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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
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    Wilson
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    PSA I got robbed by car key fob disarming jerkoffs

    I'm travelling with family across Central and South America (TR here) and was driving rental car back to SJO airport in Costa Rica. Not to pick on the country, that's just where we were. We have been pretty careful about thievery, special bags, hidden pockets, etc. But we met our match at the crocodile bridge at Carara National Park between Jaco and San Jose. Left my rental car for two minutes to recharge my sim card. Locked the doors with my key fob (or I thought I did). In this time two guys open my trunk and steal two bags. I came back to the car, decided to go join my family looking at the crocodiles, and head off. Thieves try again. I forgot the camera, head back just before they make off with my truly valuable bag in the passenger seat. I head off again but notice the lights didn't flash when I hit lock on the key fob. I assume the battery died in my rental car key fob so I head back, manually lock all the doors including the trunk (thankfully). They move on to steal a phone or something from another touron who just pulled up.

    We made it 15 minutes down the road before needing to stop for gas, realized the bags were missing. We are in a rush to make flights but I make it back to the spot, ask around, and the shop keeper has video cameras. I try my key fob and it now works (because the bad guys in the tinted Montero are now gone). I had no idea this jamming was a thing until now. I got the whole thing from the shop keeper, check out the youtube links if you have 5-10 minutes to kill. Chilling how close to these crooks I was when they were taking my stuff and how brazen they were when they thought I was heading off again. Minute 1:30 on first link is when the jack my stuff. I had no time to fill out a police report although may still try to do so online. I couldn't believe how helpful the shop keeper was in showing me the video in the back room so I think chances are low he is in on it.

    I feel a little better that I know how it happened and where my stuff went. Maybe this saves you some trouble down the line. They got my kids inhaler which has been hard to replace also the baby carrier for hiking. And $500 plus of our other stuff that is not so important immediately. Thank god they didn't get the good bag with the cash and electronics or for that matter our big packpacks = dream trip over. That would have left a mark and the guy was about 2 seconds from getting it.

    Part 1


    Part 2


    Got good pics of the crocs though
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    Day Man. Fighter of the Night Man. Champion of the Sun. Master of Karate and Friendship for Everyone.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
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    Less flat
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    3,760
    Sounds like you're handling it pretty well and you have the bandits red handed - Shit Happens. Think about the new SA wardrobe you'll be sportin the rest of the way.

    Hope you quickly score an Inhaler and find a serviceable kid pack.
    ​I am not in your hurry

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
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    The Cone of Uncertainty
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    49,306
    Sorry about your shit, kokomas.

    Never heard of key fob jammers but some quick reading says that if you hear the locking beep or whatever sound your car makes you should be fine. Stay close enough to hear the locks engage and you're definitely fine. They can't unlock the car, they just jam the signal and prevent your fob from locking it. Li'l PSA.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    303
    A buddy of mine used to own a surf hotel in Jaco. He said they would always stop at that spot on the way in from the airport to show their guests the crocs. And car prowl theft was so common, if you walked away from your car and then spun around a few hundred feet later, you'd often catch the thieves coming out of the bushes toward your car. That was like 10 years ago or something. My take (ratified by my buddy) is that Costa does not do much to stop petty theft against tourists. It's like a form of tax to them. My Panamanian relatives also told me to be extra careful in CR, because "they're all thieves". After 3 trips there, I felt like it was a sleazier version of Vegas, only with surfing and jungle wildlife parks. That place is severely overrated as a family tourist destination nowadays. If you're looking for hookers and blow, well then you found the right spot.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Posts
    1,866
    I met 4 British tourists in the mid 2000s who had their bags stolen in the same place at the start of their trip. They had 2 credit cards and a passport between them. They were getting smashed after buying flip flops and touristy shirts at the 7-11 or whatever the equivalent was.

    They were taking it in stride.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    STL
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    13,293
    Another reminder to keep important stuff like cash and passports on you at all times.

    I have a good friend in the CR and her crazy ex husband shot two guys dead when they robbed him. He was out of jail by Monday, grandfather was president.

    Anyway, I tread carefully when I visit her.


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Vancouver, BC
    Posts
    1,332
    That's shitty that they stole your bags and thankfully, as you said they didn't get more.
    Last time in CR I spent 10 days on the East coast staying on the beach in Cocles. The beach was completely deserted so we thought. Each time we'd both go into the water joggers would appear seemingly out of nowhere right by our stuff. One of us would move to head back to the towels and they would run off the other way. The funniest were these younger guys that were drinking beers on the edge of the jungle. We'd both motion to go in the water and they'd start walking towards our shit, I'd double back after about 10 seconds and they'd go back to the jungle. We did this probably 10 times until they just fucked off knowing we were on to them. A local said while CR people are generally nice, they have no issue with stealing your stuff if its available.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
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    17,706
    This sounds a lot like most of southern Italy, minus the jungles.
    "timberridge is terminally vapid" -- a fortune cookie in Yueyang

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Down In A Hole, Up in the Sky
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    35,320
    Do they still charge $10 to throw a live chicken down there?
    Sucks about your stuff...
    Forum Cross Pollinator, gratuitously strident

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
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    Ventura Highway in the Sunshine
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    22,429
    I just got a car with keyless technology, and I think it sucks. This is just another example of why it sucks.

    I agree it is a constitutional right for Americans to be assholes...its just too bad that so many take the opportunity...
    iscariot

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Bottom feeding
    Posts
    10,812
    Whadja get?
    Well maybe I'm the faggot America
    I'm not a part of a redneck agenda

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
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    Quote Originally Posted by rideit View Post
    Do they still charge $10 to throw a live chicken down there?
    You pay them $10 and they throw a live chicken at you, or do they let you throw the chicken?
    "timberridge is terminally vapid" -- a fortune cookie in Yueyang

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    19,804
    Quote Originally Posted by hutash View Post
    I just got a car with keyless technology, and I think it sucks. This is just another example of why it sucks.
    If the owner key is out of range they can't crack the code or open the car. The way they do this is to put a laptop next to your house and try to pick up the rf from the owner key. If you don't want keyless just take the button off and use the key.

    Also, if you are worried about rf theft just take the battery out of the key. the key gets power from the car in the recepticle
    Last edited by 4matic; 02-21-2019 at 12:32 PM.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    May 2007
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    Sandy, Utah
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    14,410
    Quote Originally Posted by 4matic View Post
    If the owner key is out of range they can't crack the code or open the car. The way they do this is to put a laptop next to your house and try to pick up the rf from the owner key. If you don't want keyless just take the button off and use the key.

    Also, if you are worried about rf theft just take the battery out of the key. the key gets power from the car in the recepticle
    but wait, dont a lot of these keyless cars not even have a keyhole to unlock the doors from the outside? I have driven a few and unless its hidden somewhere behind something I dont ever recall seeing a place to unlock the car doors or trunk for that matter without the keyfob.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
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    champlain valley
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    5,653
    Build a faraday cage around your car


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

  16. #16
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    Nov 2005
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    Down In A Hole, Up in the Sky
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    Quote Originally Posted by Timberridge View Post
    You pay them $10 and they throw a live chicken at you, or do they let you throw the chicken?
    You pay the $10, and they let you throw the chicken. The crazy thing is that a bunch of cows live down there, and the gators don't fuck with em.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    19,804

    PSA I got robbed by car key fob disarming jerkoffs

    Quote Originally Posted by Skidog View Post
    but wait, dont a lot of these keyless cars not even have a keyhole to unlock the doors from the outside? I have driven a few and unless its hidden somewhere behind something I dont ever recall seeing a place to unlock the car doors or trunk for that matter without the keyfob.
    No. Driver door always has a tumbler for the hard key. Hard key won’t start the car.


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
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    17,706
    Quote Originally Posted by rideit View Post
    You pay the $10, and they let you throw the chicken. The crazy thing is that a bunch of cows live down there, and the gators don't fuck with em.
    Sounds like a fun thing to do with the kids for $10.

    Perhaps the gators are Hindus?
    "timberridge is terminally vapid" -- a fortune cookie in Yueyang

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Posts
    10,525
    Quote Originally Posted by Wapow View Post
    A buddy of mine used to own a surf hotel in Jaco. He said they would always stop at that spot on the way in from the airport to show their guests the crocs. And car prowl theft was so common, if you walked away from your car and then spun around a few hundred feet later, you'd often catch the thieves coming out of the bushes toward your car. That was like 10 years ago or something. My take (ratified by my buddy) is that Costa does not do much to stop petty theft against tourists. It's like a form of tax to them. My Panamanian relatives also told me to be extra careful in CR, because "they're all thieves". After 3 trips there, I felt like it was a sleazier version of Vegas, only with surfing and jungle wildlife parks. That place is severely overrated as a family tourist destination nowadays. If you're looking for hookers and blow, well then you found the right spot.

    I've had a spot down there for the past decade and its gone downhill particularly in the last 5 years. The tourist destinations in particular have moved from an engaging place with curious locals to a place overrun by grifters.


    There's too many other amazing countries in Central America to waste your time on CR

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    cordova,AK
    Posts
    3,681
    Yes you can go to guatemala. When my friend was robbed they hacked him to death with machetes in front of his wife.
    Glad it was minor and everyone is fine. Good thing about this is you did not have a bunch of broken glass to deal with.

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Seattle
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    27,291
    Quote Originally Posted by rideit View Post
    Do they still charge $10 to throw a live chicken down there?
    I don't get it. Why would you want to throw a chicken?

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Posts
    670
    Quote Originally Posted by The AD View Post
    I don't get it. Why would you want to throw a chicken?
    To pay $10 to get a chicken.

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
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    Wilson
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    2,119
    Quote Originally Posted by tetzen View Post
    To pay $10 to get a chicken.
    To throw the chicken off the road
    Last edited by kokomas; 02-21-2019 at 09:37 PM. Reason: Why didn't I do this?
    Day Man. Fighter of the Night Man. Champion of the Sun. Master of Karate and Friendship for Everyone.

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
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    Ventura Highway in the Sunshine
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    "Via chicken, vi not a duck" to paraphrase a certain brother.

    I agree it is a constitutional right for Americans to be assholes...its just too bad that so many take the opportunity...
    iscariot

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