How would you booby trap your tool box?

submitted by Zapped from (self.AskSaidIt)

I was recently robbed of some power tools from my side-mounted truck bed tool boxes. They popped them open somehow without damage and were gone in about 30 seconds. The store manager said the same guy has been hitting the same style tool boxes all over town but gets in and out so fast they haven't caught him yet. I have bought a couple of alarms for now to scare him off and hasp locks to keep them out, but am thinking of a glitter-bomb style trap, only more like a paint-bomb. I would like to catch it on camera, too. Does anyone have any ideas? I have a spare truck I can park all day at different store parking lots in the area.

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[–][deleted] 5 insightful - 4 fun5 insightful - 3 fun6 insightful - 4 fun -  (3 children)

Those tool box locks suck, you can order master keys for that sort of thing, jimmy it with a screw driver sometimes, or just pick it.

I'd skip booby trapping and just get a padlock that's difficult for thieves to open instead of the typical sort of built in lock.

Sorry about your tools.

[–]Zapped[S] 3 insightful - 3 fun3 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 3 fun -  (2 children)

A hasp and padlock would make it cumbersome to open when unlocked. They make a hasp with a built in lock though. The thief didn't pick the lock. He jimmied them open and got one to close after he was done but the other would not close. That's why I knew something was wrong. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known until the next day when I needed a drill. Most of the tools were on their way out. I was going to replace them soon. I figure he got me for about $450 if you count the tools that were still good. The ones that were worn out totaled around $1500. If he had had time to get into the big tool box, he could have gotten another $2000 worth of stuff. He left a couple of specialty tools that were worth $500, but he didn't know what they were. I'm at a point in my life where I don't need to carry around so much stuff now, so I'll probably leave most of my tools at home unless I know I will need them. This leaves an empty toolbox for surprising a thief.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 3 fun2 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 3 fun -  (1 child)

I'm sorry man, any way you can make an insurance claim?

[–]Zapped[S] 4 insightful - 3 fun4 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 3 fun -  (0 children)

Not worth making a claim.

[–]jykylsin2034 4 insightful - 3 fun4 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 3 fun -  (1 child)

Really loud alarm, lights, trail cam aimed at it, and glitter. Paint could get on other people's cars so glitter is better.

[–]Zapped[S] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

I didn't think about collateral damage. Glitter is better.

[–]Noam_Chomsky 4 insightful - 3 fun4 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 3 fun -  (6 children)

Booby trap it with something that sprays this out of the box.

Put a 0.25-0.5 sec delay, so it doesn't spray the lid of the box.

It's an oily fluid. Concentrated raccoon urine.

I promise he'll never forget this experience. Ever.

It's persistent like skunk spray. But it smells like piss. And shit.
Unmistakably.

After you open the jar, you'll need to Triple bag the bottle, or throw it away in a dumpster.
Wear disposable gloves when handling

It's an oil, so you don't notice it as wet (if contaminated), due to a lack of evaporation (and lower specific heat).

Dab some under a vehicle door handle, and the driver will thoroughly contaminate the vehicle interior.

Or put it on the bottom exterior of a tool bag (in the tool box).
He'll probably grabs the entire bag, and toss it in his getaway vehicle.
The vehicle will reek for weeks.

[–]Zapped[S] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (5 children)

That is great! I wonder how I could get it thin enough to spray.

[–]Noam_Chomsky 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (4 children)

You could add a quickly evaporating solvent.

If the malodorous chemicals are produced by living bacteria then the solvent may kill them, but it probably won't degrade the chemicals themselves.

Infact, it would probably break up the oils surface tension, which may add to fluid penetration.

I bet this would really enhance this functionality. Add maybe 5-10% solvent by volume. Maybe less.

You may want to find an abandoned facility for any development work on this project, unless you're comfortable summoning a hoard of curious raccoons.
Also, cause wind.

[–]Node 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (3 children)

Why are there so many people wanting to lure raccoons that there are actually multiple products for them?

[–]Noam_Chomsky 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

Same reason there are so many fishing lures.

Although, fish rarely break into your garage, or throw your trash all over your yard.
So, maybe people want to kill them more.

[–]Node 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

Lure and kill as opposed to repel and dissuade? I've had raccoons, but they mainly just cruise through and maybe knock over a plant. An airsoft BB can be pretty discouraging.

[–]Zapped[S] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

In the south, coon hunting (no jokes please) is still very popular.

[–]Canbot 4 insightful - 3 fun4 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 3 fun -  (4 children)

You can stick one of those apple trackers into one of your tool bags. Probably the easiest and lowest effort options. He most likely won't hit the same car twice, so it really is a waste of time and effort to do much. Either get a better lock (more $) or get a tracker. Worst case you have an easy way to locate a the bag when you misplace it.

[–]Zapped[S] 3 insightful - 3 fun3 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 3 fun -  (3 children)

Great idea. I hadn't thought about those. I recently saw a youtuber who put those in his gear, but caught the guy before he came back for the stuff with the trackers. I worked with a guy whose trailer was stolen when he was out of state. He was able to find it re-painted and parked on a side street when he got back in town. I don't like tool bags except for hand tools, so I could open up the tools and place them inside.

[–]Canbot 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

Yeah, a lot of tools might have just enough room in the grip to fit one. And if you are cleaver enough you might be able to have it recharge off the tool battery.

[–]Zapped[S] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

I was thinking Tile trackers because I have an Android phone, but Apple Airtags seem to be superior in that they ping all Aplle devices and Tile only works on phones that have the app opened. I wonder if I can use Airtags with my Android phone and a downloaded app from Apple.

[–]Tiwaking 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

cleaver

Thats a lot to axe of a simple man

[–]jet199 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

Paint a big spider on the inside of the lid.

[–]Zapped[S] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Yes. Or maybe something like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COz2QshTILI&t=2s

[–]crazedchef63 2 insightful - 3 fun2 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 3 fun -  (1 child)

12 GUAGE pipe bomb.

[–]Zapped[S] 3 insightful - 3 fun3 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 3 fun -  (0 children)

No.

[–]mongre 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Why not set up a tracker

[–]Zapped[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I'm looking into Tile trackers to hide inside the tools. I thought about Airtags, but they give themselves away too easily.

[–][deleted]  (3 children)

[removed]

    [–]Zapped[S] 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

    I'm not looking to hurt anyone, just to highly inconvenience them.

    [–]Tiwaking 3 insightful - 3 fun3 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 3 fun -  (1 child)

    Fake plastic power tools with glitter bomb in them then, like that amazon parcel guy. If they'll steal power tools they'll steal anything in the box.

    [–]Zapped[S] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

    This is closer to what I'm thinking. I am trying to figure out how it can go off as soon as they open the top of the tool box.