Parking Garages Aren’t Safe — They’re a Thief’s Playground

Parking garage theft prevention isn’t complicated, but it does require you to stop acting like a garage is a safe place. Garages feel controlled. They aren’t. They’re enclosed, full of blind spots, and packed with distracted people hauling bags. That’s prime smash-and-grab territory. The Thief’s Playground Rule is simple: do everything that makes your car look boring and time-consuming before you walk away.

Your goal is simple: don’t look like the easiest target when you’re ten steps away and they’re deciding whose window to punch. Thieves don’t want a challenge. They want a quick score and a fast exit.

Start with the basics the government keeps repeating for a reason. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s theft-prevention guidance boils it down to parking smart, locking up, and hiding valuables. That sounds obvious until you watch how people actually behave in garages.

Then add the “reality layer.” The National Insurance Crime Bureau’s prevention advice pushes visible deterrents and tracking because recovery matters when prevention fails. And if you’re still doing the “I’ll just tuck it under the seat” move, stop. The FBI’s theft-prevention pamphlet makes it clear that hiding things in the cabin still advertises that there’s something worth stealing. The trunk beats the back seat every time.

The one-minute garage routine that makes you a pain to hit

If you remember nothing else, remember this: don’t stage your valuables in public, don’t park in privacy, and don’t leave anything visible.

Do your “clean cabin” routine before you roll into the garage. Don’t park and then start rearranging gear like you’re staging a photo shoot. Anyone watching learns exactly what you value and where you put it.

When you park, pick a spot with people flow. Choose areas near elevators, stairs, payment kiosks, or attendants. Thieves like privacy. Don’t hand it to them.

Keep the cabin boring. No jacket. No cable. No empty backpack. A visible bag isn’t “probably nothing.” It’s a question mark a thief can answer with a window punch.

Add one obvious delay. A steering wheel lock looks old-school because it works. It tells a thief, “This one takes longer,” and thieves hate longer.

Finally, don’t gift-wrap the keys. Keep your fob on you. Don’t leave spares in the car. If you worry about relay attacks while traveling, store keys away from doors and use a signal-blocking pouch.

My Verdict

If you want to avoid the glass-on-the-floor morning, act like garages are a thief’s playground. Park where eyes are, keep your cabin empty, and add one visible delay. You’re not trying to be invincible. You’re trying to be the car they skip.