Gone in 60 seconds from the Jersey City Hyatt...

[thesqueegeekid]

I found plenty of free parking at the hotel BUT I should have payed the $18 for the hotel's parking. On my second day, I fed the meter at 11:15am (I had the first spot closest to the hotel in plain sight) when I went back at 1:00PM .... my brand new car GONE (just 14 days after picking it up)!!! I called the parking authority and they hadn't towed it .... The hotel called the police and as it turned out, the thieves were spotted dumping all my belongings out onto the street and a cop had already picked it up. Someone else later called my parent's house in Toronto to say that he picked up my passport which he found in a park...???

Funny enough, next to where my car was parked there was some event with countless police officers from different areas ... two cars were even parked less than 20 feet from my car!!!

Pay for the parking ...!!!

[thereuare]

Sorry to hear of your misfortune.

I had my car stolen 14 days after moving here, so i know how there is a feeling of being viiolated. All i kept saying to myself was, "What gives you the right?"

I was told that the whole general area has such a high car theft rate because it's very easily accessible to Newark.

It sounds like you got the car back. Was there damage or did the cops have it towed as evidence?

PS- your car won't be much safer in the police impound yard. When my car was stolen it was in the impound yard so i went down there on my own to see the damage before going with a tow truck. From the exterior the car looked fine, but the inside had already begun to get parted out (my car was stolen and while they're were disassembling it the police raided the 'chop shop'). I returned 2-3 days later with the tow truck guy and the car no longer had wheels on it! Guess the officer in charge of the impound yard has a little side business with a local parts shop. :)

[Scorp]

squeegee, I feel for you! What a miserable experience! (Yours too, thereuare!)

I only hope your car is OK and that you got most of your belongings back.

[thesqueegeekid]

Thanks Scorp and thereuare .... funny, I was just asking you a couple weeks ago where to park...!!! I hadn't even bought the car yet.

Actually, all I got back was the belongings ... no car. The officer said that the thieves take the car and than meet up with a second driver who takes the car from there... at that point, they dump the stuff (fortunate for me) and the car disappears to South America.

This afternoon, I will find out more from my ins company as to what happens next. I bid on PL for a rental from ISP up to $21 but nothing...!!!! Hotwire wants $27.

[Scorp]

Does your insurance cover the cost of a rental car?

How many days do you need the car rental for? I see Hotwire drops to about $23 or $25/day for Economy and Compact when the rental is 7 days. Is Islip the only place you can pick up the rental car? I know Alamo had up to 30% discounts through TravelZoo and I recently got a great rate there, but they don't have cars at ISP. Avis advertises a $159/wkly special for a compact, but I don't think ISP is a 'participating' location.

Wish I could be more helpful. :)

[thesqueegeekid]

I just discovered the travelzoo special yesterday and also discovered that NYC area agencies do not participate in anything. EWR had great Hotwire rates but their taxes and fees are crazy and add about $3 per day. ISP is not that close but still very convenient to get to ... I'll pop over to the factory outlets in Riverhead after picking it up.

My insurance covers up to $900 Canadian in transportation costs .... I racked up $80US just in two cab rides this past weekend plus $42 in train tickets so I won't have much to play with during the next 30 days while the case settles.

I will probably need a car until Oct 14 in NY .... but not sure yet of the end date. Than, in Toronto the prices are much cheaper .... I am sure my dealership will also give me something considering I will be buying a second car from them.

FYI:

Over the October long weekend, Movado's factory outlet stores (in Riverhead and Central Valley, NY) have a genuine sale where most watches are 70 percent off .... BUT they are "nicks and dents" with the tiniest scratches. The one I got at last year's sale was only $295 and otherwise, is $995 everywhere else and $1595 in Canada. I am going again this time to get some for 'the wedding' .... the ladies Movado's range from $100 to $300 .... which is unbelievable!!! The ESQ's and Concord's are also on sale.

[thesqueegeekid]

They found my car ... I have no specific details yet except that "they caught the guys and have the cars ... some are damaged" .... BUT I am on my way to Newark to sign the release. I'll post back this evening.

[thereuare]

Good Luck, if it's in the impound yard, get it out as soon as you can given my example above.

If i can help you out with anything, give me a shout.

[thesqueegeekid]

My God ... did you ever see how they move cars around in the impound yard with that tractor...??? Unbelievable .... and regardless of whether its a 2004 BMW or a 1983 Pony ...???

So, after much trouble calling the different departments in Newark, my car was at C&J towing which like you mentioned earlier Thereuare, doubles as it's own chop shop. I had a BMW dealership's tow truck from long Island meet me at the yard ... and good thing I did as my front headlights were missing, rearview mirror dismantled (the alarm control is underneath), driver's side lock drilled out, minor front end scratches, ciggarette burns inside and of course, everything from inside missing .... I can only wonder what damage is underneath from the tractor moving it around or the thieves who put on 400 KMS driving in Jesey City's pot-holed streets....????

The dealership promised they would give it back to me better than new!!!

Well, the only positive I can think of is that this completes my whole New York experience as I am moving back to Canada next week where the only trouble brewing is beer eh!!! :)