This is worth watching.

I'm guilty of leaving my vehicle unlocked and stuff in it at the gas pump. No more though.

http://www.sheriff.org/videos/psa_cartheft.html

Yeah, but that's Florida! That could never happen here in good ole' Oregon! Right?

A similar thing happened to me last year. Left the car to go pay for gas and snag some pop.

Came out to my car driving off down the road!

I dropped everything and started running, dialing 911 at the same time.

That conversation was hilarious:

911: What is your emergency?

me: Somebody stole my car!

911: How do you know?

me: I'm following it on foot, heading west on street

911: On foot? We need you to return to the scene of the incident and wait for an officer.

me: No way! I can see the car, I can be found heading west on street. I'm going to continue to follow the car.

911: How will the officer find you?

me: I'm the guy running down street, heading west! Car is [description] still in view.

911: Ok... can you be reached at this number?

me: Of course!

(they had a lot of surprise in their voice)

So, I continue jogging down the street, car finally disappears from view. Officer shows up on street a little later, takes report, asks me to return to scene of crime.

Again I say no. I had a car stolen many years ago, turns out they just wanted to grab what they could and leave it. It's highly likely it will be the same this time. I don't drive nice cars.

I ask him for a sweep of the surrounding 10 - 20 blocks or so.

Officer: Ok, we will do a sweep. (Amazing! Last time they said no and I found the car not far from where it was stolen. This time it was gonna be different, I hoped!

I tell the officer I will then return to crime scene and begin walking back.

While on the phone to a friend, I see the car on a side street!

As I walked down the street, I lift a tire iron from the back of some truck and approach what looks to be an empty car. They must have doubled back and parked it, not knowing they returned it within 1/2 mile of my home.

It was empty! They took the change and a coupla CD's I had in the seat and tossed the keys somewhere. (Office keys too, dammit!)

So I call the police, who found it highly unusual, but they did return to the car.

After a report, and a lot of questions about me actually finding the car. I walk home for the keys, return and drive the car home. In their view, I also return the tire iron. They were not happy about it, but didn't act on that.

All happened within about 15 blocks from where it was taken!