Thieving Twats

[shite_meister]

Had to leave my car over the weekend in the big communal car park in the tiny industrial estate where I work, went to get something out of the boot and noticed my toolbox full of nice toolery, a couple of socket sets and a CD player I wanted to fit have been nicked from my boot Thing is that the central locking doesn't work so I thought the boot was locked as I hadn't been into it for ages, and I had reversed right up against a fence not for any reason but the crafty pikey obviously checked the whole lot. Police can't do much which is fair enough and the police woman I spoke to was very nice, they want me to take the car down so they can get forensics on the case-a waste of time really but should I see them for sale at least I have the po-lice file in the D.A's office 'n shit, obviously I'd dearly like to cut the bastard that did it into small slices whilst reading him extracts from Gerri Haliwell's autobiography.Had a few of me late Grandfather's tools there too. I had built up an impressive array over the last 15 years. Still, there's bigger stuff to give a shit about I guess.

[DatsunTurbo]

obviously I'd dearly like to cut the bastard that did it into small slices whilst reading him extracts from Gerri Haliwell's autobiography.

That's painted quite the picture in my head! I like your style. Sorry to hear of your loss though. Hopefully the pikey's already on record.....

[pogweasel]

Bumhats. To be fair it sounds like your plod are at least marginally interested in 'cracking the case'. I recently had over a grands worth of kit nicked out of my van, plod were totally ambivalent, even though (a) half the stuff was totally traceable should it ever surface and ( they took my 24in toolbox, the contents of which were a pikey thiefs wet dream: Crow-bars, bolt-croppers, hammers, jemmies, and the lifting keys for hoiking manhoes up. Not a lone opportunist either, I reckon it was a targeted 'hit'. Swines.

[shite_meister]

Sorry to hear of your loss though.

Thanks Turbot, not like its the end of the world like, just mildly irritating.

Hopefully the pikey's already on record.....

The Police want me to take the car into them so they can say "Oh we can't take a finger print off a small greasy boot-button that you've opened several times since" and I'll say "Yeah, I know, so I could've stayed home"No doubt my other half will be all understanding and offer a soothing "Shut the fuck up about your bloody toolbox" was a luuuverly toolbox mind....

[andrew e]

Think of it not as a theft but an excuse to buy more tools

[shite_meister]

Yeah but I'm broke and have a million and one other things that I need to do with the cash before I buy tools.The other thing is that I'd had bought or been given some of the tools years ago as presents and I really like the idea that I'd still be using tools that I first had when I started driving, now I will have to explain to any offspring I may have that the tools I'm using were bought because some thieving scum stole my old ones.

[shite_meister]

I recently had over a grands worth of kit nicked out of my van

Yeah it could've been worse, at least my stuff wasn't worth a grand. Did you claim or not?

[MrRegieRitmo]

now I will have to explain to any offspring I may have that the tools I'm using were bought because some thieving scum stole my old ones.

Well A) would they know the difference if you didn't tell them? & will it really matter to them that they won't be your originals?Sorry if that sounds unsympathetic...

[Guest]

As someone who had his tools pinched AND the van burned out I feel for you brother, still at least the tealeaves were bright enough to try the boot first before bricking a window or worse bending a doorframe open. Happened to a girl I 'knew' up in Scotland who had her CD player pinched from the R-reg Escort hatch that she NEVER locked - car always leaked in the rain after that.

[ashmicro]

If it's any consolation, my mate's son had a fibre-optic cable jointer nicked from his car. £22,000.Most criminals are pretty stupid, so you never know when/where your stuff might turn up.

[Volksy]

Having tools nicked is a right b@stard, I had the majority of mine 'borrowed' by a mate who took then to France with him on a road trip.. All 'Snap On' gear too, ratchet sockets, screwdivers etc etc.Apparently they all got nicked from his van in Reims or somewhere...A year or so later he asked me to lower the front suspension of his new van. I was short of the correct size socket.. Low and behold he produces my old toolbox complete with all my tools in. Despite my initial thought of clouting him with the nearest heavy object, I kept my cool, dissassembled most of the front suspension on both sides. Packed up my gear and drove off. Funnily, never heard from him again..

[VWPowered]

f*ck not good, especially when its stuff you worked damn hard for, i got loads when i was at college (all mac tools and on credit about 15ks worth) got stolen from the depot i was working at only now starting to rebuild it taken years though

[shite_meister]

Packed up my gear and drove off

Including what was rightfully yours I hope? I'm so broke at the moment and now I can't do anything without my tools I feel more pissed off than I would've say 6 months ago when I was a bit more flush, just seems as though I'm particularly unlucky at the moment.I was also fortunate to get alot of the recent tools at staff rate through my old place of work whereas I'll be paying full whack now. Anyone want to buy a Mercedes 190e 2.6 auto? Nearly 1000 posts Volksy, your prize is a set of secondhand tools

[shite_meister]

15K Tales like that VWP make me think that I should stop moaping.I do have an account with Snap-On, I must be carefull not to go all out and get loads of toolery-not that I've ever had a single item of Snap-on.Was looking at some of the sets that Teng do-they look really good but its a case of priorites at the moment.

[VWPowered]

tell you the truth this time i went halfrauds professional, alot cheaper as probably just as good, still has lifetime guarantee the same..just a though car boots are a good one too i was kinda lucky as i got paid out on the tools but not the full amount endless other crap you buy testers/rags/gloves all little bits that can cost a bomb and had no receipts for..if it happened again even though i got a pikey edition toolkit, i'd still be major pissed as like you its needed for my workmake sure the words about reward for your tools you maybe surprised someone somewhere may get a whiff.. hope it works out dude

[shite_meister]

Thanks, although I work with cars I'm not 'on the tools' so not needed right away but it would be nice to sort out the 101 issues my cars have.I was thinking about the Halfords set, I had a nice Sealey set of 3/8s that was fairly new, it would seem that Halfords Professional range is identical to the Draper Expert and Sealey stuff, I had a set of Draper ratcheting spanners and Draper retails them for well over a hundred quid but you can buy exactly the same set in same packet from halfords for £39-thats cheaper than I could buy my draper set for at staff rate.You had the Halfords set long? they been ok?

[pogweasel]

I recently had over a grands worth of kit nicked out of my van

Yeah it could've been worse, at least my stuff wasn't worth a grand. Did you claim or not?

Not covered, apparently. Because I'd left the van parked on the street outside my house. Again, I reckon a 'proper job', they'd tried to jemmy the boot then carefully disassembled the lock from the outside and done it without setting off the alarm (and ergo not making my dogs go batshit which woulda alerted me). The pisser is not the hand tools which can be replaced easy enough, but the equipment that is effectively useless to anyone else - it's all stamped with serial numbers, and generally has to be calibrated annually, there's only 3 or 4 places can do that so as soon as anyone tries to it would set off the alarm bells - but I suspect that bit got luzzed in a hedge as thieving pikey wouldn't know what it is or would soon work out it would be unsaleable. Gits.

[andrew e]

The Halfords stuff is good, even better on the trade card price. My stuff is a mishmash, good quality but names your average tea leaf scumbag has heard of - Facom, williams, elliot lucas/neil etc.

[Guest greenvanman]

Thing is, anyone with a quarter of a brain (the said pikeys) can break into a car. The only stuff I leave in mine is stuff I'm prepared to lose, so if someone decides to rob my car tonight they'll get a £40 Aldi stereo, a box of crappy 'roadside repair' quality tools, some old jump leads, sandwich wrappers, empty drink containers etc. etc.

[shite_meister]

Normally I don't leave it full of stuff but on this occaision I simply forgot that my tools were in the boot.Am looking for new toolery, thing is I'm unsure which way to go, Facom? Sealey? Britool (same as Facom) Teng? hmmm choices choices.

[retrogeezer]

The Halfords pro range stuff is top notch, they did have the big kit on offer for £100 recently, may still be on. It is made by one of the top company's, Britool or Draper..

[Guest]

I have nothing but praise for Teng kit.

[shite_meister]

Thanks chaps, have been looking at toolery on t'interweb, some really nice sets out there, think I'll start with some Halfords Ratcheting spanners, come Clarke Screwdrivers and i'm undecided but either a Sealey or Facom socket set that lot will probably cost me £130-200. As I work with a load of grease monkies I'm fortunate to get some opinions and have a look-Teng do some bloody nice little socket sets but I'm not keen on the quality of their ratchets. I won't be claiming on the insurance as I'd left the car at work and they'll no doubt say that it should've been kept at its address stated etc etc.Was thinking of going for one of them sets that have a 1/4 set and a 1/2 set rather than just a 3/8 but my head hurt just thinking about it so I had to numb the pain with some Rye & Dry.I went to the Police station tonight, I have to say that although the Police have no hope in hell of ever finding the stuff I was really impressed with the service I got from them from start to finish-I must use them more often Anyone have any tool porn like a 1" socket set??

[pogweasel]

I went to the Police station tonight, I have to say that although the Police have no hope in hell of ever finding the stuff I was really impressed with the service I got from them from start to finish-I must use them more often

No surprise there. In 2001 my *mint* mk2 astra was chored and found burned out in the field next to the local 'gypsy' site. There were no suspects. Apparently. And don't think this is all 'daily mail' either as I am at least 1/8th proper roma. Makes you even more mad.

[andrew e]

These BACHO look good in the flesh, never felt the ratchet movement however. £81 inclusive.

 

http://www.buckandryan.co.uk/product.php/section/2056/sn/BAHS240

 

[Father Ted]

I have a King Dick that was my fathers. So far has proved totally indestructable even when giving it some serious welly.

 

Never seen them for sale anywhere though and I think it may have made a bid for freedom from BAe

[Volksy]

My King Dick took a load of grunt too, haven't broken yet!

[shite_meister]

I have a King Dick that was my fathers.

I'm liking the fact that he's passed it onto you and it still has loads of life left, I just hope that you're still talking about socket sets!I was actually being serious about the Police actually doing something-they've just sent a S.O.C occiffer to look at the tiny bit of finger-print on the boot lid although that might be mine , I know this is Jersey and so doesn't quite have the same issues of a City but they're still like the Police in the UK in most respects so to be fair they're doing all they can but as I keep on telling them it is unfortunately a waste of everybody's time.

[andrew e]

My af set is king dick