How: Want to quickly find a stolen car? Forget about the police and call a taxi
Every 33 seconds a car is stolen in the United States, and of that, the percentage of cars returned on the first day is a whopping 52 percent. Over the next week, that number will rise to around 79 percent, but after those first seven days, it's unlikely the car will be found.
This indicates that the first week after the car is stolen is critical; the longer the vehicle is in the possession of the thieves, the less likely you are to return it.
Even with car alarms and steering wheel locks, thieves find workarounds and take your car. Sure, you can get an OnStar or other tracking device like the LoJack, but not everyone can pay $20 a month for something they're unlikely to ever use.
So your car is stolen. What is the next step?
Call the police. They will file a report and look for your car, but as I said earlier, only about 79 percent of stolen cars are found.
So what happens to the other 21 percent?
Tyler Cowan, a former taxi driver, says you should call every taxi company in town and ask them to look for a stolen car. He recommends a $50 reward to the driver who finds him, and a $50 reward to the dispatcher on duty when the car is found.
Personally, I don't think $50 is incentive enough to find a stolen car, so I'd give $100 each.
There are so many taxi drivers on the road that it is highly likely that one of them will run into the car.
If a taxi driver finds a stolen car, you are left with several situations:
- The taxi driver calls the police and you have to get it through the police and confiscation. The problem with this situation is that you may have to pay a confiscation to go along with the taxi driver's tip, so it can get expensive.
- The taxi driver calls you and you try to pick up the car with your keys (or spare keys). This situation can be dangerous, so be careful and bring a friend with you. Or…
- The taxi driver pulls up to the car and beats the thief. He receives the keys and delivers the car to your house. You offer to pay him, but he refuses and says goodbye to you.
Okay, that probably won't happen, but sounds pretty cool, right?
Whatever the situation, calling every taxi company in the area where your car was stolen is a great idea. There are significantly more taxi drivers than police officers, which increases your chances of finding your car. If they end up finding your car, the next few steps are all up in the air, so be careful with your decision.
