No good deed goes unpunished.

[Jeff]

My sister asked me to come over and fix her dock, so yesterday morning l loaded up my waders I'd not worn in 30 years. A hand winch, my Makita driver set and a sledge hammer, stopped and grabbed my friend Mike, and we were off. We drove the 45 miles to Lake of the hills and as soon as we got there, started work. I pulled on my old waders which I had sprayed with spider killer the night before and waded into the frigid April lake water.
It only took a few seconds to figure out my waders were over 30 years old as water started coming in the right foot. Oh well, it's just water. Very cold water.

It took us about an hour and a half to fix what the past winter's ice had torn apart. Luckily I had brought a pair of shorts, so I shed the wet pants and socks and tossed them into Linda's dryer while she cut my hair, which she insisted upon after seeing how shaggy I was.
I always refuse when my sister wants to pay me for helping her, but today she insisted on my taking Mike to lunch for helping, so in this case, I relented.
Mike and I loaded the tools and headed towards home, stopping in Clare at the Ponderosa for lunch. We parked around back between the resteraunt and the hotel that was turned into a homeless shelter and went in and ate.
When we came out, I pulled to the corner of the driveway and waited for a break in traffic to make a left turn. I saw one vehicle, coming from the left, but had time. As soon as I started out, here comes a vehicle whiping around the one I saw going twice as fast. I had to gun it to get across. When I did, easily getting across, we heard a clunk. I looked in my mirror and saw my tailgate had fallen down. We quickly pulled off to shut it with my thinking, why the heck did that happen? When looking in the back I noticed at that point, my Makita tool set soft case was gone. We looked behind us and it had not fallen out. After searching the truck and calling Lynda, the o my conclusion was it had been stolen out of the back of the truck while we ate. They had not shut the gate firmly, and the topper door had kept the gate from falling until I had accelerated into traffic.  I'm bummed completely. Hardly a day goes by I don't use either the driver, or the impact driver. All my drvdt bits were in there, socket adapters, both screw guns, charger, everything.

[Magicman]

Aw man, and they left the waders.   :-\

I guess that the only hope that you might have is Police & Pawn Shops.  Maybe they have a "lookout system" to alert them that your Makita tool set might turn up?  I know, doubtful but maybe.

[paul case]

Thats too bad Jeff. Your good deed certainly doesn't deserve that.

Don't let it get you down. I know a lot of us on here have been the victem  of thieves  and recovered.  Unfortunately they probably didn't steal your tools to use so hoping they get shocked by your tools going haywire doesn't help either.

Just hold your head up and keep going. 
Bless your enemies and by doing so you will heap coals of fire on their head.

PC

[Weekend_Sawyer]

I wonder if it is covered in your vehicle insurance?

[Jeff]

I called the chief of police in Clare just now, and he was great about listening to my story. He let me know rhat there are no security camera there where I was parked. I do need to go down and make an official report, but he took my name and number and the description of the tools so if they show up, we have a record.

I'll call my insurance company, but I doubt it unless it is covered by comprehensive. I don't cary collision on the truck because it is 18 years old. Even thought it is in decent shape, they wouldn't pay much more than the deductible if it were in a wreck.

[yukon cornelius]

What a shame! We had that happen at a restaurant. We had just found the perfect present for bark beetle at Christmas, a pedal powers go cart. We stopped to eat and came out and it was gone. They even peed on my truck.

I hate that it happened to you.

[Hilltop366]

I had a camera and large lens stolen out of my truck once, either the thief knew how to unlock the door or I forgot to lock it. My insurance company was going to replace it at a cost of $1100 which would have been nice but before I called the insurance I had reported it stolen and asked at the pawn shop if they had seen anything and they said "oh that was yours, we would not buy it because we figured it was stolen". The police called  a little while later for me to pick up my camera.

[Raider Bill]

I spray my tools with logrite [oasis] blue. Easy to identify if need be.

[Ox]

That sucks.  I'll bet a dollar the thief is a druggie and your stuff will be pawned.  Druggies only hang out with other druggies and druggies don't have any money at that level so it won't be sold in the druggie community.  I would be checking out local pawn shops for sure.  Is there any distinctive war marks on this tool kit you can say first off to prove it's yours?  This is one reason to etch initials in tools I suppose...unfortunately...  I wish you luck in getting your stuff back.  Thieves suck.

[Savannahdan]

Just a little on the positive side is no damage to your topper door.  We've had folks just bust through windows to get things.  One guy was walking a small park area and they broke through his side window to steal what turned out to be a baby diaper bag.

[sandhills]

I lend out tools all the time and borrow tools all the time, they aren't being used, I hate thieves.  Sorry for your loss, with my meager collection I can't afford to lose any.

[WV Sawmiller]

Jeff,

   Sorry about your loss. Good luck getting them back and even better luck if you catch them. The feeling of being violated is worse than the monetary loss IMHO.

   If it helps I will put my favorite mid-eastern curse on the culprits - "May the fleas from a thousand camels infest your tent."

[DonT]

Sorry to hear this happened to you Jeff.I can relate to how you are feeling,hopefully your stuff turns up.

[OH logger]

I had a couple chainsaws get stolen out of the back of my truck once at a hotel I was stayin in overnight and my homeowners insurance covered it. just a thought. good luck 

[tawilson]

I spray my tools with logrite [oasis] blue. Easy to identify if need be.

I use fluorescent pink on mine. Not only does it deter thieves, it makes them easier to find.

[gspren]

I had a couple chainsaws get stolen out of the back of my truck once at a hotel I was stayin in overnight and my homeowners insurance covered it. just a thought. good luck 

Back in the late 70s some less than kind soul stole my truck and there was a bunch of tools and fishing stuff in it. Homeowners paid for some of the tools/fishing stuff.

[4x4American]

I spray my tools with logrite [oasis] blue. Easy to identify if need be.

I use fluorescent pink on mine. Not only does it deter thieves, it makes them easier to find.

I didn't think there were thieves out your way!

[Jeff]

I checked my insurance. They will pay for the tools  after a $1000 deductible . Tools were worth probably $200. 

[Peter Drouin]

Too bad you lost your tools. But, Now you know to lock up thing and park where you can see the truck. Most restaurants have big windows, I try to park in front of them when I can.
The good side is the new cordless tools have bigger and better batteries.

[paul case]

I got a call from the Newton County Sherriff  one day asking if I owned this and such a truck, I replied that I did but it was at my sons house. He kindly told me that someone had stolen it and drove it past my place into MO about 3 miles and stopped in someones drive and left it there. They had apparnetly went to the door of the house claiming to be me, but the lady of that house knew it wasn't me.

I went over there and it was mine. They tried to dust it for prints but with no luck. Why he stopped and left on foot is still beyond me. They let me take the truck home and when I got home the Ottawa Co sherriff had sent a deputy to my house to make sure that everyone here was ok and for some harassment. He began telling me that my truck was evidence and it would be held as such in the impound and bla bla bla. I convinced him if they treated it as they had my last reported theft I would never see it again, and I had it now and it is NOT going anywhere. I must have been convincing as he was the one with a gun and he let me keep it after I showed him the title with my name on it.

That time is the only time that law enforcement returned stolen items before the owner knew they were missing.

There is hope Jeff.
However it could have been worse and sometimes these things are a reminder for us to be more diligent.

PC

[CJennings]

I hope you get your tools back. I hate thieves.

[tawilson]

I spray my tools with logrite [oasis] blue. Easy to identify if need be.

I use fluorescent pink on mine. Not only does it deter thieves, it makes them easier to find.

I didn't think there were thieves out your way!

Okay. You caught me.  I just like painting things pink.

[4x4American]

I spray my tools with logrite [oasis] blue. Easy to identify if need be.

I use fluorescent pink on mine. Not only does it deter thieves, it makes them easier to find.

I didn't think there were thieves out your way!

Okay. You caught me.  I just like painting things pink.

😂😂😂. 👍🏼

[BradMarks]

2 years ago it happened to me.  Hotel parking lot.  I must sleep too good, busted out my passenger's window, truck was outside my room window.  Reported to the police, learned something. Druggies of course, but why the passenger window?  Theif can access both the glove box and the console from there, whereas from the driver side they would be farther inside the vehicle, off their feet if disturbed.  Also, broken windows do not neccesarily trigger the vehicle alarm. Mine did not go off!  Nothing taken could they have got $10 for any one item. Even stole my "cheap sunglasses", and I mean cheap! All the good stuff was in the back seat area but that meant opening a door. Funny thing, I was 300 miles from home and had to get there, drove the whole way in 30 degree weather with a sweatshirt wrapped turban stlye around my head. Quite the sight, had a few people doing double takes.  Lessoned learned - keep your stuff in the room until ready to leave - don't pre-pack.  Like others, you do feel violated when it happens.

[4x4American]

I hate this but it's happening everywhere.  So many people that I talk with tell me about their chainsaws being stole right outta the bed of their truck, sometimes at their own home.  I usually have my 066 and 461 in the bed.  I'm thinking about making a little box that locks to at least make it a little harder to get at.  I try to always park in front of a camera or by a window but even still, if you're not watching your truck the whole time how are you gonna see anyone and if they can run fast, then what?  There are many druggies around.  My worker guy has a good deal he's made with thieves, and that is, if I catch you with my tools I'm gonna use them on you.  I'm thinking man, that seems pretty fair to me, but, I just don't think I could cut someone on purpose with a chainsaw, thief or not, just not sure I'd have it in me.  Would be fun to scare them with it though if it came down to it.  As for finding your stuff, I would just kiss them things right goodbye and work on replacing them.