| There it was in the Honolulu newspaper recently, the | | | | mean there are not criminals here. |
| same sad story written by a visitor to Hawaii. I see | | | | Listen: these creeps know that the only person who |
| this same letter several times a year. The story is | | | | would drive a rental car, is a tourist. These bad guys |
| almost exactly the same. The only difference is the | | | | know the make and model of all the rental cars. |
| author. | | | | Believe me, your rental car sends out a beacon to |
| The visitor came to Hawaii, for a memorable Hawaii | | | | would be crooks that says: "Steal from this car". It's |
| vacation, they had a wonderful time, the people | | | | like there is a flashing light and an arrow in the air |
| were great, the weather was fabulous, they really | | | | pointing directly at your rental car. "Beep beep. Flash |
| felt the Aloha spirit. Then: disaster. They got ripped | | | | flash. Valuables inside! Steal from this car now" |
| off. They lost everything. Their luggage, their | | | | Listen: there are literally thousands of cars parked at |
| cameras, their wallets, their money, their valuables. | | | | Ala Moana at any given time. What do you think the |
| Everything gone in the blink of an eye. | | | | odds are that these Bozos picked out a random car |
| It's the same sad story, again and again. | | | | to break into? |
| The saddest part of the story is this disaster was | | | | This was no random act. This was planned and |
| totally preventable. Totally and completely. | | | | calculated. The car was there less than an hour. This |
| Let me explain: in the latest version of this letter, the | | | | was a crime of opportunity. And unfortunately, you |
| tourists had just finished a wonderful vacation. They | | | | just rewarded these cockroaches with new luggage, |
| had a late flight and decided to stop at Ala Moana (a | | | | clothes and souvenirs. So now the next time they |
| major shopping center), for a late night dinner before | | | | see a tourist rental car, they will break in again. |
| their departure. They just locked up their rental car | | | | Sure, I agree that there needs to be better security |
| and went to enjoy a quick dinner before they | | | | and more police patrols and harsher sentencing for |
| boarded their flight. They were away from the rental | | | | criminals. |
| car for less than an hour. | | | | But the best thing you can do is to follow this advice: |
| Here's what happened when they were eating dinner: | | | | Never, ever, never leave anything of value in a rental |
| a thief broke into their rental car and took | | | | car. |
| everything. | | | | Never, ever. |
| Needless to say the family was devastated. They | | | | This is one of those times when an ounce of |
| were both saddened and shocked. The writer goes | | | | prevention is worth a ton of cure. Be proactive. Be |
| on to explain, the entire family will never return to | | | | smart. You need to outwit the bad guys before they |
| Hawaii. They will also discourage anyone else from | | | | act. |
| vacationing in Hawaii. | | | | This one bit of advice will save you a ton of |
| I really am angry and frustrated that no-one from | | | | heart-ache. Had these latest victims taken their |
| the rental car agent to their hotel clerk to anyone | | | | luggage with them, to the food court, a crook would |
| else they met, explained Hawaii's dirty little secret: | | | | have broken into an empty car. Or they easily could |
| there is a very small but very dangerous group of | | | | have checked in their baggage, and eaten at the |
| locals, whose full time job is to steal from anyone | | | | airport. |
| they can. | | | | So if you come to Hawaii, most importantly, don't |
| I live in Hawaii and I follow this rule: I never leave | | | | turn your back on the ocean. And never ever, leave |
| anything of value in my car. Never. | | | | anything of value in a rental car. This includes going to |
| Don't get me wrong, I don't think Hawaii is any | | | | the beach, going shopping or even stopping off |
| different from any other place. You will find the same | | | | somewhere for a plate lunch. Just don't do it! |
| small dangerous group of rip-off artists anywhere | | | | So now you know. If my rant saves one less tourist |
| you go. But, just because you are vacationing in one | | | | from getting ripped: I will be elated! |
| of the most beautiful places on the planet does not | | | | |