Suggestions to stop theft of catalytic converters
Q Having had my catalytic converter stolen, I know the feeling people are going through. So why hasn’t the state responded by keeping an eye on recyclers who purchase these converters for their precious metals from thieves? I don’t know of any auto owner who goes to a recycler to sell their used converter. It could stop this problem now.
— Bruce Krutel, El Granada
A Not so fast. California and a few other states require scrapyards to check photo IDs before buying used converters. The state also requires businesses to photograph the seller and retain those records for a couple of years. But police told The New York Times that different rules between states make tracking and enforcement almost impossible.
Q I have a remedy for the theft of catalytic converters. Park your car in a garage. When I roam my neighborhood on foot with my four-footed companion I’m struck by the amount of junk I see in
A And ...
Q Why are houses built with garages for cars? If no one uses the garages for cars, why do we continue to carp about car-related thefts? If insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results, how many of us are insane? I have zero sympathy for people who don’t use their garages for their cars.
— Larry Quilici, Fremont open garages. So to protect their most expensive purchase outside of their house, don’t park it in the driveway or on the street. — Liane Goodrich
A Here is what is what one Prius owner did.
Q I had my catalytic converter stolen from my 2004 Prius. I had a second 2013 Prius that was in the driveway the same night. I did not want the thieves to get greedy and come back for the other car, so I cleaned the garage and parked it inside.
I did not take any chances and had a cover installed on my 2013, and since I worked so hard cleaning the garage, I park it snuggly in there.
— Jane Adams
A Smart moves.
Q On the commonly occurring catalytic converter thefts, one great solution is to switch to an electric vehicle. They don’t have catalytic converters.
— Frank van Gilluwe
A Electric vehicles don’t need these critical smog control devices because they don’t produce tailpipe emissions. If you drive an EV, you’ll never have to worry about this kind of theft, and your car won’t emit carbon dioxide either, a destructive greenhouse gas that can’t be controlled by any such device.
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