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Automotive Kuwait Personal

Breaking and Entering

Someone fucking broke into my Z4 this evening. I went to Avenues for dinner and because it was packed I parked my car across the street from Avenues. I was gone maybe an hour max and when I got back to the car the passenger window had been smashed in. There wasn’t anything in my car except for my house and wrangler keys which I had put behind the hand brake (check picture below). They took my keys and I have no idea what they are planning to do with them. I am going to change my home locks now and will probably need to change my Wrangler locks which is probably going to be expensive. Why would anyone steal my keys? Are they seriously contemplating on robbing me? How would they know where I live? Will they try to steal my Wrangler? Who the fuck steals cars in Kuwait? I’ve never heard about anyone’s car getting stolen…

My theory is someone smashed the windows to see if there was anything they could steal from inside (a phone, glasses, radio etc..). They then saw my keys and took them thinking they were the Z4 keys and maybe they could open the trunk or something. When they realized it had nothing to do with the Z4 I would assume they would throw the keys away. That is why I am going to go back now with a flashlight and look around and see if they threw my keys somewhere. I’m pissed.

Update: Went last night looking for the keys with a flashlight. Searched the whole block around where my car had been broken into but didn’t find anything. Passed by the BMW dealer earlier to have my window fixed. The window will cost only KD50 which is not bad except for the fact they don’t have it in stock. Will take over 2 weeks for them to get the part so I’ve got to search the scrapyard or glass shops in Shuwaikh for a replacement.

102 replies on “Breaking and Entering”

Mark this sort of things happens mostly by poor people to steel some money from the car which i certainly hope so! because anything else would be scary! 7amdella 3al saleme totla3 bil siara bala ma totla3 fik!

Who the fuck steals cars in Kuwait? I’ve never heard about anyone’s car getting stolen… ????????
A lot of people
they r taking the cars and sending em to Iraq or cutting it into pieces in Jahra and selling it as parts,
A lot of people are facing this dude,
tomorrow morning u should change the Wrangler keys.
Good Luck

The avenues is very close to an area where things like this are likely to happen, and because you werent parked in the safety of the parking, they pounced. my condolences Mark.

Man.. You are a famous person around here.. It wouldn’t surprise me to see people trying to fuck with you.. I think couple of spoiled readers are doing this shit.. and what do you mean no one knows where you live.. We all know that your in samliya.. And the company you work in.. Your cars.. Your name.. I don’t want to scare you but take good care and watch your back mate.. Try changing the keys tonight..

Mark doesn’t your car have an alarm? doesn’t the mall the have CCTV (even though you weren’t on their gounds)? don’t the police dust the car for prints? the cops should give you a report for the insurance claim.

I am very sorry your car got broken into. Why in hell would you carry your other car keys with you?

Yo Mark I know someone whose land cruiser got stolen and until this day no one has ever found a piece of that car and that happened a year ago. You should be thankful that they didn’t steal your car!

Don’t over think this no one is trying to mess with you it just happened. You were parked in the wrong place at the wrong time that is it. Just get the idea of conspiracy theory out of your head.

my car window got smashed in front of the police station at yarmouk and they stole my phone, i went back in to the epolice station and cop told me they cant do anything about it so got home and dont watse your time, it happens all the time these days, especially entertainment city car park, ras salimya scientific center car park, mosque car parks, basically large car parks where tonnes of cars are packed, messed up

Sorry to hear man, its alright, shit happens, if i had a car and that happened id be pissed as hell too, just make sure you change youre house keys first, theyre the more important ones, and once uve ssecured that, wranglers next.

and next time make sure u park somewhere where theres light, because youre cars more likely to get stolen in the dark, because no one can see them, anyway sorry again, itll be alright

That’s a catastrophic event! Kha6ak el Soo ya Mark.

Lessons Learned:

1) Never park your car outside the mall’s parking lot.
2) Never leave anything valuable inside your car.
3) Expect the unexpected. “there are people who steal cars,,”
4) Try to keep your keys with you all the time.

WTF! yala lmohem inta bkheir man insa… change the keys and NEVER park outside the mall it’s a easy target for thieves! don’t you see the parking facing IKEA there is a massive amount of bangals right there sitting in the parking! not tryin to be racist no offence to anyone but what the hell are they doing all day there?!

My landcruiser got stolen 4 years ago… They found the robbers, who confessed they sent all their stolen cars to Iraq. We never got the car back, or a single fils of compensation.. So don’t waste your time wth the stupid cops.

what the ……

how did this happen????????????????????
doesnt the z4 have an alarm?

I guess some idiot thought the keys inside was the keys for the Z4 and when the person broke into it, they found that it wasn’t the Z4’s keys.

well, every crime leaves a trace, i think the guy’s fingerprints should be there somewhere on the car, I don’t know if the cops can do something about it. I hope they should be able to something about it.

man this situation is really bad…I hope you find those lost keys….good luck mark!!!

Man,, I’m sorry to hear that. my friend’s car window got smashed at Salmiya 3 months ago without stealing anything from inside. do anything that u should do. you r one of the few unlucky guys and xxxx happens.

sorry to hear about what happened!! i don’t hear about that happening very often. i am sure it was a random act. if someone wanted to bother you, they could think of something more dramatic than that. it’s not a bad idea to change the locks at home, that should be done every few years anyway (maybe this is a blessing in disguise). i don’t think u have to worry about the wrangler.

take care and keep up the great work on this wonderful blog

someone broke into my car a few years ago and got away with my car radio, a japanese lunch box and my baby pictures.

lol, you guys talking about fingerprints are cracking me up.. In kuwait? Pfft!

Sorry to hear Mark. Hope your seats didn’t get cut up, they look nice.

So PFC will open publicly on the 9th then? I hope they’re open for lunch! And I hope they have mongolian beef mmmm. Miss that.

Bad news , sorry to hear that
yes they steal cars ,they smash car windows .
you parked outside and got hit . The area there is a bit unsafe .

sorry to hear about that Mark, i would change the keys if i were you but lets just hope that this was just a random stupid act.
its a shame how even kuwait isnt free from such assholeness (for lack of a better term)

Sorry to hear that Mark. Guess vandalism/car theft/stealing is as much a part of Kuwait as anywhere.
Coulda been junkies just getting their kicks after a high.

Glad you guys are ok amigo.

-Parts stolen from my bike –
Actually I am quit surprise as well…I don’t know what is happening in Kuwait guys! I woke up this morning planning to take to take a ride on my motorbike…To cut the story short…I went down I found that some parts were stolen…The rear signal lights-complete- and the rear brake with the leg rest…WHY?????

something similar happened to my friend last year, they smashed the window in the avenues parking lot and they stole his six dental handpieces,, they worth 300KD each, he took them with him since he was starting his annual leave and he thought it would not be safe to leave them in the clinic,, the question was why the hell the stole dental handpieces, they need to be connected to the dental chair (which cost 6000-20000KD) ,, so he need to steel a dental chair.
there are many scenario about why the stole your keys:

1- first is what u said (but maybe they took the keys away to make sure no fingerprints left behind)

2- I am not trying to scare you,, but were u sure nobody was following you??

2-

-Parts stolen from my bike-

No the problem is I have been parking in the same spot from day one Nasser!!! –one year back-
It is a shaded parking in front of my complex…Where all the neighbors’ cars and mine as well have a designated parking spot for each flat.

The only thought I have come out with that someone living near or in the area who owns a bike and he used mine as a spare parts motorbike 🙁

I’m sorry Mark, even if the insurance might or will take care of it. You might need to call the police in case they have similar situation and working for a lead.
Thank God for one thing that you are OK Also, when someone takes such keys? You should stay little bit vigilant for the time being in case a smart thieve with a friend watching your moves. I recommend changing the wrangler key….. Better safe than sorry.

Isn’t hard to smash window today with the materials lately made off, whoever did it knows how to act fast and they were wearing gloves knowing what they are doing. Someone was watching you if you go there more often. I’m just thinking how they picked up the key without scratching the leather with the broken glass pieces going in. You think they had another tool to pull the keys so they can run away and may be someone was waiting. Sorry again.

Sorry to hear that Mark…

On average 30 cars get stolen every month and sent to Iraq… The police know about this but they are helpless… cars are either driven there or broken down into parts.

A friends jeep was stolen more than 6 months ago… no sign of it yet…

Jeeps are the most common ones targeted. Take care of the Wrangler…

Mark if it was inside avenues parking just contact the Mabanee management and check with them they have CC Camera recording in the mall (I work in one of the store there in Avenues) also if needed you can take help from police alloted for the mall. If it helps!!!

I don’t think anyone was following me, they couldn’t have the way I was driving. I don’t think it was a “team” that broke into the car to steal my keys with a special tool. I think they broke in thinking they would find something but instead found keys and just took them. I had my Lacie key USB on the key chain maybe they liked it and kept it?

The area opposite the avenues is full of Bedouins and Bedoons (stateless people). They are like nasty Mexicans. They will do anything for money. You are lucky they didn’t remove the seats off your car and sell then for scrap.

I personally believe you should report the incident to the police as a precautionary measure and not as a mean for them to find whomever committed this crime. In the future, God forbid, if anything happens to your other car or home, you would have at least have a report filed.

P.S.
My father’s car was stolen about 9 years ago and the popo’s found it in a massive illegal establishment that swaps car license plates, paint jobs, etc.

Ah man sorry to hear that Mark. You should get the police report filed and claim your insurance for the car. This way there is a record in case this is recurring incident around Avenues.

Salamaat Mark..

same thing happened a couple of months back.. funny thing is they didnt touch a thing.. had a couple of sunglasses.. a Griffin roadtrip.. loads of change lyiing around..
Had a hell of a time cleaning up the mess.. even a week later kept thinkin a glass piece was pokin my ass… lol

I guess shit happens..

Car thefts are traditional in Kuwait! My bro had his Honda S2K broken into at the house and had stuff stolen, then you have Jazz Central who had his laptop stolen when he was visiting his dad at the hospital! As for your keys he would probably come to your place. He has your name from the Z3’s registration and might be able to pull the rest of the info out!

Well about 1 year ago, people broke into our small diwaniya and managed to take a 50″ plasma screen. I suspected that they would sell it for drugs as I have been reading a lot about the increasing hard-drug use in Kuwait. Or ofcourse it could be for any other reason 🙂

They look for mobile phones, wallets, valuables. Happens all the time in Kuwait. Happened to me about 5 years ago during Ramadan (which BTW is the most common time of the year for it to happen because police move even slower).

They stole my friend’s Maxima twice. 2nd time it was trashed beyond all recognition and left in the desert.

Chop shops are in Amghara. Parts go here and to Iraq. If thieves can do it, they’ll get the full cars to Iraq and sell.

I’m sorry this happened to you. You feel so violated and helpless and just pissed off at the world. Been there.

Another thing for people to think about is this: Take your house keys (and other car keys) off your ring when you valet park your car. They know your address from your registration (or any other ID in the car) and can break in later.

A similar incident happened with one of my friend 3 days back. He was on night shift Thursday he returned home at 2:30am couldn’t find parking in building and parked his car in a open ground which is opposite to his building.
(Salmiya – Block 10. Esa al qatami street). Next morning when he went to his car he was shocked to see that someone smashed the driver window opened the hood and stole front head lamps, front grille, battery, radiator cover and Window switches from middle console. Luckily his dashboard was locked so they couldn’t take his car registration and other stuff. But they took the CD’s and locket which was hanging on the rear view mirrior. He filed a case in police station and they were good enough to lift some fingerprints. Let’s hope they find the culprit.

it could even be someone who’s following you. someone in our home abroad got in our home and messed the whole house cuz we think they were looking for money but they couldn’t find, and my sis lives there alone. so it could even be someone you know, changing the locks is the best idea!!

Man I think I am gona park a car and put cash in it near the avenues. Then I am going to wait 30 meters away… with a gun.

U should just report it so that the cops can have it added to thier data base of car break ins. U never know it might help them increase their effeciancy in the future.

I reported a few things to the police, they ended up catching the criminals, not on the same day (hollywood style) but 2 or 3 months later. So you should take Bo-shaikha’s advice, it will be a hassle but you’ll feel better once you see them handcuffed and behind bars.

Bro kuwait is not the same anymore, my parents house in jabriya got robbed and cleaned out couple of months ago .. they even stole their passports. my advice is always be extra careful.

# 7 @Steveleb -Right on!..Mark, Dude, Someone knows your car and is definitely fucking with you !..the keys were just a bonus. I’d be worried about him finding your “unique” Jeep with the remote and breaking that one too!

Or maybe it could be someone who wanted to know how much a “Z4” side window costs cause we all know ur gonna rant about how much it costs and everything, as soon as it happens!!.. hehe

Sorry to hear and good the damage is limited. Most likely they got in hoping to find a key or way to start and the car as there were no valuables visible.
I have a friend who’s Cayenne was stolen from his home in Mishref at night as he accidentally left it open. A month later he say his car being driven in Salwa and could not chase it down. 3 months later the police found the car in 3 pieces in different parts of Kuwait – it had been stripped of the engine and transmission and the body shell were seperated ! Horrible story but he got his car put together but it took another month and the car will never be the same. Unless it is reported to the police, they cant focus on the criminals or the masterminds who send these people out. Sadly some of the workshop owners are disowned by their own families and have multiple cases pending , but the still send people out to do these nasty things because they dont get locked up.

hey mark.. sorry to hear that .. but now it`s ur time.. this ppl will follow u to know where u live.. thin they will try to get the wrangler .. even if they take the parts to resale it again in scrab yard.. btw .. they steal cars in kuwait but don`t try to expert that ..just go and change the wrangler lock ASAP.. o allah y3enek till they order the window glass for the z4

Man that’s scary. We should think twice from now on before we park…

Mark, sorry for that we all can’t figure out if that guy knows you or not. If he does, he can use the keys because he knows where to find your house and Jeep.
Quick act for your house main door and try to find a solution for your Jeep which it isn’t complicated as your z4 key system

Dear Mark,

Sorry that this happened to you. It’s totally a random act of those Bengalis roaming the streets. Mark, I’m a fan of your website for over a year now, and I ask you to kindly avoid using the “F” word or any other cussing word, because some of your visitors are youngsters.

That is so bad,

you have actually been robbed – 50kd to fix your window, that is exactly like someone sticking his hands inside your pockets and robbing you of 50kd, – what lowlifes!

I don’t think whoever has done this has a personal vendetta with you, if someone really wanted to hurt you they would have keyed your car, or maybe smashes all the windows and left it at that,

This is just some lowlife who saw an opportunity and took it, – for you it was the wrong place wrong time, for this lowlife it was the right place at the right time,

sorry man . be sure to park at the parking next time better waiting for a parking space than loking for heys right ? any way am sorry that happened to you

some one broke my old car Mitsubishi Calant Glass near scientific center car park and stole my wallet ! in my walled 60KD Visa and ATM NBK card
the thief didn’t use my cards because i cancel them

I went to Salmiyah police station and they tell me “don’t waste your time!!”.

now days I take my wallet with me and do not leave any expensive Stuff in my car.

Hey Mark,
Am long time reader of your blog but i rarely comment so you probably don’t know me..I found this post really frustrating so I would like to share my opinion.

I really do think this robbery is aiming you and not your car! Obviously those “inglorious bastards” are cooking something to harm you so i really hope you take a good care and change your locks ASAP.

Perhaps you should consider a security alarm in your car and house!
and also you should have let the police know about the incident.

Anyhow, this is very strange in Kuwait and I hope things stop there.

I don’t think it was aimed at me. My Z4 is very common, nothing special, it isn’t unique and I don’t have a bumper sticker that says mark248am1.wpenginepowered.com. It was a random act. The other cars parked next to me were all trashy so that’s why mine was only broken into. I’ve already changed all the locks so not too worried. I am not Britney Spears, I don’t have some fan stalking me, it was a random act.

After reading many comments, I feel so sad for Kuwait that wasn’t like this. I know the fast food movement and obesity of the US got into Kuwait, but such criminal acts which is too much in that capacity I’ve read in such small area.

I think the Kuwaiti police should have an informants in the scrap are or car maintenance garages. I don’t know where it is now (Sulaibikhat – or- shweikh). Also alert the border between Kuwait and Iraq too. This way they can control many illegal businesses and reduce such crimes. They can train someone with hidden cameras; even with the media assistance will scare some. Just a thought.

Hard luck, Mark. I reckon it has foot prints of a drugs related crime all over it. Either that, or as you yourself let it pass the crooks were high on watching ‘ Breaking & Entering,’ Anthony Minghella’s drama and decided to act on the film title.
Do take good care of your baby now.

Akh !!!! a dealer who has nothing in stock ! by the way happened to my X5 before the easiest thing with BMW – Kuwait that they will order anything for you hehe

They have nothing in store except the normal (daily use) items

Kuwait never changes does it? Everyone on here seems quick to blame:

“Bengalis roaming the streets”
or the
“Bedouins and Bedoons (stateless people). They are like nasty Mexicans. They will do anything for money”
When my car was stolen, raced around and then stripped of it’s wheels, I reported it to the police. They found my car – minus the wheels – a few days later.
2 weeks later, they arrested a Kuwaiti teenager who had my wheels.
He was from a reasonably wealthy family and his father eventually ‘convinced’ me that it was ‘financially sensible’ to forget about it! (His son had “issues” * read: drug habit* according to him)

Just a thought, but don’t ASSUME it was a poor foreign person!

oh thats so shitty!!! im so sorry to hear that. there is some little buggers out there.
i hope your wife did not get freeked out by the whole thing.

Mark, Im sorry you had to go through this junk; it must feel so frustrating. But some of you people sound like paranoid idiots, telling Mark he should be freaked out about stalkers etc. Is that supposed to be helpful? This isnt LA, or NY so chill. Is lecturing him about where to park and what to do next time helpful either? He learned his lesson.

And some of you others are racist pricks, blaming Bengalis or Bedoiuns or Bedoons. MAYBE it was a very rich Kuwaiti!, bored and out looking for kicks!! How do you know??!

Mark is clever enough to know reporting it to the inept police here is a waste of his valuable time.

oh, and numer 75 — Mark can use the “f word” if he wants cuz it’s HIS fucking blog!!!

Look around…is it really so hard to believe there are people stupid enough to take a chance and break into a car?!

Hey Mark sorry for what happened to you But am gonna say something in Kuwaiti 1st MEN OMMA GHAL6AAAAAAAN if you didn`t do it

why i say this is that ur SO SO easy to be reached or traced now you posted about what happened that punk ass can easily track you believe me don`t laugh at this, here goes the story of my friend he underestimated things just like you and see what happened:

My friend Wife car got broken into just like what happened to you at his work he works at Airport, they searched for stuff they didn`t find anything valuable except that they took His 2009 Land Cruiser keys, the story is around 10 months old, hey forgot what happened and he used the spare keys instead like you he laughed who would know my house, its just a random robbery, after 8 months believe it or not 8 moths !! they stole his Golden Land Cruiser Parked just in front of his house just few hours after he returned from his work !! until today he didn`t find it the story happened like 2 months ago, it was just a few KD`s costing him to change the keylock. and You`re MORE MORE MORE easier to be reached than him plus u posted about that story Definitely one day the DAMN ASSWHOLE will check this Post don`t ask me why but believe me shit can happen anywhere anytime !! PLEASE don`t underestimate things don`t wan`t the same story happen to ya !! ask about my friend he sent an email about the story too his name is Khaled

One more thing don`t forget that you posted about the place and the time of incident all he want to do now is he catch a Z4 with BBS rims on the street follow you home from a distance and TADA No more Wrangler, wallah mark take the advice as a a friend PLEASE totally change the Keys of the Wrangler don`t be skeptical at such serious stuff !!

Number 88 q8teacher You`re the NOOBEST PERSON I`ve ever checked in my life do you even read the last pages of news papers FYI i read newspapers from week to week and i read about more and more more shit is happening in Kuwait WAKE UP do you live in Kuwait at 1st ?

Dear En-ger-land and q8teacher,

Those who know me know that I’m not a racist person. I have friends from all nationalities and social classes. I help raise charity for Bengalis poor children and other unfortunate people in Kuwait and abroad on yearly bases. You have to understand that when I blamed the “roaming Bengalis” not because they are from Bangladesh, I blamed them because they run a mafia in Jleeb Shukh area as mentioned in several newspapers a few weeks ago. Also, note that over 200,000 Bangladeshis work in Kuwait, mostly as cleaners, rubbish collectors and in other low-paid jobs. Do I believe that all Bangladeshis are causing problems for Kuwait? Surely “NOT”, however, the regulations regarding giving them a visa say that they do, but I also believe that we have to be fair about this matter and to acknowledge that not all Bangladeshis are bad. Therefore, there is no justification for blanket ban orders, nor do they all deserve the treatment they are now facing in Kuwait. Did you notice that I did not mention any other nationality! Do you wonder why? My friend read the newspapers in Kuwait or in the GCC! Search the internet!

q8teacher,

I asked Mr. Mark in a kind matter, and I know that it’s his blog and he is free to do what ever he wants with it. My nephew is 10 years old and he asked me about the meaning of the “F” word after reading it in this blog “teacher”.

@Nobu

Did you just call bedouins nasty mexicans? Who rob ? Id like to see you go say that to a bedouin’s face . Or how about you tell me where you live so i can send them over to yours ? You’re too Spinless , you say ? Obviously …

Sorry to hear about the break-in, Mark.

Others – blaming anyone, foreigners or others is pointless. What’s done is done. Kuwait is growing, there will be bad apples and desperate people amongst the good guys (thankfully it’s all relative. I read that 500 people are being murdered every day in Baghdad – or was it Iraq? – and that is an improvement on 1600 per day two years ago. We should count ourselves lucky). Fix the locks, register with the police (presumably need to do this for the insurance?); park in secure parking. Paranoia is paranoia. No-one’s coming after Mark. It was a random opportunist act. Bad language on the blog: It’s Mark’s blog, but…it’s a popular one and it accepts advertising, it reviews a lot of 3rd party stuff, maybe with all this good stuff there comes a little responsibility?

Hope it all gets fixed witout further hassle!

Sorry 2 hear about that
the same thing happened 2 my brother a couple of weeks ago…except he parked in avenues parking area!!

For people complaining about my use of the word fuck in this post. My blog is currently rated PG-13 which I think is a fairly decent rating over the R rating or NC-17 rating I would personally prefer it to be.

I don’t want to dumb down my topics or language even further to suit those that are still watching the little mermaid or barney. These children should be accompanied by their parents when visiting my blog or any other site online for that matter unless its disney, pixar or something. I think thats reasonable.

once we had a fight in the avenues parking area with another group of people and the security guy there didn’t do anything, he didn’t even try to stop us or calm us down!! he was just standing there and watching us while we were fighting !!!! what is he there for then ????

CRAP

BuMeshari, a 10 year old SHOULDNT be reading Mark’s blog! If a 10 year old — left in the care of one of his multiple nannies, while mother is out shopping and dad is at the diwania — decided to roam the internet witrhout supervision, it’s not Mark’s problem. If this kid is allowed free reign on the net, there are a heck of a lot worse things he will find than one lousy “f word”. But hey, Uncle Bu, use it as a “teaching” moment to explain what it means and why a tiny tot shouldnt say it!!

Lesson? Raise your kids right. Supervise what they get in to and spend quality time with them , and then you dont have to worry about what words they stumble upon.

Mark has the right to write about whatever he wants and clearly his blog and its subject matter is not in any way directed towards kids. Stop trying to censor everything real in this country!

I hate fucking Barney.

Sorry to hear about your car. What is Kuwait coming to? Maybe it’s the start of a very steep, slippery slope, starting with the end of Dubai.

Dude…try to relax. I have had my car as well as my home broken into when I was residing in Farwaniya. The funny part is, when you go to report the incident – the cops ask you whether you suspect anyone!!
Normally the cars that are broken into usually are older models – not under comprehensive insurance. Read what you will into that statement.
Also – this type of work is done by desperate junkies who look for anything that they can pawn or sell. You weren’t the target, your valuables were – and good thing you don’t keep anything in your car.

sorry to hear that Mark… but even if you think that it’s just a random act, you should change your jeep’s keys. be safe than sorry man.

and next time, don’t park your car in a dimly lighted area. =)

Usually what happens in this type of situation is that they try to steal your car and driver it to some place where they are able to tear it apart.(i.e. break the doors off) then they would take the part sell it and make profit off it. I’ve also had my car broken into one, THANK god i dont keep anything important in there and neither should you.

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