David Beck: Reckless and thoughtless car thieves leave chaos in their wake

Hundreds of car thefts in Bay of Plenty this year have left the victims scrambling. Photo / Getty Images

OPINION

We spend a lot of time in our cars. They get us to work, to school, to the shops, and to visit loved ones.

For me, my car is often a place of solitude. I can throw on a podcast or some music and just enjoy my own company as I hit the road.

So, when I found out my car had been stolen and used in a ram-raid I was pretty devastated.

I was staying at my partner's house in Hamilton when I got a call from the police at 4am asking if I knew where my car was.

"Parked on the road outside the house," I responded.

To my surprise, that was not the case. It had been stolen and used to smash through the front of a shop in a burglary.

There are definitely people who are victims of far worse crimes and I understand I am fortunate to be able to own a car in the first place. I had my health and the car was insured for theft, so it was not the end of the world.

However, it is still infuriating to me that a couple of low-lives, who were never caught, can stroll up, steal my most valuable possession, and smash it through the front of a store.

Their criminal activity was probably completed in about 30 minutes. On the other hand, six weeks later, I'm still dealing with the consequences.

After a week or so of back and forth phone calls with police and insurance, it was concluded the car was written off and I could buy a new one.

I did just that. Unfortunately, the car I bought is in Auckland, and the week I was due to pick it up, we went into a nationwide lockdown. I still have no car.

While the timing of the lockdown is just bad luck, it's an example of the lack of thought or remorse these thieves have for their victims.

There were nearly 400 vehicles stolen in Bay of Plenty in the past six months, many of those used in ram-raids and written off just like mine.

That's nearly 400 people left picking up the pieces.

I don't know the circumstances of these criminals. Perhaps these are acts of desperation. I just wish they'd stop and think about the consequences of their actions.