The busiest gig/theft/fencing/pawning season is upon us.

[Donn]

I do not like reading about stolen instruments, and certainly not during the holiday season.

Where do think Santa's elves get that stuff? They sure aren't going to make it, that's all gone to China, so unless they have credit cards ...

[mikebmiller]

I guess I am lucky or live in a low crime area. In 30+ years of leaving horns in the car at many locations I have never had one stolen.

[Donn]

(or - ref: Donn - a $900)

"Who steals my tuba, steals trash." (But as a matter of fact, I do have one very shiny and rather expensive tuba, to my lasting embarrassment but what can you do. And a pickup truck for wheels, so the theft exposure is rather high were I to make a quick stop on en route. Best I can do is make it ride in the passenger seat, where it's locked but mighty visible, if Santa's elves are shopping for a tuba.)

[bort]

Only thing ever stolen from a car in my possession (my then-girlfriend, now-wife's car) was an old cell phone in a glove box. Long since scrubbed clean and only for calling 911... But still, someone else was in the car and rooted through things.

Oh yeah, they got in because I left the door unlocked and possibly the window down.

Whooooops (she married me anyway!)

[Radar]

I had a bass trombone stolen from a car years ago, since then I'm more careful about not leaving instruments in a vehicle.

On the plus size we just had two pawn shops busted here locally (one right around the corner from my shop) for encouraging drug users to steal certain items for them, that they then were selling on-line.
https://13wham.com/news/local/feds-five ... op-schemes" target="_blank

[Three Valves]

zaklee...
> Pawn a $9000 (or - ref: Donn - a $900) tuba for $70.
> Buy chickee an xmas bracelet for $18 + tax, and buy $50 of weed with the rest.

I’d take the $fitty and buy me 99 BBR with it!!

[oleirgens]

Let's all pledge to each other - when we're playing at churches/pageants/holiday concerts/etc., and stopping off somewhere afterwards for food or beverages - that (EVEN THOUGH our instruments are unwieldy) we take our instruments in with us to the food/drink venues OR quickly run home and drop the instrument(s) off FIRST.
Also, let's just completely avoid "stopping at the grocery and/or to Christmas-shop on the way home."
I suppose a vehicle with a "real" trunk might be an exception, but those are not very common, these days.

I do not like reading about stolen instruments, and certainly not during the holiday season.

Fortunately, my new JP tuba in its gigbag fits exactly in the trunk of my Leaf. It is not a "real" trunk as in a sedan, but it is certainly out of sight, hidden beneath the parcel shelf.

[Three Valves]

37"-tall tubas ( under 95cm - many of them, these days) are handy for fitting into car trunks/boots/whatever-their-name-in-your-home-country.

Unfortunately, my Mackbrunner does not fit into the trunk of an E350 Mercedes sedan.

It would, if the trunk lid were wide enough...

[Simonk]

Leaving a viola out on the back seat might be seen as a public service though....

[GC]

You might come back and find your back seat full of violas . . .