Cashing in my Karma

Cashing in my Karma

Recovering my Stolen Car

My car has been lost and found in less than 24 hours. Recovering my car was the easy part; the seemingly endless follow up, the new discoveries, and the feeling of having my space and info violated is...exhausting and unsettling. 

Monday was set to be a workhorse day, in between my summer camp (last week) and my vacation (!!! next week). It was raining, I have a full punch card at the local coffee hut, and piles of content to sort through for my blog and media kits. Basically, all systems go, pedal to the medal, TOTAL BOSSING! 

On my way to the coffee shop, I stopped to grab my umbrella from my trunk- except, my car wasn't there. B (my loving bf) didn't move the car, we didn't drive it all weekend. So, shit, did I accidently park it in the wrong spot, did the rightful owner have me towed- instead of calling me first? First things first: the concierge called the building supervisors, security guards, and local tow companies. No one reported having any VWs, period, let alone a VW matching the description of mine. A few deep breaths. I have a reserved space, under a security camera, near a light, in a busy parking lot, with a roving security guard- surely these car thieves were brave or saavy, or just damn nuts.

The police took a report- and to be honest, I didn't expect much. My neighborhood is connected to lots of interstates, tons of back roads, and probably more than one chop shop. Basically, it's kind of a waste of resources to look for my car- the best I could hope was that it was dumped off somewhere or used in another crime. I'm leaving the country on Sunday, and I'll be back roughly when the insurance accepts the car as gone forever and cuts me a check. It could be much worse- I walk to work, I've got insurance, and I'll be gone mostly. I was already surfing the web for VW prices.

Lo and behold, the car thieves DID commit another crime- they evaded a police stop. A DC cop ran the plates, which came back stolen, and she contacted me. Whoever took the car ditched it and took off on foot. The cop assured me that while the car was "a bit disheveled," it seemed to be in working condition. No signs of hotwiring, nothing jammed in the igniton, no broken windows, and clearly, it ran. 

My Tuesday kicked off with a trip to the impound lot. To be honest, up until this point, I basically assumed it was a lost cause. I was grieving the loss of my car- the car that moved me cross country, the car that drove me to shows all over the mid-Atlantic when I moved here, the car that got me through grad school...ugh. That car? While I know it's *a thing,* it's also my friend, and a source of stability in my life. At any point, I've known I could pack my trusted hatchback with my essentials and my cat and take off, if need be.

So, when I saw my pal, completely trashed, reeking of beer, it sunk in that something of mine had been violated. Someone purposefully, deliberately, and maliciously jimmied the lock, started it (in a way that has boggled me, the detective, the insurance agent, and the auto shop), tore through my receipts with every address I've lived at in the last 8 years, sifted through my business supplies, art my summer campers created...and tossed it all over the car. It's basically a trash can on wheels- and smells how I imagine a frat house would- a mix of barely-adult manboy sweat and cheap beer. Intially, I couldn't get it out of park- the tow lot operator had to help had to stick a fuse somewhere. My car, my literal ride-or-die, a mess with a cracked bumper from hitting a curb in its escape- and who knows what else. 

The cops swept it for drugs and guns, but assumed everything inside was mine, as I reported it contained nothing of real, monetary value. I found a few items that must've belonged to the thieves- and called the police to come pick them up- and some that a detective thinks points to further robberies. (My car is an accomplice!) While the DCPD  didn't seem interested, the local cops are- and set off to the car to pick up the trash the thieves left behind and dust the whole thing for prints.

I'm still not sure what has been taken- it's going to be a huge pain to pick through the piles of trash to look for my business supplies. Luckily, they didn't take my weights, because I damn need my workouts this week. 

In any case, my beloved Red is a shop I trust, patiently awaiting her meeting with an insurance agent, her repairs, and her deep cleaning. (Because, who knows *what* they did in that car, but I'm willing to bet it wasn't "treating it with respect.") I've already hit my insurance deductable, so everything else should be covered. As far as I'm concerned, this is the best outcome of having a car stolen: I'm going to get it back, I'm getting back (what seems to be) the majority of my things, there was evidence to give to a detective, and she's going to get a fantastic bath.

It could be worse, and I'm glad to cash in some of my karma for my big metal friend.