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If You Don't Want Your Car Stolen, Make It Pink

pickens writes "A study in the Netherlands illustrates car thieves' preferences. From 2004-2008, the most commonly colored vehicle stolen was black. This may be because black vehicles look more luxurious. Following close behind black were gray/silver automobiles. Of the 109 pink cars in the study, not one was stolen. A bright and uncommon color, like pink, may be as effective deterrent as an expensive security system. Ben Vollaard, who conducted the research, wrote, 'If the aversion to driving a car in an offbeat color is not too high – or if someone actually enjoys it – then buying deterrence through an uncommon car color may be at least as good a deal as buying deterrence through an expensive car security device.'"

26 of 390 comments (clear)

  1. Tonight in COPS! by Drakkenmensch · · Score: 3, Funny

    Nobody wants to be that guy on youtube arrested at the wheel of a pink Miata.

    1. Re:Tonight in COPS! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Oh please! He was driving 65 in a 30 zone while wearing a blond wig, lipstick, G-string, fishnet stocking and fuck-me shoes.

      He wanted to get caught honey.

  2. Re:Solution to theft by xSauronx · · Score: 4, Funny

    this is why the patch cables I buy are purple....haven't lost a single one yet

    --
    By and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth. -- George Carlin
  3. Re:Maybe it's simpler than that. by Third+Position · · Score: 2, Funny

    Maybe it's just harder to steal a car which usually has it's tires slashed.

    --
    American Third Position
    Finally, a real choice!
  4. Top Gear already demonstrated this... by kazade84 · · Score: 3, Funny
  5. This sounds familiar... by Lindril · · Score: 2, Funny

    If you don't want viruses, run Linux!

  6. Re:Solution to theft by betterunixthanunix · · Score: 4, Funny

    This reminds me of one of the IT guys where I work. When I was tasked with setting up a new server for my research group, he loaned me a screwdriver...and it was pink. He said he had held on to it since the early 80s, because nobody wanted a pink screwdriver.

    --
    Palm trees and 8
  7. Sanrio's Next Wave of Products by tekrat · · Score: 4, Funny

    The "Hello Kitty Car".

    --
    If telephones are outlawed, then only outlaws will have telephones.
  8. Re:Hm... by ericspinder · · Score: 2, Funny

    Using a tech analogy to explain a car issue just doesn't have the same feeling as it does the other way around. Good try though.

    --
    The grass is only greener, if you don't take care of your own lawn.
  9. Re:Or you could by Theoboley · · Score: 5, Funny

    I second this. I remember reading a story where a car was about to pull away from a gas station, and the jacker, while pointing the gun and screaming at the driver to get out, noticed the car was a Manual and exclaimed "Oh Shit" and Ran off.

    --
    Stupidity only gets you so far, then you've gotta try
  10. Re:resale by DarkGreenNight · · Score: 4, Funny

    If only there was some way to replace the paint colors with colors of our own choosing. If only we possessed that level of technology...

    from : http://leasticoulddo.com/comic/20100719

  11. Re:Solution to theft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    he loaned me a screwdriver...and it was pink.

    Maybe it's some sort of code.

  12. Re:Solution to theft by grimJester · · Score: 3, Funny

    My red stapler always disappears. I've thought about pink, but I like my red stapler.

  13. Re:Hm... by robthebloke · · Score: 5, Funny

    After my 3rd cycle was stolen in a year, I spray painted my new bike bright pink, put spokey-dokeys on it, and attached a large rainbow flag to the back. I've now managed to keep the same bike for over a year! (Admittedly, I now get a lot of people shouting words like 'gay' and 'bender' when i cycle past. In hindsight I should have probably thought about that before welding the flagpole on.... )

  14. Re:Solution to theft by Reilaos · · Score: 2, Funny

    Thanks. Now I'll never be raped.

  15. Re:Solution to theft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Be cautious with those purple patch cables around Prince..

  16. Re:Solution to theft by kaizendojo · · Score: 3, Funny

    Or maybe that wasn't a screwdriver he was handing him....

  17. Re:How to fail with statistics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    True, but the statistics are meaningless when a single car theft would have made them the most frequently stolen - there were 109 in the study and the average theft rate was around 0.2%. Expected value is then about 0.2 cars and hence none stolen is a function of sample size rather than thief preference.

  18. Re:Solution to theft by Aphoxema · · Score: 5, Funny

    he loaned me a screwdriver...and it was pink.

    Maybe it's some sort of code.

    Yeah, "Don't fucking steal my screwdriver."

    --
    "Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?"
  19. Re:Hm... by hedwards · · Score: 4, Funny

    Color, no, but driving a Prius requires you to forget how to drive and act generally dickishly when behind the wheel.

  20. Child seats = problem solved by evilandi · · Score: 2, Funny

    Two baby seats (twins) plus one child seat seems to have solved the car theft problem for me. These days the only lock I bother with on the car is the one that stops the little blighters from opening the doors from the inside.

    If someone stole the stereo and the collection of children's song CDs from the car, I'd consider that a blessing. Well, apart from Lazytown, which sounds similar enough to Scooter that I might miss it.

    --
    Andrew Oakley - www.aoakley.com
  21. Re:More lies with statistics... by sznupi · · Score: 3, Funny

    Did you really just put this disclaimer in a reply to the post ending with "I really hate it when people start prattling along about errors with statistics when they don't bother looking at the actual statistics"?...

    --
    One that hath name thou can not otter
  22. I would rather... by ashtophoenix · · Score: 2, Funny

    have it stolen than color it pink.

    --
    Life is about being a Phoenix!
  23. Re:Works on underwear too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    When my boys were growing up, they were constantly stealing my underwear.

    For some reason, I assumed you were female until I read the whole post. It made that first sentence really creepy :)

  24. Re:Solution to theft by toxonix · · Score: 2, Funny

    I don't lock my doors or roll up the windows. The only time I roll up the windows is if its raining, and I'm actually driving. I leave them down in the rain. Truck has holes in the floor, so rain just drains out. No problem. I also don't have the door keys, just the ignition. Is a big white rusty truck, so nobody messes with it anyway. I have lots of tools under and behind the bench seat, but nobody bothers to look in a truck that looks like it was borrowed from a Afghan warlord. Does NOT work for picking up girls. Not at all.

  25. Re:Solution to theft by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Is that a screwdriver in your hand or are you just happy to see me?"