business.
Nobody investigates this tomfoolery.”
But she didn’t stop there.
The note had a postscript that was both a plea and a favor.
“One quick favor: please do not leave my car somewhere it will get towed.
If I have to deal with one more impound lot holding my stolen crappy Honda for ransom, I am going to lose my mind.
And my car, because I can’t afford to keep bailing it out of car jail.
If I had any money I would just go buy a dang car that wasn’t constantly getting stolen in the first place.”
The note concluded with a win-win proposition for both parties: “Please just leave my old piece of crap car in a neighborhood or something.
There’s a note in this envelope; just stick it on the dash or under the wiper.
A passerby will see it eventually and call me and then I can come get my car.
No cops, no questions asked; I’m not even mad at you.
It’s win-win: I don’t have to deal with police reports, insurance claims, and tow trucks, and you don’t have to feel like a jerk for ruining the month of a nice person.”
So, did this audacious approach work? According to mfiasco, it absolutely did!
She updated the internet with the news: “I left a snarky note in the glovebox of my Honda the last time it was stolen.
Just recovered the car from the most recent theft. They read my letter and I think it worked; they ditched it in front of a house this time (YAY).”
Sometimes, thinking outside the box—or in this case, inside the glovebox—really pays off!
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