ruTTopia

I am moving to Baltimore and am considering purchasing a Roadster. However, I'm living in the city (Canton if anyone is familiar with the city) and even though the area I'm living in is safe and has a lot of expensive cars, I'm a little uneasy about having a convertible parked on the street. I am asking for trouble? Does anyone have statistics or experiences on parking convertibles on city streets? The area I'm in is a safer area and the lighting is great, and there are a lot of BWM's and Audi's around, but I'm not sure about the convertible aspect.

Suggestions? Stories? Ideas?

Mike

PMSG

...most of the time parked on the street. The secret is DO NOT LEAVE ANYTHING of value (actual or percieved) inside the car. If the car is empty, the bad guys don't tend to break in. If they see anything that could be valuable, or contain something valuable, (a bag or a box) then you are asking for trouble. If you must leave anything in the car, put it in the trunk.

Always be careful where you park. Park in a well lighted area if you can. If you feel funny about leaving your car somewhere, don't. Find a better spot. Don't be cheap, pay the extra coouple of dollars to park in an attended lot rather than a free or cheaper spot on a dark side street. It will cost a little more, but the peace of mind is worth it.<p><a href="http://registry.audiworld.com/a4.org/registry/details.asp?car=2416"><img src="http://gerrity.net/art/pmsgsig.gif" alt="HEY AUDI! Where's my Roadster?" width=120 height=48 border=0></a>

2001 225 TTRQ - Somewhere on the continent...

Episport

An employee of mine went to Baltimore to interview for a new job (he was a part-timer working for me while he finished his masters). He and a friend who had gone along for fun were in Baltimore for less than 20 minutes when their rental car was broken into. They parked on a busy street in broad daylight and walked into a real estate office. They came back to find the police intestigating the break-in of their car. The thief had broken out a window to grab a back pack in plain sight. When onlookers yelled at the perp, he dropped the bag and ran. Insurance covered the damage and nothing of value was taken, but he decided that Baltimore was not for him. Baltimore does have a reputation for crime, justified or otherwise. The rental car wasn't even a convertible. Convertibles are easier to break into, but I'd agree with PMSG... park it carefully and you'll reduce your risk of trouble. Not that you'll ever eliminate all risk, but risk reduction is always the best course of action.

Regards,
Stephen